Springville Road Library Adult Programs Offer Fellowship, Instruction in a Relaxed Environment
by Kelly Laney, Springville Road Regional Branch Library
With the colder weather and darker days, don’t huddle alone this winter. Come to the library to have fun and meet people! There are many opportunities to have fun, learn crafts, learn healthy tips, and stay fit.
This is the time of the year when nimble (and maybe not-so-nimble) fingers turn to crafting to prepare for the holidays. There are several venues for participating in crafting handmade gifts from the heart for friends and loved ones. If you are a fan of visual learning, you can type in just about any craft on YouTube and view a how-to video to get ideas, learn a new technique, or practice an old one. If hands-on is more your learning style, you can check the events calendar on the Birmingham Public Library website to find a class near you. At the Springville Road Regional Branch Library, we offer several opportunities for expressing your craftiness while making new friends.
Coffee, Conversation & Crafts meets every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Springville Road Library. We always have a specific craft we’re working on, for which the library provides instruction, materials, and supplies. However, if you want to learn something specific, like how to crochet, knit, or loom knit, staff or group members will be glad to get you started on the basics and walk you through your preferred project. In the past month we’ve had a young lady learn loom knitting and produce her first hat in just 3 weeks!
If you’ve always had a yen to create a toasty, warm, and beautiful quilt for yourself or as a gift, please join us on the first Friday of every month at 9:30 a.m. for Beginning Quilting. Our instructor, Ms. Shirley Forest, is the president of the East Jefferson County Quilt Guild, and she teaches how to do a different block each month. Participants can bring their own equipment and materials, or can choose from a variety of material provided by the library. If you have a machine you can carry and you like to use, bring it along; but machines and supplies are provided if you don’t. You’re welcome to join whether you have sewn in the past or never set a stitch. The quilters and staff will help you get started and learn the basics of this enduring fabric art form.
Ms. Judy Dick teaches Beginning Sewing on the third Friday of each month. On November 16 at 10:00 a.m., her group will be showcasing their work in a special event. There will be examples of embroidery, dress-making, quilting, tablecloths, pincushions, pillowcases, and pillows made during the past year. Examples of crochet, knit, and tatting from other groups will also be on hand. Light refreshments will be served. Beginners are always welcome, and the class is ongoing.
Maybe you just need a stress break? On Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., please join the gang at Springville Road Library for our weekly Card Party. We started with poker, but have moved on to canasta, with a brief stop at gin and fan-tan. If you have a favorite card game, come share your love (and the rules). We learn betting rules with chips, but of course, there’s no real gambling going on. This doesn’t stop us from chortling over a hard-won pile of chips! All adults are welcome, and you don’t need to know how to play any game to participate. We’ll teach you! We also serve light refreshments, and you can just come watch if you don’t want to jump right in.
Do you know you should exercise more, or maybe drop a few pounds, but it’s just so hard to get out and make yourself do it? Do you need a little support or a cheer partner? At Springville Road Library, we’ve got two programs that meet on three different weekdays to encourage you. On Mondays (right after Coffee, Conversation & Crafts) the Body Changers meet at 1:00 p.m. This is a volunteer-led weight management and healthy lifestyles group that offers tips and encouragement towards reaching your goals. The library provides health, exercise, diet, nutrition, cooking, shopping, and recipe tips, while the group weighs in with monitoring goals and providing encouragement. It’s always easier to tackle a task when you’ve got friends with you, so come meet some people who are on your team! On Tuesdays (at 11:00 a.m.) and Fridays (at 1:00 p.m.) come Bend & Stretch with us. This is a gentle, mainly chair exercise group that is based on the National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life program. The exercises focus on building strength, endurance, and flexibility, and on improving balance, and are gentle enough for anyone to participate. They’re easy to learn and can be done at home on the days we don’t meet, but getting together is so much fun you won’t want to miss a day. We finish the class with a short meditation and light refreshments.
The best thing about all the programs at the library is the opportunity to pick up a book from the collection and extend your knowledge. Whether it’s making Christmas scarves after learning to crochet, or becoming the local whiz kid at Texas hold'em poker, we have plenty of information for you to brush up an old skill or learn a new one. Ask in the Adult Department for books or magazines on whatever you find fascinating.
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| The Coffee, Conversation & Crafts group at Springville Road Library |
With the colder weather and darker days, don’t huddle alone this winter. Come to the library to have fun and meet people! There are many opportunities to have fun, learn crafts, learn healthy tips, and stay fit.
This is the time of the year when nimble (and maybe not-so-nimble) fingers turn to crafting to prepare for the holidays. There are several venues for participating in crafting handmade gifts from the heart for friends and loved ones. If you are a fan of visual learning, you can type in just about any craft on YouTube and view a how-to video to get ideas, learn a new technique, or practice an old one. If hands-on is more your learning style, you can check the events calendar on the Birmingham Public Library website to find a class near you. At the Springville Road Regional Branch Library, we offer several opportunities for expressing your craftiness while making new friends.
Coffee, Conversation & Crafts meets every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Springville Road Library. We always have a specific craft we’re working on, for which the library provides instruction, materials, and supplies. However, if you want to learn something specific, like how to crochet, knit, or loom knit, staff or group members will be glad to get you started on the basics and walk you through your preferred project. In the past month we’ve had a young lady learn loom knitting and produce her first hat in just 3 weeks!
If you’ve always had a yen to create a toasty, warm, and beautiful quilt for yourself or as a gift, please join us on the first Friday of every month at 9:30 a.m. for Beginning Quilting. Our instructor, Ms. Shirley Forest, is the president of the East Jefferson County Quilt Guild, and she teaches how to do a different block each month. Participants can bring their own equipment and materials, or can choose from a variety of material provided by the library. If you have a machine you can carry and you like to use, bring it along; but machines and supplies are provided if you don’t. You’re welcome to join whether you have sewn in the past or never set a stitch. The quilters and staff will help you get started and learn the basics of this enduring fabric art form.
Ms. Judy Dick teaches Beginning Sewing on the third Friday of each month. On November 16 at 10:00 a.m., her group will be showcasing their work in a special event. There will be examples of embroidery, dress-making, quilting, tablecloths, pincushions, pillowcases, and pillows made during the past year. Examples of crochet, knit, and tatting from other groups will also be on hand. Light refreshments will be served. Beginners are always welcome, and the class is ongoing.
Maybe you just need a stress break? On Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., please join the gang at Springville Road Library for our weekly Card Party. We started with poker, but have moved on to canasta, with a brief stop at gin and fan-tan. If you have a favorite card game, come share your love (and the rules). We learn betting rules with chips, but of course, there’s no real gambling going on. This doesn’t stop us from chortling over a hard-won pile of chips! All adults are welcome, and you don’t need to know how to play any game to participate. We’ll teach you! We also serve light refreshments, and you can just come watch if you don’t want to jump right in.
Do you know you should exercise more, or maybe drop a few pounds, but it’s just so hard to get out and make yourself do it? Do you need a little support or a cheer partner? At Springville Road Library, we’ve got two programs that meet on three different weekdays to encourage you. On Mondays (right after Coffee, Conversation & Crafts) the Body Changers meet at 1:00 p.m. This is a volunteer-led weight management and healthy lifestyles group that offers tips and encouragement towards reaching your goals. The library provides health, exercise, diet, nutrition, cooking, shopping, and recipe tips, while the group weighs in with monitoring goals and providing encouragement. It’s always easier to tackle a task when you’ve got friends with you, so come meet some people who are on your team! On Tuesdays (at 11:00 a.m.) and Fridays (at 1:00 p.m.) come Bend & Stretch with us. This is a gentle, mainly chair exercise group that is based on the National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life program. The exercises focus on building strength, endurance, and flexibility, and on improving balance, and are gentle enough for anyone to participate. They’re easy to learn and can be done at home on the days we don’t meet, but getting together is so much fun you won’t want to miss a day. We finish the class with a short meditation and light refreshments.
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Adult Department librarian Kelly Laney, right, at a Springville Road Library
craft fair
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