July 2020 Work Day Recap

Our apologies for not having a June post but really, there was not that much to report.  Hope Quilters are doing their best to try and be safe and keep others safe so we were all still pretty much stuck at home with some of us actually managing to focus on quilt making!

But the green light was given to gather and we attempted our monthly meeting!  The room was set up for social distancing and we wore masks most of the time.  Numbers were very low and most people just stopped by.  We had four people sewing on Friday and seven people on Saturday.  We did manage to get lots done.  Several worked on masks and we turned in 128 to the church.  Several quilts were brought in and binding and labels finished them off.  

Our devotion was one of the highlights of the weekend.   Rather than reading a prepared devotion, Doris shared a suggestion that she had heard on the radio that morning.  Praise Over Fear.  By focusing on our praises we can alter our attitude in such a way to overcome the fear that may be debilitating.  After all, we know God's got this.  But that doesn't mean we don't have moments of anxiety and uncertainty.  We spent some time sharing our praises.  It was certainly uplifting.  One member shared her personal mantra that she tries to live by and it is worth sharing here:

1.  Express Gratitude

2.  Live Intentionally

3.  Say I Love You

Quilts were delivered for Auctions.  Five sent to Riverside and six to Okoboji.  We have heard from both auctions that they are proceeding as planned.  Let's pray for generous bidders to continue support for those ministries.

Thoughts on future monthly meetings:  Given the lack of improvements in the virus counts and ongoing cautions encouraged for social gatherings, it's logical that we could continue to see low attendance for a while.  We discussed having Hope Quilters just on Saturday. We could extend the day if Hope has not changed to in-person church. At the present time, it may be more comfortable for everyone to just meet for a devotion and time to visit.  

The distribution of our quilts has slowed, which is a result and reality of the times we are in.  As we slow down on distribution thoughts turned to alternative ways to use your sewing talents and our fabrics.  Masks are still in high demand.  Now there are also calls for scrub caps.  The fidget blankets are also a fun project that will brighten someone's day.  Batting was another topic.  There might be a possibility it won't be as well supplied as in the past and so we will still be exploring and discussing ways and techniques to use smaller amounts, like as in quilt-as-you-go options.  

Just as the weekend get-together was very different because of Covid-19, so is the meeting recap.  Our new normal may look a little different but have no fear that this group's love and encouragement will sustain us. 

PHOTOS page includes our gathering in June in a beautiful backyard to just connect and catch up on our lives, and some of the Auction Quilts and other quilt projects turned in.  Enjoy!