Community Quilts Sew In
Tuesday Oct 26 from 10am-2pm.
Masks indoors, please.
More information is posted on the Members page (login required. Members may use their email address. Use the forgot password option to reset password if necessary)
Tuesday Oct 26 from 10am-2pm.
Masks indoors, please.
More information is posted on the Members page (login required. Members may use their email address. Use the forgot password option to reset password if necessary)
SSMQG COMMUNITY (CHARITY) COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS May 30, 2021
South Sarasota MQG Community/Charity Committee
2021 Update and Recommendations
Members: Jody Jordan, Pam Morris, Chris Haddad, Carole Lyles Shaw, Jill Platt, Linda Crump, Carole Debbie Sipp; Marie Black; Sue Balazs, Lenore Loftus
ORGANIZATION #1: We recommend making quilts for donation to Guardian Ad Litem as our first group. Guardian Ad Litem is a well respected organization and they would welcome quilts for teens and younger children. They will distribute quilts directly to children that they serve. They would like quilts for teens and younger children with their higher need for teens.
Here is a summary from their site: https://12gal.com/
The 12th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) program recruits, trains, supports and supervises court-appointed volunteers to represent their most vulnerable children. More than a thousand children in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties have been removed from their homes due to allegations of abuse, neglect or abandonment. Through no fault of their own, they must now navigate through the dependency court system where a judge is forced to make decisions about a child he or she has never even met. A confused and frightened child can easily get lost in an already overburdened child welfare system. A GAL is a unique concept in the juvenile court system: a trained and certified community volunteer appointed by the judge to speak up for an abused or neglected child in court.
ORGANIZATION #2: We have an option for the future as well. We are also talking with a group called " Sleep in Heavenly Peace" . They build beds for children whose families need that type of assistance. Right now, they are on hiatus but they are very interested in working with us when they resume operations. https://www.shpbeds.org/chapter/fl-sarasota
COLLECTING QUILTS
• Members are asked to donate completed quilts starting with the November meeting.
• QUILTS MUST BE WASHED IN FRAGRANCE FREE PRODUCTS--wrap in a bag if you have pets--remember some children and youths may have allergies. We will collect quilts and donate them to GAL periodically. We will announce other collection dates.
• Volunteer Quilters may be needed (Long Armers and Domestic Machines) to quilt some of these quilts. Please notify any member of the committee if you can do some quilting. • Members are asked to provide the top, batting and backing and binding if they cannot complete the quilt on their own.
• Volunteers may also be needed to attach binding after longarming.
• Please note that the committee is not collecting blocks.
TYPES OF QUILTS & PATTERNS: MAKE IT MODERN!! We would like to receive as many completed modern quilts as possible by the November 2021 meeting. • Please make gender neutral quilts that are suitable for any child.
• Preferred sizes are minimum 42" x 60" up to 60" x 70".
• Use 100% cotton fabrics for the top and backing. Batting can be 80/20 or 100% cotton or other natural fibers such as wool or bamboo.
• FABRICS: Please be inclusive in your fabric choices. Please use color palettes that are bright but not 'baby-ish'. No pale blue and pink or pastel colors please. Avoid fabrics with images that are targeted to a gender or age such as unicorns, fairies, butterflies, flowers, trucks, etc.
• Shop your stash. Don't have enough of one color? Substitute other fabrics as you make your blocks.
• Pieced backs will actually make this a two sided quilt. Use larger pieces of stash and scraps to make a simple pieced back.
• BLOCK PATTERNS: Use any type of quilt pattern with pieced blocks. Remember that these quilts will be used and washed. Applique will probably not hold up as well as pieced blocks. Pattern sources include the Modern Quilt Guild website. There are some interesting patterns there and they are all free.
• Please remember that these quilts will be given away to young people and children. This is not a 'show quilt'. Use your stash and scraps to make these quilts—they will be appreciated for the caring gesture.
• Keep it simple! Simpler block designs, fun fabrics and simple quilting.
• QUILT IT SIMPLE! The quilting can be as simple and easy as straight lines spaced about 1 inch apart; wavy or meandering lines; simple pantographs; etc. Make sure your quilting is secure—check the back and front for any loose threads.
• Make BIG BORDERS! Make BIG BLOCKS! For example, adding 6-8 inch wide borders on all four sides will mean less piecing. You can whip something up in a day a la Eleanor Burns style.
FUN WAYS TO GET QUILTS MADE
• Organize Sew Days (Zoom and in person) to work on a quilt separately or create blocks for a group quilt. Self organize with some buddies from the Guild! • Self-organize groups -- Partnering with other members is a lot of fun and a good way to get to know more people—you don't have to do it alone!
• Pods can collaborate on a quilt
• Use this quilt as a way to practice a new-to-you block pattern or practice simple quilting.
South Sarasota MQG Community/Charity Committee
2021 Update and Recommendations
Members: Jody Jordan, Pam Morris, Chris Haddad, Carole Lyles Shaw, Jill Platt, Linda Crump, Carole Debbie Sipp; Marie Black; Sue Balazs, Lenore Loftus
ORGANIZATION #1: We recommend making quilts for donation to Guardian Ad Litem as our first group. Guardian Ad Litem is a well respected organization and they would welcome quilts for teens and younger children. They will distribute quilts directly to children that they serve. They would like quilts for teens and younger children with their higher need for teens.
Here is a summary from their site: https://12gal.com/
The 12th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) program recruits, trains, supports and supervises court-appointed volunteers to represent their most vulnerable children. More than a thousand children in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties have been removed from their homes due to allegations of abuse, neglect or abandonment. Through no fault of their own, they must now navigate through the dependency court system where a judge is forced to make decisions about a child he or she has never even met. A confused and frightened child can easily get lost in an already overburdened child welfare system. A GAL is a unique concept in the juvenile court system: a trained and certified community volunteer appointed by the judge to speak up for an abused or neglected child in court.
ORGANIZATION #2: We have an option for the future as well. We are also talking with a group called " Sleep in Heavenly Peace" . They build beds for children whose families need that type of assistance. Right now, they are on hiatus but they are very interested in working with us when they resume operations. https://www.shpbeds.org/chapter/fl-sarasota
COLLECTING QUILTS
• Members are asked to donate completed quilts starting with the November meeting.
• QUILTS MUST BE WASHED IN FRAGRANCE FREE PRODUCTS--wrap in a bag if you have pets--remember some children and youths may have allergies. We will collect quilts and donate them to GAL periodically. We will announce other collection dates.
• Volunteer Quilters may be needed (Long Armers and Domestic Machines) to quilt some of these quilts. Please notify any member of the committee if you can do some quilting. • Members are asked to provide the top, batting and backing and binding if they cannot complete the quilt on their own.
• Volunteers may also be needed to attach binding after longarming.
• Please note that the committee is not collecting blocks.
TYPES OF QUILTS & PATTERNS: MAKE IT MODERN!! We would like to receive as many completed modern quilts as possible by the November 2021 meeting. • Please make gender neutral quilts that are suitable for any child.
• Preferred sizes are minimum 42" x 60" up to 60" x 70".
• Use 100% cotton fabrics for the top and backing. Batting can be 80/20 or 100% cotton or other natural fibers such as wool or bamboo.
• FABRICS: Please be inclusive in your fabric choices. Please use color palettes that are bright but not 'baby-ish'. No pale blue and pink or pastel colors please. Avoid fabrics with images that are targeted to a gender or age such as unicorns, fairies, butterflies, flowers, trucks, etc.
• Shop your stash. Don't have enough of one color? Substitute other fabrics as you make your blocks.
• Pieced backs will actually make this a two sided quilt. Use larger pieces of stash and scraps to make a simple pieced back.
• BLOCK PATTERNS: Use any type of quilt pattern with pieced blocks. Remember that these quilts will be used and washed. Applique will probably not hold up as well as pieced blocks. Pattern sources include the Modern Quilt Guild website. There are some interesting patterns there and they are all free.
• Please remember that these quilts will be given away to young people and children. This is not a 'show quilt'. Use your stash and scraps to make these quilts—they will be appreciated for the caring gesture.
• Keep it simple! Simpler block designs, fun fabrics and simple quilting.
• QUILT IT SIMPLE! The quilting can be as simple and easy as straight lines spaced about 1 inch apart; wavy or meandering lines; simple pantographs; etc. Make sure your quilting is secure—check the back and front for any loose threads.
• Make BIG BORDERS! Make BIG BLOCKS! For example, adding 6-8 inch wide borders on all four sides will mean less piecing. You can whip something up in a day a la Eleanor Burns style.
FUN WAYS TO GET QUILTS MADE
• Organize Sew Days (Zoom and in person) to work on a quilt separately or create blocks for a group quilt. Self organize with some buddies from the Guild! • Self-organize groups -- Partnering with other members is a lot of fun and a good way to get to know more people—you don't have to do it alone!
• Pods can collaborate on a quilt
• Use this quilt as a way to practice a new-to-you block pattern or practice simple quilting.
Mask Project 2020
Our guild has received requests from several local organizations, medical facilities, and we are rallying to support them by sewing masks! Members are donating their time, fabric and materials to support our community through this project.
As a result, we are focusing our efforts on the local medical facilities and and community organizations and will not be filling individual requests at this time.
We have provided masks to many organizations, emphasizing health care such as
Our efforts were recently featured in an article on Sarasota Magazine's website and in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Current guild members have access to current mask project via the members pages as well as membership emails and posts to our members-only Facebook group. This includes the requested mask sizes as well as the next pickup date, time and location.
As a result, we are focusing our efforts on the local medical facilities and and community organizations and will not be filling individual requests at this time.
We have provided masks to many organizations, emphasizing health care such as
- 50 local school teachers and their in-class students.
- surgery centers
- local medical and mental health offices
- hospice care
- home health care
- local schools, including child size and adult size masks
Our efforts were recently featured in an article on Sarasota Magazine's website and in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Current guild members have access to current mask project via the members pages as well as membership emails and posts to our members-only Facebook group. This includes the requested mask sizes as well as the next pickup date, time and location.
The CDC guidelines for use of homemade masks is available on their website. Please continue to follow CDC, state and local guidelines for taking care of your own heath, to include social distancing and hygiene practices.
There are many patterns to make fabric masks, with/without pockets, using elastic, fabric ties, bias tape or twill tape for securing the mask to the head. Be sure to wash fabric in hot water to preshrink before cutting and sewing the masks. Some acrylic mask templates are also available for purchase from different companies.
Some of the tutorials we are using include:
There are many patterns to make fabric masks, with/without pockets, using elastic, fabric ties, bias tape or twill tape for securing the mask to the head. Be sure to wash fabric in hot water to preshrink before cutting and sewing the masks. Some acrylic mask templates are also available for purchase from different companies.
Some of the tutorials we are using include: