Events and Service Projects

Monthly Quilting Bee Location
Every 3rd Thursday of the month from
10AM to 1PM 
Habitat for Humanity
9110 Gaither Road
Come for Fun, Conversation and Quilting! See you there!

Next Quilting Bees: April 17th, May 15th, June 5th and 19th , July 3rd and 17th, August 7th, and 21st, 2008

Bring your own project, help other with theirs, or just come and chat for a while as you wish. Those who want to, can also join the lunch party after the meeting.


LIST OF SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR THE NIMBLE FINGERS BOUTIQUE 2008

Sewn Items

Knit and Crochet

Crafts and Jewelry

 

 

 

Small quilts and wall hangings

Children’s hats, mittens

Beaded items

Placemats and napkins

Adult hats, scarves, headbands

Fabric covered notebooks and photo albums

Pillows - all sizes

Ponchos and shrugs

Purse essentials: mirrors, lipstick cases, wallets, checkbook covers, glasses cases, tissue covers

Sewing machine accessories

Book marks

Book and notebook covers

Handbags, totes, laptop covers, smaller purses

Purses and other bags

Travel items:  Luggage tags, passport  holders, plane ticket and ID holders

Pet items:  placemats, bedding,  collars, leashes, dog and cat toys

Potpourri, sachet and soap holders

Baskets and bowls

Table toppers

Baby and other size afghans

Refrigerator magnets

CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING,

AND HALLOWEEN

ITEMS OF ALL KINDS

Needle cases

Scrunchies

Pin cushions

Quilting ruler holders 

Individual crocheted flower pins and earrings

Stained glass

Rotary cutter holders

Coasters and hot pads

Tape measures

Potholders

Socks

Handmade toys and games

Coasters

Baby booties, caps

Hand painted household items

Casserole carriers

Doll clothes

Wreaths, other floral décor

Shoe bags

Stuffed animals

Wine bottle covers and stoppers

Dolls and doll clothes

Doll clothes

Jelly roll candles

Cutting mat carriers

Felted items (tea cozy, purses, hats, belts)

Painted candles

Gift bags

Toys and dolls

Photo albums

Stuffed animals

Infant layettes, booties, caps

Cards


Sewing Machines Neeeded!
1/4/2008
I teach at the Montgomery County Refugee Center. Most of women students love to sew. I'm using their comfort with sewing to teach them about following instructions (reputed to be a useful workplace skill). We'd love a couple of workhorse easily serviced machines. If you've got working machines that you're never going to use again, we'd be happy to take them off your hands. We can give you a letter for the tax deduction. Thank you, Mary Campbell mcampscomp@aol.com
QUILTING FOR OTHERS TAKES WING
1/5/2008
I would like to thank all of the Nimble Fingers members who have so generously given their time to Quilting for Others. You ladies are the best. When I deliver the quilts now in my possession to the shelter, we will have donated approximately 75 quilts to the shelter since the beginning of 2007. Add that to the 50 some quilts we gave Habitat last fall, and we've earned our wings. (Sorry, but "It's a Wonderful Life" is still rattling around in my brain.)
Great news on the Habitat quilt signups!
I have only three full or queen size quilts to go, plus one twin size for an adult male age 20. One of the mystery quilts from Kim's recent class might fit the bill. Just add a border so the quilt measures about 55 - 65" wide x 75" or slightly longer. I'll also take tops and finish them using fabric from the donations we received in 2007. I don't have tremendous numbers of elves, but the ones I've got are very hard working.
If I could get more guild members to commit to making 12 1/2 inch blocks, that would take care of at least one of the quilts and possibly more. These sampler quilts are pretty scrappy, so don't be shy about giving me any orphan blocks you might have lying around. If they are not 12 1/2 inches square, you could just sew on a border to fill them out. Fall colors are preferred but I'll take any blocks you care to contribute.
Another possibility is a "Turning Twenty" quilt. I made a full size quilt from this pattern over the holidays in about a week including quilting and binding. You only need twenty fat quarters plus some border and binding fabric to make the top. I got the pattern book at a local quilt shop, and there's only just the one pattern in it, so it's fairly inexpensive.
A full or queen size is a great group project. Your mini group or other guild might consider making one, so please mention it to them next time you meet. Or, if you are making a quilt to enter in the fair or any upcoming shows this year, you might consider donating it to Habitat in December.
Fabric donations, batting, and binding strips are always welcome.

Habitat Homes Dedication

On Sunday, August 5th, I attended the dedication ceremony for the Habitat homes at Linganore Woods in Burtonsville, MD. The new homeowners were presented with one of their quilts, a Bible, and a symbolic key to their new home. One house was open for touring, and, although still unfinished, it is a very nice three storey townhouse in a pleasant, woodsy setting. The second set of twelve houses will be built very close to the first set. Nimble Fingers was mentioned prominently in the printed program, and during the dedication as well. I have given a copy of the program to Francie Parrack, Guild Historian, for inclusion in our historical papers. It was especially nice to see the children who will live in these homes. They will have a safe and healthy environment to grow in, and what better gift could be given by all of the organizations that donate time and materials for the houses? Donated items include the land the houses were built on, all major appliances, other built-ins such as the bathroom vanities, the quilts, a scrapbook for each family depicting the building of their home, and labor, including work done by the individual homeowners on their house.

Habitat is holding a fall fund-raiser in November, and more information about it will be forthcoming. NF members Elke Jordan and Marina Baudoin are contributing art quilts to be auctioned.

Quilts for the Krahnke Shelter

There were two get-togethers this summer at Resurrection Church in Burtonsville to facilitate the making of quilt tops and backs for the November Quilt-In. I delivered 15 quilts to the shelter in July and have two shopping bags full of tops and backs, in anticipation of the Quilt-In. For new members, the Quilt-In is an annual event that gets a lot of positive feedback from the guild for providing a chance to work together, to finish a lot of quilts, and to make new friends in the process. The quilts we make on that day all go to the Betty Ann Krahnke shelter for victims of domestic abuse, which is operated by Montgomery County. If you wish to make a quilt top in anticipation of the Quilt-In, please call or email Beth Smith for further information and provision of donated fabric.

Quilting for Others - Beth Smith

Habitat for Humanity SIide Show Link
The Habitat for Humanity project has been a huge success.  All of the quilts that Nimble Fingers has provided will be turned over to the families on Friday, May 4th.  Some Nimble Fingers members will attend the dedication ceremony for the homes in Burtonsville, probably near the end of May or in early June.

An online slide show of all the quilts will be available shortly, as soon as all quilts are collected and have been photographed.  If any NF members who took pictures of the quilts would like to have their photos included, please email them to bethasmith3@comcast.net

If any members would like to work on quilts for the shelter over the summer, please let Beth Smith know and she can provide donated fabric and batting.  There are also quite a few tops waiting for sandwiching, pinning, serging and tying.  We will have our November quilt-in to work on them, but it would be great to get a head start on them so we have lots of quilts to donate to the shelter in time for the holidays.


Quilt Restorer Wanted
From time to time I get requests to do restoration work on an old quilt. I don't do this, and don't want to learn how. If anyone would like to do restoration work, give me a call.
Judy Lundberg



Quilt Shows
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Dinner Guests Wanted!
We are lucky to have such wonderful speakers join us each month to lecture and conduct workshops. One of the pleasures for them and us is to share time together. In the past, we've tried to take the guest out to dinner with a group of guild members. If you would like to join us in the future, please send Morna an email (morna@professionalquilter.com) or call her. About a week before each meeting, she'll contact a group of members and see if they can arrange to get together for dinner with our speaker. Thanks.

Morna

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