2011!!

Hello everyone!

Well, I am stunned to realize it, but it appears I have not updated the blog since early September! It is certainly not because there's been nothing going on...just not enough time to do everything, I suppose.

Blanket Bees
We will continue to have our Blanket Bees the 2nd Saturday of the month at the Moose Lodge in Black Eagle. We also have one planned at a new quilt shop on Last Chance Gulch in Helena, Prickly Pear Quilts, on Saturday, January 22, 2011. I'm hoping the weather stays relatively mild for the drive down. We will have another in Helena in March at The Sewing Palace.

During the last Blanket Bee in Great Falls, we finished a few of the Friendship Triangle Tree blocks! They're beautiful. At our next Bee, we'll try some different layouts. Marsha's Disappearing 9-Patches are turning out great as well! We should have some great quilts completed soon!

We haven't had many fleece workers at the Bees the last few months. I know we talk about different quilting patterns and projects and techniques a lot, but we want those who work the fleece, or those who knit or crochet to know they are just as welcome to come work with us. We plan to have someone give a demo on different ways to crochet the edge of the fleece sometime this spring.

Fund-raisers
We will again be doing the spring Community Day Sale with Herberger's. The spring sale is Saturday, February 26. I'll pick up the coupon books and start selling this week. This is the only fund-raising event I am planning this spring.

Project Linus Institute
Don't forget...anyone is welcome to attend the 2011 Project Linus Institute to be held in Peoria, Illinois in July. I plan to attend. You can find more info at www.projectlinus.org. I know Jennifer Chiaverini of the Elm Creek Quilts book series will be one of the evening banquet speakers. I haven't heard about the specific classes yet. Let me know if you have any questions.

Resolutions!
I am hoping to reorganize some things in my life this year, including some of my Project Linus stuff. I've already gone through a couple of email lists and found several emails missing. I don't know if this is because they didn't get added, if they were somehow deleted... what. Anyway...I'm trying to get that fixed. There are a few other things as well. So far, I don't have any big events going on to overwhelm my plans... like Disney passes or earthquakes...so I have hopes of success!

Also, for those of you who might have fitness resolutions for the coming year, the vice-president of Project Linus is hosting a "Mary-thon" for 2011. She is basing this on some of the things she learned doing a half-marathon recently. To 'win' (and she will be handing out medals to those who 'win'), you have to complete 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week for 26 consecutive weeks. She allows you two extra weeks for unexpected events...so you have 28 weeks total to complete the goal. This has to be done by December 31, 2011. The type of exercise is up to you, and this is on an honor system. If you are interested in signing up, let me know, and I'll get your info to her. I did sign up - I had also had a resolution to work out more anyway so this might help me keep focused in that regard as well.

I do hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed holiday! I've missed seeing many of you and hope to again soon at one Blanket Bee or another.

Be well!
gina