April 2007

SEEMS LIKE...                 

  It's been a long time since I sat and shared all the latest Peace By Piece Quilters news. So long ago that my calendar was consulted because my brain kept asking, "Isn't it time to write a newsletter or have a BEE ?" There's been a lot of Peace By Piece Quilters happenings since our last newsletter. So get comfy and get caught up on all the news.

FIRST OF ALL...I GOTTA SAY...

To all the Peace By Piece Quilters who came and spent the day making kits at the first Peace By Piece Quilters Kit Bee. It was a great success. FOOD, FUN and FABRIC was abundant. The food everyone brought was awesome! And what quilter doesn't have FUN when surrounded by FABRIC? We now have a basket overflowing with enough kits to keep us busy for several months.

(Boys & Girls Club/Multigenerational Center)

The March Peace By Piece Quilters bee at the Westside Center sent 14 quilts out into the world. We had FUN FUN FUN working on those new kits that were made at the Kit Bee earlier in the month. AND we finished up the last of the Spring themed quilts. Volunteers made 7 child size quilts and 7 FUN preemie quilts. 

SALLY'S FABRIC

Our bee at Sally's Fabric was also a FUN day as we continued working on those new kits. It was a short day cuz so many volunteers were anxious to get started on their Easter Holiday weekend. But before they started their busy weekend they finished a total of 10 quilts. The Peace By Piece Quilters made 6 child size and 4 preemie quilts that day. Several volunteers took homework to keep them busy while waiting for their Holiday company to arrive.

FABRIC FAIRY

 UPDATE...  

  You gotta know... the Peace By Piece Quilters have the BEST Fabric Fairy in the world !!! Shortly after our very successful Kit Bee I got a call from the guy in charge of her fabric. He said, "We've got BAGS of the stuff! Come and get it." Among all those bags of fabric was a couple of very special bags. One had really cute handmade stuffed animals and one had Kits containing everything you needed to make more cute stuffed animals. Barb Eckles knew of a hospital with children that would give those cute stuffed animals a loving home and the kits were taken by volunteers who were eager to sew them up.

A VERY BUSY FABRIC FAIRY...

While reading my June volume of Quilter's World magazine I was pleased to turn the page and find a FUN quilt pattern designs by our Fabric Fairy aka Heidi Pridemore. Heidi doesn't produce fabrics or patterns that are anything less than CUTE and this one fits the description. It's called the Whimsy Garden and it's made using her fabric line of the same name. It features whimsical birds and birdhouses with lots of FUN dots and flowers. It's a beginner level pattern employing piecing and applique` techniques. You'll find her web site, the Whimsical Workshop, with offerings of the Whimsy Garden fabric line on our Favorite Links page. This pattern and fabric line will make you smile.

FUN STUFF...

 As I sit here sharing Peace By Piece Quilters news with you I'm listening to music from a Jukebox website. It's got lots of music from different era's to suit every musical taste and preference. I've added the website to our Favorite Links page for your listening pleasure. 

AND...

While I'm adding stuff to the Favorite Links page I'll also add a website that will bring laughter to your life. There's some Dang Good Jokes on this site that'll make ya smile... and maybe even  laugh.

IMPORTANT STUFF...

As many of you know Peace By Piece Quilters was started due to the inspiration of one very special lady, Jean Middleton. Jean has been heading up a sewing group like ours for over a decade. Over the years Jean has been dedicated to making quilts for children and her dedication has resulted in several thousand blankets being donated to AZ Blankets 4 Kids through the groups monthly bees. Jean and her husband, Ralph have also sponsored a yearly auction  that has raised thousands of dollars in fund for AZ Blankets 4 Kids. Jean and Ralph have decided to retire the group and hand it all over to the Las Palmas Grand Quilters. April 25 is the last scheduled bee for Jean and her group of quilters. I plan to attend this very special bee and invite all Peace By Piece volunteers to join  me. For more info and directions please contact me through this website.  

 MORE IMPORTANT STUFF...

The Computer wires have been humming between the Northwest Tag company and my computer. The goal was to get some newly designed (and much cheaper) Peace By Piece Quilters labels for all the quilts we will be making in the months to come. The label graphics have been submitted and re-submitted. Finally we have something acceptable to us and useable by the Northwest Tag staff. The new Peace By Piece Quilters label design has been drafted out and the order forms have been filled out and will be in the trusted hands of the postal service very soon. I've been told by my new friend at Northwest Tag company that we can expect our new labels in about 3 weeks.

TIME FOR MORE FUN...

The Westside FUN is on April 26. Just a day after our heartfelt visit with Jean's bee group. It seems like I'm always a few minutes late arriving at this location due to traffic tie ups. This month I'll be trying a different and highly suggested route that promises to get me there on time.

Sally's Fabric store will be our bee host on May 4th. In the past we've had trouble finding suitable lunch menus in the area. If you have a favorite restaurant in the area bring their menu or contact info to share. 

~Wanda Dix~