I"m helping my daughter with a ladies retreat. She always has some kind of craft/handwork to teach the ladies in about 45 minutes. This year she wants me to help with a very small quilt project. Of course, I would have everything cut, prepared for them. Do any of you have any ideas? I will want them to complete (or be able to complete on their own) and take home with them. Thank you.
Molly

Do these ladies sew? Will they have sewing machines?

If just hand sewing, perhaps a log cabin potholder or another design that has simple easy pieces. Everyone can use potholders.

OR, even a pillow top, say, 12". For the insert opening use an overlap. You won't have to worry about buttons or zippers.

I'll think some more on this!!

What about paper piecing ? Make a pot holder with the pieces that you put together ?

At our last retreat we made the snap bags out of carpenters rulers, will they have sewing machines?

One possibility is pin cushions. Small, quick, and could be hand-sewn, too.

What do you think about letting each of them make a Hickory nut coaster or hot pad. You could have the components all cut out and let them pick the two colors for it. they would be easily put together by hand and be personalized by them picking their own fabrics. Pretty, useful and a great keepsake.

The criss-cross coasters can be upsized to potholder size very easily. When we made them we used 8.5" for all our squares, and that makes a nice size potholder. No binding or quilting; just 4 straight lines of stitching. The plus for you is that all you have to cut out are 8.5" squares of everything.

Darren

How much time will you have allotted for this? You mentioned 45 minutes for your daughter's project, but not your time frame.

They will not have machines. How do you make a bag with a carpenter's ruler? Sounds intriguing.

What is a hickory nut coaster?

Thanks everyone for the great ideas! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas day.
Molly

www.ericas.com/sewing/patterns/totes2.htm
check this one out....

I made neck pillows, gave some away for Christmas presents. They are the quickest things! I have the pattern saved as a pdf if you interested. I love them for little children when their heads falls forward in the carseat as my 3 yr gds does. A friend is traveling to Florida tomorrow with one. I think they are neat and useful.

I'd love the pattern. Thanks!

I'd love the pattern! Thanks.

I would love the pattern. I'll be planning and getting ready for Christmas 2010 within the next month or two!

if anyone wants the neck pillow pattern (really simple) email me at [email protected]
it is an pdf file and I can email it to you. Then when you get some made let me know how you like it.

I would be interested in the neck pillow. Let me know if you can send it. Thanks

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Any way you can post it on this site? thank you!

I would really like to make one of these. My hubby is home bound and falls asleep a lot in the recliner and his head hangs. I think this would help him. We don't want to keep him in bed so we get him out and into the recliner. He usually dozes off while watching TV. I will e-mail you. Thanks for the offer.

How about making blocks for a children's quilt to donate to a hospital or the state patrol for accident victim or a lap quilt for a nursing home resident? With only 45 minutes allotted and no sewing machines, each could make a simple block such as a 9-patch, perhaps from precut pieces. Of course, someone (your daughter) would need to finish it later. The women could chip in on the cost of the materials. I believe they'd end up feeling good that they made and donated something.

There are some great ideas here.

At one Girl Scout Adult retreat, we made a cute little wall decoration using back pockets from old blue jeans and dried flowers. Cut out the pockets, trimming close to stitching. Choose your flowers and arrange in the pocket. Glue down flowers with hot glue guns. Take a length of twine (macrame jute works very well) and hot glue on both corners inside the pocket to make a hanger.

You can make a nice necklace using leather lacing and various beads. Measure lacing for twice the length of the finished necklace. in center of lacing, tie a knot. Start stringing beads on lacing, tying a knot between each bead, alternating either side of center knot, until beads are the length you want, then finish with a knot. Measure lacing to length of necklace. To make clasp, knot a bead on one end and make a loop on the other end.