n33 - 03 · ♥stitch&‘n× sit ‘n stitch at wendys the 1st monday night of each...
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♥stitch&‘n×
Sit ‘N Stitch at Wendys The 1st Monday night of each month upcoming dates: 03/03 & 04/07 & 05/05 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm The 4th Wednesday morning of each month upcoming dates: 03/26 & 04/23 & 05/28 9:00 am to 12:00 pm 245 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove, IL Join us for a morning or evening [or both!] of knitting, crocheting and fleece exchanging. The evening event is also a fundraiser so bring your friends and family for dinner and stay and stitch! questions? contact Gale
Blanket Day Saturday march 15, 2014 9:00 am - 1:30 pm Saturday, May 17, 2014 9:00 am - 1:30 pm 1133 Pfingsten Rd, Northbrook, IL Join the fun at the Gloria Dei Church for a day of blanket making. Bring your current project and a bag lunch. Drinks and treats will be provided. rsvp to judi
What’s happening, When, Where & with whom
tlc Day The 2nd Wednesday of each month upcoming dates: 03/12 & 04/09 & 05/14 9:00 am to 12:00 pm 1133 Pfingsten Rd, Northbrook, IL Join us for a morning of processing incoming blankets as well as giving a little tlc to those that might need it. rsvp to karen
Sit ‘N Stitch at Starbucks The 3rd Wednesday of each month upcoming dates: 03/19 & 04/16 & 05/21 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm 1931 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, IL Join us for an evening of blanket making and socializing. questions? Contact Penny
Judi Goldman: 847.498.3987 [email protected] Penny Gidd: 847.521.0672 [email protected] Karen Grage: 847.940.8732 [email protected] gale Cook: 847.808.9636 [email protected]
How Can You Get Hold of Us?
!THE!PROJECT!LINUS/NORTH!&!CENTRAL!CHICAGOLAND!CHAPTER!NEWSLETTER!♥!March!2014!!Vol. 33 Providing!Security!Through!Handmade!Blankets!for!Children/!A!100%!volunteer,!non/proQit!501!(c)!(3)!charitable!organization!!!
Chapter!Coordinators!–!Judi!Goldman!–!847.498.3987!&!Penny!Gidd!!/!847.521.0672!
637!Charlemagne,!Northbrook,!IL!!60062!
Chapter!website:&www.projectlinuschicago.webs.com&&&&e/mail:[email protected]&
As I’m sure all of you did, I anxiously awaited the prediction of Punxsutawney Phil on February 2nd and was greatly disappointed when he once again, saw his shadow. Luckily the National Climatic Data Center says Phil has ‘no predictive skill’ so I’m going to ignore the little groundhog and hope by the time you’re reading this, maybe some of the mountains of snow will have melted into molehills and maybe most of our temperatures will be double digits. I emphasize, maybe. It’s been a long brutal winter and that makes all of your dedication to Project Linus that much more amazing. January and February brought us some incredible events full of your warm spirits and smiling faces. Here’s looking forward to more of the same, and an early Spring. Stay well. karen
Have rotary cutter, will travel….. !we sure could use the help of those willing to brandish their sharp blade for a good cause. !The demand for prepared fleece is always high. Whether it’s squaring up incoming fleece, removing the selvage and/or skip stitching the pieces, your time and talents are needed! Please consider joining the fleece prep crew! Contact Penny! !Cotton More your style? Our Kids helping kids program is one of our most popular offerings. In order to keep it stocked, we need volunteers to cut incoming muslin into 8 1/2” squares. Contact Judi!
all the news that’s fit to print…….
bathtub gin next of kin flour bin motor inn west berlin violin light within loony bin mortal sin !even though doing a google search of words that ‘rhyme with pin’ is entertaining, doing a blanket search for pins is not. please, please, please, check your incoming blankets for pins! !
** a public service announcement **
More care and feeding of incoming blankets: !1. Please, no blankets smaller than 36 x 36. 2. Please make sure the width of your blanket is in proportion to it’s length. Some suggested sizes are: Baby/Toddler - 36”x43" Preteen-40" X 60” Teen-50" X 72" 3. We cannot accept blankets made in a smoking environment. 4. If you have pets, please wash your blankets before donation (remember to use dry detergent for fleece.) 5. For knitted and crocheted blankets, please leave long yarn tales and bury your yarn ends. 6. For all blankets, please use only new materials. 7. For yarn blankets, please use only cotton or acrylic. For quilts, please use only cotton. 8. Additional tips in our next issue (if you can’t wait, see our website under blanket guidelines).
Someone you should know . . .!Sophia was ten when she was hospitalized for 5 days with a severe case of food poisoning. During her stay, she received a Project Linus blanket. While working on a 6th grade project, Sophia remembered this blanket and decided to use her gifted singing voice to give back. Sophia recorded a CD, entitled ‘Eleven’ and is sharing the proceeds between Project Linus and Channing Families in need. Attendees of our January blanket day were honored as not only did Sophia present Project Linus with a donation, but she also shared two songs with us, one in Italian and one in English. For more information about Sophia and to get a copy of her CD, visit:http://sophiapeterson.com/home.html
The ladies of the Hadassah knitting group occasionally put down their knitting needles and pick up their sewing needles! The cold days of December found them labeling 40
blankets for Project Linus that were then delivered to CASA of Lake County.
Mark Your Calendars!!!Registration for the September13, 2014 Appreciation Tea starts on May 14th! Remember to reserve your seat for this amazing annual event!
Useful Links for Quilters!!Need a hard to find part for your sewing machine? Check out:!http://www.sewingpartsonline.com!!Like Jelly Rolls? Check out the Shape Cut Pro!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6DjxPuPj7o!
A Blast From The Past! !Whether you’re a crocheter, knitter, sewer, or even a wood worker, check out this website for vintage patterns! !http://vintagetoychest.blogspot.com
STAY UP TO DATE - FASTER - EASIER - …. and in COLOR!! Contact Judi with your e-mail address and receive the sitch ’n times newsletter electronically!
links for Linus
Still looking for that perfect pattern for this year’s challenge blanket contest? How about trying stars & stripes! !For$knitters$or$crocheters:$http://www.knitting3crochet.com/crochet/simsofamethr.html$!For$quilters$http://www.free3quilting.com/detail.html?code=FQ00295&cat_id=441$
Crocheters love them Minions! !Want to make a Minion Blanket? Start here! http://www.allfreecrochetafghanpatterns.com/Individual-Squares/Minion-Crochet-Motif#evuOw8d6KbkwDM4J.32 !…or here! http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/home-decor/crochet-minion-inspired-afghan-pattern/77144 !…. how about ‘Minion Fingerless Mitts’ http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/146762.aspx !… or the whole guy! ‘Despicable Minion’ http://wolfdreamer-oth.blogspot.com/2010/07/despicable-minion.html !…. don’t forget ‘Minion Pencil Case’ http://www.petalstopicots.com/2013/08/crochet-minion-pencil-case/ !… or for your purse ‘Mini Minion’ https://sites.google.com/site/crochetgoods/home/minion !… and in this cold weather ‘Minion Hat’ http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/minion-hat-4 !For even more including the French maid Minion and your own Minion goggles, see: http://www.mooglyblog.com/10-free-minions-crochet-patterns/
Do you have a Joann’s card?!Joann Fabric and Crafts Stores offer a 10% discount card to their VIP shoppers (that’s on top of their sale prices!). If you’re a blanketeer, that’s you! Go to the bottom of their website page at: www.joann.com and click on the VIP program.
Learn$how$to$wet$block$your$knit$or$crocheted$afghan$square$here!$http://www.mooglyblog.com/how3to3wet3block3afghan3squares/#more311180
Combine your hobbies!!!Like to Quilt and Bake?!http://www.amazon.com/Cookies-Quilts-Patterns-Americas-Ultimate/dp/0929589084!!Are you a science minded knitter?!http://www.sciencedump.com/content/nitting-and-science-go-well-together-draft!!An artistic crocheter?!http://www.amazon.com/Peter-book-crochet-Pyramid-9297-345/dp/0515092975!
Check us out on: !Our chapter of Project Linus now has it’s own pinterest account! Check out blanket patterns and helpful tips as well as all the links from each newsletter! You don’t need a pinterest account to view our boards but if you have one, follow us! You’ll then be among the first ones to see each and every new pin. Come visit us at: !http://www.pinterest.com/linuschicago/
Ballard Rehabilitation 9300 Ballard Rd, Des Plaines !Linda Z's Quilt Shop 1030 East Central Road Arlington Heights, 847-394-4590.
Looking for new patterns?!!Look no further! Seriously! Look no further! Okay, maybe a little bit further but not much. Just look on the next page! Whether you work in yarn, cotton or fleece or whether your tools are hooks, needles or a sewing machine, we’ve got patterns for you! Starting with this issue we’ll be including fun and interesting new blanket patterns for your collection. Print them, collect them and trade them with your friends, but most of all, give them a try. Better yet, give them a try and send us a picture! We love pictures! We love pictures that we can use in the newsletter (hint, hint, hint)! So give the next couple of pages a perusal (sorry, new ‘word of the day’) and see what you think. If these don’t strike your fancy, there will be more.. we promise!!
what else is happening?
Stella Lighting Pledges $100,00 to Project Linus! Between the $4.00 from every lamp and the $100.00 from every limited edition Project Linus lamp they sell in 2014, Stella Lighting has pledged $100,000 to help the Project Linus mission. You can find more details of this amazing pledge here: http://www.projectlinus.org/stella4pledge/
CDW celebrated the holidays with a party for 250! There was pizza, salad and for the 5th year in a row, blanket making! Black Friday found employees clearing out bolts of fleece from Joann Fabrics for this annual event as enough material was purchased to make 295 blankets! Arm load after arm load were brought in to the January blanket day event to the delight and amazement of the attendees. Much thanks to CDW for this fabulous annual donation. Your holiday party will warm a
lot of children both inside and out.
you don’t want to miss it again! Come join us in March!
It just gets easier to get us your finished blankets! !Two new drop off locations have just been added to our Project Linus family:
Been to a blanket day lately? If not, here’s what you’ve missed!
Creatively Caring is an organization that provides opportunities for families to get involved in hands-on community service projects that help people, animals, and the environment. To help them in their mission, they use fleece scraps from our Project Linus events. A Win-Win situation! You can bring your fleece scraps to tlc day each month where they will be picked up. Please do not drop fleece scraps off at other locations with your blanket donations!
and this…
Don’t miss a chance to meet Debbie Macomber!!!Debbie Macomber is the author of the popular Blossom Street series as well as numerous knitting books. She will be the keynote speaker at the Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation luncheon on April 26th in Milwaukee. There are book signings, gift bags, door prizes as well as an author at every lunch table! For more information and to get your tickets, go to:!http://barbaraveyreaders.com
Geri’s Crayon Blanket !A Blanketeer favorite! Geri uses primary or pastel colors. !
Use J Hook 6 different colors (indicated by C in pattern) 3 1/2 oz each Black for stripes, oval & around whole crayon (indicated by B in pattern) !with C chain 22, turn sc for 12 rows (21 stitches per row) sc B 2 rows - sc C 2 rows - sc B 2 rows !sc C 10 rows !sc C 8, sc B 5, sc C 8 turn sc C 7, sc B 7, sc C 7, turn sc C 6, sc B 9, sc C 6, turn !for next 32 rows sc C 5, sc B 11, sc C 5 !sc C 6, sc B 9, sc C 6, turn sc C 7, sc B 7, sc C 7, turn sc C 8, sc B 5, sc C 8, turn (drop B) !sc C 10 rows sc B 2 rows - sc C 2 rows - sc B 2 rows sc C 9 rows !skip 1st st, sc 19, turn - skip 1st st, sc 17 turn - skip 1st st, sc 15, turn skip 1st st, sc 13 turn - skip 1st st, sc 11, turn - skip 1st st, sc 9 turn skip 1st st, sc 7, turn - skip 1st st, sc 5 turn -End off sc B around edges from beginning of point around each crayon and join together with B
!PROJECT!LINUS.NORTH!&!CENTRAL!CHICAGOLAND!CHAPTER!!Blanket!Pattern!1!♥!Crochet!
Providing!Security!Through!Handmade!Blankets!for!Children.!A!100%!volunteer,!non.proMit!501!(c)!(3)!charitable!organization!!!Chapter!Coordinators!–!Judi!Goldman!–!847.498.3987!&!Penny!Gidd!!.!847.521.0672!
637!Charlemagne,!Northbrook,!IL!!60062!Chapter!website:!www.projectlinuschicago.webs.com!!!!e.mail:[email protected]
P1.03.14.C1
Jelly Roll Quilt ! !Fabric Needed: One Jelly Roll (Forty 2 1/2” x width of fabric strips) !!
1. Sew all your strips together end to end, either straight across or on a diagonal as you do your binding. You’ll end up with one long strip 2 1/2” x approx. 1600”. !
2. Cut 18” off one end to help your quilt look random when sewing. !3. Find the beginning and the end of your strip. Place right sides together and
start sewing with 1/4” seam all the way down. When you get down to the end, use a pair of scissors to cut the jelly roll in half and sew the rest of the seam. You’ll now have a strip 4 1/2” x approx. 800” !
4. Locate the beginning and the end of the strips again. Put those right sides together and sew a quarter inch seam all the way down. Get to the very end, use your scissors to cut in half, and sew the rest of the seam. You’ll now have a strip 8 1/2” x approx. 400”. !
5. Repeat step 4, (3) more times. You’ll now have a finished quilt top, approx. 48” x 64”. !
6. Press your seams, trim up the sides and quilt as desired! !
!PROJECT!LINUS.NORTH!&!CENTRAL!CHICAGOLAND!CHAPTER!!Blanket!Pattern!2!♥!Quilt!
Providing!Security!Through!Handmade!Blankets!for!Children.!A!100%!volunteer,!non.proMit!501!(c)!(3)!charitable!organization!!!Chapter!Coordinators!–!Judi!Goldman!–!847.498.3987!&!Penny!Gidd!!.!847.521.0672!
637!Charlemagne,!Northbrook,!IL!!60062!Chapter!website:!www.projectlinuschicago.webs.com!!!!e.mail:[email protected]
P2.03.14.Q1
Just the Facts Ma’am…… !Karen Loucks started Project Linus on December 24, 1995. "!
Project Linus nationally has been alive for 6,577 days as of January 1, 2014."!Project Linus nationally has officially collected over 5 million blankets as of January 1, 2014."!
If 60% of them are fabric, that translates into over 9 million yards of fabric."If 40% are afghans, that is over 12 million skeins of yarn."
"
If each blanket is an average of 60” long, and we laid them end to end, they would stretch over 25 million feet or 4,735 miles. That is as tall as 861 Mt. Everests, or 14,077 One World Trade Centers or 20,000 Empire State Buildings or as
long as 83,333 football fields! "!As of January 1, 2014, Project Linus has 309 chapters in the United States.
Dianna Baseley’s Chicken and Dumplings !1 medium onion - diced 1/2 cup diced celery (can used previously diced and frozen) 4 cups homemade chicken stock (see below) 2 cups fresh or canned vegetables Louisiana hot sauce store bought soup base (if necessary) pepper, white pepper, dried parsley etc (to taste) 2 cups diced or shredded chicken cooked chicken breast 6-7 frozen buttermilk biscuits - Grands - thawed and cut into 8 pieces each !Spray a soup pot with cooking spray and partially cook diced onion. Add diced celery. When soft but not browned, add enough water to just cover the bottom of pot. Turn up heat and add chicken stock and any fresh vegetables. Cook until still somewhat firm. Add any canned vegetables (corn, peas, green beans etc). Add two shakes of Louisiana hot sauce store and the bought soup base if necessary (you need plenty of liquid before adding dumplings.) Add additional seasonings to taste. Add diced or shredded chicken (bite size or smaller). Heat to a good rolling boil. Add diced biscuits and stir often (to prevent scorching bottom of pot) for about 20 minutes. Soup will thicken and dumplings will take on a drowned, water-logged look. !Homemade Chicken Stock: Add chicken carcass(es) (bones, skin, meat that is left on it) to large pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery, cut into large pieces. Cover with water and bring to boil. Simmer for as long as you can or until vegetables are very soft. Drain through colander to smaller pot. Refrigerate and skim fat off top when cool. Boil down to make more concentrated, if desired. !Coming in May…. ‘Not Just Another Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe’ — You don’t want to miss it!
fun stuff!
Jane Harris crochets. Or more to the point, Jane Harris double crochets… a lot! Jane has crocheted hundreds of filet crochet blankets over the years for Project Linus and has lots of support at home. Jane’s son, a computer science teacher and her husband, a retired Army Officer felt her patterns were ‘very girly’ so they have been creating more ‘manly’ designs for her talents. Now, along with bunnies and flowers, Jane is creating blankets with basketballs, football helmets and trucks! Many thanks to the entire Harris family for sharing their talents with Linus! If you haven’t had a chance to see these blankets in person, check out just a few of their latest donations!
Even though stranded on the island, Ginger couldn’t stop quilting for Linus!
Dear Blanketeers, Our 8 week old daughter was brought to Lutheran General and stayed in the pediatric ICU. Your blanket gave not only our daughter comfort, but us! It was so difficult seeing her sweet little self laying there, but you helped make it a little easier. Thank you so much. Amy
Dear Project Linus Blanketeers, !My 3 year old son Gunnar just completed a 4 night stay at Evanston hospital and was a lucky recipient of a Project Linus blanket full of cars and trucks (his favorite). It definitely provided him with some much needed comfort and helped him sleep in an otherwise foreign and sometimes scary environment. !We are so grateful for your loving spirit and hard work.
Dear Project Linus- I can’t even tell you how special the blanket you sent my son Justin was- he slept with it all 10 long hospital nights- and now its at home on his bed! It was so thoughtful of you to be so kind and I wanted to tell you how much it meant to my son. Thank you! With our Love.
Dear Project Linus Blanketeers, We were recently admitted to the Lake Forest Hospital & my 10 month old son received your blanket as something cozy to snuggle with on New Year’s Eve. Thank you for all that you do & all of the lives you touch. Know that your work warms the hearts of kids who receive your blankets as well as their families. Thank you!
Dear%Project%Linus,%Thanks%so%much%for%the%fuzzy%warm%blanket%I%loved%it.%%It%kept%me%warm%and%get%me%through%the%night.%Love%Tyler
To the people of Project Linus, !Xavier and his family would like to thank you for the beautiful blanket that Xavier received during his recent hospitalization. It was a difficult time for the whole family. The blanket was such a welcome comfort. In appreciation Xavier’s grandmother has knitted with much love another blanket to donate to Project Linus. We hope that this blanket brings another child comfort and love.
Thank you for the lovely patchwork blanket. I love all the colors, designs and patterns on the fabrics. I especially love the little pocket that holds a beanie baby inside. I will treasure this gift in my heart forever. Thank you once again, Alicia.
Thanks so much for providing my son with a blanket for his overnight at the hospital. He was very "out of it" then, but having something so soft to hold on to (besides his mom) really gave him comfort. Now that we're home again...it's still his favorite - and probably mine too - just feels so filled with love! !Thanks again, Rebecca
Hello,%!I%wanted%to%extend%my%family's%gratitude%to%the%blanketeers%at%Project%Linus%for%the%beautiful%Bob%the%Builder%Eleece%blanket%my%son%received%while%recently%at%Northwestern%Lake%Forest%Hospital.%%We%appreciate%the%effort%and%love%it%took%to%create%this%blanket.%%It%was%very%comforting%to%my%son%to%have%something%like%this%beautiful%blanket%to%hold%on%to%during%his%time%in%the%hospital%and%it%has%become%a%cherished%blanket%as%he%returned%home%too.%!Thanks%again%and%God%bless%you!%
thanks to all of you!
We recently lost our baby after 5 months of pregnancy. And although this is a very difficult situation your generosity has helped us in our grief. Knowing that strangers cared for our child has eased our pain. The blanket donated by your wonderful organization wrapped our daughter while I was in the hospital. Having this blanket as a memento has helped make our loss tangible and will help us remember our little Isabella. May God Bless you and the wonderful work that you do. Alma & Ramon
Dear%Blanketeers,%
Thank%you%for%providing%us%with%a%
‘piece%of%home’.%%We%spent%
unexpected%time%in%the%ICU%with%
our%2%1/2%year%old%daughter.%%We%
didn’t%have%any%of%her%comfort%
things%and%this%blanket%was%
perfect!%%Thank%you%for%your%
dedication%H%we%appreciate%your%
kindness!
!
On The Move! !The sit ’n sew event debuted in November of 2012 thanks to Nibbles cafe offer to host us. After 16 very productive months at Nibbles, we will now be moving this event……. drum roll please…… to the Gloria Dei Church! We can’t thank Gloria Dei enough for offering to host yet another Project Linus morning. Not only are they allowing us to continue this event, but with this move, comes more space! Lots more space! !So if you’re an accomplished quilter, or even if you haven’t touched a sewing machine since middle school home ec., we’d love to have you join us. We provide the projects and even the sewing machine if you need one! So join us on the third Monday morning of each month starting March 17th, from 9am-noon for sewing quilt tops, learning new techniques and of course, chatting. If tradition dictates, we will most likely even enjoy lunch together afterwards! Contact Karen for more information and to be put on the monthly details reminder list. !Many thanks once again goes out to Nibbles for helping us get this event started and we wish it’s owner Kathleen all the best in all her future endeavors.
Project Linus is now a charity listed with ECHOage, a new and innovative way to get kids excited about giving and sharing with causes that are important to them by changing the face of birthday parties - for the good. ECHOage is a website where parents can create free party invitations and pick from one of more than 100 nonprofits to support, including Project Linus. When guests R.S.V.P., they can make a donation--half goes to the charity, and the rest goes to the parents to buy one meaningful gift, like a musical instrument or an art set, that their child has picked. "Children are naturally giving little souls, and we wanted to couple the joy of getting a present with helping others who are less fortunate," says one of it’s founders, Alison.
Do you like to make Penny Blankets? !We are over-supplied with fleece pieces that need to be crocheted around and assembled into full blankets. These small pieces make great ‘take-along’ projects and are a wonderful way to use up those yarn scraps as well. There will also be a ‘joining techniques’ demonstration at the March blanket day. If you’d like to try your hand at this creative and fast blanket making technique, contact Marge ([email protected]) to get started!
….#and#now#a#word#from#our#sponsors….#!Starbucks,#Northbrook#IL#7#For#years,#the#Northbrook#Starbucks#has#been#the#host#of#our#monthly#sit#’n#s@tch.##Every#third#Wednesday#evening#we#descend#upon#them#with#bags#of#fleece,#bins#of#yarn#and#our#work#bags#burs@ng#while#we#vie#for#a#comfy#chair.##Please#stop#by#this#Starbucks#loca@on#and#thank#them#for#their#support#with#your#patronage.#!Vera,Bradley#7#Vera#Bradley#has#been#dona@ng#bags#for#us#to#use#as#prizes#at#the#apprecia@on#tea#for#many#years.##Think#of#them#the#next#@me#you’re#in#need#of#a#new#project#bag#(or#laptop#case,#ipad#cover#etc…)#and#remember#to#enter#this#year’s#challenge#blanket#contest!##There#could#be#a#Vera#in#your#future!#!Eileen,Fisher#7#Eileen#Fisher#is#a#wonderful#supporter#of#women#and#girls’#causes#and#Project#Linus#is#no#excep@on.##Each#year#they#give#a#financial#dona@on#to#our#chapter#that#helps#support#our#opera@ons.##The#next#@me#you’re#clothes#shopping,#make#Eileen#Fisher#your#first#stop!#
The%Bambini%Book%Club%has%chosen%Project%Linus%to%support%in%their%Little%Sewers%Series%of%books,%beginning%with%Gabby%Quilts%for%Friends.%The%book%is%an%adorable%and%heartwarming%story%that%will%delight%and%engage%children%everywhere.%For%each%book%sold,%The%Bambini%Book%Club%will%donate%an%additional%book%and%$1%to%Project%Linus!%Check%them%out%at:%%http://bambinibookclub.com%
until next time…
!from: Project Linus / Grage 418 Birchwood Ave. Deerfield, IL 60015
to: