Cybersue wrote:

Sue, if some of our SoTTT's members would like to include extra HST's in your return package, would you be inclined to use those HST's to make a 'friendship' quilt for someone you know that has been hit hard by the quake.

Let us know and I'll put out the call.

Debbie

Cybersue wrote:

Thank you for keeping us updated, Sue. With a quake that size, it is a wonder that many, many more people did not lose their lives.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your neighbors each day.

Debbie

Sue, thanks for the update, is there anything that you know that we could do here to help even a little. I do not do the Red Cross because of the way they treated my husband when he was in Lebanon but I would be willing to help in some other way. Maybe there are items or quilts or some things that are needed. Let us know. Supplies, boxes of clothes, etc.

sounds like so much fun, wish I could be there, just to see the mounds of bags and the piles and piles of little HST's. I think I would lay awake at night trying to figure out just how to sort them. where do you lay out a quarter of a million half square triangels? !!!! :-0

Debbie - So, what's th best local spa? We could send gift cards for a post sort massage to help you recover!

Wendy

Just a wee update from New Zealand about the earthquake we had in Christchurch...it was so nice to hear from a couple of TQS members with thoughts and prayers this way, thank you!
It's been 11 days since the quake: 163 bodies have been recovered with another 60 missing in the rubble. 14,000 homes are still without power and many, many more have no sewerage or running water. The Council is distributing 1000's of portaloos and trucks with water. 70,000 people have left the city and relocated in other parts of NZ as their homes are destroyed...that's 1/5th of Christchurch's population. An estimated 50% of our heritage buildings will need to be demolished. Multiple aftershocks are still occuring on a daily basis and we are told to expect them for another year!
There has been unprecedented support for the quake region with millions of $$ being raised and donated and homes and schools opened around the country for the displaced. Our brother-in-law's sister is still missing in the rubble, but the rest of our families escaped unscathed.
The mood, although sad, is positive and Christchurch will rebuild, so don't put off those plans to visit NZ!!
Good luck with the sorting ladies, I wish I could help - a trip to Texas maybe?? I'm really looking forward to receiving my triangles back.
Sue Roper

kathyst2 wrote:

Thank you, Kathy. We are going to try our best to make everyone happy with their 'Christmas in April' surprises. It gets to be pretty overwhelming sometimes, but in the end it will all be worthwhile and very satisfying. We (actually Clara does!) have the sorting plan all worked out, a good many quilters are lined up to help, and now one of the big challenges will be to get all the HST's to the church where we'll be sorting...I'm thinking a U-Haul truck just might work for us!

By-the-way, I love the quilt in your Profile Picture!

Debbie

Dear Debbie and Clara, you two belong in the Quilters' Hall of Fame. After I got up from fainting about receiving over 100,000 HST's so far, I read your post about sorting day. Then I thought about how you are not only planning this whole thing, but keeping all of us in the Sisterhood and Brotherhood happy and calmed down. If it were me, I would only hope to be as gracious and kind as you both have been in this forum. My hat is off to you!

And yes, I want to see the details when you have finished with Sorting Day!

Kathy

RiverOwl wrote:

Sent personal reply.

Dear Debbie, Clara & Sorters;

Wow, the filming, documentation sounds like fun! Or, some other suggestion on how those of us who are so far can help ?
Just let us know what or how we can help you all out?!

S/ Barbara

Josew wrote:

Thanks, Jose! You are so sweet...and I love your new picture ! If you already have your HST's packaged, don't worry about redoing them. I'm planning on ordering a Jason's Deli Sandwich Tray or boxed lunches (to be delivered) that day and Clara & I will be bringing snacks & beverages....hee, hee, hee ...so no one can escape that day .

Debbie

Debbie and Clara you are AMAZING!

Hats oof to you, I would have lost my mind by now! Can't wait to see what and how you have all worked this out. : Is there a favorite resturaunt or fast food or Pizza near where you are sorting. Maybe we could send you some gift cards to help nourish your bodies during the day or have a few drinks after! Give us some ideas please. I like the new packaging idea and will try to change mine to that for you before shipping the first of next week!

Here's a time saving heads-up for those of you who haven't yet packaged your HST's up for mailing and who are planning on sending in multiples of hundreds:

This has never been a requirement with the packaging, but a lot of members are meticulously packing twenty-eight HST's in individual baggies with there names and count on each one. This is really not necessary, so you don't need to spend time doing that. You can go ahead and pack more into baggies to keep them from getting wrinkled, but once I receive them, I'll need to take them out of the baggies and put them neatly together in the gallon Ziplock/or larger bag that I have created for each member. And it would be helpful if you were to stack them into cute little triangle stacks and then two of those fit together into a neat little square and then then they'll move perfectly right into your big Ziplock bag ! And, even better, I can easily fit those three 'squares' in a neat row in the Gallon Ziplock bag and one row stacks upon the other...yeah!

One more thing...you also don't need to divide them up into color groups!

Clara has a very efficient sorting plan worked out which we discussed the logistics of today. With her plan (and it is a good one !) we'll handle each person's package individually, but not in small individual baggies. Since it will take so extra much time on sorting day if we had to stop and open each small baggie, I'm will be taking them out of the baggies as I receive them (and eventually all those I have already received) so our 'sorters' will be able to handle them much more efficiently.

You also don't need to mark each small baggie with your name, count, or screen name. That only needs to written one time on the larger Ziplock bag. But just make sure it's there somewhere !

We won't go into details on Clara's plans, just in case it has to be tweaked a little, but we certainly will give you a full report, with pictures, once it's all done.

I hope this all makes sense and that it will save you a lot of extra time and work...and eventually it will save extra work on our end too!

Thanks so much,
Debbie

crocus999 wrote:

INTERESTING!!!