Betty W was busy!

Betty is one of our most productive volunteers.  She has been with us since begining four years ago.

Now I love all of my volunteers....but Betty is in a league of her own with this donation.

She has been actively trying to reduce her stash for over a year.  I have tried to give her fabric, and she politely declines the offer.

Every couple of months I will get a call that she has quilts for us.

Here is a sample of the last donation:

Aren't they cute!  I love that this batch is mostly non gender specific.

I also love that they come to us, ready for donation.  Betty pieces the tops, quilts them and binds them.

Betty had called me a few weeks ago and asked if we had the need for these quilts yet.  Last week I saw a request on social media for small blankets for kids being placed in foster care.  I called Betty and told her that I was going to make a donation, and she got her quilts ready for us.

(see last weeks post if you would like to help out)

All of these quilts have already made their way to be put in backpacks to be given to a child in crisis.

Next week I will show you the rest of the donation.

Thank you does not seem adequate Betty....but I truly appreciate your generous spirit.

Quilts for kids entering foster care

This post is going to be a quick little post.  It actually has jumped in line, because it is of a time sensative nature.

Last week while on facebook, I came across a local post. Adel Family Denistry had posted that they were acting as a collection point for donations.  The Iowa Order of the Eastern Star are assembling "Kids Comfort Kits", filled with items of comfort for children entering foster care in Dallas County.  

Here is a link to the post:

https://www.facebook.com/AdelFamilyDentistry/?fref=ts

What caught my eye was that they were looking for small blankets, pillow cases and small stuffed animals.   As luck would have it we have some of those items available for donation.  Their project married well with our Hope Quilt donations.  

I spent a portion of last Wednesday, getting our donation ready.  Thursday morning I delivered these to them.

There are 17 quilts there.  15 pillow cases, and a bag of Beanie Babies.  

They were very grateful for our donation, and I am hoping that we will be able to assist them with future donations.

Please take a minute and check out the items that they are hoping will be donated.  Many of the items they are looking for are hygene items.  The targeted age group is 4 to 12.

Next week I am going to show you the awesome quilts that Betty W. donated.  All of which are part of this donation.

Have a great week!

puppy quilts

See this mess of fabric?  I keep adding to it with the intention of creating puppy quilts.  Puppy quilts are used in a child wading pool. Amy and the staff at AHeintz 57 contain new mommies and their litter in them when they are very young.

Well slightly before my surgery I dedicated a couple of days to clean up the clutter of this stack.  There was also a drawer full of binding tails that needed tending to.

The third week after surgery I was finally allowed to take the stairs, and I spent three glorious days just sewing fabrics together willy nilly.  I paid no attention to seams, colors or even fabric types.  I just sewed little strips to make bigger pieces.  

I was WAY OUT of my comfort zone.... but somehow it was really a lot of fun.

This was my first quilt I made. I started with those binding tails.

  You know I realized when I started working with those tails that over the years I have moved from 2.5 to 2.25 inch strips....and why I had 3 inch strips in there is beyond me!  But since I wasn't worried about matching up my seams, it was all okay. I even had some precut blocks that I threw in that quilt. 

The backing for it was two chunks of backing fabric that I had cut off of other Iowa Comfort projects.  They don't go together in any universe....but they were fine for this project.  After all the puppies will have their eyes closed, and they are just going to pee on them anyway. :-)

This is puppy quilt 2.  Not quite as busy as the first one, the backing was pieced together from the first picture.  Remember I was tidying two stacks with these projects.

The third quilt was made out of blocks that have been sitting in my room for at least 6 years.  They were originally going to be HST off set blocks for a 30's quilt I was doing.  They didn't work.  Then I thought I would use them in another challenge I am in.  The quilt called for an hour glass block.  After I cut and sewed them back together I realized my placement was wrong.   So puppy quilt it was.

Now I need to talk about that backing.  I have a whole bolt of it.  When Colleen brought it to me, she specifically called it UNIQUE, and that it was uniquely qualified for the doggy beds and quilts.

By the time I started piecing this quilt I was running a little low on the binding tails.  So I broke up the different sizes with the white.  I don't know why....maybe it was just to make the width that I wanted.  Proud to say 13 years of binding tails are all used up. 

 Again the backing was left over pieces of backing from other projects. That thin star print, is what I trimmed off the first puppy backing.

These are the last two completed projects.  I have one more to quilt and get bound this week.  

I am happy to say that all of my binding tails, backing chunks and batting chunks have all been recycled into these projects. Making my room a little less cluttered.

All of the puppy quilts are quality reviewed by a very picky inspector.  Mork is never very happy with me when I tell him his inspection time is up.

I really enjoyed working on these.  If you have chunks of batting that you have saved thinking you could do a wall hanging or table runner with, and you decide you want to declutter your room.  I can help you out.

Think something like this.  At least 10 inches wide by 20 long. (longer or wider would be even better)

If you are anything like me.  I am guessing you have chunks of fabric that you have been aging in your stash.  It is that fabric that was donated to you  That you inherited from a family member...or even that fabric that you purchased and now years later you are wondering what possessed you at the time.  

I challenge you to use it.  Make a quilt for your local animal rescue.

  Don't want to do the whole project?  I will accept  puppy quilt tops and assembled puppy backings and get them married together and donated to animal rescues.

IF you are wanting to donate puppy quilt tops, they should be around 36 X 48.

Puppy backings should measure about 48 X 60.

Hope you all enjoy the sunshine this week.

Finished projects and donations!

I had a doc appointment last week, and he cut my restrictions....so this past week has been a really fast and furious quilting week.

It is good to be back in the quilting room, and it felt really good.

This quilt got completed.  It was pieced by Judi B.  I have had it for awhile.  Jan M. donated some bright floral flanel that was perfect for the backing of this quilt.  

Now this quilt was going to be designated as a chemo comfort quilt.  Here is the kicker, I am having a hard time finding homes for them.  You see the chemo treatment facilities would love to have them....but the higher ups are concerned with liabilities.

  Possibility of germs, causing infection.  I understand the concern, they suggested that we find individuals to give them to.  That way the treatment center is not liable.  So if you know someone that going through treatment and could use a quilt to take with them give me a call.

It is a great, cozy quilt.  Very comfy and will make someone very comfortable.  Thank you Judi and Jan.

The fabric for this quilt was donated by Fons and Porter.  It was pieced by Colleen T. and bound by Joyce S. for us.  I am going to sound corny here....but it really does take a village of volunteers for Iowa Comfort to work.  I am so grateful for all of my volunteers.

Speaking of Joyce S.  when she dropped off the above quilt she brought a few more presents for us.

5 bright and colorful pillowcases.

Joyce was on a mission to use up the flannel in her tote at home.  So she pieced together this top for us.

Now I love all donations.  This one is special because there is no doubt about it..... it is masculine.  This one has wolves, moose, swordfish and wonderful fall colors.  This is a man's quilt.... and some gentleman at the senior center will love it.

Joyce also sent along the backing for the quilt.  I hope to get it quilted next week.

Brenda A. stopped by this past week also.  She was picking up a couple of quilts that I quilted, she decided to go through her finished quilts and brought this one to donate to a senior center.  Very beautiful and generous.

This bag was full of batting chunks.  Brenda had been saving them for table runners or placemat projects, but she decided that they could be better used in puppy quilts.  Her timing was perfect, I had just used up my final small pieces of batting in projects I hope to show you in the near future.    I have enough batting in here to finish a couple of three projects.

I had eight customer quilts that I finished this past week.  I have two this week and one next week.  Then I will be all caught up and ready to find a balance between my three passions.

Thank you Colleen, Judi, Jan, Brenda and Joyce I appreciate your time, talents and your generosity.

On a side note, it is funny how things work out.  When I could not exercise, I thought I would be working on genealogy.  For whatever reason I could not focus on it.  Now I am clear and all I want to do is exercise, quilt and breakdown brickwalls. There isn't enough hours in the day....  balance that's what I am going to strive for.