A little of this and a little of that

I sure hope you are all having a better time than me being productive.  Even with using my schedule book, I did not accomplish everything I had wanted to this last week.

I am pretty sure that I am distracted.  You see I leave for Alaska to visit my sister at the end of the month, and my mind keeps drifting off task.  I also have two customer quilts that need to be done before I leave.... with a ton of other chores.

So this post is going to be super short so I can get back to it.

We had these pillowcases dropped off at Adel Quilting and Dry Goods.  I recognize the fabric.  These pillowcases were kitted at our last community day.  And I think that maybe Sherry put them together for me.  I know that Sherry asked if I had any kits and that I sent several to her.  Jacque didn't know for sure who had turned them in....so if it wasn't Sherry, let me know and I'll get you the credit you deserve.

The center can always use pillowcases.  For twenty years they used the same 20 cases.  Two years ago with the help of Adel Quilting and Dry Goods we started a pillowcase drive.  The last two years we have donated at least 75 each year.  That means that not only does a new client receive a new pillow when they arrive at the center, they also get a brand new case for it.  

So if you have that yard of fabric that you just don't know what you are going to do with it, please think about making a pillowcase for the center this year.

I also picked up these bags of donations.

The ladies at quilt circle save their scraps for the doggy beds.  Jacque, Joyce, Nancy and Celia all brought me a bag of scraps already cut down into usable stuffing.

So this week I plan on working on getting this stuffing into a dog bed......along with some of the other overflowing bags of stuffing I have hidden around the house.  ( I really need to get it in to projects prior to leaving for Alaska on the 26th!  Who knows what would happen if Hawkeye happens to get a hold of it!)

Next week I have another finished quilt to show you.

I also have two quilts ready to be bound.  If there is anyone one out there that loves hand work or that would be willing to machine bind, I would greatly appreciate the help.  Both quilts will need to be trimmed.  One is a queen size, the other is slightly bigger than a twin.

Have a great week.

Warm And Cozy

Baby it is cold outside, and if I have anything to do with it I am going to stay warm and cozy in my house!

I did have to go outside earlier today.  All the wind that we had last night made my yard look like a tree limb graveyard.  My neighbor's tree's were no match for the wind, and I had limbs, branches and twigs littering my yard.  No, that in itself would not have gotten me to go outside....but Hawkeye got his chain caught up in them twice this morning.  So I had to go out and free him, and remove the offending clutter so I don't have to do it every time he goes outside. 

I probably should have waited a little longer to do it, though.... I had just completed my first walk of the day on my treadmill, and was quite sweaty when I went out.  If any of my neighbors saw me I am sure they had a laugh on me.  I'll paint the picture...winter coat, yoga pants and hair in a messy ponytail, wrestling 8 foot limbs.  I would have laughed if I saw me....

Speaking of Hawkeye he finally let me complete the binding on that quilt I was working on. Here it is.

Joyce S. put this little quilt together for us at one of our community sew days.  I love how she was able to take two different fabrics with the same theme and put them together.  I would have never have even thought to mix them....but it so works.   

It is projects like this one that makes me love the community sew days....other people bring their creativity to the table and the center gets an adorable quilt for someone.

Thank you so much Joyce for sharing your time and talents with Iowa Comfort!

This week I will be sending a quilt out to a binder ( LOVE my volunteer binders) and I will be quilting another twin size quilt.

That is what I have on my schedule for this week.  I'll have more show n tell for you next week.

Have a great week everyone!

Wrong!

I should know by now that I really can not rely on my memory like I use to.  Things just fade, especially details.  Luckily I have friends that keep me on the straight and narrow.   

I made a mistake in my post on Jan. 7, 2014.  I had posted that I thought the quilt top had been donated by Jacque J.  I thought it was her shop sample from strip club.  I was correct that it was a strip club project, but Jacque sent me an email telling me that she had not donated the top.  Jacque even remembered who might have donated the top.  With her clue in hand I went back over my posts and verified that Judy B actually had donated the top.  And I remember the day that she did it now so clearly!

Judy contributes to Iowa Comfort so generously.  She has me quilt tops for her (which allows me to purchase batting, backing and thread) she donates fabric, and of course she has donated several tops to Iowa Comfort.  I so appreciate her generosity and giving nature.  I hope she will accept my apology for my senior moment!

I had hoped to show you a completed quilt this week.  I managed to get it quilted, but I wasn't able to get the binding completed by the time I wrote this post.

Can you guess why I might have trouble completing my binding?

Hawkeye thinks that if I am sitting in that chair he is suppose to be right by my side.

And he loves to lay on fabric! Such a silly dog!

Of course battling Hawkeye for space so makes me appreciate my volunteer binders also.  So I want to take a moment and say a special thank you to the gals that have volunteered to save many of our quilts from dog hair!  Nancy, Celia, Joyce and Jan you all have been life savers!  Thank you so much for all of your help over the past two years!

Hope to show you a completed project next time.

On a cold Iowa winters day

Last week was brutal outside! Some of the coldest weather we have seen this year.  Luckily for me I am retired and don't have to go out in nasty weather unless I choose to.  And I had to, I suffered for several days first, then headed out to get antibiotics for my respiratory infection.  I spent half the week in bed....but the other half I spent working on a quilt.

Here is one of the tops I had in the closet waiting to be quilted.

 As you can see it is another scrap quilt that was donated to Iowa Comfort.  It is a bed size quilt and will be given to the center for their housing unit.  

One of the things I love to do is to figure out the construction of quilts.  This one stumped me for a long while.  You might say I couldn't see the forest for the tree's.  The scrappiness of this quilt has a bit of chaos to it, but in reality it is very organized, and simple.

When I zoomed in I saw it is a 4 patch...it is a fancier 4 patch, but it is still just a four patch.  The trick to this quilt is to keep alternating the blocks between the split corners, and the solid corners.  Each block has two patches that are light with contrasting darker fabrics.

Some of the blocks are light/medium, light/dark, or medium/dark combo's.  The quilt design was an excellent use for all those scraps that we have held on to because we might need them sometime.

The quilt was quilted with large loops.  Just enough quilting to stabilize the layers, and yet stand up to everyday wear and tear.

I used a soft cream fabric for the backing.... mainly because it appeared to be the right size for the quilt top, and I had it on hand.

As I started quilting this one, my mind began to think of binding.  

Initially I thought blue, the quilt top reads blue to me or possibly a brown.  I pulled out several possible candidates from the closet only to have that little nagging voice in your head say...."No, not that one, it just doesn't match"... have I ever told you that I hate that little voice in my head?

I was really amazed that my best choice was a dark green (I think it was actually a Christmas fabric).  It didn't clash with the top, and married well with the cream on the back.  

I was glad that I was able to complete this quilt this past week.  This next week I have a smaller quilt that was donated by Joyce to work on.  Hopefully I will be able to show it to you next week.

Enjoy your week!

First quilt of the new year

So here it is the first post of the new year.....and I am 12 hours late posting it.  Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Most recently a nice little viral infection got in the way.  I babysat Little Owen last Friday when he wasn't feeling well enough to go to the daycare, I also had him New Years eve so his parents could go out and have some fun.  Not exactly sure when he shared his little virus with me, but he did.  Saturday night I had a fever and chills, I slept 36 hours straight. Sunday is a mere blur....but then again I was only conscious 6 hours of it.  I thought Monday I was getting better...at least there was no fever but I still took it easy.

This morning I got up and I have a scratchy throat, and a nice little cough.  I did manage to will myself into the shower, so at least I am a little fresher now.  

And then I remember it is Tuesday....and I didn't have a post in the que to auto-post.  I didn't even have the quilt photographed yet. Panic sets in and then I remember this year's resolution is to not freak out, and take a more leisurely pace with Iowa Comfort. So yes this post is late, and I am sorry, I will try to do better in the future.

Before I got sick this past weekend I did manage to quilt the first quilt of the new year for Iowa Comfort.

 Here the quilt is just waiting for it's label, and the corresponding paper work to be completed.

I am 90% sure that this top was donated by Jacque from the Adel Quilt Shop.  I vaguely remember her giving it to me and saying that it had been a sample for a strip club project they were working on. And I recognize so many of those beautiful fabrics.

I think it will make a great quilt for an older child to snuggle in.  I could see a tweener cuddled underneath it in front of the TV.

Such a simple block made out black and white fabrics, with that little splash of color.  I love quilts that go together quickly and yet have that pop of color!

With it being the new year, I know that Jacque has all kinds of new projects on the books, including strip club so make sure to head over to her website to see if anything calls out to you. Here is a link to her website http://www.adelquilting.com/

I broke one of my own rules with this quilt.  I vowed I was not going to be picky about what I used as backing material....even if I had to piece it together.  But this quilt screamed that it needed a red backing ( I know! I know)  I headed off to Jacque's to find a red backing, and I couldn't find one that was just right.... but the purple backing kept calling my name and it is what I took home.

There was enough backing left over that I could use it as binding also, always a plus! 

I love the finished quilt, and I have no doubt whoever gets it will love it also.

The plan for the rest of the week is to work on a bedsize quilt for the center, and to get a couple of pillowcases sewn up for them also.  We will see how that works out.....

Thank you Jacque for all of your support of Iowa Comfort! 

Until next week stay warm! Only 67 days until March 15th...and then you know spring will be just around the corner.

the latest deliveries

The week before Christmas was a busy.  I took a packed SUV of doggy beds to AHeintz 57 dog shelter. I believe it was 9 beds that measured 36X 36.

They were extremely nice and let me drop them off just a wee bit earlier than I should have been there.  They officially open at 11:00 on Saturdays, and I was there about 10:30.  I was heading out of town and was lucky enough to catch one of the volunteers at the Pit Stop.  They were very grateful for the dog beds, and I was able to talk to one of the gals about maybe using the high school students to cut up the fabric for the beds....for community service.  So it may be a win win situation for us all.  I still have some details to work out on that.

I also took 11 quilts to the center about a week before Christmas. 

The timing was wonderful, because they were using some of the small quilts as Christmas gifts for families with children.... and they had depleted their entire stock... and still had a need. 

Officially  I took quilts  106, 107, 114, 117,120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126 and 127.  

You can see them all in the 2013 photo gallery.

This donation was extra special, because along with the quilts Nancy donated these cute little beanie babies.

So each and everyone of the the small quilts had a Beanie Baby pinned to it as a little something extra for that child.

You should have seen me trying to match the best beanie for each quilt!  The green frog, went with quilt #127, because it had The Princess and the Frog fabric in it.  The brown Teddy Bear went with #124 because it had a brown teddy bear hugging the duck.... you get the picture.  Not all of my matches were as perfect as those two, but I have no doubt that they will all be truly appreciated.

Thank you Nancy for sharing your beanie babies with those that are less fortunate.  I can tell you that when I dropped them off and showed the staff the little extra they had this time, one gal teared up.  Please thank your girls for me also.

Since this is the last post of 2013, I would like to thank each and everyone of you who has helped with Iowa Comfort this year!  I have quickly learned that I can not do it all by myself, and although 2014 will be a slower year for production of quilts.  It will continue to be a special way to give back.

Hope you have a safe evening, and I will see you all next year.

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Christmas.  I hope you get to spend that with loved ones, and your day is full of love and laughter. (and no family drama)

I also hope that for those of you who have had a love on pass on this past year, that you remember them with love and know that they are still with you in spirit and they would not want you sad.

Merry Christmas!

Donations!

Betty W. stopped by last week with a few more donations.

Just in time for the Christmas gifting at the center.  Betty brought these three quilts.

This cute little monkey quilt, just waiting for a little boy to play with.

 This little quilt had a Princess and the frog, themed fabric in it.

And how adorable are these ducks?  I just want a hug!

These quilts came to me ready to label and donate.  Thank you so much Betty.  You are going to brighten a child's life with your generosity.

Officially these are ICQ # 125, 126 & 127.  Which means that with all of your help and generosity there have been 63 quilts donated this year to Dallas and Madison county charities. 

Betty not only brought me these three quilts.....but she also brought me these bags.

Those are scraps from her the group of ladies that get together to quilt at her church.

Several months ago Betty called to see how I cut those scraps for the Doggy Beds.

Betty cuts them all down for me before she brings them to me.  All I have to do is make the bed and stuff it.  Makes the process so much more enjoyable!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

The process

I really like keeping fabric out of the landfill.  And lets face it not all fabric is appropriate to go into a utility quilt.  That is where the doggy beds come into play.....but there is a process.

This is how I normally get doggy bed supplies.  A trash bag full of odds and ends.  Sometimes it is yardage, sometimes it is just little snippets of material, most of the time it is somewhere in between.

Through trial and error I have learned what the stuffing needs to be before it goes into a bed.  So at night I sit downstairs and whack away at the fabric to get it into a usable form.  The jest of it is that the material really can't be any wider that about two inches, smaller is better...but strips of about 2 inches will work. Most of the time, I cut down to about 2 X 2 squares. Anything larger and the dog can't get the bed to nest right.  And all animals tend to nest in the beds.  (I have three that have proven that theory)

This is not one of my favorite activities!  I got myself in trouble experimenting with the paper shredder.... if it had worked that would have been the perfect bed filling.  We'll just say that my husband might need to purchase a  brand new paper shredder that I am sure I will not allowed to touch anymore. (and rightly so)

So I cut until I fill up my container, and then when I have time, I work on getting a bed and sham sewn up.

Sewing doggy beds are on the agenda this week.  I think I am also going to talk to Amy this week to see if I can use any of her high school volunteers to help with the cutting.  It is worth a shot, and would make me so HAPPY!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

WHY DID I DO THAT?????

I fell of the wagon and broke my 2013 New Years resolutions.  I was doing so well, but I let the labeling of the quilts and the paper work associated with their donations slide for way to long. And I paid for it!

I spent all day yesterday working on getting a donation ready for the center.  Almost all of the quilts were little people quilts.  Quilts that I know will be given to a small child at Christmas.

I had my time sheets...but they were not attached to the quilts.... and of course I quilted a few (4) quilts without attaching the labels first.... so the quilts in my possession were not lining up with my times sheets.

After several hours, I have everything straightened out, paper work done and the 2013 photo gallery updated.

Tonight I have four labels to get sewn on.  Later this week I need to free up some space in the closet....so I will need to make some doggy beds.

So far this year we have donated 59 quilts, 20 afghans of various sizes, 60 pillowcases and 30 doggy beds.

And I know that none of it would have been possible without the support of all of you. So thank you to everyone that helped make these donations possible!