A legacy continues

Recently I received a donation from a fellow quilter from northern Iowa.  

Marcia is a leader of a group of woman that make quilts for charity.  Marcia's group mainly stay with lap size quilts or smaller.  They donate pillowcases to the care centers, place mats to those that receive meals on wheels, and baby quilts for newborns in the church community.  If there is a need and Marcia's group can fill it they do.

Given all the good work that these ladies do, it doesn't surprise me that Marcia receives fabric donations also.  One of those donations was from Joann Hansen. 

Joann's sister was an avid (and prolific) quilter from Webster City, Janis Smith.  Janis passed away unexpectedly due to heart problems.  Janis had several long cabin quilt tops completed, and to honor her sister Joann decided to share those quilts with those who are less fortunate.  

These tops were larger than what Marcia's group could use, so with Joann's permission they were donated to Iowa Comfort.

Take a look at these wonderful quilts:

That is 7 bed sized quilts! The top 6 are all log cabins, but I really like how the setting of the blocks make each top unique. I see the barn raising pattern, and pinwheels, two that remind me of flying geese and the setting that looks like big X's.  I can honestly tell you with the exception of the barn raising setting I didn't see the overall patterns until I took these pictures.  That is one of my favorite things about log cabin quilts....the overall quilt setting.

The bottom quilt, the HST quilt, is foundation pieced....and it isn't really HST's.  Each block has six strips of fabric that have been sewn on to another piece of fabric to make the block.  It is going to be a WARM quilt when finished, it may not even need batting, I'll have to consult with a few other quilters about it.

Marcia donated two bolts of floral fabric to be used as backing material for the quilts. Very generous!

Joann also donated fabric to several other organizations around the state.  I have no doubt that Janis is pleased that her talent and supplies are being used to help so many people around the state.

Thank you Marcia for sharing your fabric for backing material.... and for letting Joann know about Iowa Comfort.  These quilts won't be quilted until after the first of the year....but we have a good start on next years goal....what ever number that is!

SIX cute hope quilts!

Remember my post in September called "Remembering RuthAnn"?

No, well maybe this will help you.  RuthAnn's husband cleaned out her sewing room and donated this sack of fabric to Iowa Comfort, after she passed away.

The sack was full of flannel...some of it ready to go into rag quilts (see the second picture).  I am slowly working on getting them stitched together.  Maybe I will pull them back out tomorrow while quilting a charity quilt and try to get at least one of them completed.

I gave this sack to Donna Grove to play with.... she took it to her sewing group at the Christian Church in Adel.  They put together these wonderful quilt tops!

They are so soft and just adorable!  And although the following fabric wasn't donated by RuthAnn's wonderful husband.  The sew group made a top from it also.

I am not positive but I think Leslie Jackson donated this fabric. (my apologizes if my memory failed me and someone else donated the fabric, just let me know and I'll get your name up)

I would like to thank each and every person in the Christian Church quilt group for constructing the quilt tops.  I know that there are several in the group but I only know Donna, Margaret and Mary's names.  These quilts are truly going to wrap some warmth around a small child next year.  

These are the first quilts to go on the longarm after the first of the year, and will be the first of the donation quilts for 2013.

Thank you again! 2013 is going to be a banner year!

2012 comes to and end

Isn't that an odd title. 

I know that it isn't December 31rst yet.  But I have reached the maximum number of quilts that I can complete before the end of the year.  I have 7 comfort quilts to finish yet this year, but I also have 15 customer quilts to get done by the end of November so they can be Christmas gifts.

The customer quilts fund Iowa Comfort, so they will have to come first.

I am pretty sure that we as a community will have donated right at 60 quilts this year...when it is all said and done.

I can tell you that I have 31 kits, 7 Hope quilt tops, and 7 large tops all waiting patiently for the begining of next year....thats is 45 tops and it isn't January yet.  Who knows what we will end up contributing next year, and isn't it wonderful!

On my next several posts I will show you those 7 hope quilts, and the 7 large quilt tops.

I would also like to remind everyone that the community sew day is a week from Saturday at the Adel Library.  We have 2 sessions that day 9 to 12, and 1 to 4.  Bring your sewing machine and make sure to bring a seam ripper.

3 little quilts

Penny White moved from central Iowa a few months ago, but she hasn't forgotten about us.  Last weekend she came back to our area to see the quilt show in Winterset.  While here she also dropped off three Hope quilts and three pillowcases.

Here is a picture of the pillowcases....so cute and cuddly...

See the pretty purple ones....they have a matching quilt also.  Here it is.

Above is the front of the quilt.  The quilt is made out of soft minkee, and the back matches two of the pillowcases above.

This little quilt is ready for a child, all I need to do is get a label on it and put it on the pile for delivery at the end of the month.

Penny also did the following two quilt tops.  She found a pattern on line and decided that she could blow the block up and make a perfect sized quilt for our Hope quilts.

Pretty pinwheels in blue and green batiks.  These blocks measure about 40 by 40.

Officially these are quilts 55, 56 and 57.  Such generosity!

Thank you Penny for your donations!  And thank everyone else for your continued support of Iowa Comfort.

Community Sew Day

On November 3 I have the Adel Library reserved for the community sew day.  I tried to get a Saturday in October....but alas it was not to be, all of the Saturdays were taken.

It has come to my attention that Adel Quilting's retreat is going on at the same time. (Where was my head?) So picking that day was probably not a good idea on my part....but the day has been picked and it has been announced so I am going to continue with the plan.

So if you would like to help out, join me at one of the two sessions. The kits are small and I anticipate they will go together quickly, so I have 2 three hour sessions scheduled for the day.
                                   
                          9:00 to 12:00 or 1:00 to 4:00 

Bring your sewing machines, a seam ripper (will be a must for the project we are working on) and any other normal sewing supplies.

I will have coffee on for any that would like it....and if I get really ambitious I might bake some snacks for the day also.

Hope to see you there!

More Generosity

Last week many of my friends from Iowa Quilters (an online group that I belong to) got together before the AQS show.  This night is for catching up, meeting people for the first time in person, and show n tell.  If you were not laughing during this time...you weren't breathing.....cuz we are one FUNNY group! And if you need proof check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eao8LHJIGUo the ladies in pink are the Iowa Quilters, and that is Marcia upfront...she is our ring  cheerleader!

The group is also very generous!  One of our members makes hats for people going thru chemo treatments, another member collects pillowcases that she donates to the local school.  The school nurse then distributes them at Christmas time to those in need.

One of my friends volunteered to quilt, quilt tops for Heartstrings. http://www.maryquilts.com/strings/strings-heartstrings-red-centers/  This is a group of people who volunteer in various ways.  Some just make blocks, some piece blocks together, other quilt the tops.

Peg volunteered to quilt and bind 3 tops, and because she did she was allowed to determine which charity she wanted to donate them to.....she chose Iowa Comfort. Peg brought them along to our get together and showed the quilts to the group.  Take a look:

  

I have study these quilts at great length..... I am amazed at how they all look so different yet are the same block with just different placement of colors or the block is placed different.

Peg did an awesome job of quilting these quilts!  I wish I had half of her talent!  Hope the quilting shows up in these close ups of the blocks.

These quilts are going to be well loved by someone!  I would like to thank Heartstrings and all of their volunteers who made blocks or volunteered their time to piece the tops together.  And a special thank you to Peg Jones for quilting and binding these quilts and then thinking about Iowa Comfort as the charity to donate them to.

The generosity of quilters always amazes me.  Officially these are quilts #52,53 and 54.

Thank you all for your support and help!

Binding

Last week was the big show in Des Moines, and I know that several of you went.  Did you find all kinds of things that you could not live without?

I got together with many of the ladies from my on line group.  I think we had 16 on Tuesday and Wednesday night, but not necessarily the same 16 each night.  We get together and play games and have a show n tell.  We also bring things we no longer want, but someone else might....kind of like a swap meet.  It was a really nice time.

This year I opted not to go to the show, the only thing I really needed was more thread, and I could order it online and have it delivered to my house cheaper than the admission ticket and the cost of parking. SOOOOOO I was able to quilt all last week.

I made several doggy pillows and mats.  I quilted both of the children quilts that Rhonda Huggins made at the charity sew day in Parkersburg. And I have the binding made and applied to 4 Iowa Comfort quilts.

This week I do have a full load of customer quilts to quilt....so there won't be any charity quilting being done until I get them done....but I will be working on that binding every night while sitting in front of the TV.

I do have a goal this week to get a label made for every quilt/ partial quilt that I have in my possession.  I have three quilts that were donated by a friend....but I can't post them cause I don't know what # quilt they are. ( I know I know it is a great problem to have, but it is embarrassing)  

So this weeks goal is to get that binding stitched down, and get a label with every quilt.  I should be able to meet that goal..

Pictures of those three new quilts on Saturday.

Everyone have a great week!

Community Sew Day coming soon

Yes it is that time again.  I promised several of you that I would get another sew day on the books before the end of the year, so here is the information on it.

The community sew day will be on Saturday November 3, at the Adel Library.  We will be using both of the community rooms as we have in the past.

I have 30 child size quilt kits already packaged, just ready to be sewn together.  These quilts are all from Bonnie Hunters web site, the quilt is called "Streak of Sunshine".

I anticipate that these kits will go together very quickly....so I am having two sessions that day... First session is from 9 to 12, and the second session is from 1 to 4 pm.

We have 8 tables that can be used for sewing, so with two per table that will allow for a total of 16 quilters per session. I am keeping one table open for cutting fabric for additional kits.... and cutting the backings needed for these kits.

I will of course bring fabric along....just in case we need it, and I will have a pattern printed for each table.

Sooo if you would like to help out again, mark it on your calendar and let me know which session you would like to attend.

I'm off to the farmers market this morning, winter coat is coming out of the closet, it appears that fall has arrived!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Saturday Delivery

Over the weekend I had both Owen and Lexi on Friday night.  Owen went home Saturday morning, but Lexi hung out with me until Sunday afternoon.

We all got up early and went to the farmers market Saturday morning.  Meeting up with my Mom, son and daughter in law, we had four generations hanging out in the brisk fall morning. It was very nice.

Once Lexi and I made it home (we did a slight detour to do some shopping) we counted down the time until we could deliver the dog beds and pads to Aheintz57 transport and rescue.  Saturday was also adoption day so it was very busy and many of the animals in their care were headed for new homes.  LOVE IT!

It took both Lexi and I to carry in the 7 large beds, and 10 pads.... and as soon as we hit the door one of the staff members looked up and said "beds we so need them!".  They also loved the pads, and said that they would be used in the kennels when they transported their four legged friends.

I didn't take any pictures of the pillows before we left (bad debbie!) but trust me they will be well used.

I did have a hard time getting Lexi to leave, she fell in love with the new litter of puppies that had come in on Friday.  A farmer had found the 5 of them in a soybean bin, the staff thought that they had survived on soybeans for the last several weeks.  They are very cute!

So if you are thinking about getting a new addition to your household.....please think about a rescue, instead of buying from a pet store or puppy mill.

Hope everyone makes it to the show this week and has a wonderful time!