Handi Quilter National Educator, Island Batik Ambassador
If I miss a blog post, we are probably out camping with our friends. We have met the nicest people camping! We share the love of the outdoors. Here are some pics from our summer:
My friends’ nephew went to China to teach English. While there he fell in love and got married. My friends visited China this summer to meet the new family members and wanted to take some gifts along for the newlyweds, Mom and Dad (in laws), and grandmothers. We decided placemats and table toppers would be easy to pack, so I used my PJ’s In the Hoop Holiday Hostess pattern and made these.
I love this pattern. It’s amazing how it all gets sewn together while in the hoop on your embroidery machine.
Here are the recipients in China:
Thanks, Kim and Eric, for giving me the opportunity to make these gifts for your new family members in China. I’m so happy you had a wonderful trip. It’s good to have you back home.
This week was a short one for me in my studio, but I did manage to meet my goal of getting my next Cotton Theory project cut out and labeled.
Can’t wait to get quilting it next week!!
When I retired, I decided 20% of my sewing time would be spent on charity quilting. I just needed to decide on the organization or cause I wanted to support. I have a heavy heart for those who suffer from domestic violence, even though I don’t know anyone personally. I guess I’ve just experienced enough of the male dominated society I’ve grown up in that it touches me in that way. We don’t have a women’s shelter in our county, but there are plans for a 30 bed unit to open in 3 years. I thought I could make 10 simple twin size quilts a year and have 30 ready in 3 years. I knew it was a lofty goal, but I set forth. However, retiring allowed me the freedom to travel quite a bit and I fell farther and farther behind in that goal. But, I retired, so we could travel. I needed to reassess.
I had a friend who had mentioned she had organized a sewing group that supports Healthy Families and invited me to sew with them. They make items that support members can take with them on home visits and leave them at the home as a gift. I researched Healthy Families and liked what I found.
“Healthy Families Indiana is a voluntary home visitation program designed to promote healthy families and healthy children through a variety of services, including child development, access to health care and parent education.
By working closely with hospital maternity wards, prenatal clinics and other local agencies, Healthy Families Indiana systematically identifies families that could benefit from education and support services either before or immediately after birth. The program is designed to strengthen families by reducing child abuse and neglect, childhood health problems and juvenile delinquency.”
I ran it by my friend, who is in social worker, to give me a personal account of Healthy Families and she gave it a two thumbs up.
Mary Alice’s group is very well organized (they’ve been at this for 12 years!) and each person has their station, be it, cutting out, ironing, sewing, quilting, sandwiching batting, etc.
TWIST ~ This Week In Studio Time
I finished my Beatle Bag from Abby Quilts –
I absolutely love the finished project, but I had the darndest time trying to locate a 2″ metal ring for the front of the bag. I ended up at the hardware store searching and searching. I ended up with a conduit locknut washer from the electrical department, but it works!! Crazy!
I also finished Caleb’s quilt this week. It enjoyed the process…
and then the finish this week. I made scrappy binding – one strip of each of the fabrics in the quilt and that was kinda fun to do! I hope he enjoys it so much as he grows up that it gets worn out. I love to think that the quilts I give will be enjoyed. 
Looking forward to beginning a new project next week. Stay tuned! Have a great week!
Lana