The Lost Arts Club
Back row, left to right: Betty Boyd, Barb McFadden, June Damek, Ursula Tyler, and Ann Barry. Seated are Pat Craig, Gail Williamson, and Linda Doolin.
Every Tuesday morning at ten o’clock a talented group of ladies meets at the Liberty Municipal Library for an hour or two of camaraderie and creativity as they take up their handcrafts and visit. The Lost Arts Club, as the group is called, has been in existence for over a decade, and several of the members have been part of the club since its inception.
The ladies meet around several circular tables and busy themselves with their needlework—crochet, needlepoint, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, quilting and other projects—and enjoy the special friendships that have grown over the years. There is always a lot of laughter.
The group has a long history of creating special gifts for others. Throughout the year they take on projects, such as supporting our country’s troops with knitted scarves and hats and other items. Each winter they create warm, beautiful fleece blankets for the children at the Buckner Children’s Village in Beaumont. They’ve supported The Bridge in Pasadena, where victims of various types of abuse or homelessness have been the recipients of blankets and other handcrafted items. They’ve also made warm, cuddly blankets for the police and fire departments to hand out to children in need, and they’ve done the same for children in CPS care who need a little extra comfort in their lives.
The group occasionally takes on extra special projects. Recently they were asked to create a baby blanket using crocheted squares that were made by a lady who is no longer living. The pastel-colored squares were of different sizes and were not tied off, and they could easily have unraveled. One of the Lost Arts Club members tied off all the squares, found matching yarn and added crochet stitching to the squares so they were of a more unified shape, and then carefully crocheted them all together to create the pastel and white blanket top. Then it received a soft white backing and satin ribbon edging. The blanket is beautiful and will soon be enjoyed by a new little baby boy. It will become a treasured keepsake for the family.
The Lost Arts Club welcomes new members. There are no dues or fees involved. The group meets to enjoy each other’s company and to generate the inspiration to continue creating needlework and handcrafts, and to teach these skills to anyone who would like to learn. They also like to learn new skills and welcome anyone who would like to demonstrate their own handcrafts.
For more information about the Lost Arts Club please call the Liberty Municipal Library at 936-336-8901. The library is located inside the Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center, 1710 Sam Houston Street in Liberty. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.