Boston area sewing get-togethers, and sewing for charity

Hi folks,

Some of you who have been around for a while may recall the Boston area
sewing "crawls" I used to throw, at which we'd get together at a fabric
store, proceed to a nearby restaurant for a social lunch, and then shop
our way through other local fabric stores.

Lately, I've been feeling like I should organize something again. So,
I've started an online group through which you can sign up to be
notified of upcoming events:
http://sewing.meetup.com/123/

I'm planning two types of events. One will be occasional social events
like just like the old fabric crawls: we'll have something to eat, or
maybe coffee and a pastry, and visit a fabric store or two together.
It's an opportunity to hang out and chat with other creative people.
You could bring projects you're working on to get advice, or projects
you've completed to get admiration. At past events, I've sometimes been
able to arrange small discounts at fabric stores, and once a special
lunch menu with extra selections. I also met a few of my closest
friends through such events.

The other type of event will be community-service oriented. We'll get
together for a "crafting party" to create things which will be donated
to charity. These crafting parties can be lots of fun, and we can also
have a potluck luncheon at the same time. I'll design a few patterns we
can use for some of the projects, and I'll make sure they're suitable
for everyone regardless of sewing skill level. I'll also provide a
location where we can set up our sewing machines and lay out fabric for
selection and cutting.

Charitable crafting parties I'm planning include:

* Make turbans and hats for women with breast cancer! I've done this
in the past, and it was both easy and fun. The process can be anything
from "zip a quick hat through the sewing machine in 15 minutes" to
"spend hours embroidering and embellishing an extravagant turban".
Either way, you know your creation will bring warmth and comfort to a
woman facing one of the most difficult times in her life.

* Make duffel bags for children in foster care! Children in foster care
often have few to no possessions of their own. Charitable organization
"Children To Children" tries to provide each child with a duffel bag, a
stuffed animal, and a note to remind them they're loved. Duffel bags
are easy to make, I have a source of wholesale zippers for the closure,
and we can use practically any fabric as long as it's reasonably
durable. I've contacted the charity and received their specifications
for what size bags they want, and I am designing a pattern to suit.

* Make various sewn and/or quilted objects to donate to the WGBH
auction to raise funds for public television! Last year I made a baby
quilt using only $9 of materials and completed in only four hours, and
it raised $85 for WGBH. I'll happily teach basic quilting methods to
beginners so we can repeat this feat. Other appropriate objects we
could make for the auction could include scarves, hats, pullover
shirts, mittens, slippers, shorts... practically anything we can
simplify for group production in quantity.

Again, that URL to sign up for these events in the Boston area is:
http://sewing.meetup.com/123/
Please join us. We're going to have lots of fun *and* do what we can to
make the world a better place.

Tom Farrell
http://www.SewingWithTom.com/