Back Home from Anaheim

I'm back from the SAGA Convention in Anaheim and have been quite busy working on my projects, but want to give you a peek of what we did besides stitching. One of the most important activities in SAGA is their Wee Care Program. You can read about the program by following the link. In short, we make gowns for critically ill babies that are donated to local hospitals. They are then used for burial garments or to have something lovely for the baby's short time on this earth. Here is part of the display of the lovely gowns that were donated.

You can certainly see that the ladies who made them put quite a lot of work into them. I managed to bring in only four, so I really need to step up my smocking so I'll have more to donate.

One of the ways SAGA raises money is to raffle off baskets of goodies that are donated by chapters, teachers, board members or anyone else who cares to donate. Some of them are quite large and luxurious, others smaller but packed with lovely things. I won this basket donated by Jeannie Baumeister of the Old Fashioned Baby. It has three patterns, her book of Heirloom Embroidery, and buttons, buttons and more buttons, most them vintage and all of them pearl. No plastic buttons for Jeannie!  This was one of the very best baskets at the Convention.
 

Many of the chapters also donate table favors that are given out at each meal. One of the chapters I belong to, Sandcastle, made the scissors fob on the left. We received lots of useful items, including a wool pincushion, needle magnet, two fabric bags, fabric wash donated by Kathy Awender and so on. Every single item is sewing related and is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all of you who donated them!

I've been working on a Schwalm Needlebook from one of the classes I took, and I'll post about that soon.