Today was a cutting day. As you may know, we are trying to get 400 sets of flannel squares cut (that's 800 9" x 9" squares!). As of today's cutting session, we have 300 sets! We only need 100 more sets for February 6 (see our blog for details on this event).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sewin' In the Mall February 6 from 10 am to 2 pm
Whooppee! We did it!
We'll be sewing at the Harrisburg East Mall on Saturday, February 6th from 10 am to 2 pm! This will operate just like the National Night Out. It "just so happened" that's the day the mall has something called "Kids Club" day, and the mall was very excited to have us participate. We have the prime location -- right out side the theater beside the food court!
After I hung up the phone with the mall, I started praying about the fabric and stuffing we will need. Within the hour, a friend stopped by and dropped off a TON of flannel! She will also donate a 5 lb box of stuffing! We have a LOT of flannel at the Rutherford House, too. We learned at the National Night Out that one 5 lb box of stuffing is not enough, so please keep your eyes out for sales so we can get another 5 lb box of stuffing.
So, in your spare time (ha ha ha ha ha hee hee hee!) please start cutting out 9" squares of flannel. We need at least 800 squares cut, and laid wrong sides together, ready to sew, in order to have 400 pillows ready for the children to sew. We did 150 pillows in 2 hours at the National Night Out. We will be Sewin' In The Mall for 4 hours, so we need to be well prepared so that no child feels left out.
Peggy is up for the idea to sew (during the week) in the auditorium at the Rutherford House early in January. Everyone should bring their rotary cutters and mats, I'll bring a bunch of scissors, and we'll knock the cutting out all at once. I'll let you know when we nail down a date.
I'm hoping to have a big banner made up by February. Laurel will help me with this. My mom has a banner stand that my dad made which should work perfectly.
We will need every single body to pull this off. So please put the date on your calendars in ink!
We already know that the Harper gals won't be able to attend because the girls are in a very important piano concert at the Whitaker Center that day, and Lana will graduate to wearing a formal dress and be accompanied by the orchestra. This is a HUGE big deal and we are very proud of them both! But we will truly miss them at the Sewing in the Mall event.
That means we will be down 3 bodies, so it will be important for everyone else who can possibly come to clear their schedule. If we did 150 pillows in 2 hours at the National Night Out, can you imagine how many we'll make in 4 hours with the mall swimming with kids for "Kids Club" day??!! So please let's have as many of us at this event as humanly possible!
I am VERY excited about this! The phone call to the mall went so smoothly, and all the fabric we'll need arrived within the hour! Plus the donation of a 5 lbs box of stuffing! It MUST be God!
We'll be sewing at the Harrisburg East Mall on Saturday, February 6th from 10 am to 2 pm! This will operate just like the National Night Out. It "just so happened" that's the day the mall has something called "Kids Club" day, and the mall was very excited to have us participate. We have the prime location -- right out side the theater beside the food court!
After I hung up the phone with the mall, I started praying about the fabric and stuffing we will need. Within the hour, a friend stopped by and dropped off a TON of flannel! She will also donate a 5 lb box of stuffing! We have a LOT of flannel at the Rutherford House, too. We learned at the National Night Out that one 5 lb box of stuffing is not enough, so please keep your eyes out for sales so we can get another 5 lb box of stuffing.
So, in your spare time (ha ha ha ha ha hee hee hee!) please start cutting out 9" squares of flannel. We need at least 800 squares cut, and laid wrong sides together, ready to sew, in order to have 400 pillows ready for the children to sew. We did 150 pillows in 2 hours at the National Night Out. We will be Sewin' In The Mall for 4 hours, so we need to be well prepared so that no child feels left out.
Peggy is up for the idea to sew (during the week) in the auditorium at the Rutherford House early in January. Everyone should bring their rotary cutters and mats, I'll bring a bunch of scissors, and we'll knock the cutting out all at once. I'll let you know when we nail down a date.
I'm hoping to have a big banner made up by February. Laurel will help me with this. My mom has a banner stand that my dad made which should work perfectly.
We will need every single body to pull this off. So please put the date on your calendars in ink!
We already know that the Harper gals won't be able to attend because the girls are in a very important piano concert at the Whitaker Center that day, and Lana will graduate to wearing a formal dress and be accompanied by the orchestra. This is a HUGE big deal and we are very proud of them both! But we will truly miss them at the Sewing in the Mall event.
That means we will be down 3 bodies, so it will be important for everyone else who can possibly come to clear their schedule. If we did 150 pillows in 2 hours at the National Night Out, can you imagine how many we'll make in 4 hours with the mall swimming with kids for "Kids Club" day??!! So please let's have as many of us at this event as humanly possible!
I am VERY excited about this! The phone call to the mall went so smoothly, and all the fabric we'll need arrived within the hour! Plus the donation of a 5 lbs box of stuffing! It MUST be God!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
100 personal care bags - done!
Thanks to all who contributed to helping us help Salvation Army reach their goal of 100 personal care bags. All done!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
100 More Personal Care Bags Needed ASAP!!
Howdy Sisters! I dropped off a bag at the Edgemont Salvation Army today, and saw our personal care bags stuffed and ready to go. They looked great! They like them so much they are using them for more gifts, and need about 100 more bags, hopefully by December 1st, which is next Tuesday.
They put a wash cloth in the bags, along with other stuff, and the bags don't quite close. Ideally, the bags need to be 7" x 10" (cut dimensions, with ) so the bags can actually close when the drawstring is pulled, and they will be just a little bit wider to make stuffing them easier.
We have a lot of 6" x 8" bags cut out here. Did you see what Cathy did with some 6" x 6" squares she had already cut for a different project? She added a 2" piece of coordinating fabric to the bottom of of each square before she sewed them together. They turned out REALLY cute!
So let's continue to use these bags we already cut, even though they are 6" wide, but add 2" to the bottom, and that should make them long enough for this particular use.
If you are cutting out the bags with fabric you have at home, please cut them 7" x 10". They loved the home dec fabric we used, too, because they Seniors can use them all year long, and they still look very festive.
The Rutherford House will be closed Wednesday through Friday this week, so if you don't have festive fabric at home, please stop by and pick up some fabric that I have here.
I know this is short notice, but I'm sure they will appreciate whatever we can give them.
Thanks!
P.S. Ursula and I did our bell ringing shift yesterday. It was a blast! We both said it was the most relaxing thing we've done for months and months! We are actually looking forward to our next gig! If you are still on the fence about doing this, I urge you to do at least one shift. I'm not kidding, it was really fun! And we got free drinks from Antie Anne's!
They put a wash cloth in the bags, along with other stuff, and the bags don't quite close. Ideally, the bags need to be 7" x 10" (cut dimensions, with ) so the bags can actually close when the drawstring is pulled, and they will be just a little bit wider to make stuffing them easier.
We have a lot of 6" x 8" bags cut out here. Did you see what Cathy did with some 6" x 6" squares she had already cut for a different project? She added a 2" piece of coordinating fabric to the bottom of of each square before she sewed them together. They turned out REALLY cute!
So let's continue to use these bags we already cut, even though they are 6" wide, but add 2" to the bottom, and that should make them long enough for this particular use.
If you are cutting out the bags with fabric you have at home, please cut them 7" x 10". They loved the home dec fabric we used, too, because they Seniors can use them all year long, and they still look very festive.
The Rutherford House will be closed Wednesday through Friday this week, so if you don't have festive fabric at home, please stop by and pick up some fabric that I have here.
I know this is short notice, but I'm sure they will appreciate whatever we can give them.
Thanks!
P.S. Ursula and I did our bell ringing shift yesterday. It was a blast! We both said it was the most relaxing thing we've done for months and months! We are actually looking forward to our next gig! If you are still on the fence about doing this, I urge you to do at least one shift. I'm not kidding, it was really fun! And we got free drinks from Antie Anne's!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fabric Bugs and What to Do About Them
Howdy Sisters!
The last donation of fabric we received was infested with bugs. We've seen this before in other donations, but this was the worst we've seen, so I thought it was time to look up what to do about these pests. This is a brief report from many extension sites from Colorado to Main, including PSU.
The icky bugs love dried flower arrangements, and are often brought in the house riding in the dead flowers.
They come in attached to the bottom of your shoes because they live in dead leaves. (Is there any square inch in PA that doesn't have dead leaves outside right about now?)
They like anything protein. Cardboard's good too. They love all natural fibers. They don't much like polyester double knits. (Oh THAT'S a big surprise!)
The tiny brown "shells" or casings can be either from moths or carpet beetles, and are the "homes" of the larvae. The adult carpet beetles are only 1/16" in size, which explains why we never see the bugs. We'd need a magnifying glass! The larvae are big enough to see and are shaped like snakes or caterpillars, and range from brown to grey/black, but you'll probably never see them, either. You will see the casings or webbing. The adult bugs and moths do not eat the fabric. Only the larvae eat the fabric.
The carpet beetles eat in a "furrow," or in a straight line. The moths can either live in webbing, or live in the casings. Moths create a whole where their dinner was.
The larvae of both avoid light. The adult bugs are attracted to the light.
There is probably no home in the U.S. that doesn't have carpet bugs.
To get rid of them never, ever have a speck of dust in your house.
If that's not possible (are you laughing?) then store your fabric where it will be in indirect sun light. (Direct sun light will fade the fabric).
Store the fabric rolled up instead of folded to prevent so many inviting little corners for the creeps.
Put pest strips around where your fabric is. (Look for new ways of decorating with pest strips -- ha ha hee hee!)
There are dusts you can buy to toss around in the corners, and under your bed, and in your closets, and in your food cabinets, but that was not attractive to me so I didn't bother writing that down.
Store stuff in sealed plastic bags so if the fabric has the bugs, at least that will keep them from spreading, but it won't kill the bugs in the bags. Or store them in those big plastic tubs. (I recommend the see through kind or you'll never find anything in the solid color tubs).
DO NOT STORE FABRIC IN CARDBOARD OR PAPER BAGS. This is a buffet for the bugs -- they get to eat the cardboard, the bags, AND the fabric! Yummy!
Freeze the fabric. That's right. Either put the fabric in your freezer, or put it outside when it's below freezing and leave it there for at least 48 hours. That'll do the trick.
Wash the fabric in hot water and dry it in a hot dryer. (I do this, and then cut the destroyed part of the fabric out. Some of these bugs leave brown stains that DO NOT come out).
So I think all we can do is what we are already doing. Wash and dry EVERYTHING that comes through here, and store the fabric on shelves instead of closets or under the bed.
Hope this was helpful!
The last donation of fabric we received was infested with bugs. We've seen this before in other donations, but this was the worst we've seen, so I thought it was time to look up what to do about these pests. This is a brief report from many extension sites from Colorado to Main, including PSU.
The icky bugs love dried flower arrangements, and are often brought in the house riding in the dead flowers.
They come in attached to the bottom of your shoes because they live in dead leaves. (Is there any square inch in PA that doesn't have dead leaves outside right about now?)
They like anything protein. Cardboard's good too. They love all natural fibers. They don't much like polyester double knits. (Oh THAT'S a big surprise!)
The tiny brown "shells" or casings can be either from moths or carpet beetles, and are the "homes" of the larvae. The adult carpet beetles are only 1/16" in size, which explains why we never see the bugs. We'd need a magnifying glass! The larvae are big enough to see and are shaped like snakes or caterpillars, and range from brown to grey/black, but you'll probably never see them, either. You will see the casings or webbing. The adult bugs and moths do not eat the fabric. Only the larvae eat the fabric.
The carpet beetles eat in a "furrow," or in a straight line. The moths can either live in webbing, or live in the casings. Moths create a whole where their dinner was.
The larvae of both avoid light. The adult bugs are attracted to the light.
There is probably no home in the U.S. that doesn't have carpet bugs.
To get rid of them never, ever have a speck of dust in your house.
If that's not possible (are you laughing?) then store your fabric where it will be in indirect sun light. (Direct sun light will fade the fabric).
Store the fabric rolled up instead of folded to prevent so many inviting little corners for the creeps.
Put pest strips around where your fabric is. (Look for new ways of decorating with pest strips -- ha ha hee hee!)
There are dusts you can buy to toss around in the corners, and under your bed, and in your closets, and in your food cabinets, but that was not attractive to me so I didn't bother writing that down.
Store stuff in sealed plastic bags so if the fabric has the bugs, at least that will keep them from spreading, but it won't kill the bugs in the bags. Or store them in those big plastic tubs. (I recommend the see through kind or you'll never find anything in the solid color tubs).
DO NOT STORE FABRIC IN CARDBOARD OR PAPER BAGS. This is a buffet for the bugs -- they get to eat the cardboard, the bags, AND the fabric! Yummy!
Freeze the fabric. That's right. Either put the fabric in your freezer, or put it outside when it's below freezing and leave it there for at least 48 hours. That'll do the trick.
Wash the fabric in hot water and dry it in a hot dryer. (I do this, and then cut the destroyed part of the fabric out. Some of these bugs leave brown stains that DO NOT come out).
So I think all we can do is what we are already doing. Wash and dry EVERYTHING that comes through here, and store the fabric on shelves instead of closets or under the bed.
Hope this was helpful!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Art Show Reminder and Lots of Updates -- Happy Thanksgiving!!
REMEMBER TO CHRISTMAS SHOP AT THE MIXED MEDIA ART SHOW! CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE!!!
SALVATION ARMY NEEDS OUR HELP!!
Bell Ringers: Call Captain Tim Lavenbein, 233-6755 ext. 20. He'll sign you up and give you the details.
Toys: Must be unwrapped toys in their original packaging that have never been played with. Between December 3rd and December 9th you can drop the toys off at the Farm Show at the McClay Street entrance (the doors will be clearly labeled). Call Jeff Waters, 233-6755 for drop-off hours.
Food Pantry: nonperishable foods like helper meals, cereals, peanut butter, canned pastas (like spaghetti, ravioli, etc.), macaroni, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, Ramen noodles, etc. Foods can be dropped off at 1122 Green Street. Call Trinette at 233-6755 for more information.
WE FOUGHT THE LAW, AND WE WON!!! I have a signed letter from Congressman Tim Holden, and a copy of the pertinent section of the exemption in the law, that says all fabric, thread, and trim now has a permanent exemption from lead testing!!! So we're back in business and can sew for kids. Thank you Sewin' Sisters for your prayers and the time you invested in getting this law changed! I admit I'm surprised that we won, but with God all things are possible, eh?! Now THAT'S something to be thankful for!!!
THE CURRENS ARE THANKFUL that Art is back at work full time, after being off for 6 months due to having fallen 11 feet onto his face. As you know, he fractured many bones on the left side of his face and was dizzy non-stop for 4 months. After two months of rigorous Vestibular Therapy and many, many appointments with specialists at Hershey Med, and he's back in the saddle! Thank God!!
We're also thankful that we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, especially since there were times we didn't think Art would make it! We pray that you have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, too!
The Rutherford House and Sewin’ Sisters Sowing will host a Mixed Media Art Show and Sale on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Rutherford House, 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg, 17111. This event provides a venue for local artists to show and sell their artwork. Oils, watercolors, wood, jewelry, textile wall art, and wearable art will be represented.
If you are an artist and would like to make some money selling your artwork, please call Peggy at 564-5682 to reserve a table. This event is free, and there is no charge to display or sell your artwork. Hot dogs and beverages will be sold to benefit the Rutherford House, and donations to the Rutherford House will be gratefully accepted. Rutherford House 564-5682
SALVATION ARMY NEEDS OUR HELP!!
The past 2 years they had to hire temps to ring their Christmas Bells because they didn't have enough volunteers. In the past 2 years, they've received a 100% increase in requests for assistance, while at the same time, are experiencing a dramatic drop in donations. And they don't have anywhere near enough toys for Christmas boxes they deliver to needy families. Their food pantry is being hit hard, and folks will be needing even more food to provide Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to their families. And the food pantry needs a never ending supply of re-useable grocery bags. So here's the details on how you can help:
Bell Ringers: Call Captain Tim Lavenbein, 233-6755 ext. 20. He'll sign you up and give you the details.
Toys: Must be unwrapped toys in their original packaging that have never been played with. Between December 3rd and December 9th you can drop the toys off at the Farm Show at the McClay Street entrance (the doors will be clearly labeled). Call Jeff Waters, 233-6755 for drop-off hours.
Food Pantry: nonperishable foods like helper meals, cereals, peanut butter, canned pastas (like spaghetti, ravioli, etc.), macaroni, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, Ramen noodles, etc. Foods can be dropped off at 1122 Green Street. Call Trinette at 233-6755 for more information.
WE FOUGHT THE LAW, AND WE WON!!! I have a signed letter from Congressman Tim Holden, and a copy of the pertinent section of the exemption in the law, that says all fabric, thread, and trim now has a permanent exemption from lead testing!!! So we're back in business and can sew for kids. Thank you Sewin' Sisters for your prayers and the time you invested in getting this law changed! I admit I'm surprised that we won, but with God all things are possible, eh?! Now THAT'S something to be thankful for!!!
THE CURRENS ARE THANKFUL that Art is back at work full time, after being off for 6 months due to having fallen 11 feet onto his face. As you know, he fractured many bones on the left side of his face and was dizzy non-stop for 4 months. After two months of rigorous Vestibular Therapy and many, many appointments with specialists at Hershey Med, and he's back in the saddle! Thank God!!
We're also thankful that we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, especially since there were times we didn't think Art would make it! We pray that you have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, too!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sewing list by priority updated 11/9/09
Sisters,
Wondering what to sew? Here are our current projects, listed in order of priority.
1. Grocery bag totes
Wondering what to sew? Here are our current projects, listed in order of priority.
1. Grocery bag totes
Use sturdy washable fabric, 20" x 20" squares with 3" x 20" handles (outside edges of handles folded to the middle, then folded on the mid-line and stitched). All seams must be double stitched, and edges clean finished. Please drop the grocery bags off at Marcellene's. You can call her at 561-9964.
2. Baby blankets for Light House Ministries
Pat Nissel needs LOTS of baby blankets (and very few adult blankets). Since flannel is 100% cotton, we can make those for her. She prefers the 1 1/2 yard blankets we made for her last year because they can double up the blanket on the back to give the baby some additional warmth and support under the baby's back. There is A LOT of flannel at the Rutherford House on the wall with the side window, the 2nd from the bottom shelf. (There may be one piece of flame retardant flannel in the stack, and one piece of flannel backed satin. Don't use those, they are not 100% cotton). If you'd like to add a filler, please use the hotel sheets that are on the bottom shelf beside the closet. Don't use any trim at all since we have no way to know if it's 100% cotton. Sew the pieces right sides together leaving an opening, turn inside out, top stitch the edges, and stitch something in the middle to anchor the pieces together.
3. Lap blankets, walker bags, and adult and children's aprons for Salvation Army
Salvation Army hasn't given us anything new that they need, so we will continue doing lap blankets, walker bags, grocery bags (see above), and adult and children's aprons.
Pat Nissel needs LOTS of baby blankets (and very few adult blankets). Since flannel is 100% cotton, we can make those for her. She prefers the 1 1/2 yard blankets we made for her last year because they can double up the blanket on the back to give the baby some additional warmth and support under the baby's back. There is A LOT of flannel at the Rutherford House on the wall with the side window, the 2nd from the bottom shelf. (There may be one piece of flame retardant flannel in the stack, and one piece of flannel backed satin. Don't use those, they are not 100% cotton). If you'd like to add a filler, please use the hotel sheets that are on the bottom shelf beside the closet. Don't use any trim at all since we have no way to know if it's 100% cotton. Sew the pieces right sides together leaving an opening, turn inside out, top stitch the edges, and stitch something in the middle to anchor the pieces together.
3. Lap blankets, walker bags, and adult and children's aprons for Salvation Army
Salvation Army hasn't given us anything new that they need, so we will continue doing lap blankets, walker bags, grocery bags (see above), and adult and children's aprons.
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