non-rail

Non-Rail - Phyllis Hoverson, Julia Davis, Patti Bullard, Fredda McPherson, Mary Lou Schoenberg, Barbara Smith

RAILETTES! our craft theme this year is "Crossroads of Texas" -- the area of Dallas/Fort Worth has been an interchange, junction or meeting place since the origins of our region. Indian trails, cattle drives, railroad tracks, highways and airline routes have joined our region and our nation. The Trinity River Interchange hopes those of you from Amarillo, Midland, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport will join together at the "Crossroads of Texas" in Irving, TX on June 3, 2009.

We have many and varied activities planned for the ladies.  Starting on Wednesday evening you can share helpful household hints with others, watch a movie.  The clinics during the convention include making book angels, a necklace that matches the 2008 bracelet, a nutcracker decoration, and tying fleece blankets.  Are you interested in visiting a winery and participating in a wine tasting?  That will be available.  Do you like big malls?  Take a self guided trip to Grapevine Mills Mall.  If you want to remain at the hotel, plan to share hobby or special interest during Bring and Brag.  Bring a sample of your grandkids photos, favorite book, hand-work, etc. and tell others about it.  Needless to say there will be the old standbys of door prizes and dominoes and a new riddle game has been added.  A tenative schedule and clinic descriptions are below.
SEE YOU AT CONVENTION!

Barbara Smith
Helpful Household Hints
Wednesday evening we will share homemaking tips.  Everyone knows a way to have more time for the things they love.

Movie Night in the Video Room

Linda White
Book Angels 
Linda has an eye for creating beautiful angels out of hymn books.   We will work with a small book that is 2 1/2 inches tall.   After folding the pages, she will help us add a head, halo, wings, lace and flowers.  You will take home a "Book Angel" to keep or give as a gift.

Phyllis Hoverson
Wine Tasting Tour
Are you a wine aficionado? No; but you would love to learn a little more about wines?

Wouldn’t you love to tour an 18th century French-Style winery with an Italian granite wine tasting bar, a fully operational Tank Room complete with stainless steel fermentation tanks and wine bottling room?

How about sipping 7 delectable wines while sitting on a 1,500 sq. foot covered patio overlooking 10 beautiful acres of vineyard full of grapevines or in the Grand Barrel room with a 40-foot vaulted ceiling?

Guys and gals please join us on Thursday, June 4th for our tour to the Delaney Vineyard in beautiful Grapevine. Meet at 1PM in the lobby. If you do not want to do this tour there are 2 alternate ideas below.

Barbara Smith
Bring & Brag
AKA "Show and Tell".   Share your favorite pastime - handwork, crafts, pictures, stories about grandchildren.
Or  A Self-guided tour of Grapevine Mills Mall

Mary Lou Schoenberg
Jewelry-Necklace, Lunch and Project Linus - $15.00
Rise and Shine! At 9 AM the Non-Rails will meet in the hotel lobby. At Patti Bullard's shop in Southlake, Texas and we will make a necklace that matches our '08 bracelet. After a wonderful lunch, we can visit and make Project Linus blankets. A "no sew" tied fleece blanket that is easy to do and brings smiles to the faces of little children in stressful situations. The material is furnished so all that is needed is you nimble fingers

Mary Lou Schoenberg
Linus Blankets
Project Linus is a national, non profit, 100% volunteer organization that provides new, handmade, washable security blankets to critically ill and/or traumatized children, newborn to 17 years of age. The only requirements are that the blankets be new, homemade, smoke free with no pet hair or dander, and free from scented laundry products. These blankets are distributed to hospitals, fire and police depts, shelters, etc.  After completion and acceptance by a local chapter, a Project Linus label; is sewn on and the following poem is attached:

With Tender Loving Care
“Linus has a blanket that’s all his very own.
It comforts and sustains him when he’s feeling all alone.
He knows that others love him for ‘twas made with special care
And because it means so much to him, it’s carried everywhere.
You too can have a blanket that’s created just for you.
To comfort and support you when you’re rather blue.
It’s yours to keep forever, so you may always know
That others out there love you and to you our wishes go.
By Sam Uhler

Come join us at the convention  Non Rail clinic to make a ‘no sew’ tied fleece blanket to benefit local county areas Fleece in kid friendly colors and patterns will be provided, but if you want to contribute you will need 1yd for a baby or toddler and 1¼yd for a youth or teen.  The only other supplies needed are scissors and a 6” ruler.  At the site of all those colorful blankets piled high, your heart will warm.

Ellen Scott
Flowerpot Nutcracker Clinic
Set a guard in your hallway, or on the tree with these charming nutcracker soldiers. Cozy and fun to make they can be a colorful addition to your decorations.

I got the idea for the flowerpot nutcrackers from a craft brochure at Hobby Lobby. However I didn’t care for the face which was ho-hum and I knew I could do a better one myself. I started out first with a five foot tall nutcracker only because my husband wouldn’t let me get a bigger set of flowerpots. Obviously for safety concerns plastic pots instead of clay have to be used. Once my nutcracker was complete, I went to somewhat larger than dollhouse sized using wooden flower pots much like we will be using in the clinic. These were much smaller to work on and loads of fun to do, but I gave them all away and didn’t keep any for myself. Our church had a Harvest Festival to raise money for charity so I made some 12” tall nutcrackers. Then I made some even larger for the auction for the Homeless and even found some fabric to fur their hats. Again, I never kept any for myself.

The color scheme and decorations are left to your imagination. Each becomes a unique personality in its own right. I also furred the 5’ tall nutcracker that I did keep, with a real light weight, extremely soft fabric. He looks real cool standing outside my door at Christmas time.

I am sure that the ladies will get a kick out of using their imaginations and creative side to make a one of a kind nutcracker for Christmas 2009. Once they have made one, they can go on as I have and make all different sizes. The size limitations are only in the pots you can find.

Virginia Freitag
Christmas Tree
Start your Christmas crafts in June.   These 5 1/2 inch tall trees could be used as table decoration, gift or a fun craft to share with adults or kids.  What a good way to use up your old buttons, jewelry, beads, rhinestones, lace, trim and ribbon.