HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

To the kind folks who came to help at our December meeting, we thank you very sweetly. The Holidays can be so hectic but we had eleven volunteers who showed up anyway. Those sweet thanks go to Mavis LaBounty, Mary DiGiovanni, Nancy Price, Sandi Dutton, Nathalee Barnes, Lea Kornegay, Peggy Adair, Heather Whitehead, Coleen Fleming, Lisa Brown, and I make eleven.

So, we really had a great day. Heather played Christmas music through her cell phone. Ah, that new technology! Peggy, Sandi, and new volunteer Lea worked on a mermaid quilt. Nancy, (who brought in a donation of 6 sewing kits) worked with one of the HOPE residents teaching her how to sew using a sewing machine. Sandi also gave some crochet lessons and Mary D sorted yarn. Boy do we have the yarn now. We need more volunteers to knit and crochet please. Our closet is filling up with yarn. But, resident Lisa took some of that yarn and knitting needles to work on in her room. Thank you Lisa. That's a big help. Nathalee organized fabric and donated quilt blocks. We are grateful to have Nathalee back with us now. Mavis and Lea (who brought in donations of yarn, and fabric) worked on tying a quilt that we'd been working on for several months. It's now finished, is very handsome, and will be a great gift for a little boy. Heather brought in some crochet work that her aunt, Margaret Reed, made for the children residing in HOPE Community. Thank you Aunt Margaret for the baby afghan, preemie afghan, and crocheted scarves. We missed seeing you though. Hope you'll be able to join us again soon.

At the end of the day we turned in one handmade quilt, three crocheted afghans (a preemie size and a baby size from Margaret Reed and a baby size from Sandi Dutton), a handmade rag doll from Sandi, crocheted scarves from Margaret and Stacie Kornegay, and some clothing from Stacie. We also donated a 6 pack of new cloth diapers, and a case of toilet paper from Jenny Gray.

Later in the week, at the December Quilter's Unlimited meeting we received five http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415. Four of them were from kits we handed out in November and one was a straight out donation. I delivered these to HOPE Community just before Christmas. A great big thank you to Sheilah Dambitis, Iris Garcia, and Geneva Shepard for such quick and beautiful work.

To date we've donated 51 finished hand-made http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415, 34 handmade fleece blankets, 17 crocheted or knitted afghans,  two summer-weight coverlets, 13 store bought blankets, seven used blankets, and five handmade pillows, 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 HOPE Community.

And last but not least, a kind thank you to Roselind Woods  for giving us a (much needed) cutting mat. I can't wait to try it out.

As of today, our sister group, "A Bag for HOPE" has donated $1700 to HOPE Community. This money comes from the sale of handmade bags and this money is used for books, supplies, and field trips for resident children. For more information on that project, please contact Libby at libbypenrod@comcast.net, or Lynne at  lcc0809@comcast.net. (that's a lower case L).

We have a new volunteer request. We need someone to take on the task of fund raising. We're looking at moving into a donated work and storage space with our sister group "A Bag of HOPE". We now find ourselves in the position of needing electricity, shelving, and tables. We are under the umbrella of Big Bend Homeless Coalition, so all donations are tax deductible.

We're looking for professional long arm quilters who are willing to quilt children's http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 when in-between projects? We would supply everything needed of course.

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. We have free quilting bundles available for you to work with.

If you live outside the area and would like to make a quilt or afghan for Sew for HOPE, we would love to mail you a bundle of fabric, a quilt kit, or some yarn. If you request it, I will also include the return postage in your package. We really need helping hands now. Remember, we're making simple utility http://www.sewforhopenow.com/?page_id=1415 and blankets. We're not asking for perfection. Also, we're not asking you to hand or machine quilt. If you'd just like to stitch a quilt top together and return it to us, that's fine and very much appreciated. In addition, they can be very small. A preemie size is only 17" x 22" (or thereabouts). We also are accepting yarn and crocheted granny squares.

WISH LIST:  A donated work/storage space. We need quilting supplies such as: rotary cutters, self healing cutting mats, gridded rulers, quilting pins, seam rippers, and all sizes of quilt batting, or gift cards to JoAnn's to purchase those items. We still appreciate fleece fabric in 1 1/4 yard or 2 1/2 yard pieces. We always need  basic sewing supplies such as: scissors, straight pins, needles, and thimbles. Tools and supplies are given to residents who are learning a new skill. We need zippers for residents who need slacks repaired. We need cash or stamps for postage.

We also need a corresponding secretary to write and mail thank you cards. I send a Hallmark e-card to donors who have e-mail accounts. However, occasionally we need to utilize the post office and mail an old fashioned paper card.

We always meet the second Tuesday of the month. So, our next meeting is Tuesday, January 12th 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. We are not a closed group like a sit and stitch. Interested persons are always welcome and experience is not required. Men are welcome too you know!

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, founder
(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.)

Special thanks to Heather Whitehead for creating and continuing to build our website. Please do check it out at  www.sewforhopenow.com

Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested

December 2009     February 2010