Project Linus 25th Jan 2013

14 intrepid members attended another 'Wow!' guild meeting featuring talk by Sue Hall on Project Linus UK, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. To illustrate her talk Sue showed and passed 'round an assortment of different sized quilts, all recently completed. It was useful to learn that our quilts can be of any size: teeny-tiny for premature infants, or for crib, pram, pushchair, play-mat, lap-'rug' for children in wheel-chairs or single bed size (4ft x 6ft) for older boys and girls. "So, any size, really!" said Sue. Guidelines for quilt construction include it must be tough, very well-sewn: sewn to last! No buttons or ribbons or frilly bits. Brightly coloured cottons are best, animals are favourites. Plain or fancy, you choose. Polyester wadding from Boyes is fine as it is washable and light-weight. A quilt can be used at story-time as every quilt tells a story.

Our American cousins initiated the scheme of donating quilts to children in hospitals, neo-natal clinics and various care homes. This idea quickly spread across the Atlantic. The name Linus comes from the Peanuts comic-strip by Charles Schultz. In it Linus is always featured clutching his blanket.

After question-time we viewed Julia's 'crazy-patchwork' squares, artfully constructed from her scrapbag and Jacqui's zany dinosaur-print fat-quarters.

Check out website projectlinusuk.org.uk for lots more inspiration and inspiring data, like "in 2012 over 20,000 quilts and blankets were delivered within the UK".

submitted by Judy on 26 Jan 2013

Young Embroiderers Sat 19th Jan 2013: Bunting

Bunting flags were created by layering torn strips of fabric onto a base material. These were then sewn by hand and machine in decorative and plain stitches. Each child designed a monogram of their initials, and using a contrasting fabric this was applied onto  the background.Unfortunately due to the weather and illness, we only had a small group.

These pieces of work will be entered into the Kickstart exhibition "Archives" later this year.
                                                                                   Michele Maloney

Our Lady of Lincoln RC Church lounge for Project Linus Friday 25th Jan

Project Linus is a children's charity, a volunteer organisation providing quilts and blankets to hospitals, neo-natal units and shelters.

The Lincoln Bailgate branch of the Embroiderers' Guild is supporting this project by providing cot-sized patchwork quilts and/or individual 12.5" patchwork blocks/squares to be made into a quilt/quilts for this purpose. Although this quilt project was announced at our monthly meetings, some of you are new members and won't have information.

We will have Project Linus co-ordinators Sue Hall and Lynn Fairhead (of the East Midlands group) speaking to us at this Friday's monthly meeting: January 25th. They are bringing lots of finished quilts to show also. The meeting will NOT be a Practical, as there will be little time to do any sewing. IF YOU HAVE A FINISHED PATCHWORK QUILT OR KNITTED QUILT OR ANY FINISHED SQUARES, PLEASE BRING THESE TO FRIDAY'S MEETING.

Check out the website, www.projectlinus.org.uk/, which gives more information and has free-to-download quilt patterns. Notes by Judy O'Neill, branch programme secretary for Lincoln Bailgate branch of the Embroiderers' Guild.

See you Friday at our new meetings' venue:

OUR LADY OF LINCOLN RC CHURCH LOUNGE,

Laughton Way/Cabourne Avenue junction

(off Nettleham Road)

LINCOLN LN2 2HE

Patchwork panel Stitch Club Cancellation

Julia Welch has had to cancel tomorrow's Stitch Club to make a  foundation patchwork panel, because of the poor weather conditions. Hopefully she will be able to reschedule the stitch club for later in the year.
Stay warm.