A "Party" and a time for giving

 I wasn't really in the mood for a zoom "party" last Saturday.  I was feeling sorry for myself because I wanted to see people, give and get hugs, and eat all the yummy food we always have at the annual Christmas party.  But the virtual party was wonderful!  I felt happy afterward.  It wasn't the party I wanted, but we shared holiday decorations and good cheer with each other.  I wish I had thought to take a screen shot of everyone dressed in festive hats and sweaters and blinking earrings (I think).  It all made me smile and warmed my weary heart! (The picture above is Martha Lorshbaugh's show and tell.  She has been knitting fun little creatures who will celebrate the holiday at her house)

We discovered that a slide show show and tell works SO much better than trying to hold things up where they can be seen during the meeting!

Chris Kuehl pieced this beauty recently (I missed where the pattern came from) and is hoping to make friends with her new longarm machine to finish it.

Melanie Tubinis and Mary Ann Watson made this after taking a class.  The embroidery was done by hand.  Mary Ann made the prairie points and Melanie did the quilting. 

Jenny Grimsley is finishing some of the felt ornaments from kits left by her mother.  The round one in the lower picture was made using Sue Spargo techniques.  The bottom picture is coasters originally intended for the boutique at the quilt show, but now gifts for friends. 

Nancy Schrader made herself a gift to celebrate being a survivor! The embellishments were so fun, she couldn't stop sewing things on! (I don't know why Connie is in the picture)

Donna Kaufman has lots of turkey feathers and made this wonderful wreath with some of them. (Pardon the weird lady in the corner- someone forgot to minimize herself before doing a screen grab)

The Community Service ladies have been busy making our holiday donations!

Thank you to everyone who contributed so generously to our Salvation Army Gift Bag project!  We finished 65 filled gift bags and another 130 empty gift bags for the Salvation Army to use. This was two times more than last year!  Below is a just a sampling of the many boxes we delivered.  Thank you again for your donations!

 

 

Community Service recently dropped off 16 quilts and 34 pillow cases to The Foster Closet in Batavia. They had specifically requested quilts for girls for Christmas so these will certainly brighten the girls’ holidays!  Thanks to all who contributed!  

 

Happy Holidays, everyone! 

Monthly minis- group projects for all to make!

 Thanks to Jenny Grimsley for kicking off this new way for us to connect! Each month, links to a small project sill be shared with you all.  If you make one, please send a picture to me, post it on facebook, show it at the next virtual meeting....  Let's stay connected any way we can!

This month, Jenny is sharing a cord holder she and her Sunday night sewing circle have done.  Cute and very useful!

Make your own- or give them as gifts!  Here's how:

http://leafytreetopspot.blogspot.com/2013/05/tutorial-diy-cord-keeper-from-fabric.html

 

November show and tell

 Editor's note:

Blogger has made some changes which are making it very frustrating for me to try and get pictures where I want them.  I apologize for the large blank spaces and descriptions that may not match the nearest photo.  I have neither the time nor the patience to fight with it any further. 

 

Melanie Tubinis sent these in from projects she and her mom, Mary Anne Watson, have been working on.

 

Here are some photos of a quilt and baby book that my mom and I made for my nephew's baby.  

My mom made the quilt top and did the binding.  I quilted the quilt. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I made the alphabet book out of a panel and hand-stitched his name into the floor pictured on the back of the book. 

 My Aunt Nancy Lobaugh, my mother's sister and a former guild member for a brief time, had started this quilt for her grandson before she passed away last year.  Aunt Nancy had cut all the pieces.  After she passed away, my mom, stitched the top together. I did the quilting and my mom did the binding.  The backing was a very soft fleece that my aunt had chosen.  We are happy to have finished it and hope her grandson will enjoy it as a memory of his grandma since she chose the fabrics and started it for him.

At the Zoom meeting November 21, I was able to grab a few pictures as well. These first few were sent to Connie  ahead of time- making it so much easier to see the items as well as for me to get a picture!

Nancy Ellers shared these projects:

This quilt and matching bag were made for a friend undergoing chemotherapy.

 

 Nancy decided to use the little orphan woven heart block as the center of this quilt when she found it in her stash.  She was trying to find something to use as a border, since she had no more of the green from the original block.

 

 

Elaine Lemley figured out how to enlarge a phone holder she saw online to make tablet holders for her nieces and nephews (I think)- since they are using their tablets for school these days.  

Martha Lorshbaugh has been busy knitting little critters for the holidays.  She said the reindeer will probably have to tow the sleigh alone, as the antlers are far too fussy!

Please keep sending pictures!  Your fellow members would love to see how you're spending your time!

Catching up a little bit

 I'm so sorry to those few who showed items on our most recent zoom.  I grabbed a few screen shots, that aren't very good pictures at all, and felt it wouldn't make a good blog post at all, so I didn't bother.  

But I guess I should post something every month in case some of you are coming here to see what your fellow guild members are doing.  I don't keep in touch well with anyone from guild, so our monthly meetings were my only place to check in with people.  I hope some of you have closer connections than I do, and are getting together in whatever way is safe/ comfortable for you!

Connie Grimsley, Vinnie Thjung, Jennifer Grimsley and Sue Privatera have formed a virtual Sunday night sewing circle  and it is always fun to see the little projects they have worked on.

These are little cord wraps- for chargers and such.

I think Connie Said Vinnie suggested this leaf

Just in time for Halloween, a little pumpkin mat.

Microwave bowl cozies- using the microwave safe batting!

Nancy Ellers was working on a string quilt, and shared her progess.

The chicken might be by Elaine Lemley- I'm so sorry ... it's hard enough to get screen shots without trying to write down who is showing stuff. 

 

Martha shared a quilt she had hoped to finish for the quilt show.  I'm sure with two more years, she'll get it done- right???

 

The community service committee has been busy!  Six wheelchair sized quilts were donated to the VA- one is pictured below.  We received a thank you from the VA, saying the vets' "eyes just light up and they were so happy to receive them"

Gift bags have been coming in for the Salvation Army annual collection.  You have until November 21 to turn in bags.   For more details, see the guild webpage. 

I'll try to do better after the November meeting- if there are things to share.  Please keep in touch.  We'll be together again!!!

September Show and Tell

Are you missing going to quilt shows?  We all are! A few of our members joined in the "Hang a Quilt Outside day" promoted on Facebook.  The idea was to put on a sort of quilt show for the world.

 

                                                          Kathy Belluscio's back yard show

                                                                Nancy Ellers' display.

                                             Martha Lorshbaugh's front porch display

  If you played along, you can still send me a picture! 

 

We had a few more members join in the zoom meeting in September.  So nice to see familiar faces and share a laugh or two!  I grabbed screen shots of some of the projects shown.   (I have cropped myself out of most of the pictures for you!) I'm sorry I don't have better descriptions- I can't write notes and get the pictures at the same time. 

Connie and Jenny showed similar projects made in their zoom "Sunday sew along"

Connie went first...

                                                                 Super sweet pincushion

 

 

 

                                                              Clothesline coasters

Then it was Jenny's turn

Jenny said she has been wanting to make a banner for her library table for a while.  Isn't it beautiful!

Lori Anderson ran out of steam and fabric following along with Bonnie Hunter's Unity quilt.  It's a nice size, so she's happy with it.

 

Alex showed a few of the birds Kevin has been painting on fabric.  This was the only picture that was clear enough to share.

I couldn't get a picture of Nancy Eller's pieces, but she was nice enough to send them to me.

 A lovely Celtic runner (?- or door hanging?)

 Nancy was inspired to create a covid quilt, using images of the virus.  It is 3-D, with stuffing and little flaps on each of the dastardly things. 

Irene Bow sent these pictures.  I had to wait for the newsletter to come out to get the descriptions.

 

Irene has been picking flowers from her garden to enjoy inside while she still can. 

This is a project bag given to Irene by her niece, which included some crocheted pieces Irene's mother made.

I'd love to see more of what you're all working on

- and more of YOU at the next Zoom meeting.  Give it a try- it's easier than you think, and a great way to be safely together with our guild! Watch your email for information.