Easy and FUN quilt

I hope I can get this video up as it looks like a whole bunch of FUN. I am going to pull out some strips and try this very soon.

Final Tally For 2011

This is a picture of the last donation quilt I have made for the year 2011. I just used up a bunch of kid type charms and added yellow in between each of them.

I try very hard to take a picture of every quilt that I make. I added up the total number of quilts for last year. I made about 5-6 for myself or gifts. I am going to keep a journal this year every time I make a quilt and who it is for. Pictures are nice but I want a number easier than trying to count the pictures.

BUT--for 2011 I made 80 quilts for donation. I counted only those I did start to finish. MANY are quick kid ones using a panel. The went to the military, children at Fort Bragg, Hospice, our local children's ward at the hospital, a church cancer program, a church bazaar and the new woman's wing for our local Veterans Ward.

I am not trying to exceed that number this year as I love quilting and do not want to make it a race for a number. I will probably donate less as I am making some for a local auction. I need to raise money for all this postage and figure selling quilts is a good way.

I am fortunate enough to work just part time, have a wonderful Handiquilter machine (bought used on Craig's list) which makes quilting fun and fast. I have a large stash bought carefully from quilt shops offering deep discounts. I also have been given lots of fabric from guild members and online friends.

We are renters in our little house so renovations and yard projects are not possible. That may not be such a bad thing as it takes lots of money and time to accomplish those. Our kids are grown and no time is spent raising children. This all equals lots of sewing time for me. My family has plenty of quilts so I support my passion by giving them away.

Happy New Year 2012

The whole wonderful year stretches out. I have not pissed someone off, hurt someone feelings or anything negative at all.

I wanted to share a letter with you all I received when requesting a destination for a Quilt Of Valor. I plan on supporting them this year as my main donation place. I hope to garner support from my wonderful local Quilt Guild for blocks. I can put them together in quilts easily.

We have a very important destination that needs constant filling. Paul, who is with one of the National Guard units working to medevac wounded soldiers out of the war zones, made the request and this is what he said when making the request:

1) most of the blanket are wool green ones and are good for many things, but not for warm dog-in-your-lap comfort (many of our wounded are tough birds, but many of them have commented to me about how awesome it was to have such a blanket to put their arms over and/or lean up against). No matter what our patient's situations, I think their psyche is 10 x more stressed about things in their situation. It is hard to explain, but their role as a military patient is full of uncertainty, waiting, pain, more waiting, longing for home, etc. Most of them are tough, hardened, etc., but they usually love the love and somehow those blanket do it for them much of the time.

2) we often run out of blankets for patients...we may have enough for them (or we may have pts. added onto our mission at a stop, and then we run out), but at times heaters malfunction or parts of the plane are hot and part cold, so one isn't enough very often. Even on training missions that are 2 hours out of Charlotte, I have been cold to the point of shivering while laying on a litter acting the part of a patient...these planes are cargo planes and not ideal for our countries today heroes

3) if Uncle Sam provided them, and they were the same blankets, they would not be looked at the same. When I gave out blankets to patients and they knew they were from someone in the U.S., (usually red, white and blue; some hand-made; some with paint hand prints; some with "We love you back home" written or sewed on), they loved them for that reason alone...someone made this / bought this for us and they like that.