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Happy Holidays!

Newsletter Archives

• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• Dec. '05 / Jan. 2006
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005

ROSEMARY MARTENS
Not a whole lot went on these past two months, seems everyone is either working on Churn Dash Blocks for the Quilt Show Boutique or Vet or Children's Quilts.

The Gadabouts made 75 baby bibs for the children and are currently working on Churn Dash Blocks.

Last month the Hummingbirds did some Churn Dash Blocks and are working on their Christmas party and luncheon in December.

Baltimore Babes are planning a pot luck luncheon for themselves for Christmas.

The Ladybugs are planning a pot luck get-together for November with an exchange of handmade gifts, then a luncheon at Chef Imondi's for December. Also they will be working on the Churn Dash Blocks.

The Sisterhood tells me they have the Christmas Party under control. Don't forget to make your reservation with Bobbi Clemens and pay your $20. If you are not paid, your spot is not reserved. (And choose the meal you want. They are also looking into having a vegetarian plate.)

At our meeting, the members of the Sisterhood presented a Cancer Huggy Quilt to Sandy Sturgis. They also will be working on the Churn Dash Blocks.

Any questions or information you'd like put in this column please e-mail me at rosemar038@bellsouth.net.

PUBLICITY – HELEN RUSSO
CHRISTMAS PARTY
DATE: December 2, 2006 at 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Black Angus Restaurant, 4500 W. Hwy 98
COST: $20 - HOSTED BY: Sisterhood Bee
Mark your calendars and don't forget that the November meeting is your last chance to sign-up. Also, we need lots of contestants for our Ms. St. Andrews Bay Purdy Pageant . So everyone get creative and make your purse or bag. The winner will receive a crown and banner.

(NOTE from Donna Gibbens: Please bring completed Christmas stockings to be donated to recipients of the "Meals on Wheels" program. This project is in cooperation with the Innovations FCU who will fill the stockings. Although all stockings are welcome, there will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize for handmade stockings. Call Donna Gibbens, 847-2238 or 233-440 with any questions.)

The "Kick-Off" meeting is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m.. The location is TBA. I will send out e-news as soon as I have the location information. I'd like to encourage our members to join our team online at www.acsevents.org/relay/fl/panamacity and start collecting donations. If you don't have a computer or don't know how to join online, contact me and I will do it for you or give you a form to fill out. I want to thank Jean Crowell for generously saying "Yes" when I asked her if she would machine quilt our Raffle Quilt that was pieced by Aking Osborne from fabric from Elaine Whitted's stash. If anyone has any questions, please give me a call or send me an email at eleni207@aol.com.

SAVE LIDS TO SAVE LIVES
Yoplait Yogurt is contributing 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for every "pink" lid that is mailed to them by December 31, 2006. They will contribute up to $1.5M. I will be collecting these lids at the day and night meetings or you can even bring them to the Christmas Party.

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FALL RETREAT – BONNIE HOLLEY AND ANN PYLE Date: November 17, 18, and 19 Place: Blue Spring Baptist Conference Center 2650 Lakeshore Drive, Marianna, Florida, 32446 The Fall Retreat is just a few weeks away. We have put together a fun weekend for all who have signed up to attend. For those who have not attended one of the retreats at Blue Springs Conference Center, here are the directions: Start out on Hwy 231 to I-10. Merge onto I-10 towards Tallahassee Take the SR-71 N exit- EXIT 142- toward MARIANNA Turn LEFT onto FL-71 N. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto US-90 E / FL-10 E. Turn LEFT onto LAKE SHORE DR. On Friday November 17 you can arrive at your leisure. Each person will be given a key for their room which can be picked up at the main office of the facility. Upon departure keys must be deposited in the drop box located at the main office. Remember, the only meal served on Friday is dinner. If you arrive before lunch on Friday, bring a sack lunch or you can patronize one of the local eating establishments. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on Saturday November 18. On Sunday, breakfast is the only meal served. Quilters may continue to sew on Sunday and depart at their leisure. In the past, some quilters forgot to pack their power cord or foot pedal for their sewing machines. Make sure when you are packing up your sewing supplies to include those items. On Friday evening around 7:00 pm, we are planning a short get together with a few games in store. On Saturday evening at 7:00 we will be having our main gathering of all quilters in attendance. We are asking that each person bring 1 yard of a favorite fabric, a pair of scissors, a wrapped item that is under $10 (does not have to be quilt related) and wear a pair of flip flops. There will be games, prizes, fun activities and many surprises. We will also have show and tell at the gathering on Saturday evening so bring the projects that you have been working on to share with others.

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COMFORT CORNER
WE HAVE 60 QUILTS FOR OUR VETS!
I really believe that our Guild will reach the 100 mark for the vets at Sims Vets Home. Many thanks to the members that have pieced, quilted, bound, donated fabric, batting, time, and/or money. This project reminds me of a modern quilting bee---we may not all get together in the same place to complete a needed quilt--but, we get the job done!

VET QUILT DEADLINE
Please turn in your tops or quilts that need binding at the next day/night meeting. If it is completed, I can make arrangements to get if from you any day before Nov. 27.

WEDNESDAY WORKDAY-------LAST VET WORKSHOP---NOV. 22
Reida Surber has the Real Stuff about Rectangles and Squares for a Real Simple Radical Square using fat quarters. It is called "Rotor cutter and Slide" and is Really Simple! I will have the fabric, mat, and cutter. You need to bring thread and machine. Hope to see you there! Reida Surber

QUILTS FOR VETS
Approximately 44" wide x 72" long or width of fabric x 2 yards. You could piece a top, quilt the sandwich and bind the quilt OR Complete the entire quilt yourself Please help us ensure that each vet will have a quilt

Remember, the following are needed on an on-going basis:
CATHETER BAG COVERS FOR VETS
• Cut 2 pieces 15" x 18 1⁄2"
• Sew up two sides to the 17" mark
• Use the open 1 1⁄2" to fold and make a drawstring pocket: fold 1⁄2" and then stitch.
• On the bottom edge, fold 1⁄2", then 1⁄2" and stitch
• Use 2 ribbons 18" each to make a double drawstring
BIBS FOR HEADSTART
Sizes for age newborn to 4 years. Use bib pattern, trace an old bib or see Reida
QUILTS FOR HEADSTART
Sizes for age newborn to 4 years

REPORT FROM EVENING GROUP
Many thanks to Jean Crowell, Mary Molinari, Carolyn St. Amant and Pat Watson for the great refreshments before our October meeting.

A message from Bobbie Caldwell
Dear Friends
The death of my husband, John, in September left me unable to focus on anything. Your cards and calls have helped to bring my life together. My heartfelt thanks to each of you.
Bobbie Caldwell

SUNSHINE & SHADOWS, Bobbie Clemens
At this month's morning meeting, we were happy to see several of our members who have been missing for several months due to poor health. We were happy to see Shirley Love, Malinda Hudnall, and Elma Stewart. All are doing better. We are glad they could once again join in our fun meetings. We will keep wishing you all "Brighter Days".

Joyce Rogers and Clara Roland have our heartfelt sympathy. Both have lost a loved one this month, Joyce (her son) and Clara (her husband).

Sandy Sturgis discovered recently that she had breast cancer. She had very successful surgery to remove the lump (no mastectomy). She will start her radiation treatments soon. She is feeling really great and thanks everyone for their concern. She would like for everyone to make sure to get a mammogram!

Please keep Marilyn Hermansen in your prayers as she is under going several tests. We will pray for positive results.

Janice Roberts still needs our prayers and love.

Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers.

Update on Kenalyn Cromwell
By Mary Clark

Snails in her mailbox. Snails in her mailbox and not one thing more. Try as I might, this is the only aspect of Kenalyn's new life in Belgium that doesn't leave me positively green with envy! As you may recall, Kenalyn Cromwell left us this summer, joining her husband, Jori, as he became the Air Force Attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels...quite a change for this quilter who daylighted as a speech pathologist in Bay County schools. I have just returned from a week's visit with Kenalyn and can happily report that she is not only surviving, but thriving in her new role.

Even though Jori is technically the one with the job, Kenalyn is very much involved. While there is lots of other work to do, the Air Attaché's role is largely representational; he is the face of the U.S. Air Force at ceremonies, social events, and official functions hosted by his foreign counterparts and other dignitaries. As the Air Force's "First Lady", Kenalyn accompanies Jori to these functions—sometimes as many as three of them in one day!

The Cromwells' home is in a delightful area of Brussels, more like a cozy village than part of a big city. It's just a five minute walk to the open air market that takes place three mornings each week. Think flowers. Think fresh vegetables. Think waffles!! She can also walk to the metro station, where she can take the subway almost anywhere in the city, including the central station, where she can board a train for anywhere in Europe! Does she ever find time to quilt? You bet she does!

Kenalyn quickly found a group of quilters...women from England, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland as well as others from America, who meet each Monday for a morning "sit & stitch". Then, once each month, they schedule a Friday work day where they exchange blocks, layer and baste each other's quilt tops, and have "show & tell". They take turns hosting this event, with the hostess providing lunch. As my very good luck would have it, I was there on the right Friday and got to meet this friendly and close knit group.

Quilting was on our itinerary one other day, as we drove north into The Netherlands, headed for Den Haan & Wagenmakers, a quilt shop in Amsterdam. I had purchased fabric from this vendor at a couple of quilt shows elsewhere in Europe and had always wanted to visit their shop. This was, finally, my big chance. When we got there, however, we found a sign on the door saying the shop was closed...it would reopen the following day! Needless to say, we were crushed. It was too far to come back, and besides, we already had our other days planned. There was nothing to do but accept this disappointment and salvage what we could of our day in Amsterdam.

It turned out to be lovely day, really. We walked through the flower market, strolled along the canals, had a wonderful lunch on a waterfront terrace, shopped for local handicrafts, and visited a beautiful old home. By five o'clock, headed back to the car, we once again passed the closed quilt shop, but this time there was a man coming out of the door! I raced up the stairs, all out of breath, telling him that I had come from America to see his shop and could we please come in. He was just there to drop something off, but he welcomed us and made friendly conversation while we shopped. And what a shop it was! Den Haan & Wagenmakers manufactures its own line of quilting cottons. They research the designs from historic fabrics and reproduce them in what they call "Dutch chintzes". In addition to fabrics on the bolt, they also have charm packs, half meter cuts, and quilt kits all made up. There were several completed quilts on display, one with a gorgeous Tree of Life panel in the center, also their design. Kenalyn and I each came away with new projects in hand as well as a few "must have" additions to our stash. You can visit the shop at: www.dutchquilts.com.

Northern Europe has a wonderful tradition of handiwork, and we saw it wherever we went. An embroidery shop in Stockholm had beautiful cross stitch and needlepoint designs. The walls of entire rooms in the Royal Apartments and the City Hall were lined with incredible tapestries. There was pottery and woodenware, all beautifully hand painted. Lace making, especially in Belgium, is another art form. And I haven’t even mentioned the chocolate!! It was all beautiful, beautiful beyond words...except for the snails. Snails in her mailbox. But that's another story.