Winter Crafting - The Big Knit

This winter looks like we're going to be stuck indoors more than normal. So why not join us in our winter-long virtual craft club, where we'll be knitting little hats for Innocent smoothie bottles, for their Big Knit campaign in 2021. We've done this in the past as part of Craft Club, and below are some we made earlier.

As you go, send your pictures to lwewicraftclub@gmail.com, and we'll put together a virtual gallery of them on the blog and social media (we're @londonwestendwi on Twitter and LondonWestEndWomensInstitute on Facebook)

You can find more information here, including patterns etc. Whether you're a member of LWEWI or just a keen knitter, do get your needles and wool out and get knitting! In spring/summer we'll put a call out to bring all the hats together and send them to a London branch of Age UK for use in next year's campaign. And hopefully we'll see the hats in supermarkets one day in early 2022...

https://www.thebigknit.co.uk/join-in

What we've been up to so far...

So, as the autumn moves on, and the nights draw in, and a possible lockdown beckons, LWEWI has continued to try to meet virtually where possible. 

We've had some craft club meetings via Zoom, and some monthly meetings too - while these aren't the same as meetings in real life, it has meant that members have been able to stay in touch, including Nancy, who has moved back home to the USA, and Nicky and Claire who have moved out of London. 

Monthly meetings have included a virtual tour of Cambridge, a virtual gossip, and this month a wonderful presentation from our Secretary, Natalie, a BBC Journalist and editor who is currently head of the BBC's User Generated Content Team, about her work in the BBC Newsroom finding and verifying images, videos, quotes and eyewitness accounts etc from the public to back up news stories. Next month we're planning to try a bake-along, each making our own scones (and hopefully ending the meeting with tea and a scone!)

October's monthly meeting

October Craft Club

    

Ready to start our virtual tour of Cambridge with Murray Jacobs in July

We've also featured - again - in the NWFI's publicity. This time it's our President Claude, and a few of our members, having a wonderful time at a meeting, to celebrate International Friendship Day.

We post information about our future meetings on social media, especially Twitter, where we're @LondonWestendWI, and also on Facebook so do give us a follow. We also have a WhatsApp group for members to stay in touch, and can be reached via email on londonwestendwi@gmail.com if you're interested in coming to a meeting or joining us.

LWEWI in Lockdown - the story so far

Since we cancelled our meetings in early March, starting with Craft Club, it's been an odd few months! We hope all our members are doing well, and we're looking forward to catching up with all of you in person when we can. 

With more time on our hands (even if it's simply not having to commute to work), many of us have taken to a spot more crafting. We've run 3 craft clubs on Zoom on the first Tuesday of each month, and we've also been doing crafting at home between meetings.

As well as craft, we've had an active WhatsApp group discussing everything from emoji games to sewing machine purchases, and much more besides. And we had our first virtual monthly meeting in May, where we had a quiz led by committee member Pam. Well done to Jayne for winning, and thanks to all who came and made it such a fun evening! We'll be having another virtual meeting in June, details to come.

Away from the monthly meetings, our crafty ladies have been busy! Nicky, who has recently moved out of London but continues to join us via Zoom, has has been hard at work during lockdown, making masks for friends and family, hearts for a local care home near her new home in Malvern, and scrubs from an old sheet for a local hospice!

Meanwhile our secretary Natalie has been working hard on her one-of-a-kind paint by numbers of her 15 year old border collie, Skye (pictured on the right):

And as well as that there has been paper crafting, sewing, jewellery making, and much more besides going on - here's just a selection!

For anyone interested in joining us, do drop us an email at londonwestendwi@gmail.com or send us a DM on twitter (@LondonWestendWI). You're more than welcome to come to one of our virtual meetings before joining, and despite what it looks like you really don't have to be a crafter to join!

May (virtual) Meetings

London West End WI hopes you're all keeping safe in these trying times.

After a successful meeting via Zoom for Craft Club in April, we're going to try for more meetings in May so our members can keep in touch. 

April crafting with LWEWI online

First up is another Craft Club, on Tuesday 5th May at 7pm. Members should already have been sent the code to join, if not then email us. We're not doing any specific craft - bring your cross stitch, or knitting, or mask making, or anything else you like, grab a glass of something cold or a mug of something hot, and join us! 

On 20th May, in place of our regular meeting we'll be having a quiz night, again via Zoom, with oodles of general knowledge questions to get your brains working. More details (time, log in, etc) will be sent nearer the time. All you'll need as well as Zoom is a pen and paper (and wine. always wine!)

Remember we also have a WhatsApp group, if you've not been added to it, and would like to be, then do drop us an email with your mobile number so we can add you.

All Meetings CANCELLED until further notice

Due to the current circumstances, all LWEWI meetings are cancelled until further notice.

We are keeping up communication on WhatsApp, and attempting to brave the world of Zoom meetings. If you're a member and haven't got the WhatsApp details, do drop us an email to be added to the group.
Our first Zoom meeting is on 7 April at 7pm, for a spot of crafting. Again, email if you haven't got the details!.
We'll also be updating regularly via Twitter so keep an eye on that too.

We hope to resume regular meetings as soon as possible. In the meantime please stay safe, keep washing your hands, and lets all look out for those in our communities who may need extra help at this time.

February 2020 Review of the Month

At our main meeting in February, we began with our AGM and welcomed representatives from Middlesex Federation to help us with voting. Our committee for 2020 is:

Claude: President 

Helena: Treasurer

Natalie: Secretary

Chris: Membership Secretary

Pam: Social Media Secretary

Afterwards we had a brilliant session with Disco Diva Danielle, who led us in an energetic 70s themed line dancing which we all had a great time trying out!

We got crafty at our monthly Craft Club, where we had a beginner's crochet session. Thanks to Jayne for being so patient with us! March Craft Club is on Tuesday 3rd March, and we'll be crafting paper flowers.

February Meeting - 70s Line Dancing

At our next meeting on Wednesday 19th January, we'll be having our AGM first, with Middlesex Federation in attendance. If anyone wants to be on the committee, or indeed stand as President/Treasurer/Secretary, do let us know in advance or on the evening.

This will be followed by having a go at 70s line dancing with Disco Diva Danielle of @70sDiscoFever. See her Facebook page to find out more: http://www.facebook.com/70sdiscofever

(c) Danielle Capretti

Come prepared to get boogying and shake off those winter blues! Be sure to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is easy to move in, and shoes with smooth soles. No prizes for costumes, but do break out your 70s disco gear if you want. We won't complain!  

(c) Danielle Capretti

Meetings are held in the Upper Vestry Hall of St George's Bloomsbury (look for the noticeboard by the gate on Little Russell Street) from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

All welcome, with £5 charge for non-members. Bring some refreshments to share if you can, and do email us at londonwestendwi@gmail.com if it's your first visit so we know to look out for you!

2020 Resolution voting

The WI has a long history of campaigning on a variety of issues since it was founded in 1915. Each year, members can put forward potential resolutions for shortlisting, which are voted on by members at the AGM, and are then actively campaigned on. The 2020 shortlist of resolutions is now available for voting.

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All LWEWI members can vote for one of the NFWI's shortlisted 2020 resolutions. Votes must be with the Secretary by 12 February, so we can submit them to Middlesex by 14th February.

The 5 shortlisted resolutions are:

• Female crash test dummies
• Time to talk about death and dying
• End modern slavery
• Protect our precious helium
• A call to increase potential stem cell donor registration

Full details of each resolution are in WI Life magazine, and can be downloaded via this link.

Please send your vote to londonwestendwi@gmail.com

January review of the month

We started this year with two crafty evenings.

First up was Craft Club, where we were making quilled greetings cards. Next month we're going to be having a beginner's crochet session.

At our main meeting, we welcomed Ellie and Sophie from St John's Hospice in St John's Wood to tell us about the amazing and essential work carried out at the hospice, and how we could become involved. We also began crafting twiddle mitts, which the hospice use with dementia patients to keep their hands busy. We didn't quite get finished, but we will! Next month we're getting active with 70s themed line dancing! 

January Meeting - Wed 15th

St John's Hospice talk and Twiddle Mitts workshop

At our next meeting on Wednesday 15th January, the team from St John’s Hospice will be coming along to tell us about their work, and help us make, or at least start to make some Twiddle Mitts for their residents with dementia. The mits are knitted with extra bits of material, textures and attachments like beads that can be played with or twiddled, to help restlessness and agitation that can be experienced by those with dementia. 

We won't be able to finish them on the evening, but we can make a start and collect them at our February meeting - or if anyone fancies knitting the plain mitt we can decorate them at the meeting; instructions were sent out with the November newsletter, and can be found here too. If you can bring any wool, needles or embellishment materials that would be great!


Meetings are held in the Upper Vestry Hall of St George's Bloomsbury (look for the noticeboard by the gate on Little Russell Street) from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

All welcome, with £5 charge for non-members. Bring some refreshments to share if you can, and do email us at londonwestendwi@gmail.com if it's your first visit so we know to look out for you!

January Craft Club

Our next craft club is on Tuesday 7th January.  Full details are on the craft club blog: http://lwewicraftclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/january-craft-club.html

This month we’re trying quilling. Members and non members, crafters and non-crafters all welcome from 5.30 to 7.30 at Atlantis Books for crafting, chatting and biscuits!

Email lwewicraftclub@gmail.com for more info or to let us know you’re coming.