Nicaragua is fast approaching!

Once I get my Christmas orders completed then it will be full steam ahead with the planning and packing for Nicaragua! We have our suitcases packed- Many thanks to everyone that donated supplies. Any thing extra will be boxed up and sent down in a cargo container in the new year.

One of the PAN Missions reps is in Nicaragua now and e mailed us some information.

There are 25 sewers which works out well as I have assembled 25 sewing kit gift bags for the women. Currently they are making bedspreads and pillow cases. 5 women are new sewers. There will be 10 sewing machines for us to use when we are there. The sewing will take place in a newly build church and the congregation is taking pride in keeping this facility neat and tidy and it appears to be in a "very very poor" area.

There will be 120 children who will be coming to learn crafts as it is their Summer/ Christmas break for the time we are there.

Specifically the Co-op has asked us to teach them how to make school uniforms which consist of white blouses and nave blue pleated skirts. They have never attempted this kind of garment before so we are in for a challenge!

Can't wait for January 3rd!

Anglican Prayer Quilt

Here is a photo of the finished prayer quilt for their Conference this weekend where it will be presented to the Bishop. It was nice to see all the different blocks supplied by various churches and see how they depicted the theme of prayer.

Quilt Show in Nairn this weekend

There will be a quilt show in Nairn on Friday and Saturday this week. New quilts and antique quilts will be on display and they will have a vendors mall as well.

Here is a link for more information:

http://www.ourquiltingreflections.org/visitors-1

I attended the quilt show this morning-WOW did it look great! It was beautifully displayed and there were so many volunteers to help that it was working like a well oiled clock!

There was a nice assortment of quilts including hand quilted, machine quilted and antique quilts. The vendors had their own rooms to display their products which made it easier for shopping.

Overall a great show- Congratulations Ailsa Craig Community Quilt Festival!

Church Quilting Group- Fireside Log Cabin

Tomorrow will be our second meeting for the learn to quilt group at church. Here is a photo of the Fireside Log Cabin block we will be making. Last meeting we learned how to cut the strips in desired lengths. Tomorrow we will be piecing the blocks. Eventually we will have enough to make a queen size quilt that we will auction at the Ham and Strawberry supper in June.

Pad Party fundraiser

Here are some photos from last night's Pad Party. Once again thanks to Jane and Sharon for all their planning and organizing. 185 pads made and $1500 raised for our trip to Nicaragua!

WAY TO GO EVERYONE, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Sew A Thon Tally

$1500 and 185 pads from tonight's fundraiser ! Way to go everyone. Thanks Jane for all your planning.


- Posted from my iPod

Sew A Thon

Almost packed and ready to set up for the Sew A Thon today at Jane's. Will post photos and a recap of the day when I am back.


- Posted from my iPod

Sew-A-Thon fundraiser this Friday in NOTL

On Friday I will be heading to Jane's in Niagara on the Lake for a sew-a-thon fundraiser to raise money for our Humanitarian Mission to NIcaragua in January. Jane has nicknamed it a Pad Party as we will be sewing (assembly line style) sanitary pads for the women in the village where we will be teaching. These women lack the daily necessities that we in Canada take for granted and believe me we take sanitary pads for granted!

Jane hopes to arrive in the village with 3 pads per women so we are going to be sewing all night long! The sewers are collection pledges for the evening either a dollar amount, per hour amount or even per pad completed amount. If you would like to sponsor our evening, just let me know!

For those who don't know Jane, she is so full of life and always happy and encouraging. I know she will make this night so much fun and full of laughs. Get ready for a sew-a-thon to remember! Here is a link to her info: JANE'S BLOG

Will post a recap when I get home on Saturday!

Pig Roast fundraiser for Nicaragua

Tonight we held a pig roast fundraiser to support our group trip to Nicaragua. There were close to 200 people there all enjoying the roast pig, salads, apple stuffing, buns, veggies and cheesecake. Everyone did such a great job with all the jobs and the evening ran smoothly.

Next fundraiser will be a sew-a-thon at Jane's in Niagara on the Lake. Will keep you posted on how that even turns out!

Thanks to everyone who participated and attended the pig roast fundraiser!

today's SOLO meeting

Just back from a fun SOLO meeting hosted by Helen Mary and Debbie Winn Talullah. We all enjoyed a pot lunch which included delicious salads and many calorie free desserts! Who needs anything other than salads and chocolate?

We all tried to help Helen figure out what to quilt on her bear paw blocks and saw wonderful show and tell. There was some CMQA news about upcoming classes and the plans for a members only juried quilt show to coincide with the CQA show in London in 2011.

Jane and I also let everyone know about our trip to Nicaragua and our fundraising events. THANK YOU to everyone for being so generous with donations of quilting and sewing supplies and monetary donations as well. You are all so supportive of our humanitarian missions!

Thanks again Helen and Debbie for a fun afternoon.

Nicaragua Mission Trip in January

WOW, once again I am blessed to be able to use my skills to help others. In January, I will be traveling to Nicaragua with a group of women including my friends Pauline and Jane and we will be teaching women how to sew and quilt.

The area we are traveling to is called Niquinohomo and it is a remote village in the hills. This area has many agricultural farms producing limes, oranges, mandarins, bananas and avocados. Nicaragua is the second largest country in Central America and the second poorest as well. It's population is just under 6 million people. 48% of the population lives below the poverty line and 80% of the population lives with less than $2 per day.

These women will be learning how to make some items they need within their community such as diapers, crib bedding for the hospital, hats for children, aprons, slings to carry their children and other household items. We will also be teaching them how to hand quilt on Q-Snaps and a large wooden quilt frame.

This sewing program will need all the support they can get and once again I will be collecting sewing and quilting supplies. If you had anything you wished to donate please contact me and I will come and pick it up.

They will need the following:

Pins and Needles

Scissors

Thread

Elastic, Snaps, Buttons and Velcro

Fabric pieces at least 1 metre

Keep watching for more information and thank you again for your support!

August SOLO meeting

SOLO meeting

Satuday Aug. 28, 2010

11:30 – 4:30

Grace United Church

174 Caithness St. E., Caledonia, On.

Hosted by Helen Hubert & Debbie Winn

Pot Luck lunch starting at noon.

Theme: bring your brain. Seriously!! We will have flip charts and/or white boards to show & share quilting ideas. Think specifically about weird blocks you have felt really good about quilting. Personally, I hate Bears Paw blocks, so I’d love ideas on that.

Quilters Dream batting

Just letting everyone know that I am now carrying Quilters Dream Cotton on the 98" roll.

It is a 100% Pure Cotton Batting made with the finest USA natural and environmentally friendly cotton and specially processed Dream Cotton so that you can quilt up to 8" apart. No prewashing necessary!

I have both the select weight and request weight in the natural colour.

HST news

WOW, is there really good news regarding taxes? For me there is! HST will be implemented on July 1st and when doing my inquiring about how Melon Patch Quilts should get ready for it, I found out that the GST rules are the rules they will use for the new HST.

THE GOOD NEWS IS..... businesses that currently do not collect GST are not required to collect HST. PST is being eliminated by the HST therefore I do not have to collect any tax starting July 1st. (HST, PST or GST)

That will be a welcome change for anyone paying for their quilts! And no additional paperwork for me.

WOO HOO

Church Prayer quilts

Well we have had 3 learn to quilt meetings at church and the ladies are doing wonderfully! Everyone is so eager to learn how to cut and piece the prayer quilts. We have 1 quilt almost finished (just needs the binding hand sewn), 1 quilt that needs to be quilted and bound and then enough blocks for a 3rd quilt. I think that everyone wants to continue with our meetings in the fall and hopefully they will all be challenged to make a queen size quilt that we can auction at the Ham and Strawberry Auction in June 2011. Here is a photo of the 1st quilt.