I am way behind on my Nimblefingers blogging. So sorry. Last week 17 ladies attended and this week we had 22. This week we also had 3 new people. I hope they all return. Last week I took a picture of Cathy Y.'s sweater. She has been working on it for awhile and is nearing the finish line. It is very neat because it is knitted all in one piece. Then you sew up the side seams. This seems like a much easier way to do a sweater to me but then I don't knit so I don't really know. This week Marie and Sandy came in wearing a pieced vest and crocheted sweater they had made. I had to take a front and back view of these they were so beautiful. All of our snow birds are starting to fly south. Jean K. has left and now Betty K. is leaving. Soon Linda will be gone. Our little group might shrink but then again, you never can tell. Marie has been continuing to bring in bits and pieces of her collection to give away. Some of the rest of us are trying to clean out our sewing rooms too. Ethel is working on an interesting piece in her embroidery guild which she brought in to show us. It is an abstract piece she made for one of their challenges. I was cutting 10" squares from the fruit/vegetable fabric that was donated to the group. I'm going to try out a special ruler I bought on the shop hop to cut and arrange these blocks. It will eventually be another raffle quilt. Last week I gave the prayer quilt to Elaine Larsen (an ex-member) whose house was flooded during the hurricane. She was very grateful and quite tearful. She said she would try to stop in some Tuesday so I hope she is able to. Her poor first floor is reduced to the bare bones now. They had to take off all of the wallboard to clean up the mold etc. What a job! But she said friends have been really special to the family during this time, including our little group. I'm glad we could do a little something to lift the family's spirits.

14 ladies attended on Tuesday. The big surprise was that Kathy O. is back! She brought her summer projects with her--she's taken up wrapping, that is wrapping fabric around clothesline to make a basket or purse. I've seen it before and think it's really neat but haven't tried it myself. She says she's totally addicted now. She would sit down with an audiobook on her ipad and wrap all afternoon. Sue R. from the Village Quilters came in to show Fran her circles quilt. We all enjoyed seeing it. It's such a simple idea but I haven't seen it before in a show or anyplace. Another lady came in and gave us some great fruit and vegee fabric. Kathy O. thought we ought to make a group quilt out of them and today I got an idea for this quilt so I think next Tuesday I'll put Kathy to work on it. Fran also showed us her 70 yard strip quilt. They work up very fast and easy. The Delmar quilt group is encouraging us to make a bunch for charity.

22 ladies attended last Tuesday and 14 the week before that. I was not one of the 14 unfortunately. But I was here this week. Marie brought in some more patterns etc. She says next week she'll start bringing in fabric. June brought in the ballerina quilt top she made. She says she has to make two of them for her two granddaughters. It's very cute and very pink! Joan T. who is moving brought in her fabric to see if we wanted. I got the binding ready for the prayer quilt we are making. I took it home to sew on because I ran out of time. Fran tried sewing together a jelly roll quilt but the tension on the machine was not working properly so she ended up taking that project home to work on too. Daryl had put together some fabric scraps that were brought in last week. She sewed them together to make a small prayer quilt. It's getting to be fall and some of our snow birds are already planning their trips south. It seems like they just got here and now they are ready to go back. Tonight the Village Quilters are bring Sue Pritt for a trunk show and talk. It is here at the librarary at 7:00. All are invited. I think it will be really good and hope many of you can make it.

Today there we 15 ladies attending. We had 1 new person (Juliann) and 1 returning (Tina back from the North). Julianne helped me lay out and sandwich one of our donation quilts and Cathy Y. and Fran helped tie it. I'm going to take it home and do some sewing on it then we'll give it away. I wanted to give it to Elaine L. who used to come to Nimblefingers. Her house was hit hard by hurricane Irene--their basement and first floor were flooded. When I talked to her last week they were having a company come in and professionally clean their house. In the meantime, they were living on the second floor. I wanted to give the quilt to her so they will have something nice, homemade and warm to curl up in and something to remind them that our thoughts are with them. Marguerite has been absent for a couple of weeks now. Her daughter is suffering from a mystery illness so Marguerite has been running back and forth from the hospital and also taking care of the grandkids. I hope the daughter recovers soon. Marie brought in quite a load of yarn, books, magazines and some fabric today. She's all moved out of her house now. She'll be sorting through her stuff at her new place for awhile yet though. Linda O also brought in magazines and says she plans to keep bringing some. I wouldn't mind the donations except that I end up taking so many of them home myself and I have no room for them either. It's much more fun to collect than it is to get rid of stuff.

I've gotten behind on my news. Last we 17 ladies attended and this week 16. Fran had invited a couple of ladies from the Delmar QUILT group to come in so she could show them the Yellow Brick Road pattern. Jean P. also came in to ask for help on the border of a quilt she was making. Jo-Ann had a bracelet that her sister-in-law had made for her which was beaded, crocheted wire. We passed that around for a look-see. Very interesting. Last week I brought in a show and share: Lew brought in my large scrap quilt which I had had him quilt for me. He did special quilting on it but unfortunately because of the pattern on the fabrics it's hard to see the quilting. Next time I will put on a muslin backing. Plus Pat OR had her piece from Wiawaka. This year they did silk ribbon flowers. It will be very impressive when she finishes. At some point Elaine brought in her musical quilt, quilted by Linda Denner, so I took a picture of that. It is a very large quilt too. It will be fun when Kathy O. returns and gets to see this quilt. She helped Elaine put it together so she will be thrilled to see the finished project.

Yesterday we had a big group--19! Daryl was back from leg surgery. She kept busy while recovering though--she brought in some cranberry...bread for us to enjoy. The library handyman brought in some giveaway fabric from his wife and Marie brought in another load of books. Next she says it will be fabric. She is slowly moving into her new apartment. She's spent 2 nights there so far and has met all of her new neighbors. She's very happy but she keeps finding things at her house that she didn't know she had! After seeing the beautiful yo-yo necklace Diane gave me, Betty K. wanted to make one and today she came in wearing her finished necklace. Bravo Betty! We all compared notes today on how hurricane Irene had affected us. There were still a couple of us without power but I'm glad to report that today my power is back up. Hope it is for everyone else too.

Today 18 ladies attended Nimblefingers. I hobbled in with my bad back to join them. Jean K. had taught them last week to make fabric postcards so Agnes brought in a finished postcard and Pat O. brought in her beginning postcard to get some more help. Sue R. wasn't here last week either so Jean gave Sue and I instruction. I'll have to work on mine at home and see if I can finish it for next week. Last week Marguerite also brought in a finished quilt top then brought it in again so that I could see it. It was a scrap quilt of the star pattern whose name I can't remember. It was very nice. She'll have it on her quilt frame this January and probably give it to a grandchild. She said it did make a small dent in her scraps. Marie brought in lots of books to give away today. She's got an apartment now so she is seriously cleaning out. She says she'll bring more books next week then start in on the fabric. We will all have overflowing sewing rooms I think when Marie finishes cleaning hers!