Sew For Hope Kids

Hi,
Our play-days in August will be the 5th and 19th.
We’re meeting from 10-3 with lunch from 11:30-12:30 (Note to self — plan my brown bag so I won’t have to run out during lunch).
We always meet at ARTS After School.
3510 Weems Road

Since we’re sewing for children, should we start a tradition of making doggy themed quilts during the dog days of August? Do you have any left-over 100% cotton canine print fabric in your stash? We could make scrappy blocks. Even though we have quilts to finish, we love making blocks and quilt tops. Sometimes we need to indulge ourselves. If you’re coming on Saturday, and you have left-over (laundered) pooch fabric in your stash, please bring it along. Honestly though, it’s hard to have a firm plan. We never know how many volunteers we’ll have, or the amount of donations we’ll receive. So we’ve learned the importance of being flexible.

Here’s the loose plan: I’m hoping we’ll have enough volunteers so that we can have a couple people quilting from the many UFOs in our inventory, also several people sewing 12 1/2″ fido blocks, a few people cutting and squaring up those blocks, a couple working on twin-size quilt top lay-out, a fabric presser (or 2), and a runner. It would be great if we could have several volunteers arrive a few minutes before 10 to help set up the room. We must bring tables and the ironing board up from the storage closet. And we always need folks who can stay until 3 to help clean up.

The bowwow blocks – I know a picture is worth ten thousand words but I can’t insert an illustration here. So, without getting too wordy — we’ll make easy 12 1/2″ square, strip-pieced blocks, with all the strips sewn down on the diagonal. Let’s primarily use wide strips so they’ll make up faster. We need to do this without a paper foundation because we don’t have 12 1/2″ wide paper. We have colorful scraps which are already cut into strips of varying widths, but let’s make sure that each block has a wide strip of tail-wagger fabric running diagonally across the center. The rest will be simple once we get started and have an example of what we’re making. Quilts made from scrappy blocks such as these always look better if there’s a constant in each block. An example would be to have a solid black strip on either side of the center strip on each and every block in the quilt top. Another example would be to have the same solid blue fabric on two opposite corners of each and every block. We’ll make those decisions once we get started and see what fabric that we have to work with.

I only have time to add a couple more things right now.

1. Sew for Hope can always use plastic zippered bags like those that sheets and comforters come in. We use them for project bags. If possible please remove the stickers and gum residue (I use WD-40).

2. HOPE Community can always use twin bedding. Some of our readers may like to sew but not quilt. Pillow cases made from novelty fabric for children would be a very nice gift. These can also be purchased.

Thanks for all you do,
Cynthia

https://www.sewforhopenow.com/

www.tallyarts.com

Hello,

Thanks to ARTS After School we’re still going strong and sewing for kids who need extra warmth and comfort in their lives.

Our next meetings are Saturdays, July 1 & 15
10 – 3*
Lunch break from 11:30 – 12:30
ARTS After School
3510 Weems Road

We completed and delivered the naptime coverlets and quilts to the PAEC Migrant Farm Worker Summer Daycare Program in Quincy. We’ve already begun sewing and collecting blankets for next year. We have kits available for anyone who wants to stop by and pick one up. The instructions are also on our website if you have flannel and want to make them with your own fabric. The deadline for having them finished and returned is May 5, 2018. No rush!

We still have many HOPE Community quilts that need to be completed, so that’s what we’re focusing on over the summer. One of our activities is to finish other peoples challenges. I don’t know how many quilt blocks and half-finished quilt tops we’ve received. When people get confused about what to do next, or really mess up with their cutting and/or piecing, we sometimes end up with it. You’d think that our response would be a sarcastic “Gee thanks”. No! Not at all. We are so fortunate to have volunteer geniuses who will lay out those challenge blocks, figure out how to fix them, and actually get them finished into beautiful quilts. Amazing!!!!! Want to try it? Activities like this are good for your brain. Do you need practice honing your critical thinking?** This is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, except there’s more than one way to complete it. If there are missing pieces, you can recreate them with extra fabric. When you’re finished, there’s actually something usable. It’s not a puzzle that will go back in the box never to be looked at again. It’s very rewarding.

Of course we also love to receive quilts that volunteers have made from start to finish. Because we know what it takes, we are very appreciative of your efforts. If you’d like to stop by, we have fabric to give away for making charity quilts. We also accept fabric, sewing supplies, and equipment.

Well, that’s it for now.

Thanks for all you do,
Cynthia

For more information please visit https://www.sewforhopenow.com/

*(Only read this if you’re really curious about our change in hours, because it’s BORING!) We used to meet from 9 – 3, but 9 a.m. was just too early for most of our volunteers. Set up requires moving equipment and takes more than one person to carry tables. Then we tried shifting our day to 10 – 4 so we’d have the same number of working hours. As it turns out, 4 p.m. is just too late to stay on a Saturday.

**For the definition and more information on critical thinking visit http://www.criticalthinking.org/

www.tallyarts.com/

Hi,
We’ll be at ARTS After School, 3510 Weems Road
10 – 4 with lunch from 11:30 – 12:30
Saturdays, June 3 & 17*

Please join us as we make quilts and blankets for kids in our community — kids who need a little extra warmth in their lives.

We have lots of quilts started that need to be worked on either at ARTS, or they can be taken home to work on. Some of our volunteers come and choose fabric they like from our stash. Sometimes there’s another volunteer hanging out who will iron their fabric for them. They might stay and use our cutting tables and giant cutting mats. At the end of the day they take their project home to sew on. The next time they come in, it’s to use our big tables and mats to square up the quilt top or maybe sandwich it with the batting and backing. There are usually extra hands willing to help pin baste the quilt. Then they may take the quilt back home to quilt. If quilting isn’t their thing, they can turn it in and someone else will volunteer to do that part. Although we do not have as many quilters as we need. That’s why we have so many toppers that need to be finished into quilts.

For those volunteers who want a simpler task, we have Pre-K nap time coverlet kits ready. Those are pre-cut front and back panels. The two layers just need to be stitched together. Each kit has instructions but they are also available on our website.

We are always accepting donations of fabric, batting, and sewing supplies. Also we are still accepting cash donations to help pay for our cabinets and shelving. These items may be dropped off at any of our work days.

*For the entire 2017 work day listing, or for more information, please visit our website.

www.sewforhopenow.com

Thanks for all you do,
Cynthia

Happy Spring,

We’ll be at ARTS After School
Saturdays, May 6 & 20
10 – 4, with lunch from 11:30 – 12:30.
3510 Weems Rd

Thanks to our wonderful patrons and volunteers, we completed and delivered the PAEC blankets more than a month before deadline. Thanks to Annette’s early planning and good organizational skills, it was a breeze this year. Also, our volunteers have been working so hard that the quilt inventory at HOPE Community is more than adequate right now. It feels really good to live in a community that rallies around those in need. Since we’re in such good shape, last month we also donated quilts to Miracle Hill Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Tallahassee.

Regarding the steel, office-supply-type storage cabinet: we’re replacing it with free standing shelving. We’ll be making that switch during our May 6 gathering. To assist us in purchasing two heavy-duty shelving units, we’d love to sell the cabinet. If no one offers to purchase it, we’ll donate it to any interested organization or give it to an individual. If you’re interested, please reply immediately, along with your offer or request. The cabinet is steel, 2 door with latching handles, putty color, 72″ high, 18″ deep, 36″ wide, 5 shelves (4 shelves are repositionable). It’s in excellent condition. Cost to purchase a new cabinet of this type would be $270 – $320. If interested, you must take possession on Saturday. We are willing to deliver, but cannot store it.

During both our Saturdays in May we’ll also be sewing as usual. Please join us for the day, for an hour, or just for lunch. We’d love to see you.

Thanks for all you do,
Cynthia

PS To date we’ve donated 1,702 quilts and handmade blankets to HOPE Community.

https://www.sewforhopenow.com/

tallyarts.com

Our Saturday meeting days in April are the 1st and 15th, from 10 – 4, with lunch from 11:30 – 12:30.

ARTS After School
3510 Weems Road

We’ll continue working on finishing quilts where just the tops have been donated. Our core group that usually does this already has their hands full of unfinished quilts. We’re in need of ladies who haven’t quilted for us in a while, or new quilters who need practice with their quilting. Please know that perfection is not necessary. Our mission is to provide warmth to children in a fun and colorful way. The young recipients will neither notice nor criticize your sewing skills. What they will notice is that, at one of the lowest points in their life, they received a gift that they could hold to their heart, and hide from the world under.

We’re still making payments to ARTS for the wonderful cabinets they graciously installed in our room. We also need shelving in our closet, so we are accepting monetary donations.

Speaking of fund raising — do you have too much stuff laying around your house that’s just in the way? Do you simply hate to have yard sales? Well, there’s this really cool consignment shop called Anita’s Funky Emporium. Sew for Hope has a contract with Anita. Through her shop, we sell items that have been donated to us that we can’t use. It’s a way for us to make a bit of money. However, right now we need more than just a bit of money. So we’re asking you to please donate some of your cool and funky collectibles in the name of Sew for Hope.

Anita’s Funky Emporium
Wed – Sat 10 – 6
Sun 12 – 5
3686 Woodville Hwy
443-4466
www.anitasfunkyemporium.com

That’s all for now except for thanks for your time, and thanks for all you do,
Cynthia