Newsletter

Workshop

Our monthly workshop is Wednesday, May 9th
at the Senior Center, from 6:30 – 8pm.

The Next Meeting

We will meet Wednesday, May 16th, at HB Stowe School on Post Office Road, doors open at 6:30pm and the meeting will begin at 7:00pm.
( school vacation is 15-22 )

We will be having our annual Auction (remember to bring in any sewing/quilting related items for our annual fundraiser) and Show and Tell.

Refreshments

Snacks: Maureen McDonald
Beverages: Vicky Altenhein

Dates to Remember

May 5-6
Quilts Along The Thames,
Thames River Quilters,
Gales Ferry School,
Gales Ferry, CT
Admission $8.00
Quilts, vendors, mini-quilt auction, scissor sharpening, food vender.
Contact Liz Weaver : eweaver928@tvcconnect.net

May 11-12
Nations Plastics Museum and Center
210 Lancaster St.
Leominster, MA
Admission $5.00

May 13
Mother's Day

May 20 - Oct. 28
Shelburne Museum, Collection of Quilts
African American Quilts and Amish Quilts
www.shelburnemuseum.org or 802- 985-3346

June 29 - July 1
Vermont Quilt Festival
Essex Junction, VT
Workshops and lectures on Friday at St Michael's College,
festival in Champlain Valley Expo
Daily admission is $10. www.vqf.org or 603-444-7500

July 21-22
Threads of Friendship Quilt Show
Tantasqua Reg. High School
Fiskdale, Ma ( Sturbridge )
Admission is $5.00

Aug. 4-5
Quilts By The Seashore
Clinton, Ma ( across the street from the Clinton Crossing Outlet )
Admission is $6.00

Aug. 18-19
GHQG QUILT Show
Colony Inn
Vernon, CT

I would be willing to coordinate car pooling and/or hotels for
anyone who is interested in attending any of these quilt shows.
Let me know! Vicky

Quilting Tips

Scrapcleansing: I Did It and I Am Glad
by Patricia Littlefield
Go to Article Listing

I'd thought about doing it for several days. I had to force myself. At first, it was very hard, but the more I did the easier it got.

I have gotten rid of all my scraps, and I'm a better quilter for it.

I had two overflowing bins: a large one filled with odd shaped scraps and a smaller one filled with strips. At first, I delicately picked out certain things, all small, such as a two inch blue square, a crooked piece of animal print. I tossed them into a kitchen trash bag. Pretty soon, I was into it with both hands, grabbing up fistfuls of orphan triangles, long, skinny hunks of Hawaiian prints leftover from "Rubbah Slippah" quilts I'd made for Quilt Hawaii this past summer, and unrecognizable chunks of extra border fabric that I just could not bring myself to throw away.

The scrap level of the largest bin was going down; I could actually see the bottom. It was exhilarating! Next, I grabbed the bin of leftover strips. Impulsively, I just dumped them all into the trash bag without even going through them. It felt wonderful.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the other bin which still had quite a bit in it. I swooped up the entire contents and without even looking at it, plunged it into the burgeoning trash bag.

There, I'd done it. I was scrap-free. No more feeling guilty that I should be trying to use up my scraps instead of buying new fabric. Of course, there's still my stash, but now when I dip into it rather than checking out my scraps first to see if there's anything usable, I will feel as if I am at least starting with a clear conscience.

I think I'll keep my trash bag full of scraps around for a while, just to see if I actually do miss them. If not, after a month or so, I'll drop them off at a local charity.

I have decided that I am going to perform a scrap-cleansing at least once a year; it's good for the soul. Now if I can just follow through on my decision.

PS: Aloha:
I asked my husband to take my picture amid my scraps to accompany this article. Walking into my quiltery, he asked, "Where did you get all those?" I replied, "From quilting." Puzzled, he said, "But I thought you got rid of your scraps by making scrap quilts."

They just don't get it.

"Asking a quilter to fix a zipper is like asking Wynton Marsalis to play a penny whistle."

Sewing Storage Tip

Store glass head pins in the new plastic baby food containers. They are completely re-usable and we discovered that spools of thread would fit into them also. These containers are great for storing wash away basting thread or a spool of thread with matching bobbin. Actually probably two matching small spools and bobbins would fit into one. Be sure to have the baby eat the bananas first before placing various things in the container.

Submittals for Our News Letter

If you have news or events, Classified Ads or other information you would like to submit for publication, please Email it to Vicky, or mail it to Vicky Altenhein, 3 Elizabeth St., Enfield, CT 06082, or call 745-4956. The deadline for newsletter submittals is the first Wednesday of the month. (Jun 6)

    Thou Shalt not Covet your best friend's Stash!

    Thou Shalt keep your collection of quilting
    books smaller than that of the local library!

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