Don't Forget to Add a Label

The last Stitchin' Mission #24 lesson is Monday evening, January 31. With winter weather and seasonal illnesses playing havoc with our lives, everyone who stuck with this Stitchin' Mission, all the way to the end, is to be commended! Thank you!

Monday evening we'll take a group photo, photos of individual quilters with their quilt(s), and hand sew labels to the back of our quilts. Please don't forget to bring your hand sewing supplies.

We'll also meet a couple of the people who are going with the Mission South Africa team who will be delivering the quilts.

Quilters have until Tuesday, February 8 to turn in their finished quilts.

On Wednesday, February 9, Stitchin' Mission quilts will be hung in the atrium, outside the worship center, at Lutheran Church of Hope. Quilts will remain hanging until Friday, February 26.

Please stop by - pretty much anytime - to see the quilts at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. 

Dedicated Newbies!

For the past two Mondays, newbies and Rebekahs in Stitchin' Mission have had to contend with less-than-favorable weather. And whenever the weather makes life challenging, there's always a concern that newbies will simply give up and drop out. 

While two-thirds of registered newbies stayed home, missing the second lesson (rotary cutting and piecing), only three newbies missed the third lesson (making a quilt sandwich and tying it).

Now we know for sure... neither snow, nor ice, nor cold could keep these dedicated Stitchin' Mission-ers from making quilts!

 When everyone's willing to give and take, persevering and encouraging one another through the quiltmaking process, it's simply a beautiful experience.

 Thank you Rebekahs...

 ...and thank you newbies!

Keep up the great work, and keep havin' fun! 

Newbies, you're invited to join Hope Quilters for a day of sewing. Whether you spend your time making or finishing a Stitchin' Mission quilt, or helping with one of Hope Quilters' mission quilts, we'd love to have you join us.

We're meeting at Lutheran Church of Hope on Saturday, February 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in room 214. Please bring a sack lunch and drink, and RSVP here. You don't need to be a member of Lutheran Church of Hope to join our group.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5 (NIV)

It's snowing, and we WILL have class

UPDATE 4:10 p.m. - The snow continues to fall, but we WILL have Stitchin' Mission class. Your safety is very important. If you do not feel comfortable driving, please stay home!

At this time - 2:30 p.m. - Stitchin' Mission class this evening is a go.

If you are commuting and are concerned about driving conditions, please use your best judgement to decide whether to attend or stay at home.

Travel safely! Linda

Register Now!

Stitchin' Mission at Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, begins in less than two weeks! There's plenty of room for you and your friends to join. And best of all, for those of you with small children, childcare is available!

Quilts will go to the Del Cramer Children's Campus in South Africa. This facility is part of Blessman Ministries, developed by Dr. Blessman of Urbandale, Iowa. Each day, this ministry feeds 1,000 children, many of whom are HIV-positive or living with AIDS. Dr. Blessman will speak to Stitchin' Mission participants at the first class.

Stitchin’ Mission is for everyone: adults and teens. For more information and to register visit www.StitchinMission.org or phone 515-222-1520.

Five free Stitchin' Mission, beginner quiltmaking lessons are:

Monday, January 3, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 10, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 17, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 24, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 31, 6:30 p.m.

Register Now!

Quilts Donated

Susan Strock and Anita Heilman, co-coordinators of the October/November Stitchin' Mission at Sheridan Park United Methodist Church collected and delivered 42 quilts to Broadlawns Family Birthing Center, Des Moines, Iowa.

Susan Strock and Stitchin' Mission quilts

Susan and a Broadlawns Family Birthing Center staff member

Thank yous to everyone who joined in making so many quilts! You are a blessing.

Grant Update

For those of you interested... I have received the Dream Big Grow Here grant check, and am now busily talking with various video production freelancers and businesses to choose the best option for making a Stitchin' Mission video.

The best use of time and money will be to videotape all five lessons in one day. That means gathering a dozen or so people as "students," five changes of clothes for me, and lots of sewing to show "one" quilt in various stages of completion. I anticipate that one quilt will eventually produce about six identical quilts!

It's all a little daunting at the moment, but my hope is that in the next few weeks I'll be able to make a decision about who will film, edit and produce this video. Videotaping will likely be toward the end of January, 2011. It's also my hope that the video and a printable coordinator's guide can be sold as a download through the Stitchin' Mission website.

I'll keep you posted!

Dream Big Grow Here Award Presentation