Club Notes - November 19, 2025

There were 15 of us at today’s meeting.   The main order of business was a discussion of how to deal with the volume of donations we have been receiving.  In the past we would sort through donations and anything we could not use was given to Goodwill.  They had a contract with a company that recycled fabric.   Mic has discovered that Good will no longer accepts fabric because they don’t have that contract anymore.  Mic took the time to call around to see if any other organization will take fabric scraps and couldn’t find any place for us to give these leftovers.

This has forced us to reevaluate our policy regarding fabric we will accept.  Tonight I sent an email to the presidents of all the Villages quilt chapters and 2 other sewing clubs that I know have given us scraps in the past.  I have asked them to follow the guidelines below when giving us or Busy Hands their leftovers:

1. Fabric that has been fussy cut and fabric that is quilted to edges of batting needs to be cut into smaller pieces, suitable for use as dog bed stuffing.  

2.  Home decor fabric will only be accepted if the pieces are large enough to make a dog bed. 

3. The only other fabric that will be accepted is cotton pieces, either 2.5" strips or pieces at least as large as a fat eighth.  

4. If you are donating both small scraps and pieces large enough to be cut into strips or squares, please place the small scraps in a separate bag from the larger pieces.

5. We no longer accept any sewing notions or any batting less than 36".

6. Please make sure the fabric you are giving us does not contain any pins or paper.

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Show and Tell: (https://sewingn-more.blogspot.com/)

Kathryn Jeter started us off with dinos she made.

Pat Pipa made 2 cornucopias to donate.  They will go to Freedom Point, along with 3 I made.

Isabella O’Brien showed a large tote bag she made.  She has agreed to do a demo on this next year.

Louise Stem is back at work making pillowcases for the Sheriffs Youth Ranch 2026 graduates.

Mic Pickard showed a hanging zipper bag 

and her completed cornucopia, filled with some crocheted pumpkins.

Ceal Pedersen showed the latest batch of stuffed toys she made and painted.

Lorraine Manz made a bunch of toy fish, waiting to be stuffed,

 a stack of pillowcases, 

and a quilt top.

Laura Tomich took her Christmas fabric scraps and made potholders,

 pillowcases,

placemats, 

and a round table topper.

Eileen DiSanto made some dinos 

and pigs.

Diane Placek showed a prayer quilt she made for her church.

Donna Rissman made some dinos.

Bev Minnerly finished her cornucopia and a potholder.

 

I made this quilt from a pattern in a 3 yard quilt book.  It just needs binding.

Some time in the past few weeks, a large number of bags containing both fabric pieces and scraps, was delivered to El Santiago rec center for us.  Somehow I missed this, but Mic put it all in her car and was storing it in her garage.  Today, she brought it back in for sorting.  Several ladies chipped in to sort, and where needed, cut the pieces.   We filled 24 dog beds by the end of the day, and I took a couple of bags full home to cut into usable squares. It was a case of many hands making quick work, and I thank all of you who helped.

 

We also received a donation which included several started quilt projects.  Some of these look like easy projects to finish.  If you are interested, I will bring them back to our next meeting.

I brought in a large bag full of quilts that just need binding.  Ellen Hein would usually take these, but she is traveling.  Eileen St. Clair volunteered to take these to finish.  It is nice to have another member to share this work.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and many of us are busy with preparation.  We will not have a meeting next week.  Our next meeting will be on December 3^rd.  I will send reminder emails.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

 

Lois

Club Notes - November 12, 2025

There were 16 of us at today’s meeting.   The first order of business was to report the results of the vote I requested on how to distribute the excess charity funds.   The choices were:

A.   $200. Each to Project S.O.S., Christian Care Center, Wildwood Soup Kitchen, and $100 to Hands of Mercy Everywhere

B.  $700 to the Wildwood Soup Kitchen 

C. $500 to the Wildwood Soup Kitchen and $200 to Project S.O.S.

20 members responded, with 3 votes for A, 5 votes for B and 12 votes for C.  So I will be sending $500 to the Wildwood Soup Kitchen and $200 to Project S.O.S.

Mic and I also talked about the new process of donating items to Advent Watermans Hospital.  Everything goes to a central receiving area where they sanitize everything and distribute to the appropriate departments.  The maternity ward and the pediatric ward are close and we may get requests for items for both.

Mic is having an open house on Sunday to help a friend give away fabric from her mother’s stash. The fabric will be free with the caveat that it is to be used to make items for donation, and not for personal use.  I will send out a separate email with the information.

Show and Tell: 

Carolyn Grasso made a couple of dinosaur bodies, to be stuffed, 

and a refrigerator door handle cover.

Louise Stem finished the last of the reusable menstrual kits she has been working on. 

Each kit contains 8 pads, 2 pair of underwear, and drying strings, all fitted in a small pouch.

Ceal Pedersen showed the latest batch of stuffed toys she painted 

Pat Pipa showed a Christmas wall hanging she made in a recent Allamanda member to member class.

Kathryn Jeter showed a glasses case she made.

We received 2 donations of finished quilts today.  

There are 7 from Kris Loffler, through Allamanda Quilters. 

and 3 from Moyer Citrus Quilters.  

2 of these quilts are close to twin size and will be put aside as possible choices for the Sheriffs Youth Ranch graduates.

 

Most of the ladies brought their sewing machines today and worked on the project.   Even those who could not bring a machine picked out fabric to bring home.  I look forward to seeing some finished cornucopias next week.

 

That’s all for today. . Hope to see you next week.

 

Lois

Club Notes - November 5, 2025

There were 18 of us at today’s meeting. Our agenda was a little different this afternoon.  We had a visitor, Judy Lindquist, who represents the Friends of SOZO Kids.  She came to pick up some things we are donating to the organization and spent a few minutes talking to the group about what SOZO Kids does for the children who live in the Ocala forest.

Mic brought all the items that were left over from the craft sale and we made decisions regarding what to do with it all.  Some items will be given to the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch Thrift shop, some others will go to the Villages Hospital thrift shop (Ye Olde Thrift Shop). Items that we felt were useful for poor families will be given to the Christian Care Center. 

We also gave everyone at today’s meeting the opportunity to buy any of the leftover items at a deeply discounted price.  We collected $90 from these sales, and that amount has been added to our charity fund.

Anything that we didn’t feel could be donated to any of the above organizations will be given to Goodwill.

Next week -11/12 is Project day – Sew a fabric cornucopia.  Pick fabric from our stash or bring your own. You can use 2 fat quarters – one for the outside and one for the lining.    The actual size of the fabrics needed are 10” x 18” for the small one that came with the pattern and 14” x 21” for the pattern I enlarged.  We have a bolt of muslin and batting scraps to complete the needed supplies. I’m hoping everyone who can will bring their sewing machine next week so we can make these during the meeting.  If you don’t want it for yourself we will donate them to a local assisted living facility.

 

Show and Tell: 

Eileen St Clair showed 2 quilts, one that is finished 

and one quilt top. 

She also showed a bear that her aunt made.  She used to give these to the local police and fire departments.

Bev Minnerly made 2 potholders 

and a doll body. 

She also finished a purse for herself.

Kathryn Jeter showed some turkey hangings she made with her embroidery machine.

Ceal Pedersen showed the latest batch of stuffed toys she painted 

Carolyn Grasso turned in several more 9-patch blocks.

New member, Nancy Miller, made a stack of pillowcases.

Ellen Hein made another tote bag for transporting quilts and other completed items.

 

That’s all for today. . Hope to see you next week.