Giving Back

One of the many things I enjoy about making quilts is the opportunity to give them away and hopefully make life a little better for someone else.  That's why, for the fourth straight year, I am once again participating in the Hands2Help charity quilt challenge hosted by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

This year there are three charities to choose from where you can donate a quilt:  Quilts of Compassion, Hurricane Sandy Survivors, and Happy Chemo.  You can read about the details and sign up HERE.

Sarah always makes it fun for participants, with linky parties, guest bloggers, and great prizes!  And there is plenty of time to make a quilt; you just need to mail it your charity of choice by June 13.

I hope you check it out!

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I heard about another charity quilt effort last week.  "Soy Amado," headed up by Alison of Little Island Quilting, is making quilts for street children in Mexico City.  You don't have to make a whole quilt (unless you want to), just a 12.5-inch quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) block.

Orphan blocks are great for this.  I got started on my first batch by raiding my cache of orphan blocks and pieces.  I had quite a few kaleidoscope triangles left over, which conveniently made the right sized block, so I started with those.

Then I pulled out some sample blocks I made last year with "made fabric."

It's a great way to practice free-motion quilting.  Somehow, working with a 12.5-inch quilt sandwich and "doodling" with a quilting foot is a lot less intimidating to me than the idea of quilting a whole quilt.

With the pressure off, it's just 100% fun!  No marking, no advance planning, just lower the presser foot, step on the foot control, and see what happens.

Helping with the Soy Amado block drive is Leila, who is accepting QAYG blocks here in the U.S., plus $1 or $2 to help with postage, and will send them in batches to Alison, to be made into quilts for Mexico City street children.

They expect to be collecting blocks and making quilts for quite a while, so there is no immediate deadline. That means there's still time to join in, if you're so inclined.

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Also, a reminder that Kevin is in the midst of his Quilt of Valor block drive.  I have about a dozen blocks ready to send to him so far.  It's already looking like it's going to be a big success!

Sunday Sundry 3-9-14

How do you fare with the Daylight Saving Time change?  Does it take you a bit to get acclimated or do you sail right through unfazed? 

It's nice to have the extra hour of daylight this evening, but my body was reluctant to get out of bed this morning until it was good and ready.  

...because it'll be over soon!

This afternoon I got really hungry around 4:00 p.m. and nixed exercising in favor of a walk to the kitchen.  Then I realized I hadn't changed the sewing room clocks yet and it was actually an hour later, so no wonder.  I'll catch up eventually.

I made this little mat because I needed to practice my quilting for the Hubcap Diamond Star Halo quilt. I had some random kaleidoscope triangles in the scrap box, so I put a block together and practiced FMQ. 

(Back)

In the end, I quilted the curves inside the triangles with a walking foot on the actual quilt (see previous post), and I'm glad that was possible because it worked out much more smoothly and evenly.  I didn't mind all the pivoting and turning because the quilt was on the small side so it was doable.

Someone asked if I would make a pattern for the Hubcap Diamond Star Halo quilt (hi Sarah!).  Yes, I will be happy to give you the skinny on how it goes together this week sometime.  It won't be a pattern per se, but I'll tell you how to make one should you be so inclined.  Sound like a plan?

Have you seen what Kevin is doing?  A Quilt of Valor block drive from now until June 1!

QOV Block Drive - Kevin the Quilter

He's got all the details on it HERE.  It's a simple block that anyone can do, and I hope you will!  I knocked out 10 of them on Friday night in a short amount of time.  It's a good scrap buster and a great cause!  And there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card, with one entry for every 5 blocks you send.

I did a little sewing on my Tea Towel Challenge project this weekend, mainly just sewing together what had been staring at me from the design board for a month.  Here's where it stands at the moment.  Sort of unsure what direction it will go next, but it'll come in time as I continue to putter.

I'm listening to the Mighty Oaks lately. Can't wait until the white stuff has melted and it looks like this summery scene again here!

Block Busting

I've been busy making blocks this week for Alycia Quilts' Big Blowout Block Drive for Quilts of Valor.  Thanks to Kevin for the heads up on this block drive!

There are two blocks being collected, one a flag string block and the other a log cabin type block in blue and yellow (links to instructions).  They both went together fast and used a good amount of my overflowing strings and scraps, which made me happy.

Pretty soon, I had 25 done.

Check it out if you're inclined to make a few QOV blocks.  The drive goes on until October 30—and there are prizes!  :)

The flag string blocks are sewn to a foundation fabric.  Here's a tip that's helpful for when you sew a large piece of fabric to  one corner of the foundation.  To keep the two pieces of fabric from flapping apart, use a tiny dab of washable glue stick on the foundation fabric to keep them together.

I kept pushing the trimmings off to the right of the cutting mat as I made blocks (can't be bothered to be tidy when I'm on a productive streak).  This resulted in quite the pile.

Victoria of Bumble Beans had asked for Anvil blocks for her charity quilts, so I knocked out a few of those as well.  Some inspiration came right from that pile of trimmings.

The pink rose of made fabric with the dragonfly was something I had puttered around with in the spring and just pinned to the design board.  It was nice to be able to put it to use.

Next up will be quilting and binding the improv baby quilt, which will be a donation to Project Linus as part of the 100 Quilts for Kids Charity Quilt Drive at Swim Bike Quilt. 

Linking on Friday with: