What a topsy turvy week it was planning for Hope Quilters. Should we meet in person? Does anyone want to sew? Will it rain? Radar changes every 3 or 4 hours??? Do I really want to ask Hope to have someone there to open the building if we aren't sure if anyone will show up? Where is there a convenient shelter we can meet? Do I have to pay to rent it? Oh well, the ole cement floor in a two-car garage is a sure thing so...we went with it! We had a nice visit with 13 in attendance. We were able to sit outside under an apple tree and it wasn't too hot. Whew.
After four and a half months of limited everything, we are all realizing that Normal may not look the same in the future. So what does our New Normal look like and what do we do in the meantime? Well, your guess is as good as mine. And quite frankly, you are all part of the answer☺. We will likely not be able to have large group sessions for a while. Whether because of group-size limitations that the church must adhere to or simply because many in the group are uncomfortable meeting in closed-in spaces, smaller groups, and limited sizes are likely the norm. Sewing with a few friends is a great way to stay connected and get some mission work done. Why not invite a few Hope Quilters over to your house and sew together? Outdoor impromptu gatherings for coffee or happy hour are easy to plan for if you have a deck or backyard. Reach out to your sisters. A phone call or email is a great way to put a smile on someone's face. Facebook is also a great place to send a general invite. So what's stopping you? Connect with a few Hope Quilter friends 😀.
Be sure to read carefully below as there is a lot of helpful information about how we'll operate for the new future. Also, note some key decisions we made for Hope Quilters in September so you can plan accordingly.
1. Tops that need quilting: Without
meeting at the church this has become a challenge of
it's own.
- Linda Bergeson will be coordinating with our machine quilters any quilt tops that need to be quilted. When you have a completed quilt top and backing that you will not be quilting please contact her. She will help coordinate a quilter, batting if needed, and a method of getting the quilt to and from the quilter. The quilt will be returned to the quilt piecer for binding and to deliver or hold on to until it is needed for distribution.
2. Quilt distributions: I (Jody) am working with shelters that I
know need quilts now. If at all possible I will ask that you
deliver your quilts directly to the agency location or else keep them until we
know more. In order to do this, I'm keeping track of finished quilts as
well as staying up to date on an agency's needs. To date I know of the
following needs:
**** Door of Faith is in need of
masculine men's twin-sized quilts from you so we don't need to coordinate so
many handoffs.
**** LSI is collecting for
their normal bed giveaway in November and needs twin-sized youth
quilts.
**** Sleep in Heavenly Peace has
begun doing builds again so can use our twin quilts to distribute along with
the beds.
Just let me know when you get them done, I'd love the size and a picture. Based on current match with the needs we can decide how to get them delivered or I'll ask you to hold on to them.
3. Closet at the church: You still have access to our quilting supplies. Our supplies are in the big closet in Room 130. As long as Day Care is not in session, we should be able to get in the closet during church office hours. You may need to get a staff member to unlock the door but anyone should have keys. Church hours are currently Tuesday - Friday, 9am to 4pm. Feel free to call ahead if you are concerned about getting in. The phone should be answered during office hours. 515-264-2000
4. Joppa blankets: We have made Joppa blankets really easy to make this year due to several generous donations. While COVID has interrupted most everything we can think of, I'm pretty sure it will not reduce the need for warm blankets for the homeless starting in October or November. A small group of us are going to get together and get backs and tops put together in "kits" and leave them in the closet.
5. Quilt Auctions:
Click HERE for Riverside Auction, our quilts are Lots 110-117.
Click HERE for Okoboji Auction
6. September plans: Zoom meeting and
retreat cancellation:
Planning for the unknown is always a challenge. The group decided that with everything going on it's best to plan on
doing a Zoom meeting in September. There will likely be no critical agenda, just a time for
gathering and sharing. You will receive an email with the Zoom
link as we get closer to the meeting time.
While it seems a little early to make decisions for a retreat at the end of September, it's not practical to wait till the last minute for making a decision. The group, therefore, decided it's likely best to postpone the retreat until we have a little clearer vision of the long term impact of COVID. We sure hope that we'll find a way to have a large gathering of quilters but it's unlikely this will be clear by next month.
Until our Zoom meeting in September...have faith and trust God's plan for us. We just need to wait for the vision a while longer!
