Charity Quilt

This is a Hands-2-Help charity quilt 🙂

002This one is going to the RCMP Victim Services Unit here in Salmon Arm.

003It is 69×53″ and hand tied. I love hand tied quilts. They are so cozy and loveable!

008Almost as cozy and loveable as my assistant!

009I always want to see the back, don’t you? I used doodle fabric from IKEA 🙂

011I 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.

Because You Matter: Boy Quilt #2

I’m really moving right along with these sibling quilts! Here is quilt number two:

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It measures 43″ x 30″ – a nice size for a preschooler. I was digging around in the bottom of my stash and I came up with six 6″ squares of bright cartoon jungle print that my friend Karyne had given me years and years ago and that I had totally forgotten about.

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I dug out some jellyroll strips in bright primary colours, cut up a dark blue cotton pillowcase donated by Pam for the background and sewed up six wonky courthouse square blocks.

 

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I hand tied it with red yarn and ran around the outside border with the machine. I’m pretty sure that the machine lines are a lot straighter in person than they look in the picture. And if they aren’t, well, I guess they’re just a lot like me, lol!

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Don’t ya just love pictures of quilts all rolled up? I do! Something about the colours against the binding just makes me smile.

I’m linking in with Cat Patches for her New Fabric Object linky party. We’re supposed to show what we started in April. I started the project of making three quilts for three little boys. Two down, one to go!

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Ciao for now!

 

 

 

 

Little Boy Prints Needed ASAP

I am using my 15-minute coffee break to dash off this quick little blog post, which is actually a request to any of you who quilt.  I spoke to the social worker that took the pink Valentine quilt last month. She told me that the little girl who received it was SO EXCITED! Yay! Happy happy happy!

018She also told me that she has several small boys that would love quilts.  She has asked for small quilts for toddlers up to age 8 or 9.

Now, I happen to be working on 3 little girl quilts using squares from the the generous ladies over at Quilts for Kids. And I am sure they will go to good homes as soon as I’ve finished them (one will be ready to go any day now) – but I would like to put them on hold for now and concentrate on some little boy quilts, since that is what is needed at the moment.

My problem is that my stash (which is actually looking pretty good right now) does not contain any (none, zip, zilch) little boy fabric.  I have zero animals, zero planes, zero trucks, zero cars, zero superheros, zero anything at all that says “boy”.

So…if you have any little-boy prints taking up room in your quilting stash, I would happily put them to good use. I want need to make a few small quilts to give to these little boys. Many are in sibling groups.  My heart aches for them. These are little boys who have recently been removed from their homes and are either in the receiving home awaiting foster placement, or newly in foster care. They are young and could sure use come comfort to snuggle up in.

Thanks, guys. Contact me if you can help.

Nita

 

Because You Matter

Be the change you want to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi

What change would I like to see in the world? I would like to see people treasure and take care of each other for no other reason than that we all matter. I also believe that change begins at home. There is so much need in the world, and it is easy to feel helpless to do anything about it. But there is something that we can do. One small act of kindness shows someone else that they matter.

How can I be the change that I would like to see? I have given this a lot of thought, and I have chosen to keep an ongoing charity quilt project. I want to give quilts to kids who need to know that they are important in the world. I’m calling them Because You Matter quilts, and they will be given to kids who are in the child welfare system. These are kids and teens who are having a hard time and who could use the gift of a handmade quilt to wrap up in for the simple reason that they matter.

I struggled with whether or not to put it on the website. I’ve come close to taking it off many times, thinking that it’s better to keep my project private, fearful of  mis-understanding, of being judged for bragging. But I keep deciding to leave it up because I want to put the thought into your mind that everyone can do something. Even you! You can donate to your local food bank, you can send a child in a third-world country to school by donating to organizations such as Christian Children’s fund, you can keep granola bars in your pocket to give to that homeless man begging on the corner instead of simply ignoring him and walking by.

If donating materials to this quilting project is something you would like to do, just drop me a line and I’ll let you know if I’m looking for anything specific at the time. Things I am always looking for  are backing fabric in 3  m lengths (simple prints on quilting cotton or flannel. solid colours or prints suitable for children through teens), 1-2 metre lengths of solid neutrals for backgrounds (white, sand, grey or black) or solids of any colour for bright backgrounds. A pre-cut such as a jellyroll or layer cake will make an entire quilt top. Maybe you are a quilter and have a stash you’d like to clean out – I’ll give it a good home! If you aren’t sure, just ask!

My first Because You Matter quilt has gone out into the world! It is a crib-sized Sticks & Stones. A terrific “blankie” size for a 2 – 6 year-old. It is hand-quilted.