Can you believe it is the middle of September already?!!
It seems like so long since our last meeting. Just think of all the new stories
to hear the latest projects that we will all get to see at our next get
together!
I believe this was the first time we have
ever taken the summer off, and as much as I have missed all of you folks and
the encouragement to be working on some leather project, Im not sure I would
have been able to make any of the meetings even if we would have had them. How
about you? I have talked with a number of you, and it seems like everyones
life is on fast forward these days. So I do hope that you plan to join us this
month to get caught up on everything that is going on, at our upcoming
meetings, the 2006 IFOLG Show, and in folks lives. Please note the meeting
date change: Our next meeting will be on
Sunday, September 25th, 1:00 PM, at the Harmony Zelienople
United Methodist Church.
Most of you know that Jennifer and I
had the opportunity to go back to Mexico in July on another mission trip. We
were part of a group of 10 from our church who met up with folks from 5 other
churches from across the US to form one big team of people who were willing to
do what we could to help some of the underprivileged people in and around
Mexico City. We offered Medical, Dental and Optical assistance as well as Hair
care & Manicures and Childrens Ministries. In one week we were able to
serve a little over 1,700 people.
Jennifer
worked on the Dental team and I got to be an optician. It was a physically
demanding time filled with emotional highs and lows.
There are a few reasons why I am
sharing all of this with you. Not only to tell you a little bit about my
summer, but also to share with you one of the things they told us over and
over: In order to be successful we needed to be patient, flexible and ready
for change. It was a lesson well learned down there as plans can and did
change.
Which leads right into talking about
our plans to co-host the 2006 International Federation Of Leather Guilds Show
along with the International Internet Leather Guild. Let me ask you, are you
patient, flexible and ready for change?? Well let me share with you some of
things that have been going on since our last meeting: Holly Moore was removed
as Show Co-Chair by the Executive Board of the IILG. Holly and I worked well
together and she is to be thanked for all of the hard work that she did and for
getting the show as far along as it was.
Holly
was replaced byfellow Pitt PounderS,
Jim Hay. Jim jumped right in with both Feet and quickly got to work looking at
every detail and questioning everything. It is because of Jims attention to
detail that we discovered a little problem, which Ill get to in one minute.
Because of the business of the farming life,(its soybean harvest time now) and
having to deal with the after effects of Katrina, Jim has had to step down as
Co-Chair. Since then I have been working closely with the IILG Board,
especially Ron Ross, the President of the IILG.
Oh yeah, that little problem that Jim discovered. It turns out that the
meeting rooms at the Holiday Inn, which we have had booked for almost two
years, are to small for this show. Im not sure where I got the amount of square
footage needed for this show, but my numbers were about 3,000 sq ft to small.
Needless to say we have been scrambling these last few weeks. But we are close
to having a new and familiar location wrapped up. By the time we meet this
month, all of that should be taken care of and we can plow ahead with our
plans.
So if you want more
information, I guess youll have to come to this months meeting! Please bring
along the tools listed in this newsletter so that you can take part in our
hands on workshop, as well as all of the projects you have been working on
since our last meeting. I look forward to seeing youall there.
Your Friend,
Christopher
Upcoming Projects at Meetings
TERRYMOORE
This month, we will
start the first of several classes on making leather jewelry using techniques
developed by Rene Berends.We will
start the class by watching part of the Hide Crafter video on this subject, and
then making a leather bracelet.The
bracelet looks like a braided item, but it is built around a leather core and a
lacing technique is used to make the braided portion of the bracelet.It is hoped we will be able to finish the
bracelet at this meeting.
After we get started
on the braiding on the bracelet, we will watch the remainder of the video which
will show how to make a necklace using a leather gemstone.The gemstone will be the subject of the
following months guild meeting and making of the braided necklace to hold the gemstone.
This month you will
need the following items and tools to make the bracelet:
1 x 8 piece of 2/3 oz leather.
12 length of 1/8 lace
3/16 punch
3/32 punch
Knife and scissors to cut leather
Modeling tool with scribe end
or
lacing fid
Lacing needles
Lacing or needle nosed pliers
TERRY
FINALLY,
THEBIG DAYHASARRIVED
THEPITTPOUNDERSWEBPAGE
PITTPOUNDERS.ORG
JOHANNASCHROERIS OUR
LATESTGUILDMEMBER AND IS THE ONETO
THANKFOR THISWEBPAGE. SHEHAS TAKEN TIME TO
CREATED IT AND WILL TAKE THE TIME TO MAINTAIN IT.AS YOU CAN SEE SHE IS VERYTALENTED ANDHAS DONE A
GREATJOB.
