Club Notes - Jan 18th, 2017

Hi everyone.  I hope you are all enjoying winter in Florida. 

I said at the beginning of this club that we would charge a $10 initial membership fee only, and that I would reassess our financial situation every 6 months to make sure this is sufficient to cover our club supplies.  I am happy to report that this financial model is holding up fine and no additional funds are required yet.  Our 50/50s for party prizes worked fine so I think if we ever need any additional funds beyond membership fees I will use this method. For now, we have enough in our club treasury to take care of any expenses that might come up, and I think we have a reasonable supply of cutting boards, tools, irons, etc. on hand.  If there is anything you think we need to make our projects easier, please feel free to come to me with suggestions.

I have also decided to open the club back up to new members.  During the past 6 months we have never had more than 25 people show up at a time and everyone does not bring a sewing machine, so I think we have room to welcome new members.  I'll keep an eye on this as time goes on.

Updates on our absent members: Nita Hand's hip is healing nicely but she has caught a bad cold.  B.J. Herter is also suffering from a bad cold or allergy she picked up around Christmas.  Chris Leady's foot surgery is healing OK, but she still can't put weight on the foot. Susie Pendry had gall bladder surgery last week, but she is doing OK.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all of them and we hope they will be able to join us again soon.

Project of the Week

Pat Pipa led a great hand embroidery exercise yesterday, showing us how to do some basic hand embroidery stitches.  He also handed out a little project kit for each person to make a little needle case.  15 ladies showed up and all attempted the project, including a few who I know avoid hand sewing at all costs.  

After Pat's demo I set up my sewing machine with the embroidery attachment and showed how that works.  I choose a simple pattern that just quilts the back of a credit card holder to explain how to load the pattern, the stabilizer, hooping, and running the stitches.

We also had a lady from Cornerstone Hospice come to pick up the 4 hospice quilts that have been handed in over the past 2 months.  She asked if she could take a picture of the ladies in our club with the quilts and use it for some publicity.  All the ladies who were still in the room gathered for the photo and she took down all our names.  In addition to internal publicity, she hopes to get it into the Daily Sun and she interviewed me about our club.

Show and Tell:

Bev Minnerly started us off with a wheelchair lap quilt for the honor flight.   I like the corner shapes made for a wheelchair.

Donna Rissman showed a pillowcase and quilt for her grandson with an astronaut theme. She wasn't sure how to quilt a panel this big, but wound up quilting the astronaut and it came out beautiful.

Mary Nazgiewicz, Pat Pipa and I all showed wreaths we completed after the Jan 4th project demo.

It's nice how each of us picked a different theme. Mary's was Valentines, Pat's was St Patrick's, and mine was to fill in the January gap between holidays.

Pat also finished crocheting a sweater for her dog before the end of the meeting.

Eileen DiSanto showed a blanket she made for the Ocala shelter from fabrics donated to out club.

In keeping with today's embroidery theme, Nella Rose showed a red work wall hanging.

Faux Chenille Quilt

I showed 2 little bags I made on my embroidery machine, my embroidered t-shirt, my January fabric squares wreath, and 3 quilts that were in my UFO pile and are now finished.

Honor Flight Quilt

Charity Quilt

Reminder: NO MEETING JANUARY 25th

Our next meeting is Feb 1st and Kathy Nichols will be leading the fabric on a plate project.  When you get a chance, go to the dollar store and get a plain white plate for this project.  I'll send out more info on this next week.

Jan 4, 2017 - New Year, New Room

Attendance was light this afternoon, but I suspect many of our members are still traveling or  recouping from the holidays.   We had a default table setup for the first meeting, but now that I was able to assess the outlet situation without a stage in the way, I think we can actually support the same number of sewing machines as we have had show up in the other room.  We will continue with the current non-sewing projects we had planned for this winter, but will be more flexible next year.

This room is different from our regular room because the rec center staff will set it up the way we need it ahead of time.  I have submitted a floor plan that optimizes use of the outlets and they should have that set up for us for the rest of the winter.  So anyone who wants to bring a sewing machine to our winter meetings can do so.

Show and Tell:

Diana Gosselin showed the Lilly Frog thread catcher & pin cushion she made.

Kathy Nichols showed a patriotic pillow she made for her next honor flight companion and a couple of Christmas Ornaments. 

Roberta Kelsey Brought a couple of Christmas table runners and some ornaments. 

Bev Minnerly showed a Santa doll she and her daughter made a few years ago and a Reindeer wreath she made at her church group. 
















Nella Rose showed the mini bag she made from Lu's December demo. She even enhanced it with an outside pocket.  She also talked about how she had embellished her shirt by taking a plain denim shirt and applying bleach with a rubber stamp to create the design.  It really came out beautiful.

I also showed the mini bag I made, which got a lot of use while I was away last week. 







Our next meeting is on January 18th and the plan is for Pat Pipa to show us how to do some basic hand embroidery.  I know that many of you avoid hand sewing, but there are always a few times when we have to resort to this, such as putting a face on a stuffed toy.  This will be a chance to learn some basic hand embroidery stitches to help you with those finishing touches.


I have also had a couple of requests from club members to learn about machine embroidery. Anyone who has an embroidery machine who would like to bring it to work on their own projects is welcome to do so at the next meeting.  I plan to bring mine.  This will give everyone a chance to see ow this works too.

A few of us wandered into the room we usually have to meet the group that has it reserved for Jan, Feb & March.  They are the northern section of the Boggy Creek Bear club and they make bears for Boggy Creek Camp ( http://www.boggycreek.org/)   A couple of our ladies have decided to go and help this group by cutting out fabric pieces on the weeks when we don't have a room to meet in.   If you are interested in doing this, they welcome the help.  You can also volunteer to help sew pieces together, but I understand this is not an easy sewing project.


According to their web site: 

"Each session, campers and families go home with a hand-made afghan and Boggy Bear stitched with love. Our campers are amazed to see all the beautiful quilts that adorn the beds and walls of the cabins and buildings. We’re also looking for some volunteers who can make and/or mend costumes for our theater program. This exciting opportunity to help can be done from home.

When making Boggy Bears, please use our standard pattern. Click here to view and print the bear pattern. Afghans: can be crocheted or knitted and should be 35-40 inches wide by 40-50 inches long. Quilts for beds: use cotton or flannelette and should be 60 inches by 80 inches. Machine washable and lightweight. Decorative Quilts: no larger than 7 feet by 10 feet"

Don't forget, we only have the room the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays during Jan, Feb and March. Hope to see you all on the 18th

Sewing N More 1st Annual Holiday Party

What a great turnout, and all the delicious food!! We had a wonderful variety of food to nibble on, including Marie Bray's "tipsy cake".  So sorry Marie couldn't stay, but she wasn't feeling her best and didn't want to give what she had to the rest of us.   Mary Naziewicz also made a beautiful coffee cake dessert in the shape of a Christmas tree.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of it, it was so beautifully done.

I want to thank all of you wonderful ladies for the generous gift cards.  I haven't decided what to use them for yet, but it will be something special.  As I said to the group yesterday, I could not have wished for a better group of ladies to join the club I started last June.  I was a little apprehensive about starting a new craft club last Spring, but you all have been so helpful and supportive, you make my job much easier and the club so much fun.  I look forward to being with you all each week.

After our first round of eating lunch, we had a great turnout for show and tell

Susie Pendry showed an embroidered applique she made and sewed onto a tote bag.  The applique is of Santa in a blue mini cooper, with Merry Christmas around it.  Beautiful job.

Linda Lynch showed off her Christmas present, a travel vest from the company SCOTTeVEST, with loads of pockets for all her travel needs.

Lu Karatzas showed a card holder she made that has room for cards and even some cash.

Jane Motrinec showed a beautiful bargello Christmas table runner.

Pat Pipa showed 2 tissue holders and 2 mini-purses she completed.

Bev Minnerly made a bunch of small zipper bags for her grandchildren.

Linda Parr has been having lots of fun embroidering fun sayings on toilet paper to give as gifts.


She also showed a Christmas table runner.  This is a work in progress which she said would be finished by the end of the day.

Donna Rissman showed off her embroidered Christmas shirt and her FINISHED casserole carrier. 😊

Mary Nazgiewicz made a large blanket for her daughter's large dog.


















Audrey Philips made a bunch of gingerbread man pencil toppers for her grandchild's class in Germany, where they are stationed at an Air Force base.

She also showed a Dollar Store Christmas stocking that she embroidered by opening the seam (which she will later reclose).

She also shared a Christmas purse that she made in the Embroidery hoop last Christmas.

Marti Rhyne shared her fun embroidered Christmas t-shirt.

 
I had fun last week embroidering the front and back of t-shirts for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

I also showed a bag I finished after embroidering the 27 blocks over the past few months and finally putting it together with the lining.

After Show and Tell we played 2 trivia games, one about Christmas trees and the other about Christmas songs.  Although most of the ladies got the answers easily, only two ladies got all the answers right for each quiz, and it wasn't the same two!  

I gave out one special prize to Eileen DiSanto for being the person (besides myself) who has attended the most club meetings since we began.

Then we played 4 rounds of Christmas themed Bingo, with prizes to the winners of each round.  Of course, we continued to nibble on the great food and desserts throughout.  

I think everyone had a good time, I know I did.

There will be no meeting next week as everyone enjoys the holiday week celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah (or both), and New Year's Eve.   Our next meeting will be on January 4th in our temporary location in the Beach Club room at El Santiago.  I will send out a separate email reminder on that.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Blessed Christmas or Hanukkah and a very happy New Year.

Club Notes - Dec 14, 2016

As expected for December, we had light attendance today, but lots of fun.  We welcomed new member and old friend, Marie Bray.  She is back in the Villages for her annual retreat from the English winter.

Lu Karatzas led today's demo of little bags to hold your phone, id, gate pass, keys, and a lttle cash or credit card when youo don't want to carry a full purse.  This was a great, easy, quick project and I saw a bunch of them completed this afternoon.


Show and Tell

Pat Pipa showed her completed horse ornament.





































Eileen DiSanto made two fleece blankets as gifts for two little girls in her family.



Lu Karatzas showed her completed horse ornament and a bunch of the little tissue cases she made as gifts.

























Donna Rissman took a plain shirt and appliques a fabric panel on the front and some bling around the collar.   She also showed a microwave bowl holder she made in the little time before our meeting started today.

 Last Friday and Saturday Sharky's Vac N Sew sponsored a Floriani Workshop just south of the Villages and I attended along with a number of ladies we know.   There were 3-4 people at each sewing machine and 6 projects over the 2 days, so each person got to take home 2 of the completed projects.  I showeda personalized phone charger holder for traveling, and a banner that says "Love of Sewing" (which my husband wants to hang in my sewing room.)

After 2 days of embroidery, I spent Sunday finishing a couple of my UFOs.

The first was a snowman tissue box cover.

The other was 2 sided autumn quilt that i stated in September and had hoped to finish by Halloween.  As usual, life and other projects got in the way, but at least it's ready for next year.

A suggestion was made that we might be able to use this blog to share items we want to sell, trade, or are looking for.  Members present thought this was a good idea, so I will accept these kinds of notices and post them on the blog.   They will be in separate posts, with a heading saying they are "Personal Ads" and wil indicate who to contact.

Don't forget, next week is our holiday party.  There will be no project, but show and tell items are always welcome.  There will be plenty of food and fun games.  Bring 25 pennies or buttonsor other tokens to use for marking Bingo cards.