Catching up again.......

The days have just been flying by and as you can see I have not kept up with the blog!  So I'm going to try to catch up now. 

One of the reasons I was so busy is because we received a huge shipment of just about everything from one of our suppliers so we've been busy marking all the "new" stuff that has come in......

Loads of new books, patterns, fabrics - I've lost track of everything already!  Here's one of the new books - very innovative!

Yesterday Elaine was back to teach Machine Quilting Extreme and the ladies had a fabulous class!  Very informative and loads of fun.......they were exhausted by the time they left.  She really works them hard.  Also, on the design wall is Libby's quilt - not a great picture - using the strips she bought the other day that I mentioned in last week's blog......I'll get a better picture once she's done quilting it (she came over to the house to check out my thread stash last night so she should be done soon!)......

I'm busy working on our "new" Block of The Month - Sweet Tea - which starts Sunday March 14th.....I've made quite a bit of progress - but I have been working at home so you'll have to wait for my personal pics - here's the pattern picture. (Doesn't do the quilt or the fabrics justice - as usual!)

Today the classroom is being used for our monthly "Private" Sit & Sew and they are just going at it!  Claire is finishing up her second ever quilt and it is absolutely awesome!  The design wall isn't big enough to put all the blocks up........mother and daughter are placing the blocks!

.....and now, a photo which you will not see often!  Barb and I all decked out for an outing on Friday night.  (Makeup and everything!)

Where were we off to?????  It was the 11th Annual Shining Through Centre Gala.  What is this???  The Shining Through Centre is a not-for-profit organization which helps fund the education of children with autism http://www.shiningthrough.ca/ .  Through one of our customers - a beginner quilter - I became acquainted with a very unusual project -  Project Luca - Loving and Understanding Children with Autism http://www.projectluca.ca/.  The project was launched at the Gala on Friday night. 

Cock-A-Doodle Quilts will be the official educator for the quilts that will be made during this project and Northcott Fabrics http://www.northcott.net/  has donated fabric and batting to the project.  As well we will be donating our classroom on a monthly basis in order to facilitate the making of these quilts.  Anyone wishing to get involved in this project can call and speak to me (Jo-Ann).

Up until now we have strived to give back to the community in many ways but have not "adopted" a "pet project".  As you know we have partnered with Second Harvest at least once a year and have collected over 600 Lbs. of non- perishable food items for them.  We dedicate the first Saturday of every month to Healing Heroes to make quilts for our men and women in uniform who defend this great nation and who in their service to this country have in one way or another been wounded.  We also collect "Preemie Quilts" which we donate to the neo-natal wards at local hospitals and we were proud supporters of The Quilt.

Why Project Luca?  Because the statistics are staggering - 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with some form of autism.  Education funding from the government is sorely lacking and is cut off at the age of 7.  The cost to educate just one child with autism is between $60,000 - $100,000 per year. 
The determination of a handful of parents who founded this organization and who in 11 short years have managed to open up 2 learning centres for autistic children in our community - Woodbridge and North York - convinced me that this was more than a worthwhile project which I am very proud to embrace!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann