Click the picture to learn about our director, Peggy Albertson, winning the Jefferson Award.

Blankets Delivered: National HQ - - 2,293,340 blankets from 406 chapters

Our numbers: - - Blankets delivered YTD: 3283 - - Since inception (4/04): 12,130

August News

REMINDER:  The Project Linus House will be closed from August 1 thru Labor Day.  We will open again on September 4 and continue with our normal days and hours of Mondays and Thursdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Hope to see you then.  There also will not be a SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew Sisterhood) in August but will begin again on September 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As usual, the National Project Linus Conference (June 18-22) was a grand event.  I left here on Wednesday morning with two coordinators from New York, we drove 5 hours to Bloomington, IL and checked into the Doubletree Hotel.   Coordinators from all over the US met in the lobby where those of us who have attended conference before were teamed up with a “little sister” who was attending her first conference.  From there about 60 of us went next door to TGIFriday’s for dinner and fellowship.  The hospitality room at the hotel was always filled with laughter, sharing ideas, patterns, stories, refreshments and plenty of chocolate.  There was a welcome reception on Wednesday night and then back to the hospitality room.  There is no time for sleep at conference.  Bright and early (9 a.m.) on Thursday morning, the EXPO opened it’s doors to a Country Fair Theme, complete with a cake walk, ring toss and knocking down the milk bottles with a ball.  Several vendors attended to share their wares with us, give us ideas on fund raisers, new patterns, new projects, all kinds of exciting new gadgets, tips and tricks of the trade. 

We will have a planning meeting on Tuesday, September 9 at 6:30 at the Project Linus House. (2333 Lake Avenue – the parsonage of the Salem United Church of Christ.) .  At this meeting, I will share what I learned at conference, we would discuss plans for 2009, talk about new projects, patterns, classes, etc.   Following are a few things I would like you to think about and bring your thoughts and suggestions to this meeting:

1.  Committee for fundraisers:  Fundraising has become a necessary and required activity for all chapters.  I would like to form a committee and ask for a chairperson to accomplish this for our chapter.  I have file full of ideas from HQ and other chapters.  Please think about becoming a member or chairperson for this committee.

2.  SSSS:  Should we continue on the second Saturday of each month?  The impetus was for the Saturdays to be community outreach days - a time when the folks that can’t attend on  Mondays and Thursdays might be able to come and get acquainted with us.  While we have had some new faces at a few of the Saturdays, we’re not sure that our volunteer force has increased because of them.  We do think that any awareness the Saturdays have increased is a big plus for us, but not quite sure  how to measure that.

3.  Christmas Party: Do you have an interest in hosting the Christmas Party this year?

4.  New classes:  Berne Breon will be introducing paper piecing to us in a class on Tuesday, September 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The technique takes a little time to understand and accomplish but once you "get it", you will be happy with your blocks.  Since Berne is not sure how quickly everyone will catch on, she will have the class complete 3 different blocks, each containing 4 sections, rather than making an entire quilt top.  So email or call me at 749-6595 to register.  Supply list will be forwarded upon registration.  Remember, we only have room for 10 students, so sign up soon.

 If you have a talent, pattern or idea to share and would like to teach a class, please bring your ideas to the meeting in September or contact Pat Guiff,   at pguiff833@verizon.net or 416-0484.  Pat will continue coordinating and scheduling classes again this year – Thank you, Pat!  We would also appreciate your ideas on classes, techniques, patterns, etc. that you would be interested seeing on the schedule. 

5.  Hours/days at the Project Linus House:  With the rising cost of gas and the busy schedules we all keep, do we want to continue to meet at the PL House two days a week and do we want the days and/or hours to stay the same? 

6.  We have been invited to have a booth at the Home and Garden Show which runs from February 26 thru March 1, 2009 with hours as follows:  Thursday & Friday (11a-9p), Saturday (10a-9p), and Sunday (11a-5p).  This has been offered to us free of charge and we would be in the children’s activity room, which was very well attended last year.   This would be great exposure for us and we have the opportunity to use this as a fund-raiser.  We could charge a minimal fee for children (and their parents) to decorate muslin squares.   This is a huge commitment of time and volunteers so we need to discuss this before I make a commitment.

7.  We also have the opportunity to attend the Tapestry Event sponsored by Indiana University-Purdue University.  This event will take place on April 24, 2009 and since 2001 has grown from 365 attendees at IPFW to a sell-out crowd last year of 1400 women at the Memorial Coliseum.    Tapestry is a fund-raising event to raise scholarship monies for women who wish to enter the medical field and attend IPFW.   Once again, this would be great exposure for Project Linus.  I will be receiving more information on this at a later day but as I understand it, at no charge, we would be provided with half a table and a chair and be able to hand out our brochures and share Project Linus with anyone who shows an interest.   Our commitment would be not only to occupy the booth during the event, but also to provide 4 volunteers to work 3 hours shifts throughout the event.  The “perks” would be obviously the exposure for Project Linus but you would have the opportunity to purchase a ticket for the event at a reduced rate, have breakfast and lunch and attend the break-out sessions.  If you choose to just man the booth for a few hours, at no charge, you would be able to have lunch and breakfast provided (to eat at the booth – sorry not at the tables), attend the event but not the break-out sessions. 

8.  Do we want to have a MABD (Make A Blanket Day) in 2009?  If so, we need to start forming committees and organizing activities. 

Urban Outfitters Linus Blanket
As many of you know, in the spring of 2006, Project Linus was approached by Urban Outfitters with a marketing tie-in idea for Project Linus. They had obtained licensing from United Media to produce a blue Linus blanket. The best part was that $5.00 from the sale of every blanket was to be donated to Project Linus. We worked with Urban Outfitters for several months to make this happen. Unfortunately, there were some communication problems of which I won't detail here, but suffice to say that for the first year of the promotion the proceeds went to another non-profit organization. We did not learn of this until well after it had taken place. Now, the good news! Everything has been straightened out! In January of 2008 we received a check for $30,000.00. We are now under contract with Urban Outfitters and will be the recipient of all proceeds from the sale of the blanket from this point on. The check that we receive in 2009 should be substantially higher than this year. Soon this beautiful blue Linus blanket will be available again on the Urban Outfitters website and in their catalogs and stores. We have committed to Urban Outfitters to do our best to spread the word and help sell as many blankets as possible. The more sold, the better the benefit for Project Linus. So stay tuned -- we'll share more information about this fundraising opportunity as it becomes available.

We continue to receive blankets that are either too small or unacceptable by Project Linus Headquarter requirements.  As you make blankets or share this opportunity with your friends and co-workers, please remember that all blankets must be NEW, handmade, washable and kid-friendly.   Be sure to remove the selvages from all fleece blankets and fringe on any blanket should be no more than 3”.  Acceptable fabrics should be soft and cuddly such as 100% cotton or cotton blends.  Unacceptable fabrics include wool, upholstery fabric, corduroy, vinyl, leather, silk, canvas and polyester double knit or t-shirt knits.  The minimum size is 36” x 36” and we ask that all fleece blankets be single layer.  When these requirements are not met,  we are put in a position of sending the blanket to another organization or making a lot of repairs, which I’m sure you will agree that in most cases  takes more time than making a new blanket.

Closed for the month of August.  No SSSS and no class.  See you in September.  Closed labor day

May News

Date: Wed, Apr 30

Don’t forget, there is no SSSS in May as we will be attending the Spring Fiber Arts Festival at the Salomon Farm. Please join us there.

The next SSSS will be Saturday, June 14, 2008 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Bring a sack lunch if you plan to spend the day. Watch for more details on our “focus of the day”.

The Project Linus House will be closed the month of August so there will be no SSSS or class that month.

Announcing “The Blanket Beacon” from National Headquarters

We are proud to announce our new quarterly newsletter. Learn more about and sign up to receive our newsletter by clicking “The Blanket Beacon” button on the national website at www.projectlinus.org

Classes are filling up fast - get your registration in soon.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Panel Party hosted by Toni Kring

At the Panel Party you will be able to complete a blanket within a 3-4 hour period. In most cases, you will simply add borders to one of the panels at the Project Linus House before machine quilting or tying it. This is a great project to practice using the walking foot and free motion quilting. Toni will help you with the quilting if you haven't done it before. We have lots of panels in pastels or brights. In most cases they are so busy that you will not want to do more than add borders. The bunny panel is 22" x 44" and makes a darling baby blanket. (see sample at the Project Linus House). Toni made hers with fabrics she had at home. You may pick up your panel prior to the class so you can see if you have suitable border fabric or you can take "pot luck" with the at the Project Linus House.

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Circles of Fleece
Instructor: Anne Moll

Circles of Fleece: we will be making a fun fleece design which takes circles and turns them into squares. A must see. You will need to 1 yard (or 1 1/2) lengths of 2 coordinating fleece fabrics. Precut an equal number of 8 1/2 inch circles. There is a circle cutter at the Project Linus House which will make cutting easier. A 6 inch square will also be helpful.

JULY CLASS – Learn to crochet edging on fleece (Date to be announced)

Deb Heath will show us how to use a new blade called “skip-stitch” which will make cutting tiny holes in the edge of a fleece blanket a breeze. She will then teach us how to crochet a beautiful edging on the fleece using the tiny holes. This class is for beginners as well as advanced talents.

AUGUST CLASS – The Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August so there will be no class this month. See you in September.

Ok, now for the next announcement from National Headquarters - The Warm Company is offering batting AT WHOLESALE PRICES to any chapter coordinator in good standing. Orders will be collected on a monthly basis beginning June 1st, 2008. Orders must be paid for in advance by making checks out to Project Linus and given to Peggy. I will have a wholesale pricelist available for you to choose from as soon as I receive it from National Headquarters. Please contact me if you need more information.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you soon at the Project Linus House. Remember, the days are Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are located in the parsonage of the Salem United Church of Christ at the corner of Lake and Carew. The Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August.

We only have a few openings left for the Project Linus Winter Blanket Retreat (January 16-18, 2009) Email or call for further information and the registration form.

Thanks for all your support!

Peggy Albertson
PROJECT LINUS Chapter Coordinator
Fort Wayne/NE Indiana Chapter
260/749-6595
pegalb@msn.com

March News

RETREAT
January 11-13 was our 4th annual “Winter Blanket Retreat” and a good time was had by all. Friday night began with our first pajama party and it was a blast – prizes for “costume design” and all. We also had a warm-up sewing project. The rest of the weekend was dedicated to making a Project Linus quilt, crafts and projects, eating, laughing, fellowship and eating some more. We are currently taking registrations for the 2009 retreat, January 16-18, 2009. Cost is $125 per person and includes two nights lodging (double occupancy), linens, towels and all meals. Email me at pegalb@msn.com if you would like more information or a registration form. Registration deadline is August 1, 2008 and will fill up fast so get your $$$ soon. Check out the pictures from this year at "New & Events"

CLASSES
Folded Fabric Quilt - Tuesday, March 25; 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Come learn how to make 3 different folded fabric designs (similar to fabric origami), which can then be duplicated to make a quilt. Anne Moll will teach each design and then show you ways to assemble them. Fabric requirements will make 12 – 9” blocks of the same design or different designs. You choose! Once you register, please take time to study the pictures so you have an idea of how you might complete your quilt.

Baby Bricks I Spy Quilt Class – Wednesday, April 23, 2008; 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 100 different rectangles of fabric will be provided for this version of the “I Spy” Quilt. There is no instructor for this class, but it is a simple pattern and will be a lot of fun to put together.

Panel Party Quilt Class – May 21, 2008; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We have accumulated quite a few quilt panels at the Project Linus House and Toni Kring will instruct us on how to make them into an adorable quilt.

Classes are limited to 10 and fill up fast so get your registration in soon. Supply list and cutting instructions will be provided upon registration. Please let me know if you have any questions or need further information. Email me at pegalb@msn.com or call me at 260/749-6595 to register.

SSSS (Saturday Sew- Sew Sisterhood) March 8 – This is a great opportunity for family fun! Mom and/or Dad, Grandma and/or Grandpa, bring a child (One child per adult, PLEASE) to our Project Linus Workshop and make fleece blankets. We have fleece on hand, and we’ll help get each Adult/Child team get started. Spend an hour or stay for the day (10 am to 3pm. If you can spend the day, bring a sack lunch. Our goal is to fill our shelves with cozy blankets for needy children in our community, and YOU can help!

Next date for SSSS: Saturday, April 12, 2008 – watch for more information!

The May SSSS will be canceled, as we will be attending the Spring Fiber Arts Festival at the Salomon Farm. Please plan to join us there.

Friday, April 25, 2008 is the “Tapestry A Day for Women” event at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Speakers are Zonya Foco, America’s nutrition leader; and Marie Osmond. Shopping in the trade show, make up tough ups, hair refreshing, massages and more! Go to www.ipfw.edu/tapestry for more information.

I'm very sad to say we are extremely low on blankets - all sizes - but particularly toddler, pre-teen and teen. If you are discouraged by the snow and cold weather, warm your hearts by making a blanket or two or three to put a smile on the face of a special child in our community. We have distributed over 12,000 blankets to children in crisis. Our scrapbooks are always available at the Project Linus House for you to read the wonderful notes and cards of appreciation that receive.

Thanks for your continued support and don't forget about the SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew Sisterhood that takes place the 2nd Sat. of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stay for an hour or bring a sack lunch and stay all day.

We no longer have a drop off site at Cindi Layne Fabrics in Grabill or at Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios at Jefferson Pointe. But I'm happy to say that the Viking Sewing Center at Times Corners is a new drop off site and The Creative Stitch Quilt Shop in North Manchester has moved across the street to a bigger and brighter store at 208 E. Main.

Yoder’s Department Store in Shipshewana is planning their next event in June. They will be having Darlene Zimmerman do a workshop and seminar on June 20 & 21, 2008. Darlene designs her own patterns for Clothesline Club, which features 1930's reproduction prints. Project Linus will be participating on Saturday by collecting blankets and supplies and handing out brochures. For more information, please visit their website www.amishcountry.org

As always, thank you for your continued support of Project Linus!

Peggy Albertson
PROJECT LINUS Chapter Coordinator
Fort Wayne/NE Indiana Chapter
260/749-6595
pegalb@msn.com

Greetings and Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful time at our Holiday Party in December. Pauline Sobona was a wonderful hostess and I know she and Nancy Love put a lot of love and attention into planning the party and making it so special.

NEW HOURS:

Beginning, Monday, January 14, 2008 we will have new DAYS and HOURS for the Project Linus House. New hours for Mondays AND THURSDAYS will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Reminder: Last year at an organizational meeting, it was voted NOT to have a Make A Blanket Day (MABD) in 2008. Part of the reason was due to the fact that Janome America is no longer a sponsor of that event. We voted, instead, to have monthly workshops at the Project Linus House, 2333 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN. Those workshops – SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew-Sisterhood) began in September and will run through May or until we find they are not effective. We meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so bring your own lunch and your sewing machine or whatever supplies you need to work on your Project Linus blanket. If you don’t have a project in mind, we always have things to do such as, sew on labels, make repairs, bind or finish a quilt, etc. Please plan to join us at the Project Linus House. Also, watch for an upcoming list of classes to begin again in February.

National Website:

Check out the revised national website www.projectlinus.org for some exciting changes. “Blanket Beacon” is a new newsletter put out by Project Linus headquarters. There is a sign up page on the national website so please go and sign up for the newsletter. The first edition has already been posted on the website.

Headquarters is sponsoring a new contest in connection with the Blanket Beacon! One of the things that will be very important to a successful newsletter is corporate advertising and sponsorship. The way that we can best attract this is to increase our readership as quickly as possible. To this end, HQ is encouraging all chapter coordinators to get as many subscribers as possible. They have added a field to the sign up form where subscribers can indicate the chapter with which they are affiliated. Please ask your friends, businesses - everyone – to subscribe to the newsletter and indicate OUR chapter in the field so that we can get credit for the subscription. The contest will run from now to March 31, 2008. At the end of that period, they will tabulate how many subscriptions there are for each chapter, and the winning chapter will receive a $500.00 credit on their chapter account for use in your chapter by submitting receipts or using for chapter supplies.

We have been very blessed with donations of both supplies and blankets since our inception in April, 2004. Following are the totals of the blanket hugs we have delivered to the children in and around our community:

2004 880
2005 3,319
2006 4,083
2007 3,479
Total 11,761

Thank you all for the many hours volunteering at the Project Linus House and events, your energy, support and love that have gone into making our chapter such a phenomenal success! My prayer for 2008 is for your health, happiness and another grand year with Project Linus.

Wanted to share what just came through from my Linus Coords yahoo list:

I am a fan of Glenn Beck a radio show host, who has been ill. He made a brief statement (about 7 minutes) about what has been going on. He mentioned Project Linus, because on his recent national tour, he was given a blanket by some ladies with Project Linus. It can be heard on you tube at
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/3434/

Sue Piller
Memphis TN area

Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. Carol, Kirk, Terry and I are Glenn Beck fans. We went to see his Christmas show in December and since we know how much he loves Christmas and misses his family during December while on tour, we thought it would be fun to make him a Christmas quilt. It wasn’t technically a Project Linus blanket - and we weren't even sure we'd have the opportunity to give it to him. He had a book signing after the show and weave him the quilt at that time. He stopped the line and gave us the
opportunity to talk with him a minute. So, we told him, in a nutshell, about PL and why we're into blankets and why we wanted him to have one. Since the four of us live and breathe blankets, we just wanted to give him a quilt from friends. We had no idea that a few weeks later he would suffer life-threatening complications from surgery - and that he would REALLY need a blanket...and in the process thanked Project Linus for it on
his website (the video Sue and Judie referred to).

Mystery solved....

Mary Balagna
Project Linus National Vice-president

Also, please check the News Sentinel, January 5, (article by Jennifer Boen) http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080105/NEWS/801050316 and the Journal Gazette ("Up Close" by Rosa Salter Rodriguez - not sure which Saturday that will appear) for a moving story about a wonderful woman, Carol Vore, who chose our chapter of Project Linus to pour her heart and soul into right up to the end and her family who will continue her legacy.

News from our National Headquarters: This last month has been very busy at the office of our national headquarters implementing all of the new wonderful equipment received from the RK Dixon Office makeover. For our winnings, we got a new Lanier Color Copier (this cost over half of the 30K), a new color printer, a new server and all of the mind boggling things that go with it, 2 new PC computers, and a new phone system. Thank you for all your votes and support of Project Linus.

Hall’s Community Partnership: Don’t forget about our Community Partnership with Hall’s Restaurants. Gift certificates can be purchased for all those on your list that have everything. Scrip credit will go directly to our local chapter.

National Website: Check out the revised national website www.projectlinus.org for some exciting changes. They have added the newsletter sign up page, so please go and sign up for the newsletter. A first edition will be soon be posted on the website, and from there on out it will be available by email. We're so excited about this!

NEW HOURS: Beginning, Friday, December 28, 2007, we will have new hours for the Project Linus House. New hours for Mondays AND Fridays will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hope to see you there!

And last, but not least, Thank you for a wonderful and exciting 2007. I hope 2008 is a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for One and All. Have a safe and blessed holiday season.

HELP ! !
We are just about out of every size of blanket. If you have a moment, please put your thimbles on and get stitchin’. We are completely out of infant and teen. Blankets.

Don't forget to join us the second Saturday of every month (except January) for our SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew Sisterhood) where we work on blankets, share ideas, patterns and lots of laughs. We meet at the Project Linus House (2333 Lake Avenue) from 10-3 and if you plan to stay all day, pack a lunch. Beverages are provided.

Thanks for your continued support and we hope everyone enjoys the upcoming holidays. Speaking of which, the Project Linus House will be closed for the holidays on the following days:
Friday, November 23; Monday, December 24 and Monday December 31

October 22 - Project Linus Update:

We have had 2 cancellations for the Winter Blanket Retreat, (January 11-13, 2008) which leaves opening for two more “blanketeers.” Please let me know if you are interested and I will send more information to you.

Salem United Church of Christ (our host church) is having their annual Ed Fox Fish Fry on Friday, November 2, 2007 in their fellowship hall. Dinner will be served from 4:40 – 7 p.m. Benefits from this fish fry will used to offset the utilities at our Project Linus House. Our “blanketeers” are needed to help make this a successful event. Following are the areas where help is needed and the shifts that need to be filled. Please let me know how you can help on November 1 and 2. If you can’t help – please plan to support us by dining in or pick up carry-out orders to take home!

Thursday, November 1; 6:30 p.m.
Set up tables, wrap silverware, get out supplies

Friday, November 2; 4 p.m.
Pie Room – prepare desserts
Pie table – be on hand to help serve, carry or replenish desserts
4:30 – 5:30 or 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. - - Ticket Taker
4:45 – 5:45, 5:45 – 6:45 or closing - - Dining room – clear tables
4:30-5:30 p.m., 5:30-6:30 or 6:30 to closing
. . Fish runner for dining room
. . Servers in kitchen
. . Fish runner – bus to kitchen
. . Carry-outs
. . Dish scraper
. . Run dishwasher
. . Dish dryers

Desserts Needed: Pies*, cakes, cookies/other
Deliver deserts to the church on Thursday until 3 p.m., place desserts on kitchen counter. On Friday afternoon, put deserts in back room on table
* Pies are particularly popular and we never have enough!

There will be sign up sheets at the Project Linus House and the Church office or you may call or email me with your offer to help.

==========================

Fall classes:

Tuesday, October 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Class will be taught by Anne Moll and the pattern is called Pinwheel Star Quilt. We still have openings so sign up ASAP and I’ll send the supply list and cutting instructions. Don’t forget to let me know if you need to use one of our machines.

Tuesday, November 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Teresa Wade will teach a class called Pinwheels Gone Wild. It's another quick & easy - "stack ‘em & whack ‘em" model. Teresa has removed all the math and the shuffling. Sign up soon and let me know if you need to use one of our sewing machines.

Due to the holidays and busy schedules, there will be no December class – but we will still have the SSSS.

SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew Sisterhood): Second monthly workshop was held Saturday, October 13 and we had a great turn out. 16 in all! We had a great time, finished several blankets and laughed a lot. Please plan to join us any month that fits into your schedule. We meet at the Project Linus House (2333 Lake Avenue) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the second Saturday of each month. Come for an hour or stay all day. If you plan to spend the day, please pack a lunch as we enjoy breaking about noon and spending time eating lunch, visiting and sharing information, stories, etc. We will not be meeting in January, as that will be our retreat weekend. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions for the monthly workshops.

Christmas Party:

Please plan to join us for a Project Linus Christmas party on Wednesday, December 5 at 6 p.m. The party will be hosted by Pauline Sobona, She lives on the northeast side of town. Please RSVP to Pauline at sobpauliner@aol.com or to me by Saturday, December 1 and we will provide directions or a map to the party. Bring your favorite Christmas treat or hors d’oeurve to share and beverages will be provided. We will have a $5 gift exchange – preferably something you have made or had made. Simply wrap the gift and put your name on a tag on the inside. Last year, we had a ball! You may not end up taking home the gift you opened!

Please be sure to mark your calendar that the Project Linus House will be closed on Friday, November 23; Monday, December 24 and Monday, December 31.

September 20, 2007
Hi everyone,

I wanted to share something with all of you about a hazard that I had never thought of until someone brought it to my attention. We received a call from a mom who's baby had gotten a crocheted blanket while in the hospital for a lung transplant. The blanket had a satin ribbon woven through the blanket around the edge (I've had these, they are beautiful and I never thought of this) and the baby managed to pull the ribbon loose so that the blanket was bunched up and the ribbon was a large loop. Mom went it to check on baby,
and sure enough - the ribbon was looped around her neck.

Please use caution and share this information with your blanketeers. Remove any ribbons that are not tacked down all around the blanket. Check for anything that could possibly be pulled loose and become a choking hazard.

Thanks for your continued diligence!
Carol Babbitt, President PLHQ

==========

Please be sure to vote for Project Linus in the RK Dixon promotion: Make My Non-Profit Run Better. When you click on the Project Linus Logo, you can watch a video of our President, Carol Babbitt.
http://www.rkdixon.com/NonProfit2007/Vote

We still have openings for the Wednesday, Sept 26th “Easy Attic Window” quilt class. 10 a.m. till 2 p.m.? with a potluck lunch around noon. Please call or email if you would like to come and I’ll send the supply list and cutting instructions. Shelly Gilliland will be the instructor for this class.

The quilt class for October will be on Tuesday, the 30th, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m? The quilt is called “Pinwheel Star Quilt” and will be taught by Anne Moll. Email or call to register and I will forward the supply list and cutting instructions.

Our host, Salem United Church of Christ, has once again designated their annual Fish Fry as a fund-raiser for our Project Linus House. Friday, November 2 is the date, so please mark your calendar. I will send more information as soon as I receive it from Doris Albertson, who is the chairperson for this event. This is a huge event and Doris does a wonderful job of organizing it. We will need lots of help and, of course, lots of desserts, especially pies. If you cannot volunteer your time to help, please plan to attend or pick up a few carry-out dinners to take home.

Our first SSSS (Saturday Sew-Sew-Sisterhood) was held the second Saturday of this month. Attendance was low but we gained a new “blanketeer”, which is one of our goals. We had a great time and look forward to the next SSSS. Remember, these workshops will take place the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of January, which is our retreat weekend). We meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so bring your own lunch and your sewing machine or whatever supplies you need to work on your Project Linus project. If you don’t have a project in mind, we always have things to do such as, sew on labels, make repairs, bind or finish a quilt, etc. Please plan to join us at the Project Linus House.

The 4th Annual Winter Blanket Retreat, January 11-13, 2008, is currently full. We are however, starting a waiting list. If you are interested in putting your name on that list, please contact Nancy Love at www.nana-love@comcast.net or 260-486-1549.

From Deb Todd: Just a brief note to let you know that (Lord willing) I plan to have my annual craft/fabric/garage sale on Friday, Oct. 12 (9-4) and Saturday, Oct. 13 (9-1). If you could pass the word, that would be great. 1030 Candlewood Way in Pine Valley - Take Coldwater Road 8/10 mile north of the intersection w/Dupont. You will pass the fire station on your right and Pine Hills church on your left. Candlewood intersects with Coldwater across from the Redi-Med. Turn right (east) on Candlewood and go 1-1/2 blocks. 1030 is the 2-story sage green and brick on the right (south) side of the street.

From Peggy: You won’t want to miss this sale!

I have received information and two free passports for the “Shades of Fall Shop Hop” event on October 12-20, 2007. The quilt pattern you will receive by attending all the shops was designed by the “Crafty Ol’ Broads” and you will have the opportunity to view its interpretation at each of the 9 shops. There will be goodie bags, specials and grand prizes. I will have this information posted at the Project Linus House along with a list of other events from now till June, 2008. If you are interested in a free passport, please let me know. First come, first served!! And you must be an active “blanketeer” to receive one of these passports.

We are in the process of doing some reorganizing in the Project Linus House. The men of Salem UCC have been working hard to get more light in the basement for us and we would like to turn this area into a fleece workshop area. So we are in need of 6 of the 5’ – 6’ folding utility tables. These are the brown heavy-duty tables that a lot of churches use - like we have upstairs. We will put two of them back-to -back to make a large square and raise the tables to a comfortable cutting level with PVC pipe on the legs. They do not have to be new but in good condition. If you have a free or reasonable source for these tables, please let me know.

Fund-raisers: Our chapter survives on the national organization’s permit to use the "Project Linus" name and the national non-profit status. National Headquarters also pays our insurance, our accounting fees, state registration fees and much of the cost of our supplies and shipping. Project Linus is unlike any other organization that we know of in that our administrative costs are really about 5% - everything else is program costs to support our chapter. The National Headquarters has no need for the money donated. They use it entirely to support our chapters. So in reality, 100% of the funds donated are used for the local chapter.

We are required by Project Linus National Headquarters to raise funds for our chapter as well as the national headquarters. Last October, we had a Pampered Chef Party as a fund-raiser and it was a big success. We held the party at the Project Linus House and all proceeds went to our chapter. We also participated in Macy’s “Shop For A Cause” fund-raiser., which also was a success. Macy’s provides shopping passes to sell for $5 each. Every dollar goes directly to our chapter. This exclusive shopping pass includes 20% off regular, sale and clearance apparel and accessories, fine and fashion jewelry, bed and bath items, house wares, frames, luggage, china, crystal and silver and 10% off regular, sale and clearance furniture, mattresses, rugs, kitchen and personal care electrics and technology items. Of course, some exclusions will apply. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 13.

With this in mind, I would like to hear some input on your desire to participate in either or both of these fundraisers. I need to know ASAP as we need to schedule a date for the Pampered Chef Party and/or order the Macy’s shopping passes.

With Fall and Winter upon us, which unfortunately sometimes brings inclement weather, please remember that if the schools are closed, the Project Linus House will be closed. If you have any doubt about the weather, please call me or stay home! . It is not worth any risk getting to the PL House in inclement weather.

This is just one of the wonderful notes I have received over the last few months and I just had to share it with you. All the notes we receive are in the scrapbooks at the Project Linus House. You will want to read them – they really warm your heart.

Dear Project Linus Angels,

My name is Denise Belinsky. My son Zachary, 6 years old, was on his bike in our townhouse complex when he was hit by a van who then took off. We rushed him to Dupont Hospital where he had several x-rays and MRI’s. he developed a large hematoma on the left side of his neck. They decided to send us to Children’s Hospital at Lutheran. Before transferring us, we asked for a blanket because Zach was cold. What we received was a beautiful Lion King blanket from your lovely angels. The nurse picked out this blanket because she said Zach was very courageous and strong. From that point on he never let that blanket go. It spent 3 days in the ped. ICU w/us and continues to be used every night.

I can’t tell you the feeling I had when I first looked out to see a car/van pull away and my son on the ground not moving. It can, however, tell you the feeling of such comfort and Love we felt when we received this blanket. To know that we were thought of by whoever put this quilt together was an overwhelming feeling of love.

Thank you for all that you angels do! We were truly blessed to have been touched by you and continue to ask God to bless each of you tenfold of how you blessed us! In Christ, Mike & Denise Belinsky & Family

Have a wonderful Fall and hope to see you all soon.
Peggy Albertson
PROJECT LINUS Chapter Coordinator
Fort Wayne/NE Indiana Chapter
260/749-6595 pegalb@msn.com

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Reminder: The Project Linus house will be closed for the month of August (and Labor Day). If you have an emergency or need anything, please contact me at home 260/749-6595 or pegalb@msn.com.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. It has been a hot one but we are grateful that we have not suffered from the floods or fires that have destroyed other areas of our country. A couple of weeks ago, we shipped 50 blankets to the flood victims in Kansas and will continue to support other chapters as the need arises. If we have any kind of national disaster that requires assistance from our chapter, I will send an email out to the core group of blanketeers and ask them to gather friends and other blanketeers to help out.

Please say a BIG “Thank You” to Betty Somers for donating 5 new task chairs to our Project Linus House. Four other chairs were donated, so we have all new chairs for the sewing area. And Betty, we love them! Thank you so much for your generosity and continued support.

Since our inception in April, 2004, we have delivered 10,795 blanket hugs to children in crisis.

We still have a lot of blankets coming in that need repair. The main problems we are running across are in the no-sew fleece blankets. Please be sure to cut off the selvage edge before even beginning the blanket. Many of the blankets are coming in with the knots tied too tight. We are encouraging everyone to switch from typing knots to using the method described on the website (www.bestlinus.org) Click on “Blanket Info” – and then “How to finish a Fleece Blanket.”

Lots of changes have taken place from Project Linus National Headquarters. We have a new uniform image including new brochures, new posters, and even a new song written just for Project Linus. It is a wonderful song written by Tyrus Morgan and Dean Chance and performed by Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown and Katie Chance. Following are the words and stop by the PL House to hear the CD.

COVERED IN LOVE
by Tyrus Morgan and Dean Chance

A thread of hope is a perfect place to start. It can mend a wounded heart
A thread of hope. A stitch of faith sews the pieces that were torn
In the blankets that are warm.. A stitch of faith.

And if we all believe then we all can be. Covered in Love (Covered in Love)
Wrapped up in hope (Wrapped up in hope) Safe from the fear (Safe from the fear)
Never alone (Never alone) This world has enough (This world has enough)
For everyone to be (For everyone to be) Covered in Love. (Covered in love)

A spool of grace spins a thousand smiles. It can warm a thousand lives
A spool of grace. A quilt of joy is a perfect place to start.
It can mend a wounded heart. A quilt of joy.

And if we all believe then we all can be Covered in Love (Covered in Love)
Wrapped up in hope (Wrapped up in hope) Safe from the fear (Safe from the fear)
Never alone (Never alone) This world has enough (This world has enough)
For everyone to be (For everyone to be) Covered in Love. (Covered in love)
Wrapped up in hope (Wrapped up in hope) Safe from the fear (Safe from the fear)
Never alone (Never alone) This world has enough (This world has enough)
For everyone to be (For everyone to be) Covered in Love. (Covered in love)

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The 4th Annual Winter Blanket Retreat is scheduled for Friday, January 11 through Sunday, January 13, 2008. The cost for the retreat is $85 per person, which includes the following:

* Double occupancy in a motel-style room. No TV in the rooms, but available throughout the facility for game scores, etc.
* All rooms include a private or semi-private bathroom (at most, you will share bathroom facilities with 3 others in our group)
* Towels and linens are provided
* 6 cafeteria-style meals (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch) with salad bar available at every lunch and dinner. Meals are served at 8 a.m., 12 noon and 5:30 p.m.
* A large, bright sewing room with lots of windows and natural lighting
* An accommodating staff dedicated to providing “whatever we want”
* Coffee will be available at any time. Drinks and snacks available to purchase or BYO
* The opportunity to learn a new quilt design, socialize, share ideas and techniques and sew with some of the finest (and funniest) women in the area
* Beautiful grounds, plus a famous labyrinth to explore (weather permitting)
* “Priceless” favors for each attendee
* Many, many surprises
*

We still have a few openings and are extending the deadline for registration so if you are interested in having a GREAT weekend, please email or call for a registration form.

============

We are beginning to schedule the classes for this Fall. If you have an interest in teaching one or have a suggestion for what you would like to learn, please contact Pat Guiff pguiff833@verizon.net or 416-0484. Pat has graciously accepted the challenge of coordinating and scheduling the classes to be held at the Project Linus House.

Our first class will be held on Wednesday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This class will be taught by Shelly Gilliland and the quilt is called “Easy Attic Windows.” Please email or call me to register. Details and supply list will follow upon registration. Remember the class size is limited, so don’t delay

============

At our last meeting, we voted to start having Saturday workshops at the Project Linus House. The goal is to make the house more available, to gather together for fellowship and sharing of ideas, designs and patterns. These workshops are being organized by Pauline Sobona. The “Saturday Sew Sew Sisterhood” will be fun-filled days dedicated to promoting blanketeering in all forms, with a secondary goal of growing and strengthening the Fort Wayne/Northeast Indiana Project Linus Chapter’s volunteer force. The “Saturday Sew Sew Sisterhood” (SSSS) will be held the 2nd Saturday of each month, with the exception of January, which is the weekend of our Winter Blanket Retreat. Each of these Saturdays will focus on a particular subject and will be held at the Project Linus House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Bring a sack lunch if you plan to stay all day.) They will be a completely open format so you may bring a Project Linus blanket you are currently working on or just stop by to help sew on labels, repair blankets or start a new Project Linus blanket. If you would be interested in demonstrating a new or exciting quilt pattern, fleece finish, crocheting, knitting, etc., at one of the workshops or if you have a suggestion of what you would like to see demonstrated, please contact Pauline at sobpauliner@aol.com or 414-1630.

We are working on some plans to better utilize the space in the basement of the Project Linus House. We will need to get the lighting fixed and put one or two dehumidifiers down there. We will also be looking for 6’-8’ tables and some shelving to be donated. If you know anyone who might be able to donate their electrical expertise, supplies or dehumidifiers, please let me know.

A note from the church: We are looking for a new Office Manager/Financial Secretary at church. The position will require someone who is computer savvy with publications (bulletins & newsletters) and who also can catch on to the financial software. It would be for between 25-30 hours per week. For more information, please contact the church office at 426-5854 salemuccfw@yahoo.com or Clark Staley at 483-5269 Gilenark@aol.com.

Greetings from the Outreach of TAPS via Project Linus in North Idaho

945 children were embraced with the security hugs from the coords and volunteers of 24 chapters this past Memorial Day Weekend of the Good Grief Camp in Washington DC.

The military officers have voted that Project Linus is the "frosting on the cake" for this weekend and for the children and the struggling families of the fallen heroes. What a tremendous outpouring of compassion and empathy you blessed this effort of TAPS.

I have been told that Project Linus is the favorite of all the hugs that these children and families received! What a pat on the back this honor is for all of you who care so much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this just a blessing beyond words.

You need to know that 45 of the children went over to some of the military hospitals and visited the wounded. They took their blankets and put them over the soldiers...those big tough men and women...and the nurses and medical assistants related that they just snuggled down and smiled and smiled! They realized how the people back home really
supported them! And Project Linus did just that!!!

TAPS would like to invite Project Linus Coords/volunteers to be part of the TAPS weekend next year and help with the blanket distributions. If you are interested, please email me privately with your telephone # and your mailing address and I will keep you informed as the plans forge ahead for 2008.

Also, since many of the wounded are now rotating back to stateside military hospitals and since many of their children will be visiting them there...the TAPS outreach services are asking if any of the chapters could help by having blankets ready for these children. If this fits in your plans, let me know and I will keep you advised of what is needed and when.

Again I want to tell each and everyone of you that you made a difference...God bless you all !

Gratefully,
Barb McLean, PL Coord,
North Idaho and Spokane Wa

A helpful suggestion from one of our sister chapters:

Take an old, but still good, pillowcase or make one out of some of that
fabric that we have but can't use...and tape it OPEN next to the sewing
machine. As you cut threads, fabric, etc. toss them in the bag. When
it gets nice and "poofy" stitch it shut and take it to you local
humane society for a puppy or kitty bed. These are really neat.

Well enjoy the rest of the summer and if you have any questions or concerns during the month of August, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for all your continued support and see you in September!

Monday, June 25, 2007

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend a meeting at the Project Linus House on Wednesday, July 11, at 5:30. (2333 Lake Avenue – Corner of Lake and Carew - in the parsonage of the Salem United Church of Christ).

I have just returned from our national conference in Bloomington, IL and have a lot of fun and new information to share with you. Project Linus is taking on a whole new look in hopes of making our organization a common house-hold word. You won’t want to miss it!

----- Peggy

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Happy Summer!

Few notes of business then on to the good stuff:

We have a boat-load of blankets that are in need of repair. Seams need repaired, no-sew fleece blankets need help, etc. If you have some time to do some repairs, we could sure use the help.

As of last week, we have delivered over 10,000 blankets to children in our community!

The total collected for the ABC's for Education was $40,400.39. We have ordered Scott's gift cards, which will help with supplies for MABD, events, etc.

The Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August. We are taking some time to regroup, catch our breath and will be back in September with lots of new ideas, classes and fun things to do. If you have an immediate need, please call or email me.

We have been working on some ideas for field trips, shopping trips, quilt shop hops. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Now for the exciting stuff:- drum roll, please! - click here

Dear Blanketeers,

It’s been a while since I sent a newsletter so I have a lot to cover in this one email:  current blanket count, new classes, upcoming events….please read on!

Since we started our chapter in April, 2004, we have put a smile on the faces of children in crisis by delivering over 9400 blankets.  This is an awesome number for only 3 years of activity!  Thank you for all your hard work.  The children really appreciate these blankets as we have seen by the many cards and letters we have received.  Please stop by the Project Linus House and read through them in our scrapbooks. 

Make A Blanket Day (MABD) was a huge success.  This year, 100 adults and 38 children attended and we collected 195 blankets.  As a result of the MABD event sponsored by Janome America, our chapter received 1424 blankets from  three local Janome dealers.  The winner of the Janome DC3050 from Edwards Sewing Center, Fort Wayne was Melissa Rorick, Decatur; from Lowery’s Sewing Center in Warsaw was Becky Dye; and from Jeanette’s Fabric Boutique in Wakarusa, Carmen Yuhtzy.  Congratulations to all the winners! 

April 28th is the date for the annual church clean up day.  Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.  Salem United Church of Christ has been so very generous in donating the parsonage for our Project Linus House that a simple way for us to “Pay It Forward” is to help clean up the property.  Come prepared with cleaning supplies or outdoor tools.  Plans are to clean the inside of the church and the surrounding property, which includes our Project Linus House.  We need your help!

Please note that the Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August.  We will take this time to catch our breath and rejuvenate for an exciting Fall and Winter.  I will be available by email or phone in case of emergency or natural disaster that requires blankets.

Classes:  We have some very exciting classes coming up this Spring and Summer.   All classes are free and open to any one.  All we ask is that you bring a dish to share for lunch and donate the finished quilt to Project Linus when you have completed it.  The classes are fun, informal and informative.  You don’t have to be an expert to attend.  The quilt designs are easy and everyone is there to learn and help each other.  But sign up early as we only have room for 10 participants.  Supply lists and further information will be provided once you have registered.  Don’t forget we have a limited number of sewing machines and donated fabric available for class use.  All classes are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and we have a carry-in lunch at noon.  Register soon by emailing or calling me.  

Tuesday, April 24 – Deb Heath will be teaching a “Rectangle Challenge Quilt”  for beginner sewers.  It is all in the arrangement of the color  strips.  The "challenge" is to complete the quilt in the class, so placing the color strips in the correct direction will speed up the process (rather than "un"-sew-ing them). 

Tuesday, May 15 – Nancy Love will present the “Peppermint Stick Quilt”,  3” x 9” multi-colored, striped strips appear to float randomly (yes!) on small patterned background. 

Tuesday, June 5 – Challenge Quilt.  Each participant will be provided with 1 yard of the same fabric prior to the class.  You will be challenged to come up with your own design, have it cut out before class and sew it together during the class time.  There is no instructor so there is no limit to your creativity.  You will be amazed at the different designs that come out of the same piece of fabric.

Tuesday, July 17 – Red, White and Blue Quilt.  We will celebrate our Independence Day by creating a quilt using only red, white and blue. We often have requests from one of our chapters to provide blankets for the children of Fallen Heroes (those serving in the military who have given their lives for our country).   Again, there is no instructor so each design will be created by the individual.   Prior to class you will need to select or design your pattern and  pre-cut your fabrics, then come to class ready to sew your quilt top together and have a great time doing it.

August – The Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August, therefore no class is scheduled.  We will start classes again in September.     

At this time, we are not accepting fabric or yarn donations.  The generous donations we have received over the last couple of years have filled our shelves and we have no place left to store them.  This is a good problem to have but with limited storage space, please advise your friends and family that we will begin accepting ONLY new cotton and cotton blend fabric (minimum 1 yard pieces) and new washable yarn once we have some room to store it. 

We have added a communication center to the Project Linus House.  In the main “cutting” room is a dry erase board, which will list the current “TO DO” list.  Things that need to be done in order to process the blankets and prepare them for distribution are listed on this board. There will be a red star next to things that are a priority.  When you come to the PL House to spend a little time volunteering, take a look at the list and see what interests you.  No one is assigned duties at the PL House.  We want you to enjoy the time you spend there.  The corkboard will have items of interest:  shop hop information, birthday lists, community events, sign up sheets for classes, events, etc.  Please feel free to add events or announcements that you wish to share. 

Speaking of events; we have some exciting events on the calendar for this Spring.

Friday/Saturday, May 11 & 12:  The Flax and Fleecers’ Spinning Guild have invited us to participate in their Spring Fiber Arts Festival at Salomon Farm Park, 817 W. Dupont Road, Fort Wayne.  The goal of the Festival is primarily educational in nature to offer to children and adults in our region the opportunity to learn more about all of the Fiber Arts and also have opportunity for hands on experiences.  Our interest in the Festival is educating the public about Project Linus and the opportunity to get involved by making blankets for children in crisis.  We will display our scrapbooks, hand out brochures and have muslin squares available for children (and adults) to decorate with fabric markers.  These squares will then be sewn together to make quilt tops, which will be finished by our “blanketeers” and given to children in our community.  The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with set-up on Thursday, May 10 from 2 – 7 p.m.  I have a family obligation that weekend, so I am asking for several volunteers to help cover this event.  If you are interested, please call or email me ASAP so we can begin to put a schedule together. 

Friday and Saturday, May 18-19:  Nancy Odom, P&B fabric designer, quilter and author has graciously accepted an invitation to spend May 18th and 19th in Shipshewana Indiana at Yoder’s Department Store! Do not miss this opportunity to see her locally!  Nancy is the designer of two P&B collections; Azalea Trail and Gather Sunshine manufactured by P&B and has been publishing patterns and books for many years. Her patterns have been featured on many television shows and in national magazines. She also does many speaking engagements at all types of quilt related events. You can learn more about Nancy and her work at www.timidthimble.co
Yoder’s is extremely lucky and very excited to be able to share this experience with you on May 18 and 19, 2007.  Go to www.yoderdepartmentstore.com for complete information on this event. 

Not only is this an exciting event for Yoder’s but they have invited us have a display booth on Saturday to collect blankets and distribute brochures.  AND…. Yoder’s Department Store has graciously agreed to be a drop off site for our Project Linus chapter.  We are excited to have Yoder’s and their community join our family of “blanketeers”.  Please call or email me if you are interested in helping with the booth at this event.

Please note that the Project Linus House will be closed for the month of August.  We will take this time to catch our breath and rejuvenate for an exciting Fall and Winter.  I will be available by email or phone in case of emergency or natural disaster that requires blankets.

Well, I think that is enough for now.  Hope to see you soon at the Project Linus House.  Remember the hours are;  Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Have a wonderful Spring!

The 8th Annual Make A Blanket Day Was on Saturday, February 3, 2007

Thank you for all of your great efforts to make this a successful event! The church members were very impressed with our event and already looking forward to next year. Those of you who helped with the event, if you still have your nametag, please return it to the Project Linus House at your convenience. We will have pictures on the website in the near future.

. . .

click here to see more pictures

The winner of the Janome DC3050 from Fort Wayne is: Melissa Rorick, Decatur. Congratulations, Melissa.

Click to see the list of donated items. (pdf)

The results are in:

Blankets collected at MABD: 195
Total number attended: 138
Total blankets from Fort Wayne: 1079
From other dealers: 345
Total MABD blankets: 1424
Well over our total for last year: 1021

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As most of you know, Nellie Stiver was a dedicated “blanketeer”. She came to the workshop almost every Monday and Friday, after she finished her exercise class. Nellie was 95 and passed away on February 11, 2007. She can now celebrate her life with the joy that she shared with so many of us. Nellie will be greatly missed.

We are constantly making changes and additions to the website so if you have not visited it lately – take a trip there and check it out. Roger McNett continues to do a wonderful job keeping the website up and running smoothly. Thank you, Roger.

Winter Blanket Retreat: The planning committee has found a new retreat center for our 2008 Winter Blanket Retreat. It is just a little further from Fort Wayne and just a little more expensive, but well worth it. The double occupancy rooms are set up like a hotel with private or semi-private bathrooms and some rooms have recently been remodeled. The meeting (sewing room) has large windows with natural daylight and so much space to spread out, we won’t know what to do with ourselves. The meals sound wonderful with several healthy choices. Everything is provided except our sewing machines, supplies and projects. The dates are January 11-13, 2008, so mark your calendar! This retreat is going to bigger and better than ever before with lots of nice surprises and activities. We will have more information available as we continue to make plans. Excited? We are!

New Class: Coming – March 13; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be having a sew-in at the Project Linus House. We have collected a number of the muslin squares decorated by children and need to get them put into quilts. Please register ASAP as there is only enough room for 10. We will use the donated fabric at the house, so no need to purchase any fabric or pattern. Design of the quilt will be totally your own creation. If you need help, we will all put our heads together to make some special quilts. Details will follow upon registration. Hope to see you there.

We have put a You Tube video on our About Project Linus page. Go there to watch it. The video tells a good story about what Project Linus does. The video lasts less than 5 minutes and it helps if you have a broad band connection.

Thanks to Doris Regnier, we have a new WELCOME sign for our Project Linus House at the end of the parking lot. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

New sign at the end of the parking lot . . . . .. . . . . . Reverse side of the sign.. . . . .

In our first month of participating in the Scott's ABC's for Education Program we collected over $2700.00 in receipts &endash; keep 'em coming!

The Project Linus House will be closed the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 24, 2006.  We will also be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day (December 25, 2006 and January 1, 2007)

Speaking of Christmas - our party will be held at the home of Betsy Gemmer on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 &endash; mark your calendar and more info will follow at a later date

Don't forget the Pampered Chef party on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at 6:30.  Location is the Project Linus House, 2333 Lake Avenue.  Bring your appetite, your friends and your checkbook!  Catalogs and order forms are available at the house if you would like to take outside orders to help with this great fundraiser.

Salem United Church of Christ (our host church) will be having their annual Ed Fox Fish Fry on Friday, November 3, 2006.  Bring your family and friends from 4:30 &endash; 7 p.m.  Since this fundraiser will be used to offset the utilities for the Project Linus House, let's pitch in and give them a hand.   They could use help from 4-8 p.m. with serving, cleaning and setting tables and clean up.  They could probably also use a couple of those wonderful desserts!  Please call or email me if you are able to help. 

A very easy way for us to help raise money for Project Linus National Headquarters. Go to: www.goodsearch.com.  Then in the "Who do you Good Search for?" box, enter: Project Linus National Headquarters.  Every time you use this page to do normal internet searches through this page, PL Headquarters will earn money. Just think how much money we could raise to help the entire organization if everyone would use this search engine on a regular basis.   It's so easy and you can make it your default page so you'll use it every day.

Hurry - we only have a few openings left for the Winter Blanket Retreat.

Thanks for all your shopping efforts - we raised $550 for the "Shop For A Cause" at Macy's.

Last but not least, our next quilting class will be held on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (probably more like 4 p.m.)  This class will be quite different in that it is a challenge quilt.  I will supply ? yard of the same fabric (and it is adorable) to everyone participating in the class. You will then choose your own design or pattern and come to class prepared to put your top together.  Call or email me for more information and register soon - we only have room for 10! 

Peggy Albertson
PROJECT LINUS Chapter Coordinator
Fort Wayne/NE Indiana Chapter
260/749-6595
pegalb@msn.com