Children's Summer Sewing Program - Toledo, OH

For the past five years, I, along with five other ladies at Third Baptist Church, Toledo, OH, have been involved with the youth in the community in what we call our Summer Sewing Students. One week after school is out for the summer until one week before school starts again, every Monday from 10:00am until 2:00 we teach the children to sew and other needle arts. My volunteer help is Ruby Radford who opens the morning for us with an inspirational message to the children to wake them up and also prepares lunch. Euneda Liddell, a retired teacher who brings wisdom and thoughts on living to all of us. After they open up the morning and get us going, I then explain the project for the day, whether it's new or a continuation from the previous week. My sewing teachers are ladies with years of experience in sewing or needle work: Marilynn Gardner, Ruth Penamon, Clemintine Bourn. There are parents that come with the children which we all appreciate. They chip in and help where ever we need them: Beverly Liddell Smith, Tamara Mabrey and Cynthia Dye. This years project were picture quilts or quilt art. Once the children knew what I wanted them to do this year, it was hard to get them to stop working and break for lunch. The ages range from five years to thirty something in a class of fourteen. The thirty something is in between jobs as a chemical engineer and decided to come down to the church to be with us. (We loved it.) I have posted the end results of the children's work with fabric. I hope you enjoy their imangination and color combinations.

MOM'S REQUEST!

Every quilt has a story to tell. This quilt is no exception. If it could talk this is what it would say about how it came to be "My quilt from Mom."

Upon her deathbed my mom made me promise that I would finish a quilt that she had started before she got ill to give to my brother John. I had no choice but to make her wish a reality. After leaving the hospital room I was not happy to think that I had to do this. Reasoning was my mom was the mother of eleven children whom she was or had made or in the process of making quilts for. I asked her why I had to do this? She didn't make one for me and I am the oldest. Her reply was, you know how to quilt and you can make your own. Well, my feelings were truly hurt. She told me where to find the quilt pieces and sure enough the pieces were packed in a box neatly put away where I would find them. I bought the box home and for twenty years looked at it wondering what to do with the pieces. Upset that each of my brothers and sisters had a piece of mom to remember and I didn't was not getting me anywhere. So after knowing that my brother and wife were having a new home built and developing a new frame of mind, I started working on the quilt project. I wanted to give them something for their new home and thought this would be perfect. I called their daughter who lived near by and made arrangements for her to keep her parents at home so we could come to see their new home after church on Sunday. Along with dinner that my husband and I had prepared and taken out to their home not saying anything about the quilt we went to visit. The quilt neatly wrapped stayed in the van until we saw the house and had dinner. He had no idea the quilt was finished. I presented the quilt to him. He had no idea what was in the package. He tore into the package and when his eyes looked upon the quilt he cried, cried and cried. Wrapped him self in the quilt and cried some more. So today, no one is allowed to touch the quilt. I was still a little sad when I came home because all I have are memories. Now, I kind of miss that brown box that was a staple in the closet for twenty years. What do I put in that spot now?????

LeMoyne Star Demo

The March Demo was the LeMoyne Star Block. In this demo I tried to show the medthod of triangle squares and straight line sewing, plus how to read the fractions on our quilting rulers. The measuring and squaring pieces after sewing will take some getting use to, but the ladies are eager to get that quilt going. Next month I will post the results of what the members put together. The LeMoyne Star. Take a look at the colors of each block shown. Gives you a completely different look, HUH?

Quilt Guild Demo!

In our quilt guild, Stitches From The Soul Sisters, we set a time for quilt demos, and this year I have the job of instructing. In January the block that I chose to demonstrate was the "Underground Railroad Block." Perfect for Black History Month which the block had to be bought in at our February meeting. Well, wouldn't you know we had snow up to you know where so we couldn't meet. This block starts a serious of blocks for our block of the month demos. The group was suppose to purchase three to four fabrics to work all the block with in order to bring all of the different block together for our sample quilt. I wanted to introduce quality fabrics and some of the new batiks that are on the market. Most of the guild members are novice quilters so for the next several months the demos will be simple with each month a more challenging method. The block shown is a 12/1/2" block to get experience in cutting and squaring up the pieces so when you start sewing everything fall into place. The group did a spactacular job.

Third Baptist Church 140th Anniversary Quilt

This anniversary quilt was made to honor our present members and to look back at the past history of our church. We've been an established African American baptist church since the year of 1868 still located in the same spot where the original church began. My family, starting with my great maternal great grandmother was instrumental in a lot of decisions of that era. Following her was my grandmother, mother, myself and my children. I do believe that's five generations. On the quilt itself are the past pastors who presided and a brief history of the church along with signatures of over two hundred members. That job was not easy. You will also find a tree of life who's leaves have fallen to the wayside. Those leaves represent those members who have gone on before us. The quilt was unveiled at the celebration banquet in October of 2008 and surprised everyone. It now hangs in the sanctuary of the church for everyone to view. Yes! Quilts tell stories. Quilts have history. You may say that quilts are the fabrics of our lives. I hope the viewing of this quilt gives you a little of our history.

Alexia's Surprise

The quilt shown here by the way of cloths pins and a bright sunshiny day, was a gift to my granddaughter, Alexia. She purchased a home in Atlanta this summer and this quilt was her house warming gift. Colors were rich in hues only to fool the camera by the bright sunlight. Have you ever made something that you really wanted to keep but you made it for someone else? This is one of those quilts that I hated to let go, but it's the gift that counted so I'm told. This quilt was also a brain stormer to make.

Sand Pebbles w/ Chocolate Swirls

Scrap fabric of pebble print from another project.....what on earth do you do with it? Turns out that it partnered well with a chocolate and gold leaf print Who'da thought it would look so well? One of those late night, light bulb matching ideas. It too was accepted into the Stitches From The Soul quilt exhibit which opens this week at the Toledo Public Library. If you are in the area, do stop in.

Quilt for the hubby!

This quilt was made for Alex so he wouldn't feel left out. It covers him and the recliner with room to spare.

Cheers
Rett

New day - new year!

This is my first try at this. At this age still trying something new. I started quilting seriouly in 1983. Made my first quilt from cardboard templates, hand stitched and hand quilted. One thing about the primitive way we quilted, that quilt remained on my bed until I retired it two years ago in very good condition. The technology today and techniques applied to do the art is very appreciated. I made that quilt in a sew as you go method which was new at the time. Three decades later and a state of the art sewing machine I don't have time to hand quilt. I do hope you enjoy viewing this prized family possession. The quilt is a queen sized, Ohio Star pattern in red, black and gray.

Cheers,
Rett