January 2009

 OUT WITH THE OLD...

Well the New Year is officially under way. All the festivities of the previous year are gone. Gone too are the bows and ribbons that fill so many homes as the year draws to a close. Now we are left to enjoy the memories we created during 2008 and are making plans for the New Year. Often times that includes setting a New Years Resolution.  

I was never any good at accomplishing my New Years Resolution so I gave up making them years ago. Out of curiosity I recently did a little research on the subject and found out I'm not alone. Less than 45% of Americans set a New Years Resolution and only 8% of those always achieve their goal.

A GENEROUS GIFT...

 Last week a very generous Peace By Piece Quilter volunteer visited me with a special gift. It is a rather large quilt top made mostly from men's ties. Red, White and Blue ties which is my favorite color combination. She made it with no purpose in mind other than to conquer a challenge, and she did a beautiful job of it. She has passed it onto us, the Peace By Piece Quilters, in hopes that we could use it as a fundraiser to help us in our efforts to comfort children in need. If you have been with us for awhile then you know last year we received the generous gift of a quilting machine and frame from a widower whose wife had the opportunity to use it very little. Selling that machine gave us enough funds to keep us going for awhile. But when those funds are gone we will have a beautiful top to quilt and use as a fundraiser. 

Thanks Sherry!  

MORE GENEROUSITY...

This month the Peace By Piece Quilters have received a couple of awesome fabric donations to help us get through the New Year. Peace By Piece volunteer, Linda, donated yards and yards of flannel in Preemie friendly colors. Linda knows we ALWAYS need Preemie flannel and we've already started using it in our Preemie kits. 

Earlier this week I got a call from a 'used to be quilter' named Geri. She started quilting in the early 70's and was so dedicated to the craft that she traveled the country teaching others the joy of quilt-making. Geri was also a founding member of the Tucson Quilt Guild that is still going strong today. Geri doesn't quilt anymore and has been generous enough to donate her stash to our fabric closet. She also gave us a pile of old magazines. I'll be brining those to the next bee in hopes that they can go and live in your collection!

Do you remember back in August 2007 when I told you about a group of Project Linus volunteers in my home state of West Virginia? These gals, which I affectionately call our "Sister Group", gets together once a month to make quilts for Project Linus. They send HUGS out to children just like us! The people living in this portion of West Virginia are not as financially blessed as we are here in the valley of the sun, which means their fabric closet is not nearly as full as ours. So I have sent them a few boxes of fabric now and then to help them continue their mission. They last received a box from us as a Holiday gift. And I've already got another box started for them. You'll be hearing more about our 'Sister Group' in future newsletters.  

MYSTERY PROJECT...

The Peace By Piece Quilters Mystery Quilt Project is almost done. At the last bee we had a show and tell of the quilts that have been finished so far. Four volunteers made six quilts. I hear you asking... How does that math work??? Well, Nina and Janet were so inspired by the pattern and their collection of Peace By Piece scraps that they each made 2 quilts! It's pretty amazing how each quilter can start out with the same pattern and the quilts made end up looking so different. I did remember to take a camera and we did get a photo of the finished quilts and the people who made them. I'll let you know when the picture gets added to the gallery page. Have you got your Mystery Quilt done yet? WE WANNA SEE IT! Bring yours to the bee on February 4 so we can ohhhh and ahhhh.

ANOTHER

When we don't see Peace By piece Quilter, Bonnie, at a bee the question is asked, "Where's Bonnie"?  Bonnie is our World Traveler and she's always going to or from some other part of the world. So far she has visited 69 countries! This month I received an email from Bonnie, saying she was in frigid Tokyo! Her biggest amazement was reading the London Herald Tribune and having the top sports story in the WORLD be the unlikely Championship win by the AZ Cardinals.

KIT BEE...

The Peace By Piece Quilters first kit bee of 2009 was held on January 6. The day was spent working with scraps. THE SCRAPS WERE OUTTA CONTROL... The doors of the scrap closet will now shut completely so I consider the Kit Bee a great success. 

We made 18 Child/Teen kits, 17 Preemie kits and there were several Kit Kits put together. What's a Kit Kit??? It's a collection of coordinating fabrics that will be used for making future kits. You will start seeing those Kit Kits at future bees for those that like to cut fabric but don't like to pick the colors for a quilt.

CUTTING EDGE QUILTWORKS 

The first Peace By Piece Quilters bee of 2009 was held at the Cutting Edge on January 15. Volunteers got the year off to a GREAT start with a total of 31 quilts being made. There were 8 Preemie quilts and 23 Child/Teen size quilts made. 

It was a pile to be proud of!

35th AVE SEW AND VAC

Our January bee at 35th Ave Sew and Vac was scheduled for January 1. Now the Peace by Piece volunteers are a bunch of dedicated gals but to ask that they spend the 1st day of a New Year volunteering at a bee was more than I could ask of their generosity so the bee was cancelled.  

Special Announcement

The February bee at 35th Ave Sew N Vac will be held on WEDNESDAY, February 4 instead of Thursday February 5 due to a scheduling conflict with their classroom.     

QUOTES & TIDBITS...    

According to a study, New Year's resolution usage in America has been falling rapidly with age. 57% of those aged 18-24 set New Years resolutions, compared with only 32% of those over age 54 who still set them.

Of those who plan to set New Years Resolutions:

- 34% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their wallet.
- 38% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their waistline.
- 47% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their head i.e. a self-improvement type goal.
- 31% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their heart -- i.e. a relationship or dating goal.

~Welch Media~

AZ BLANKETS 4 KIDS HAPPENINGS...

Arizona Blankets for Kids has two scheduled upcoming bees. January 31 at Holiday Village in Mesa. February 21 at La Hacienda RV Resort in Apache Junction. Please check the AZB4K website at www.azblankets4kids.com for all of their upcoming bee information. 

Peace By Piece Quilters

UPCOMING BEE DATES...

WEDNESDAY, February 4 is the date of our next quilting bee. It will be held at 35th Ave Sew and Vac.

Then we have a quilting bee scheduled at the Cutting Edge Quiltworks on Thursday, February 19.

Sooo much fabric and thread

 and sooo little time.

~Wanda Dix~