Meeting Notice

REAP WHAT YOU SEW

a ministry of First Christian Church

6750 N. 7th Avenue, Phoenix AZ 85013

Early Birds: 3:30 – Mystery Clue, Sew and Tell,

Evening Song Birds: 6:30 – Mystery Clue, Sew ‘n Tell

AH….AUGUST

At last We have reached past the halfway point of summer. Now we can look forward to fall. For those goinG to retreat…..”ALL MONIES AND MEDICAL RELEASES ARE DUE, TUESDAY,” 8/2/11. Also, final retreat letter with map to Spirit in the Desert will be available. And, for those of you who would like to see the retreat quilt, it is posteD on the blog: reapwhatyousewphoenixaz.blogspot.com . (For those who are having difficulty in getting to the blog, note where the perIods are in the address). Also, the “Imperfect Quilter” has posted the first of her “quilty” thoughts. Hoping that you all will participate in shariNg your thoughts and comments. Don’t forget, we need your questioNs. PlEase participate. We will do our Mystery Clue and Sew ‘n Tell at thIs meeting.

Oops!!! I forgot that when we set up the calendar, we did take into consideration the Retreat WeekenD and moved ouR Blessings Day to August 13th. So, please disreGard my comments from last meeting. AUG. 13th is Blessings Day.

The magic number for the scramble is 11 and the first letter is: W

Imperfect Quilter

Good morning,

I told you that I would start putting up some quilting tips and/or answering some questions about various topics related to quilting. So here goes the first of what will, hopefully, become a steady stream. In order to do this, I need you to help...so post your comments, questions, etc. Thank You.

My thought this morning deals with the ROTARY MATS!!!

When was the last time you purchased a new mat? Does your mat collect fuzz in the cracks? When you run your hand over the mat, is it smooth, or do you feel the cuts. While these mats are very durable, they do wear out and will definitely impede your ability to get accurate cuts. For each groove you feel, you can bet you might be off as much as 1/64 of an inch. While that doesn't sound like a lot....multiply that by 64 seams and you are off by 1". So, bite the bullet...purchase a new mat .... of course, on sale....and it won't be nearly as painful.

Are some mats better than others....it is personal choice, but I can tell you one that is really a lousy mat and it is those white ones with blue lines sold at the Craft Fairs. They are wonderful in that they offer a variety of cool sizes......but as to their durability, they are lousy. They are not made for serious cuts. Personal favorites....Olfa and Fiskars mats. The Gingher mat is nifty in that it is truly 2 sided. Wear it out on one side and simply turn it over. They are, however, more expensive, but you get twice the cutting from them.

By the way, don't throw your old mat away...turn it over and use it to cut curve pieces or protect your table tops and let the kids paint, putter and paste to their hearts content.

Until next time,

Your Imperfect Quilter

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