Well, this is my second attempt at this- my first seemed to disappear into never-never land- heaven knows what I did!
If my count is correct there were 17 of us around the tables last night to listen to our guest, Linda Choclair from Elizabeth House. Great to see so many! We're missing Phyl for sure- but we learned that she is now at the Booth - so if anyone is around there, drop in!
Linda's talk on Elizabeth House was, I'm sure, an eye-opener for most of us. I knew that it has been on Marlowe for a long time- but 40 years (and counting if you realize that it's former title was the Sheltering Home of Montreal and possibly was located downtown) was a surprise to me. It was interesting to hear Linda's comparison of the Moms from "then" - usually being hidden until baby was born and adopted, and "now" when many of the Moms arrive with a toddler or so in tow to await the arrival of the new addition. While the Moms from "then" were sometimes from well-to-do families seeking to retain their pride, the connecting theme "now" is generally poverty, and often abusive situations. With a view to breaking the mold, the folks at Elizabeth House encourage the girls to finish high school, ease transition back to independent living and offer further support through a community programme all with a core staff of about 22, swelling sometimes to about 35. Paramount in their intervention is the preparation of these Moms to become effective parents.
I think I was impressed by Linda's representation of those passing through the residential programme (18 rooms) as being very resilient and truly caring for their children. They count many success stories - must feel good. I think we've taken on a worthy project since for may of these children, the quilt we send will be the first thing that is theirs. She told us that most of the Moms arrive with all their possessions in garbage bags. So- if anyone is thinking of changing their current luggage- this would be great place to send the old. Also- she says that they get a fair number of donations for the babies, but not much for the Moms - something else to keep in mind.
We showed Linda some of the quilts that we plan to make (pictures are out there somewhere- still haven't gotten a handle on that!), and then we felt motivated to make a start on choosing fabric and cutting squares. I believe we'll be continuing at the next meeting, Nov. 17.
Earlier in the evening, Sandra told us that Stephanie at Quilt Classique has offered to supply a bolt of batting- polyester- at a decent price. We all agreed that we should take her up on this.
Lise showed us some examples of note cards which we could make featuring our quilts - great idea for the boutique at the next show.
Show-and-tell was great, as always .We saw the completion of France's table runner (her own design) and Mary T. showed us her completed wall hanging - fabulous prairie points ( hope we can convince her to give us a workshop...). Both of these were worked on at Retreat. Anna distributed something that she wrote that weekend- truly touching (ask for a copy, if you weren't there). Heather showed us a completed coaster made with that stuff that provides heat resistance, and Diane showed us the beginning of a reverse applique. Hopefully Barbara will get her pictures up on this blog so all can see!
Don't forget- Christmas is coming - and along with that our annual Christmas dinner, this year to be on Dec. 1 at Audrey's .Thanks for offering the hospitality, Audrey - it's so appreciated. So- next meeting, perhaps you could come with an idea of what you will bring- hors d'oeuvres, main course, salad, dessert. I'm going to be away enjoying an early Chrstmas with my little guys in Scotland- I'm really sorry to miss the evening -it's always so good!!
Think that's about it for last night - happy quilting!
