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HELLO! I pray you are having a glorious
summer and managing to find time for some cool fun. I'm ready to go to the pool!
Do they make XL water wings?
Sew for HOPE - We take fabric that other people don't need any more and put it
to good use.
Sew for HOPE - We finish the http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 other people started then give
them to children in need.
Our July Sew for HOPE blanket making day was a big success.
Resident Anne
came to help out. She cut the fringe on a fleece blanket and got it about half
tied. Thank you Anne. You're doing such a fine job, we hope you can
return this month to finish it up. Marty O'Neill generously spent her
summer off from teaching by helping us fulfill our goal. That's the big one of
gifting a handmade blanket or quilt for each child who passes through
Big Bend Homeless Coalition. So, when
Marty arrived at our July meeting, she brought two finished http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 and (I
think it was) five more quilt tops with her. There were so many I lost count.
And they're all so lovely. Plus, while at
the meeting, she finished our creamy yellow, brown and blue quilt top. It's been
paired up with yardage for the backing and is ready to be quilted. Yea!
Remember, that was the first quilt we started as a group. Gosh, quilt making can
take a long time. It's a labor of love though, so that makes it worthwhile.
Nancy Price joined us and brought a cabinet sewing machine she recently
repaired. And, glory be,
it works great. My goodness we have some capable and talented volunteers working
with us. Thank you Nancy. Thank you so much for all your generous
donations. At the end of the day the sewing machine was carried to its new home
in the woman's dorm. Ashley, one of
HOPE Community
Resident Assistants is going to look after it. Thank you.
Ashley also
took some fabric to make a quilt top. We can't wait to see it!
Roberta
Granville from
Quilter's
Unlimited, the quilting guild in Tallahassee, stopped by to see what we were
doing. She helped me match up our new quilt tops with some yardage for backing
fabric we had on hand. So, they're ready to be quilted now.
Roberta also
took some cut squares to sew and make a quilt top at home. Thank you so much
Roberta. We managed to find a little time to work on the denim & polka dot
quilt. Nancy got the little matching denim pillows stitched up. The pillows just
need a little trim now and then they're done. So cute!
At the end of the day we turned in two hand made baby http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415, one used twin
comforter, and one (almost) life size white tiger stuffed animal. My husband,
Phil, won it for me at the fair. But it was time for Mr. Tiger to live in a
more appropriate home -- the children's play room in the family dorm.
To date we've donated 15
finished/hand-made http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415, 28
handmade fleece blankets, two fleece pillows, nine crocheted or knitted afghans,
two summer-weight coverlets, 12
store bought blankets, and seven used blankets. We've also received a small
mountain of stuffed animals, toys, clothes, and household items which have been
passed along to the kind folks residing at
Big Bend
Homeless Coalition.
During this past month, we've received another mammoth donation. A huge,
whopping thank you to
Candy Delaney, who gave us
the gift of a car load of . . . (pause -- wait for it -- ) quilt fabric yardage,
cut strips, cut squares, quilt blocks, partially assembled http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415, backing
fabric, and quilt kits that we can hand out to volunteer sewers and quilters.
We are indeed triple blessed.
Having shared that, you know that we are ready to give out bundles and kits. If
you live outside the area and would like to make a quilt for Sew for HOPE, we
are now in a position to mail you a boxed kit. Some of the kits are just pre-cut
strips of five coordinating fabrics. Some of the kits have all the squares cut
and labeled. Some have the quilt backing included. If you request it, I can also
include the return postage in your quilt kit. We
really need helping
hands now. Remember, we are making simple utility http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415. We are not asking for
perfection here. Also, we are not asking you to hand or machine quilt a blanket.
If you'd just like to stitch the quilt top together and return it to us, that's
fine and very much appreciated.
We always meet the second Tuesday of the month. So, our
next meeting is Tuesday, August 11th from 1 - 4:30 pm. We'll be visiting
and having fun while making http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 and blankets for the children residing at
HOPE Communities here in Tallahassee. All are welcome and experience is not
required. We still have oodles fabric circles to make yo-yos out of, and I'd
love to teach you how to make them. So easy. So cute. We'll have our separate
sewing station for teaching basic sewing lessons to residents. If you're in
Tallahassee, stop by for a visit.
A message to professional long arm quilters -- would you please be willing to
quilt a child's quilt when you're in between projects? We would supply
everything needed. I'd appreciate hearing from you.
If you're a member of a church group or social organization please consider
having a blanket making party or a quilting bee as one of your monthly programs.
Please call or e-mail me for more information. Free quilting bundles available
for you to work with.
Special thanks to Heather Whitehead for creating and continuing to build
our website, to Mary DiGiovanni for doing anything I ask of her, to
Nathalee Barnes for ironing and laying out a quilt top, and to
Peggy
Adair for helping to design a quilt top, taking that quilt top home to work
on, and providing much appreciated comic relief.
WISH LIST: Through "Freecycle" we
received a second ironing board, however it needs a new pad and cover. We could
use a second steam iron also. Gift cards to JoAnn's would greatly be appreciated
so we can purchase quilt batting as needed. While we have received a wonderful
abundance of fabric, we lack the batting for all the http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 we need to make. We
need cash or stamps for postage. We still appreciate receiving fleece fabric --
1 1/4 yard or 2 1/2 yard pieces are perfect. We need
knitting needles
(especially size 8), and basic sewing supplies such as: scissors, straight pins,
needles, new cotton
thread, and thimbles. Sewing supplies and knitting needles are given to
residents who are learning a new skill. We need someone willing to service our
sewing machines as needed. Of course we always need helping
hands, and would love to have another volunteer(s) interested in helping
Nancy teach basic sewing lessons once a week in the woman's dorm.
ADDRESS: Big Bend Homeless Coalition -
we always meet in the cafeteria
2729 W Pensacola St
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Directions - drive west on Tennessee
Street, turn left onto Appleyard, cross
Pensacola, take the
first left onto Municipal Way, pass the jail on the right, look for a small sign
by the entrance on the left that says "Tallahassee
Coalition for the Homeless". Please stop by
the administration building to sign in. That's the last building on the right
and it's brick.
Thanks for your precious time and for all you do,
Cynthia Seyler
(850) 539-5558 home
(850) 556-1215 cell (Please don't
leave messages on the cell. I live in a dead zone and usually don't receive them
in a timely manner.)
July 2009
September 2009
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