May Flowers

The spring flowers are in full bloom, the sun is shinning, and spirits are high as we approach the summer months.

This is the time of year when crafters put down their crafting tools and head outside to work on their "outdoor" projects like vegetable gardens, flower gardens and outdoor remodeling projects that were put off for the winter months.

We recommend using this time to draw inspiration from your own backyard and bring it indoors to your next craft/quilt project. This month's project is a perfect example of outdoor inspirations.

Check your local newspapers for festive Cinco De Mayo events.

Mother's Day is May 13th...Moms love handmade gifts from the heart.

Memorial Day is May 28th. As you head out to your holiday picnics don't forget to thank our brave soliders past and present. Make a dish that not only tastes great but looks great with a patriotic theme.

 

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The ladies of the United Methodist Church in Browns Summit, North Carolina have been creating these "dog bone" shaped pillows for cancer patients.

When the program began, their intent was for cancer patients but as the project progressed they realized other people could use these pillows for many different reasons. They discovered the pillow would help disabled children so they made 250 pillows and delivered them to the Gateway Education Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Recently the ladies suffered a great loss when one of their fellow volunteers, Sondra Taylor died from Leukemia on March 12. In her honor they made and donated an additional 77 pillows.


Don't forget, this year Mother's Day is May 13th! Make sure you mail that card or send those flowers a couple days in advance!

The best present you can give is time. Plan on spending the day with your mother. Think of something she would like to do; plant flowers, do a craft, get a manicure, take her out or even better, make her brunch.
   

 

Did you know the empire state building opened on May 1st, 1932 after only
2 1/2 years of construction?

   

The Patio Pot Pillow is a beautiful 3-D pillow. This pillow would look great on a porch or deck chair and it would also make a colorful Mother's Day gift.

Click here for instructions
Click here for diagrams and templates
Quick Tip: The choice of pillow insert will have an impact on the overall look and feel of the pillow. Click here to check out our pillow page for information on different types of pillows.

Memorial Day Bring Along Salad
This Chinese Cole Slaw is an inexpensive, quick and easy crowd pleaser! Go to the party prepared with extra copies of the recipe to give out to friends and family.

 
Trendy Ideas by Catherine
Now that flowers are blooming why not create a special space using a bright cheerful quilt and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Find a quilt with a floral theme and hang or drape it on your favorite chair and add fresh flowers in your favorite vase on a side table. Creating a space like this will make it impossible not to take some time for yourself to relax.
 

If you love quilts the American Quilter's Society Show in Paducah, KY is where you belong. We just returned and we realize how fortunate we were to have had the opportunity to view such breathtaking quilts. See for yourself at www.americanquilter.com.

We hope you enjoyed this month's issue of the Fairfield Gazette. We've already begun working on June's issue. Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Your friends at Fairfield!

Be sure to check the following pages to try some new projects we've added:
Craft Projects
Home Dec Projects
Quilt Projects
NU-Foam Projects