because you matter – Juanita Collins

July 9, 2015July 9, 2015

Hands2Help: a Because You Matter bonanza!

I asked friends to collect our mail for us when we left to spend two months in the Yukon because I was going to be gone right in the middle of the time that quilts might be arriving from the Hands2Help charity quilt drive. I told my friends that I was expecting two or maybe three parcels. Imagine my surprise when I opened my door and walked in to this great stack of boxes!

boxes — I have no idea why this picture is showing upside-down. Sorry!

This is so exciting! To date, 14 quilts, 3 tops and enough extra 9-patch squares to make a baby quilt have arrived from towns all across Canada and the United States:

Mt. Juliet, Tennessee;
Saint Paul, Minnesota;
Katy, Texas;
Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire;
Southampton, Ontario;
Simi Valley, California;
Rochester, Washington;
Strathroy, Ontario;
Dansville, Michigan;
The Villages, Florida; and
Kingsville, Ontario.

I’m unpacking them right now and have to say that I’m feeling completely overwhelmed with the care and attention that went into the making of every one of these quilts. It’s obvious that their makers were thinking of the children who will find comfort and joy when they wrap up with a picture book, make a fort, snuggle up. I can feel love oozing out of every single one of these beautiful quilts.

I’m completely blown away at your generosity, dearest readers. Oh my goodness! Because You Matter has taken on a whole new meaning. It isn’t just the children and teens that matter and deserve a quilt, it’s YOU generous people who make the quilts that matter, too – that give these beautiful gifts to deserving folks in need of them. Because we all matter!

One more parcel is still waiting at the post office, so if you sent something and don’t see your town listed, that’s probably it. I’ll pick it up next time I go to town.

Stay tuned for part two…the photos!

March 15, 2015

2015 Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge

Happy 5th anniversary to the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge! It’s being organized by Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. High Five, Sarah! It’s a lot of work to organize a challenge like this!

Quilters are invited to make a quilt and donate it to one of the charities listed on the Hands2Help website. (But don’t worry if you can’t afford to mail the quilt, you do have the option of donating to a local charity. There are no barriers put in your way if you want to participate.) The object of the challenge is to get quilts wrapped around the shoulders of those who need them.

Extra exciting is that this year, Because You Matter Quilts for Kids is the Canadian recipient! That’s me!! Canadian quilters who don’t want to mail their quilts across the border can mail them to me as an option (if they don’t know where to donate locally or want to contribute to Because you Matter specifically.) How cool is that? !!! Thank you so much, Sarah! I’ll also be posting the quilts I’m making as I go along. I have a special project in mind for Because you Matter this year and I’ll be telling you all about it soon.

Sarah has arranged lots of sponsors and lots of prizes, a linky party, free patterns if you need ideas and all kinds of fun for participants, so head on over to Hands2Help and sign up. Registration opens today!

September 21, 2014

A Very Wrenly Quilt for Sweden

The other day I told you about a young family that had lost their house to fire, and how I’d started making quilts for the children. I showed you Beckham’s quilt. Today I finished his big sister Sweden’s quilt!

I am calling it Wrenly for Sweden because I had been playing around with a jellyroll of a designer fabric called Wrenly (by Valorie Wells.)

This quilt is in a similar vein to the Stacked Coins quilt that I made for my sister (here). Sort of.

I think all the swirls and glimpses of birds are perfect for a 5-year-old girl. It’s girly, but in a rough & tumble sort of way. Kinda like Sweden, herself 🙂

But what I’m really happy with is the back!

I’ve been drawn to some of the modern quilt movement’s elements, including use of grey and lots of negative space.

Of course, quilt backs are usually all about negative space, but I wanted to play around with it, making a two-sided quilt. No front, no back, really, except for the label. Sweden can flip it around as she pleases.

I added some big-stitch hand quilting in perle cotton, just because…

…and I practiced my machine quilting skills (which are sorely lacking, thus practice is a good thing) using my walking foot and wiggling the top from side to side to create the wavy lines.

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I hope Sweden will spend many happy hours snuggled up in her quilt, reading her favourite books and dreaming her favourite dreams.

September 19, 2014September 19, 2014

Ring Toss: a quilt for Beckham

Last month a young family that I know lost their home to fire.

Beckham and his big sister lost everything they own.

So I got busy making quilts.

This one is for Beckham, who is an energetic toddler. I used Thomas the Tank Engine fabric because what two-year-old boy doesn’t love Thomas? And woah! Thomas the Tank Engine backing, too! What’s not to love?

The pattern is called Ring Toss, from the book Quilt it with Love: the Project Linus Story. I hand quilted it using the Big Stitch method with yellow-gold Perle cotton. The center of each ring is hand-tied with embroidery floss.

I’m making a quilt for Beckham’s big sister, too. I’ll post it as soon as it’s finished, so stay tuned!

August 29, 2014August 29, 2014

In the Frame and a Finish

I finally finished the top (flimsy) of the garden quilt!

It’s the bow-tie pattern with hand-appliqued hexie rosettes.

It is now sandwiched, basted and in the frame – ready to be quilted.

And here is another Because You Matter quilt. This little double Irish chain will go to a child through the RCMP Victim’s Services Unit here in Salmon Arm (via the Shuswap Quilt Guild.) Fabric & batting donated by the Shuswap Quilt Guild. Labour donated by yours truly.

Officially Samson-approved!

linking in with:

May 13, 2014June 1, 2014

Charity Quilt

This is a Hands-2-Help charity quilt 🙂

This one is going to the RCMP Victim Services Unit here in Salmon Arm.

It is 69×53″ and hand tied. I love hand tied quilts. They are so cozy and loveable!

Almost as cozy and loveable as my assistant!

I always want to see the back, don’t you? I used doodle fabric from IKEA 🙂

I received enoughdonated blocks to make this big lap-sized quilt plus a smaller cuddle quilt. I was going to take the cuddle quilt with me to Whitehorse this fall, but I’ve decided to donate it along with its “big sister” here in Salmon Arm instead. Because maybe there will be a sibling group that would like to have matching quilts.