June...

Finally summer has arrived and long may it continue!

Last months meeting was a lovely summery affair, resulting in approximately 70 gorgeous fabric flowers (and a few crocheted flowers) for Vicky at Paper Village to add to the dresses that will be made at her many workshops for the Dress a Girl Around The World project.  Have you signed up for one of her free workshops yet?  Take a look at the Paper Village Facebook page for the workshop date or just pop into the shop and sign up there.

At our May meeting you might recall it was the time of the wooden spoon once more.  All members cast a vote to support (or not) the proposed Resolution of increasing organ donations.  Our majority vote was in favour of supporting the resolution and the information was taken to the AGM held earlier this month.  The resolution was passed with 5981 branches voting in favour and 133 against.

Next weeks meeting is all about boobs!  We’ve got 2 speakers visiting us, firstly Lynn from Perfect Fit in Keynsham will share her considerable knowledge about lingerie and the importance of ensuring you get expert fitting and advice to make the most of your figure whatever your shape and size. Aside from running Perfect Fit Lynn is also a leading light in the Keynsham business community having chaired the Business Association, now the Chamber of Commerce, for many years championing the interests of traders and retailers and the future of Keynsham town centre.

Our second speaker is local community midwife, Tracey Dawn White, who will share her own experience of successfully coming through breast cancer and provide advice on how we should all be more breast aware.
 
We’ll also have a bra bin at our meeting, so bring along your old bras, because simply by binning them you can help raise money for breast cancer research.

Or alternatively, how about sponsoring your own Malago WI team? We’ve entered the Race for Life on Sunday 6^th July, just click the link HERE and help support us and Cancer Research UK.

Finally, as mentioned last month, our July meeting will be a trip to Aldwick Court Farm for a vineyard tour and wine tasting (please let the sunshine continue!)  Places are limited as we’ll be travelling by coach.  It will cost £5 to help cover the cost of the coach hire (£10 for non-members).
So get you name on the list asap if you haven’t already and please bring the cash to the next meeting to secure your place, it’s going to be a fab evening and you don’t want to miss out!

Until Wednesday (don't forget your old bras!),

MWI x

May the fun continue...

Hello Malagowers,

we'll start start by saying thanks to Helen Blenkinsop for her interesting talk last month on preserving memories and her experiences in writing her parents memoirs.  It was lovely to hear and see members’ memories and family stories and diaries too.  I hope at least some of you have been inspired to do more with the memories you have or have had shared with you.  You can keep up to date with Helen’s writing activities via her website and social media, under her Pseudonym, AA Abbott.
Now tell me, have you all recorded details of last month’s meeting in diary form, photo records or blog format?!

This month’s meeting is a return to a bit of hands-on crafting.  Vicky, from Paper Village will be showing and helping us to make fabric flowers.  These will then be used to embellish dresses made at workshops run by Vicky, in her shop for the Dress a Girl Around the world project – of which we will hear more about at our meeting.

As mentioned at our last meeting, if you have some pieces or off cuts of fabric that you can donate to the cause, please bring them with you, if you have time and can cut out 12cm diameter circles that would be even better!  We’ll need 6 circles per flower, so even if you just do a few each, it’d be a huge help.
Also, any haberdashery you have spare will also be gratefully received and used, so buttons, beads, ribbons and lace – please bring along.

Perhaps you fancy making your own decorative item for embellishing the dresses, bring your crochet hook and crochet flowers, maybe?  Cut out a pocket, add a little embroidery and ribbon trim? If you've got the imagination for a bit of craft free-styling, then go for it! 

Now, how about this Race for Life?  Will you join the Malago WI team to help raise money for Cancer Research UK?  Register HERE for the 5k event and quote our group reference ID DI6428 to link in to our team. 
We’re not planning on breaking any speed records here, some of us will be walking so don't be put off by the thought of running!  Get a friend to register too – you don’t have to be a WI member to join our team.

Alternatively, could you spare a little money to make a donation on our Just Giving page?  We’d be very grateful, and maybe you could share the link amongst your friends via your social media pages?  Whatever you can do to support us and Cancer Research UK will be appreciated.

Finally, our lampshade workshop took place at the weekend and 24 stunning lampshades are now brightening Bristol - there's a photo on our Facebook page if you'd like a look!

Hope to see you on Wednesday, fabric and haberdashery in hand!

Until then,

MWI x

April...

Spring greetings to you all!

What gorgeous weather we’ve had recently, doesn’t it make you feel good?

Blue sky and sunshine, lovely – please stay.

Much like last month’s meeting – making porcelain beads, buttons, pendants and all manner of little trinkets with Lisa Stevens.

 A lovely evening of chatter and play also makes you feel good and we still have the thrill of getting the finished, glazed items back from Lisa!

This month Helen Blenkinsop will be talking to us about how to preserve memories. 

As a Women’s Institute maybe we’re more familiar with preserving fruits and vegetables, but how often have you heard a story from an elderly relative’s past, or witnessed your own children do something or say something that made you think ‘I must remember that’?

Well, Helen will tell us how.  And she knows, because she’s done just that having spent four years working with her parents to capture their memories and produce an 80,000 word book for future generations to enjoy.

 Helen is also a published author and writes suspense-filled thrillers with a touch of romance under the name AA Abbott; take a look at her website for more details about her books.

Bring along a pen and paper to the meeting on Wednesday and if you like, old diaries and photos - perhaps from your teenage years, or older ones that you've inherited.  Also a bit of pocket money, as Helen will have her books for sale!

Looking ahead to our May meeting, we’d like your help please.

We’ll be welcoming Vicky Harrison from Paper Village and Louise Horler from the Dress a Girl Around the World Project – read more about this lovely charity that provides little girls in third world countries with pretty dresses, HERE.

 We‘ll be making fabric flowers and decorating pockets and patches, which we will give to Vicky to add to the pillowcase dresses made during the sewing sessions she’ll be co-ordinating over the summer.

So, can you help by digging out any scraps of fabric and cutting out 12cm diameter circles for the fabric flowers?  We need 6 circles to make 1 flower, so your help will be appreciated!

Otherwise, any pieces of fabric, or haberdashery such as buttons, ribbons, bias-binding, pieces of lace and the like that you’d be willing to donate to the cause would also be very welcome.

In the meantime, be sure to support Vicky’s latest project as it reaches its climax.  Maybe you’ve already been involved in making pieces for the City of Briswool, a huge, woolly representation of our fine City.  It will be on display in Paper Village during the Arts Trail weekend of May 17^th and 18^th.

Finally, the Race for Life is happening in Bristol on Sunday 6^th July and Malago WI has entered a group.  If you’d like to be part of it, you just need to enter our Group ID code when you register and we can share our fundraising efforts for Cancer Research UK as well as perhaps co-ordinate training sessions for those inclined to run!  Let us know if you’d like to be part of this wonderful event with Malago WI.

Until Wednesday,

MWI x