Reader Exchange

Tales of fabric shortage, a crewel world

By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 3, 2000

Mmmmmm. Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here with a vengeance, and on this Saturday morning you may feel too vegged out to wiggle a finger, but open a sleepy eye for a second or two and glance at the goodies and challenges our readers have prepared for you. Talk about fresh, invigorating breezes!

Our first zephyr comes in the form of Lora Brandon of South Pasadena, who over recent years has given away through this column four quilt tops made by her own hands. Lora, an energetic 94-year-old, had to put her sewing aside for a while, but she's now happily at it once more. After all, Lora says, she needs to keep busy, so she plans to make as many quilt tops as she can while she is able.

Here's where our warm, relaxed June readers can get involved. Since Lora's needlework is consuming fabric scraps as quickly as those poor wretches on the new TV show Survivor would scarf down Big Macs if they could, she is asking those of you with fabric scraps to fuel her flying fingers.

You know who you are. Accumulations of material stagger in piles all over your houses, and you will never get to those umpteen sewing projects you have been meaning to tackle for years. That disregarded piece of fabric could be an active motif in a quilt that is constantly enjoyed. By all means, keep boredom away from this busy lady and give her a call at (727) 343-0390 The chill of Crafters Panic blows through the e-mail from Pat Cobb of Bradenton. Termites of discriminating taste but reprehensible morals have ruthlessly attacked -- not her house! That would be too ordinary -- her crewel work.

When she recently moved into her present home, her bicentennial project was in great shape, and Pat had no idea that unpatriotic insects would refuse to honor her yearly contract with the exterminator. The "Liberty Bell" picture seems not to have been their cup of tea, but its companion, "Great Seal of the U.S.A." brought the beggars back for seconds and thirds.

Pat would like to replace the picture that was eaten (and that, we hope, dealt a deadly digestive blow to the termites' systems). The Great Seal item is about 14 inches in diameter with a representation of the seal complete with eagle, arrows, olive wreath and E Pluribus Unum banner.

The kit from which the picture was made came from a shop called the Stitchery, in Wellesley, Mass., but was widely available elsewhere. If you have a completed picture or even an unfinished work, Pat is interested in acquiring it. She may be reached at home by phone at (941) 753-0057 or by e-mail, geopatc@juno.com.

Wafting by softly, with a touch of the day's warmth (nay, heat) comes a request from Larry Rothstein of Clearwater. He hopes to find a copy of a paperback book by Nora Roberts titled Risky Business and published by Harlequin books, Silhouette Division, in two versions: Silhouette Special Edition and in a series called "Paragraphs of Love." If you have such a book and don't mind parting with it, send a message to Larry in care of this column.

Carol Asher of Seminole and her friends are hoping you may have a mah-jongg game you no longer use and would pass along to them. If so, please call (727) 391-1788.

Christiane Allen of Tampa is eager to find a callous pad like the one she purchased last year. It is clear plastic and can be washed for reuse; it also leaves no sticky residue. Christiane wishes she had saved the packaging so she could find the product again, but perhaps one of our readers can come to the rescue with the details she needs. Please give her a call at (813) 932-5480.

Lois Anderson of St. Petersburg has five large bags of assorted yarns that will be useful to folks making afghans. She also has General Mills and Betty Crocker coupons you may want. Lois may be reached at (727) 527-9603.

Thank-you note

Wanda Tatchell of St. Petersburg's First Baptist Church thanks everyone who provided silk flowers for a recent project of the Senior Adult Ministries. The ladies had more than enough blooms for their endeavors to flourish beautifully.

-- Send questions, answers and tips to Reader Exchange, Home & Garden, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com. Only questions of general interest will be answered. Requests will be accepted only by mail; no phoned requests, please. Except in unusual circumstances, readers must agree to publication of phone numbers (please include the area code).

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