HOPE CIRCLE

One of the things I like about Pinterest is how many ideas I have gotten from recipes to tips for sewing, quilting, decorating, gardening, helpful hints, entertaining, and things to do with my grandchildren.  I have learned to surf around the internet and even create this blog.  

Being a teacher most of my life and then retiring, I felt an emptiness.  Retiring doesn't mean that you no longer have creative ideas or expertise in areas.  The problem is finding a place to share them and feel useful.  When we moved to KC, we joined Platte Woods  United Methodist Church and immediately got involved with a Sunday School Class and Hope Circle, the United Methodist Women's unit for me.  My husband joined the Tuesday Golf League. 

In Hope Circle, I have been able to express my creativity and leadership skills with the quilting group.  Meeting once a week, we have two groups working.  One group is designing a quilt; laying out the 6.5 inch squares that we have cut from material that has been donated to us.  The other group is busy putting a quilt together.  We "tie" the quilt tops to the backing, which is a lot faster and easier than sitting around a loom making tiny little stitches.  Because we are called a quilting group though, some women don't consider joining us because they don't "sew".  

We actually create some beautiful quilts from our donated fabric.  We use donated bed sheets for the backing but do buy the batting that we use.  When my friend Janice and I go to estate sales, we are always on the "look out" for good, clean sheets that we can use.  Hillcrest Thrift Shop, a thrift shop where my husband and I both volunteer, also donates material and even finished or unfinished quilt tops that are donated to them, because they know we are giving them to people who are less fortunate.  A member of the church who doesn't attend our meetings, has donated several times, a quilt top that she has made for us to tie. We try to "design" and "tie" two quilts each month. Since a member, Vicki, moved to Atlanta, I have been taking the "designed" quilt tops home and sewing the squares together.  Another member, Gloria, adds the binding to the tied quilts to finish them.

Last year we donated 24 twin size quilts to Kairos Outside, a Prison Ministry for women, who have loved ones who are either incarcerated or have been incarcerated.  They have two weekend retreats a year.  The quilts adorn the beds for the weekend.

This year our focus is on church members or loved ones who are in wheelchairs AND a local organization called Sleepy Head Beds.  This group was started by two young women who felt that no child should have to go to bed at night without a bed.  They get hundreds of calls a day.  They donate beds and bedding to children up to 18 years of age.  We currently have 13 quilts of various sizes to donate to them.  The 42" x 48" quilts we make for use with a wheelchair are made without batting to reduce bulk.  We also are using flannel or fleece for the backing.  Hillcrest Thrift Shop has donated most of that that we are using.  It will still make a nice lap quilt without the wheelchair.

One of the things that I learned from this group is using bed risers to raise tables for a more comfortable work level.  

My back really appreciated this tip.  

I feel really blessed once a month when I meet these 6 to 8 lovely, Christian women to share the fellowship and create something that I know will be meaningful to someone.