Good morning, I’m Jennifer Rodriguez from All Things Belle. I’m very excited to be sharing a sweet little crochet & fabric technique with you today.

It’s almost time for the International Quilt Market in Kansas City. I can hardly wait! This is my second time attending and I have been missing the excitement since the last one. Are you going? What are you excited to see? For me it’s a dream come true, it’s an amazing combination of so many things that I love. The show is filled with endless rows of new fabrics to adore, new patterns to want, and just about every designer that you would love to meet.

I attend the Market to be inspired, to shop, and of course to connect. This past week I eagerly received my latest shipment of business cards to take with me. All of a sudden my cards did not seem enough. I had just finished reading about how a friend of mine, Topsy Turvy, had created 300 cake pops to go along with her business cards for a blogging conference. I was inspired and realized that I wanted to go above and beyond as well. At Market you receive so many cards and literature, it can be overwhelming. I knew that for a few personal contacts, I wanted my business card to stand out in their mind.

This past year I have been obsessed with crochet surface treatments on fabric and quilting projects. I love the dimension and versatility of this mixed media form. I thought it would be appropriate if I could create a meaningful way to present my card that incorporated both fabric and crochet.

What do you think? I love its sweet and classic touch.

Would you like to learn how to make one? It’s very simple and could easily hold a number of little treasures.

Materials needed:

A small, plain muslin drawstring bag
Soft pink embroidery floss
1.5mm crochet hook
embroidery needle

Directions:

1. Thread a length of the embroidery floss into the needle, following the stitched seams of the bag, embroider a back stitch.



2. With your crochet hook and the same embroidery floss, slip stitch into the first back stitch. Then single crochet into each stitch all the way around.
3. In each stitch you just completed, make a single chain and then flip your work. In the same stitch work a single crochet, half double crochet, single crochet. Then create two single chains, skip the next stitch, and then repeat the picot (single crochet, half double crochet, single crochet). Continue this pattern up until the last stitch, at the end you will slipstitch and weave in your ends.

And that’s it! I adore working crochet into my quilts and you could easily use this method along the binding of a quilt for a feminine touch. The extra color and texture can really make the difference.

I’m hoping to make a few dozen of these before Quilt Market begins tomorrow. If you will be attending and you spot me, be sure to say hi!

Thank you for spending this time with me. If you are interested in seeing more quilting & crochet inspiration, I would love for you to visit my blog, All Things Belle.

Sewing has always been fascinating for me, and some of my earliest memories are of my mother, pins in her mouth, stitching up something great, with my brother and I in tow. Our other siblings (five of them) were in school and we were home with mom & Jack LaLane, on the TV. Pfaff was her machine of choice: a huge, black powerful engine, set in an enormous cabinet, with a knee lift! How I loved to hear it roar, as I awaited the newest addition to our clothing or linen closet.

My pre-kindergarten photo… note the torn sleeve trim on the left. I guess mom couldn't keep up with the demand!

When I was about 10, mom received her teaching credential, and off she went to the public schools early education program. We were in school by then ourselves, so it was an easy transition. However, I missed the additions to my wardrobe. Mom made the creating appear easy. She was an art major, graduating in 1944, from Rosemont College, PA.

Paper, markers, crayons, & glue were within easy reach. Creating was always encouraged. Somehow, I must have figured I could do this, too. So I rummaged through her sewing cabinet and found a pattern I liked and suitable fabric. Mimicking her, I laid out the pattern pieces, pinned to the lilac-printed eyelet cotton. I cut along the outer lines, and around the notch bumps. I cut armhole and neckline facings. It was a darted, shift top. Remember those? In fashion school, we’d call it the “basic fitting block”, or “sloper”. The style was in the fabric, not the design. It had a zipper down the center back, as did most garments then. I still don’t like to put in zippers, but I do love the newer “invisible” ones – whew, sewing just got easier!

From my first quilt, made in 1976, entirely of used jeans (+ some machine appliqué!)

Naturally, I took sewing instruction in high school. My sister, Paula, paved the way for me and convinced our teacher, Mrs. Olivia Fraioli, to let me skip the basics and move up to advanced sewing. That was the highlight of my day. Sewing and creating was a wonderful outlet, for teenage angst.

I was introduced to the world of fashion when a rep from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, FIDM, paid a classroom visit and my closest friends encouraged me to enrol. I spent two years in school and then did my time, 25 years, in the garment industry, working my way up from pattern maker to designer and beyond. Travel to far-flung places became the norm, with well-known companies, like Gap and Disney. Telling people that knowing “how to sew” got me to such exotic locales as Istanbul, Cairo, and Singapore, was entirely truthful!

Who wears short-shorts? I guess I did. This is my embellished work-of-art from high school days.

For the past four years, I’ve spent an hour a week in the company of young men and women inspired by sewing. Volunteering at a public high school each week keeps me grounded. These students create the most original and conceptual garments, irrespective of their ages. Each time I visit, I’m reminded of their curiosity, intelligence, stamina, perseverance and utter disregard for negativity. If they think it can be done, there’s a way to do it. After every visit, I’m energized to return to my studio and create, too. Last week was their crowning glory: they completely designed and choreographed a fashion show. I only served as a facilitator.

Julia and her quilt at Road to California Quilters Showcase, January 2012

My destiny seems to be centered on sewing. I LOVE to be surrounded by fabric, able to create on a whim. Because I find it so empowering, making something from nothing, I love to “pay it forward” and teach others to sew. My first student was a neighbor, Julia. We started when she was just seven, but already she was a veteran from a local sewing program. Last summer, we made a quilt together, using pre-cut squares and strips of Kaffe Fassett prints in reds, blues, and greens. Julia entered it into the (Road To California) quilters showcase in January, in their “Next Generation” category.

Close up of Julia's colorful, original quilt design.

Recently, another young friend, Flo, who’s 10, came over to learn sewing techniques. Flo has a passion for fashion and is quite intrigued with reality television shows such as “Project Runway” and “Fashion Star”. (These are too “real” for me, dredging up fashion career horrors that I’d rather delete from memory.) Thinking pajama pants would be the perfect first project; she quickly assessed the “stash” and settled on red dots and stripes. Pants are ideal as there are minimal seams and few fitting issues. It’s safe to say she’s hooked on sewing and one of the benefits for me of sewing with my young friends is that when we talk I learn about popular teenage culture. This information is priceless; as they sew, the words just tumble out.

Flo in her original design pajama pants, creating "yoyo's" with the Clover yoyo maker.

I’m not sure what my life would be like today, if I hadn’t discovered sewing as a hobby way back when. Perhaps I’d be a cake decorator or an architect, but my life could not be more exciting than it is now!

Here's a more up-to-date photo, posing with my book cover quilt.

Give-Away

I’m doing a drawing for a free copy of my book, “Out of the Box With Easy Blocks” along with a matching coffee mug. If you would like to enter, please reply to the following question: “What quilting fears have you recently conquered or are you still working on?” Mine is machine quilting. It’s taken me FIVE years to summon the courage to quilt my own tops!

Winner will be selected randomly next Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

For more on Melanie’s sewing and quilting observations and experiences, visit her blog: www.MelanieMcFarlandQuilts.com.

Winner

Congratulations to Pat who won Melanie’s book give-away. Check your email for a message from me.

Hi Everyone! Leona here from Leona’s Quilting Adventure! Thank you Michele for having me over to guest blog on Quilting Gallery! I have a blog that is dedicated to paying it forward to Quilters. Leona’s Quilting Adventure has been on blogger for about three years now. My blog has a giveaway each month and shares projects and tutorials that are quilting-related.

I am a single mom with two almost grown sons. I work a full time job during the day and a part time job a few nights a week. My part time job is in a quilt shop. I work for the extremely talented designer, Karen Montgomery in her quilt shop, The Quilt Company. Once a year the ladies that work for Karen go on a Quilting Retreat to Sandscrest in West Virginia. This was a first time ever experience for me to be able to go on a Retreat! We left on a Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday. This is a picture of the main house at Sandscrest and the next picture is the group of very talented quilters that I was able to spend the weekend with:

The retreat was amazing! The rooms were comfortable and the food was oh so delicious! It was so much fun to be able to sew for several days straight and enjoy great conversations with the women that I feel blessed to work with. Each quilter that was on the retreat had a different style and really completed some beautiful projects! We bunked in the housing next to the main house. Here are some pictures of the rooms at the Sandscrest Retreat in the main house:

One of the highlights for me was to wander around when I needed to stretch my legs and visit with each of the ladies as they worked on their projects. Some tackled modern projects, others worked on more traditional quilts, while others did embroidery. There were plenty of snacks and a lot of stories and laughs that were shared by all. It really was a treat to be able to look and learn from such a nice group of ladies. I worked all weekend on Bee blocks that were due to be mailed out in March. Here are a few of the quilts that were created:

The pictures are just some of the quilts that the ladies worked on. There were many more beautiful projects created over the weekend. It was so nice to be able to just sit and sew and not have to worry about having to run to do grocery shopping, laundry, cooking or cleaning for several days. I am so grateful for being able to have experienced a weekend retreat like this. Hopefully you too will be able to attend a quilting retreat for a day or two.

Well, it’s time for me to go for now. Be sure to stop by and visit Leona’s Quilting Adventure for a chance to win my latest giveaway for fabric and notions! Have a Happy Tuesday and Happy Quilting!

Hi Every Bunny, I’m Valerie from Pastimes Online and I’m so excited to be here as a Guest Blogger today. Pastimes Online is a venture I started a few years ago because I wanted to offer quilting in a boutique style. We only carry the BEST in products like the pins I carry are the thinnest, sharpest and with glass heads and I only carry one brand of these. The Gingher Rotary Cutter is the only cutter I carry because I believe, it’s the best cutter. It’s stylish and ergonomic and has an easy change blade system.

I was also always frustrated by Block of the Month clubs out there and how you’d get part of the materials you’d need but not all of them, so once you got your first kit in the mail, you’d have to buy things so you could complete it. We do things a little different here – well a lot different actually – we include EVERYTHING for the top in our monthly kit price. I also wanted something that appealed to everyone, so ours include simple patchwork, hand embroidery and appliqué raw-edge or needle turn – something for everyone. So you can do some sewing with the machine and some in front of the TV or take it with you and complete your stitching.

We include pins – the best high quality silk long thin pins with glass heads, embroidery needles in a variety of sizes (because you just don’t know what size you’ll like the best), sewing machine needles (because we always need a new sharp needle for our machine), floss to get you started (Weeks Dye Works, hand dyed floss, it’s so beautiful), step by step blog postings (to show you our way to construct a block and feel good about it) as well as tips and tricks and some videos along the way.

Since Block of the Months is our forté, we’ve shipped to our club members all over the world: Japan, Saudia Arabia, Netherlands, Germany, Yukon, all over the USA and Canada, and many more locations. It’s super easy to sign up and for us to ship to you – wherever you might be. We also – as incentive – offer a prize each month. You complete your block by the end of the month and email me a picture, your name goes in for a prize that month and each month!! How fun is this?

I wanted to offer an awesome giveaway, even though we don’t have to have a giveaway….I have one!!

So, with Easter just passing us, I’ve put together our first Block of the Month Quilt with an Easter theme…it’s called “Every Bunny’s Welcome” a nice easy collection of stitching, patchwork and raw edge appliqué, with eggs and chicks and bunny’s of course. There is also a special spot to personalize this quilt for yourself or for a friend. I’d love for you to join. This first launch will be a MYSTERY…

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the blocks – which will be in Easter colours, so super cheery and fun and ready in time for Easter 2013. The embroidery will be simple yet special in cheery colours and easy stitches. This will be a wall hanging size and in 12 parts, plus finishing.

So leave a comment below if you’re interested in joining as it’s set to start really soon, and your name will go in the hat for a draw to win your FIRST month FREE for this MYSTERY Block of the Month, Every Bunny’s Welcome.

Our block of the month clubs are so jammed packed with all of the goodies you’ll need, floss (to start), pins, needles, all of the cottons for the top, step by step blog postings to help you out along the way and more…check out our other Block of the Month Clubs for details.

Here’s what’s included in this year’s Vintage Miniature Sewing Machines Block of the Month:

Or this one Butterfly Garden Block of the Month Club. The first block will be mailed out any day now.

Please also sign up for our Newsletter, “The Times” if you’re curious about what Pastimes Online is up to or check out our Blog: Val’s Quilting.

Thanks so much for checking us out…and stay happy and creative,
Valerie

Welcome to our final day of the blog hop tour for Marie Bostwick’s latest book Ties that Bind. I hope you are having fun visiting with our guests. Be sure to visit all the guests and leave comments on each site. We all have books to give away to our readers. Winners will be chosen May 2nd.

Here’s the complete schedule:

Tuesday, April 24

• Michele – Quilting Gallery – you’re here!
• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Wednesday, April 25

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Thursday, April 26

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Friday, April 27

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa – Lilac Lane

Saturday, April 28

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Baby Quilts from Today’s Guests

In Ties that Bind Philippa decides she’d like to learn how to quilt and signs up for a baby quilt class. I asked our guest bloggers to share a baby quilt they’ve made with us.

Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs

I have made several baby quilts, the first few I have no pictures of because they were made before digital cameras. My very first quilt was made for my niece – 10 years ago, it was what turned me on to quilting. She loved the quilt through and through (as in she wore a whole straight through all three layers). The first quilt I ever designed was for my daughter, Anne. She loves butterflies and I call this quilt – “Fluttering By”. I love seeing her cuddle underneath it when watching cartoons.

Kim – Crafty Apple

The quilt is called ‘Modern Flowers’. This piece is mostly appliqued. I love making baby quilts with blacks whites and pops of colors. I think it really helps stimulate babies’ minds. I also know they are great for tummy time – babies work at getting their heads up so they can see what’s going on on the quilt.

Happy first birthday to Kim’s youngest daughter, Pip:

Give-Aways

Visit today’s two guests, read the answers to the FUN questions, and enter the give-aways on their blogs too:

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Plus, I have two copies of Marie’s Ties that Bind novel to give-away to my blog readers. To enter, visit the Day 1 post and leave a comment there.

I’m also giving away two copies of the Garden Dance pattern from Studio 180 Designs. To enter this give-away, leave a comment on the Day 2 post.

Thank you so much to all of our guests participating in the blog hop tour this week. I’ve enjoyed seeing your baby quilts and reading your stories and book reviews.

Welcome to Day 4 of the blog hop tour for Marie Bostwick’s latest book Ties that Bind. I hope you are having fun visiting with our guests. Be sure to visit all the guests and leave comments on each site. We all have books to give away to our readers.

Here’s the complete schedule:

Tuesday, April 24

• Michele – Quilting Gallery – you’re here!
• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Wednesday, April 25

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Thursday, April 26

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Friday, April 27

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa – Lilac Lane

Saturday, April 28

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Baby Quilts from Today’s Guests

In Ties that Bind Philippa decides she’d like to learn how to quilt and signs up for a baby quilt class. I asked our guest bloggers to share a baby quilt they’ve made with us.

Michele – With Heart and Hands

I love making baby quilts and have probably made hundreds of them since I first began quilting in the early ’70′s! A baby quilt is not only the perfect way to learn to sew, as well as to quilt, but it makes the perfect gift for a new, or expectant mom. They are my ‘go to’ baby gift, and they have been huge hits at baby showers, and as gifts for friends and relatives.

I also make and donate baby quilts to a local hospital that makes sure every premature baby has a home made quilt of their own on top of each of their nursery isolettes. And I have made baby quilts for donation to a variety of child support, and church groups who have brought my little quilts on mission trips to survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, to victims of the Australian bush fires, and to several orphanages in Africa. My most heart felt baby quilts are those that are made for the little ones that are born far too soon.

My favorite baby quilts are always made in bright colors. I especially loved my very first 3D baby quilt. Its three dimensional pinwheels made for a fun playing surface for a little one and was donated to a young mother in a local group home who was expecting her first child. But I also loved my first baby string quilt with free cut and appliqued flower shapes. It was donated to to a local child abuse prevention center. Both of these quilts symbolize my own feelings about the making, and the giving of gifts from the heart. And nothing is better than a small baby quilt made with love….for a fresh start, and a brand new life!

Melissa – Lilac Lane

I made this quilt for some close friends who had a baby at the same time my youngest was born. She was to have twins and lost the boy half way through the pregnancy. The little girl was two months early but is now a healthy 5 year old. It is all flannel and minky. So soft!

And they loved the cow print so much that they requested it in their next child’s baby quilt too.

Cobbled Court Series

Ties that Bind is Marie’s fifth book in the Cobbled Court Series. One of the things I love about the books is that they can be read in any order and that each book stands on its own. You don’t have to read the previous books to enjoy the latest one… though I think you’ll want to read them all once you’ve read just one. Below are the previous books in the series.

A Single Thread

It’s a long way from Fort Worth, Texas, to New Bern, Connecticut, yet it only takes a day in the charming Yankee town to make Evelyn Dixon realise she’s found her new home. The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn’s wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a store front is easy enough; starting a new life isn’t. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza, and Margot Matthews through her door.Troubled and angry after her mother’s death, Liza threatens to embarrass her Aunt Abigail all over town unless she joins her for quilting classes. A victim of downsizing at the peak of her career, Margot hopes an event hosted by the quilt shop could be a great chance to network – and keep from dying of boredom…As they stitch their unique creations, Evelyn, Abigail, Liza, and Margot form a sisterhood they never sought – but one that they’ll be grateful for when the unexpected provides a poignant reminder of the single thread that binds us all…

A Thread of Truth

At twenty-seven, having fled an abusive marriage with little more than her kids and the clothes on her back, Ivy Peterman figures she has nowhere to go but up. Quaint, historic New Bern, Connecticut, seems as good a place as any to start fresh. With a part-time job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and budding friendships, Ivy feels hopeful for the first time in ages. But when a popular quilting TV show is taped at the quilt shop, Ivy’s unwitting appearance in an on-air promo alerts her ex-husband to her whereabouts. Suddenly, Ivy is facing the fight of her life – one that forces her to face her deepest fears as a woman and a mother. This time, however, she’s got a sisterhood behind her: companions as complex, strong, and lasting as the quilts they stitch…

A Thread So Thin

While New Bern, Connecticut, lies under a blanket of snow, Cobbled Court Quilts remains a cozy haven for its owner, Evelyn Dixon, and her friends. Evelyn relishes winter’s slower pace — besides, Internet sales are hopping, thanks to her son Garrett’s efforts. In addition to helping out at the shop, Garrett has also been patiently waiting for his girlfriend, Liza, to finish art school in New York City. But as much as Evelyn loves Liza, she wonders if it’s a good idea for her son to be so serious so soon with a young woman who’s just getting ready to spread her wings.

Liza’s wondering the same thing, especially after Garrett rolls out the red carpet for a super-romantic New Year’s Eve — complete with a marriage proposal. Garrett’s the closest thing to perfect she’s ever known, but what about her own imperfections? The only happy marriage Liza has ever seen is her aunt Abigail’s, and it took her decades to tie the knot. Soon Liza is not only struggling with her own fears but with the mixed reactions of her friends and family. And when she finds herself torn between a rare career opportunity and her love for Garrett, Liza must grasp at the thinnest of threads and pray it holds.

Threading the Needle

The economic downturn has hit New Bern, Connecticut, and Tessa Woodruff’s herbal apothecary shop, For the Love of Lavender, is suffering. So is her once-happy thirty-four-year marriage to Lee. They’d given up everything to come back to New Bern from Boston and start their business, but now they’re wondering if they made the right decision. To relieve the strain, Tessa signs up for a quilting class at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop, and to her surprise, rediscovers the power of sisterhood – along with the childhood friend she thought she’d lost forever.

Madelyn Beecher left New Bern twenty years ago and never looked back. But when her husband is convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and she’s left with nothing but her late grandmother’s cottage, she is forced to return to the town she fled. Unfortunately, the cottage is in terrible shape. Madelyn’s only hope is to transform it into an inn. But to succeed, she’ll need the help of her fellow quilters, including the one friend she never thought she’d see again – or forgive. Now Madelyn and Tessa will have to relive old memories, forge new ones, and realize it’s possible to start over, one stitch at a time – as long as you’re surrounded by friends…

Give-Aways

Visit today’s two guests, read the answers to the FUN questions, and enter the give-aways on their blogs too:

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa – Lilac Lane

Plus, I have two copies of Marie’s Ties that Bind novel to give-away to my blog readers. To enter, visit the Day 1 post and leave a comment there.

I’m also giving away two copies of the Garden Dance pattern from Studio 180 Designs. To enter this give-away, leave a comment on the Day 2 post.

Hi everyone! It’s Michele here for today’s Learning Center post on Charity Quilting. Quilters never cease to amaze me on their generosity and good will to help out others in need. When a natural disaster happens, quilters are first to step-up and help out in the best way they can by making quilts of comfort. Back in 2008, I ran a month-long series here on the Quilting Gallery about charity quilting. Since then I’ve continued to help promote various charity quilting events as they become known to me.

For today’s post, I asked four organizations/groups to share information about their charity: Bumble Beans BASICS, Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative, The Linus Connection and Quilts of Valor. Recently I came into contact with Kristy from Hopeful Threads and also asked her to share her story with us … I think you’ll be inspired. Thanks so much to today’s guests!

Bumble Beans BASICS

Victoria Findlay Wolfe owner of Bumblebeans, Inc. started an amazing quilt drive for BASICS, (Acacia Network) a non-profit organization in the Bronx, NYC that takes homeless families and gets them into transitional housing and back on track in their daily lives.

Her initial interest in finding a good home for a few of her extra quilts ultimately grew into a global effort when she asked the head of Basics (Acacia Network) if he could use a few quilts, and he responded, “Do you have 700?” one for each of the families on the waiting list for housing in the NYC area. Currently The South Bronx is the poorest congressional district in the U.S.

“When Mr. Russi asked for 700, I couldn’t ignore the fact that people needed quilts. Knowing my own quilt habits, I knew most quilters make more than they need so I put the call for help out on my blog and we are now reaching 600 quilts,” said Victoria Findlay Wolfe. “I won’t stop til everyone on that huge waiting list has a quilt. If you have a quilt on all of your own beds, it’s time to cover a stranger’s bed.”

“Every few months they put together Quilt Distribution Event where the quilts are handed out to the families or different building units, and the Quiltmaker’s name is read out loud. It’s a very personal and emotional day.” said Victoria, “We are VERY THANKFUL for all the quilts we have received. The families that receive these quilts are very THANKFUL for your generosity. We attempt to take pictures of all the quilts that get handed out, as long as the receiver is comfortable with that. It’s often a humbling experience to ask for help, so this is not always possible. But the words THANK YOU ring loud and clear in our ears.”

Pictures of the events are posted at the Bumble Beans BASICS Flickr group.

Bumble Beans BASICS accepts all sizes of quilts, from small baby quilts to larger than King size quilts! Big families need big quilts! Please send any size you can spare!
To get involved, Please visit: http://bumblebeansbasics.com/. Quilt questions can be sent to Victoria Findlay Wolfe at bumblebeansinc@gmail.com.

Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) has raised almost a quarter of a million dollars for Alzheimer’s research by selling small (9″ x 12″) donated quilts. It is a national charity, powered by quilters, founded by quilt teacher Ami Simms. Located in Burton, Michigan, it has been active since 2006 and has funded 11 research projects to date with grants ranging from $10,000 to $60,000.

Whirligig by Daphne Stewart

Your help is needed to buy and make small format art quilts to help the AAQI fund future research.

• Quilts For Sale
• Make A Donation Quilt

Dance to the Music by Judy Gray LaSalle

The AAQI also sponsors a nationally touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer’s called “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope”. It is comprised of 182 “Name Quilts” which hold the names of more than 10,000 individuals who have/had Alzheimer’s and represent the 5 million Americans who are suffering with this degenerative brain disease. Hanging among the names are small format art quilts which illustrate Alzheimer’s.

More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive and degenerative brain disease that kills brain cells. People with Alzheimer’s lose their memories, life skills, the ability to reason, to learn, and eventually to take care of themselves. It is always fatal unless another disease takes one’s life first.

Spring by Carol Leonard

Quilters across the United States are threading their needles and opening their wallets in the hopes of bringing a cure for Alzheimer’s disease one stitch closer. More than 10,000 quilts have been donated so far. All profits fund Alzheimer’s research.

The AAQI is a grassroots, Internet-driven, all-volunteer charity. In addition to monthly auctions and online quilts sales 24/7, each year it brings quilts more than 1,000 quilts to sell at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX.

To learn more please visit: Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative
Phone: (810) 637-5586
Email: Help@AlzQuilts.org

The Linus Connection

by: Jennifer Ofenstein, Current Board Member and Volunteer since 2002

Description of the organization

The Linus Connection is a Central Texas 501(c)(3) organization based out of Austin, Texas comprised entirely of volunteers whose mission is to make and deliver handmade security blankets for children in crisis situations in our area. Blankets can be quilted, crocheted, knitted or fleece as long as they are handmade with love. These blankets go to children in hospital emergency rooms, in crisis centers, in foster care, shelters, and grief camps. In other words, to children in need of a little extra security and comfort in their lives.

Goals and/or significant milestones

Each year, The Linus Connection and our volunteers pledge ourselves to creating and distributing 5,000 handmade blankets to children in need throughout Central Texas. In 2009, we celebrated our tenth anniversary of making and donating blankets. We have distributed approximately 45,000 handmade blankets since 1999.

How can quilters get involved?

If you want to help out, make and donate a blanket! The Linus Connection accepts completed quilts, quilt tops and yarn blankets. Before donating a blanket, please see the full list of blanket specifications. If you live locally, please consider joining us for our monthly meeting. The Linus Connection meets the third Saturday of each month at St. Phillips in Round Rock, Texas.

If you would like to help, but only have time to make a single block or two, please consider Stars For Linus, organized by my own blog, Sewhooked. I collect single 12 1/2″ star blocks with sashing that are pieced into quilts for The Linus Connection. Previous Stars For Linus quilts were donated to families affected by the Central Texas wildfires in 2011.

What other donations can you use?

Blanket supplies are always appreciated: 100% cotton quilting fabric, low-loft cotton batting and soft acrylic yarn are especially useful.

Also very much appreciated are gift cards to JoAnn’s, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or other stores that sell fabric and yarn. We also accept monetary donations, which are spent exclusively on supplies, through Network For Good.

All donations can be sent to:

The Linus Connection
P.O. Box 29491
Austin, Texas 78755

For lots of photos of our volunteers in action, visit our web site and check out our monthly Show & Tell posts!

Still have questions? Please feel free to contact us for more information!

Quilts of Valor

The Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF) began in 2003 when quilter Catherine Roberts’ son was deployed in Iraq. Catherine, remembering the unwelcoming reception experienced by many Vietnam War veterans, wanted the next generation of returning warriors to be received differently. She envisioned a soldier awake in the night struggling with war demons, but surrounded by a comforting quilt.

Responding to her vision, Catherine made a quilt and gave it to a soldier. Soon, others were doing the same, and eventually a fully-functioning 501C-3 not-for-profit foundation was formed.

As of December 31, 2011, more than 60,000 Quilts of Valor (QOVs) have been awarded, not just to combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but to service members from all branches and all US conflicts who have been touched by war.

When the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo invited the Quilts of Valor Foundation to supply a group of Quilts of Valor to travel to its 2012 events, QOVF Director June Moore sent an email blast to the nationwide Quilts of Valor community asking for submissions. Within a few days, June received over 100 replies.

In 2011, nine fabric companies participated in the American Valor Fabrics project, each creating a collection of patriotic fabrics designed specifically for QOVs. Each company designed a quilt to utilize their fabrics, and you will see several of these patterns represented. The participating companies are Andover, Clothworks, Marcus, Moda, P&B, Red Rooster, Quilting Treasures, Timeless Treasures, and Windham.

Also in 2011, Quilts of Valor Foundation launched a program called “Under Our Wings”, which invites capable quilters, “Coaches”, to take non-quilters, “Rookies”, under their wings. Quilt shops all over the US are Official Under Our Wings shops.

Moda Fabrics, one of the American Valor Fabrics project participants, invited quilters nationwide via an ad campaign to make “just one star”, a simple block for a Quilt of Valor. Hoping for 1800 so the Moda staff could make 100 quilts in 100 days, instead Moda received over 15,000 blocks. Many of the “extras” were donated to the QOVF community, and you’ll see several “Moda star” quilts in this show.

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo has underwritten all costs of this exhibit and has provided free booth space for use by local and regional Quilts of Valor Volunteers to educate show-goers about National Service via quilt making. At the conclusion of this tour these quilts will be awarded to combat veterans.

How you can help:

• Basic Requirements
• Find participating shops and groups in your state or internationally
• Volunteer as a Machine Quilter

For more information about Quilts of Valor, please visit http://www.qovf.org/index.html.

Hopeful Threads

Hi Quilting Gallery Friends! I’m Kristy from Hopeful Threads and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share a little about myself and my love of sewing with you! Sewing isn’t “just” my craft or hobby, no, it’s as much a part of me as my blue eyes and turning white hair! And like both my eyes and hair, sewing has come to me from a long line of crafty genes. The women in my family create with their hands. Quilting, doll making, crocheting, sewing, art with needle and thread has always been a part of my life.

While I dabbled at times with different things, it wasn’t until I had little girls of my own that I became interested enough to want a sewing machine and really take the time to learn how to create with it. Since their first little matching outfits I have experienced great joy sitting at my machine and being amazed by the fact that I can send cut up pieces of fabric through one side and have them come out the other side something that can be worn or used! It’s absolute MAGIC!

While I’ve sewn for fun for years, it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that it really began to evolve into a significant part of my life. I was a stay-at-home mama who had just welcomed my 4th little bundle. I had decided to cloth diaper him and had gradually started buying some diapers, including some handmade by other mamas. I had the crazy thought…..come on, you’ve had it before too!…..that “I could make that!”….and so, I did. I began sewing diapers for my little man, my friends and a cloth diaper charity organization.

While doing so, I was also following the adoption process of a very close friend whose son was in China waiting for her. She would share stories of other traveling families and their visits to the orphanages, and one day, she shared about a particularly poor orphanage. She shared pictures that gripped my heart and were forever etched there. Moved, I prayed for a tangible way to help these children that were so far away, thinking to myself how could it ever be possible.

Very soon after my friend received a list of much needed items for one of the orphanages and guess what just happened to be one of the top items…..cloth diapers. I think my heart may have actually leaped that day! And so as the story goes, my first significant sewn donation was a massive box of cloth diapers and baby care accessories that traveled later that year with my sweet friend when she went to pick up her son. Our family was so inspired by the experience, that we continued to look for similar opportunities and have since sent countless handmade items to those in need in the US, China, Guatemala, Cambodia, Haiti, Ghana and more!

My first 70 diapers to China

Now, like many a lady in love with her sewing machine, I can get lost in my little thread covered haven and joyfully sew for hours. I love it! But what’s even more fun is having the opportunity to share that with others who are like minded. I started having occasional local sewing events to help fulfil larger donation requests, but in looking for a way to expand the outreach and community even more, I began my charity focused sewing blog, Hopeful Threads, in January 2011.

I can’t adequately express how blown away I have been by the generosity and desire to help within the online crafting community! It is an amazing and unique group of people, worldwide, that I am very blessed and humbled to be a part of! I have built some of the warmest and most meaningful friendships in the past year and together, we have made a beautiful contribution to the needs of others through using our love and skills of sewing! We have sewn and donated numerous pillowcases, soft toys, baby bibs, diaper covers, cloth pads and dresses for little girls just to name a few. To be able to do something you love doing and use it to help another…..well, there isn’t much better in my book!

Each month at Hopeful Threads we focus on a different project that we can sew to fulfil a specific need. Many times I will simply offer ideas and encouragement for you to donate your handmade items within your local communities, while other times we will collectively work as a group toward one goal. I have had a heart for children since I was a child myself my mama tells me, and being a mama to 5 littles of my own now, many of the projects lean in the direction of providing for children in need. I would love to invite each of you to stop by Hopeful Threads, take a little bit to look around and learn more about what we’re all about. And, if you feel like it’s something you’d like to be a part of too, we’d love to have you join us!

Next month’s theme will be “Care 4 Caregivers”….with Mother’s Day and all, I thought it would be appropriate for us to look for those who are providing care for others that often get overlooked. Information will be posted on the web site next week. I hope you’ll join us.

Every Stitch Matters,
Kristy

Hopeful Threads | Facebook | Pinterest | Flickr

What about you? Do you do any charity quilting?

If you’re a charity quilting group or organization and want to be featured on the Quilting Gallery, I encourage you to send me an email about being a guest blogger.

Welcome to Day 3 of the blog hop tour for Marie Bostwick’s latest book Ties that Bind. I hope you enjoyed visiting yesterday’s guests. Be sure to visit all the guests and leave comments on each site. We all have books to give away to our readers. I’m giving away two copies, so visit the Day 1 post and leave a comment there. I’m also giving away two copies of Garden Dance, a lovely appliqué pattern – Enter here!

Here’s the complete schedule:

Tuesday, April 24

• Michele – Quilting Gallery – you’re here!
• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Wednesday, April 25

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Thursday, April 26

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Friday, April 27

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa - Lilac Lane

Saturday, April 28

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Marie is also sponsoring this week’s Wall Hangings quilt contest. Submit your quilt by midnight tonight (Thursday) to enter.

Baby Quilts from Today’s Guests

In Ties that Bind Philippa decides she’d like to learn how to quilt and signs up for a baby quilt class. I asked our guest bloggers to share a baby quilt they’ve made with us.

Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.

As I read Marie’s new Book Ties that Bind it made me recall the first quilt I made my daughter. When my husband and I made the decision to adopt, I was overwhelmed with ideas of what kind of quilts I would make her. I had made quilts in the past, but I’d never had formal training in “quilt making.” I learned from my mother and grandmother to quilt, in a very non traditional way. I was great with sewing squares together and set about making 9 patches for her. I remember going to City Quilter and picking out a setting and backing fabric for this first quilt nervously selecting what I thought to be sweet. I also picked out vintage squares of fabric that I had purchased off ebay to make those 9 patches.

I hand sewn my patches together and recall feeling stuck when I had to fit together because of the different size patches. Making it up as I went along, I managed to make it a complete top, and “pillowcased” the backing on it, as I didn’t know how to do a BINDING at that time. (I had always learned to roll the back forward for binding.) I then took the quilt with me as we traveled to China and hand quilted it on the way to bring Boo home with us. Excitedly, each stitch was leading me closer to becoming a mother.

I ended up making three more baby quilts for her, trying to make the PERFECT one for her…

My idea of perfect, and her idea of perfect, Well, Let’s just say, she picked her favorite quilt, and it’s the very first one I made her and still sleeps with it til this day.

Our first instincts are usually the best… and so is being a mother. Just the best.

Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Here are two photos of Jacob and the baby quilt that I made for him. He’s sleeping on it in the first photo (Summer, 1999) and then in the second photo …… the top half is ……”Where is Jacob?” and the bottom half is “Here he is!” and what a big smile I got!

I made the quilt from mostly remnants and even some bits left from pajamas that I made for his mommy, my daughter Collette. She knew just which ones were from her pj’s when she was a kid. I chose the “Trip Around the World” pattern because I like that look in a quilt. I machine quilted it and actually finished it before he was born! :-)

Jacob will be 13 this May and I can’t believe how fast the time has flown. We enjoy making crafty things together and have made more than one favorite football team pillow together!

Marie Mentions

Earlier this month, Marie was a guest on Pat Sloan’s Quilting Radio show.

This week, Marie is also a guest on Jackie’s Quilting Chronicle’s podcast.

In the recent issue of Quiltmaker, you’ll find Marie’s first published pattern Path to Cobbled Court. I just love this design.

More photos of the quilt on Jackie’s site.

Give-Aways

Visit today’s two guests, read the answers to the FUN questions, and enter the give-aways on their blogs too:

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Plus, I have two copies of Marie’s Ties that Bind novel to give-away to my blog readers. To enter, visit the Day 1 post and leave a comment there.

I’m also giving away two copies of the Garden Dance pattern from Studio 180 Designs. To enter this give-away, leave a comment on the Day 2 post.

P.S. If you’re looking for today’s Learning Center post on Charity Quilting, it will be available later this afternoon.

Welcome to Day 2 of the blog hop tour for Marie Bostwick’s latest book Ties that Bind. I hope you enjoyed visting yesterday’s guests. Be sure to visit all the guests and leave comments on each site. We all have books to give away to our readers. I’m giving away two copies, so visit the Day 1 post and leave a comment there.

Here’s the complete schedule:

Tuesday, April 24

• Michele – Quilting Gallery – you’re here!
• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Wednesday, April 25

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Thursday, April 26

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Friday, April 27

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa - Lilac Lane

Saturday, April 28

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Marie is also sponsoring this week’s Wall Hangings quilt contest. Submit your quilt by Thursday at midnight EDT to enter.

Baby Quilts from Today’s Guests

In Ties that Bind Philippa decides she’d like to learn how to quilt and signs up for a baby quilt class. I asked our guest bloggers to share a baby quilt they’ve made with us.

Jennifer – SewHooked

Because I learned to quilt by volunteering for a blanket making-charity, The Linus Connection, I started with baby quilts and have made many over the years, so thinking about a special baby quilt took an extra bit of thinking! When I think back to the baby quilt that stands out in my memory the most, it is the quilt that my group of sewing friends made for our friend Catherine.

My friends and I live in the Austin, Texas area. Catherine is from Australia. I met her online many years ago through a Harry Potter craft group. She and I became fast friends and online quilting buddies, and eventually, she flew to Austin to visit. My sewing circle adopted her immediately and now she’s friends to us all. When her first child was born, we all worked together to make a quilt for her.

Catherine is an Engineer and used to work on construction sites. With that in mind, we created a construction-themed quilt using a pattern from a book one of our sewing circle had. Each of us made blocks, and we finished the quilt top at our group’s annual quilt retreat. We each took on jobs of quilting, stitching the binding and making the label. It was a real group effort and meant a lot to us to be able to do this special thing for our friend on the other side of the world!

Erin – One Piece at a Time

When I first started quilting I had several friends and family members who were having babies. I found this pattern in Quiltmaker and I pretty much made it 4 or 5 times. By the time my son came along it just seemed unfair for him not to have one too so I made this one. I guess you can see that my obsession with applique started pretty early. Can you believe that quilt is HAND QUILTED!

Patterns for the Book

Deb Tucker from Studio 180 Designs created this adorable Hide and Seek Baby Quilt to go with the Ties that Bind book. The pattern will be available soon as a free download to those who are registered reading friends at Marie’s web site. You can register now, as there are three other patterns already available for you to download.

Also, Deb created a second pattern to go with the book. This one is Garden Dance and will be available soon. If you are interested in purchasing this one, subscribe to Deb’s newsletter to receive notification when it’s available. I have two copies of this pattern to give-away to my readers see below.

Give-Away

Here are today’s give-aways, you can enter all of them, just follow the instructions on each post:

I have two copies of Marie’s Ties that Bind novel to give-away to my blog readers. To enter, visit the Day 1 post from yesterday and leave a comment there.

I’m also giving away two copies of the Garden Dance pattern from Studio 180 Designs. To enter this give-away, leave a comment below answering What’s your favourite method of appliqué? Winners will be chosen randomly on May 2nd.

Plus, visit today’s two guests, read the answers to the FUN questions, and enter the give-aways on their blogs too:

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Winners

Congratulations to the two winners of the Garden Dance pattern: #34 Julie Barrett and #6 Maria Kievit

I’m thrilled to be hosting this blog hop tour for Marie Bostwick’s latest book Ties that Bind. I am a huge fan of Marie’s Cobbled Court series of novels and was honoured when she asked me to organize this tour for her.

Here’s how it works…

I have invited 10 guests to join me on the tour. They were all sent an advanced copy of Marie’s book and will be answering a few fun questions on their own blogs and sharing photos and stories of a baby quilt they’ve made here on the Quilting Gallery.

Each blogger will also be giving away a copy of the book. Visit each one on their special day to enter their give-away. Winners will be chosen randomly on May 2nd. I’ll also have a couple of patterns to give-away later this week too.

Here’s the schedule:

Tuesday, April 24

• Michele – Quilting Gallery – you’re here!
• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Wednesday, April 25

• Jennifer – SewHooked
• Erin – One Piece at a Time

Thursday, April 26

• Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
• Sandi – A Legacy of Stitches

Friday, April 27

• Michele – With Heart and Hands
• Melissa - Lilac Lane

Saturday, April 28

• Melissa – Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
• Kim – Crafty Apple

Marie is also sponsoring this week’s Wall Hangings quilt contest.

Book Synopsis: Ties that Bind

Christmas is fast approaching, and New Bern, Connecticut, is about to receive the gift of a new pastor, hired sight unseen to fill in while Reverend Tucker is on sabbatical. Meanwhile, Margot Matthews’ friend, Abigail, is trying to match-make even though Margot has all but given up on romance. She loves her job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and the life and friendships she’s made in New Bern; she just never thought she’d still be single on her fortieth birthday.

It’s a shock to the entire town when Phillip A. Clarkson turns out to be Philippa. Truth be told, not everyone is happy about having a female pastor. Yet despite a rocky start, Philippa begins to settle in—finding ways to ease the townspeople’s burdens, joining the quilting circle, and forging a fast friendship with Margot. When tragedy threatens to tear Margot’s family apart, that bond—and the help of her quilting sisterhood—will prove a saving grace. And as she untangles her feelings for another new arrival in town, Margot begins to realize that it is the surprising detours woven into life’s fabric that provide its richest hues and deepest meaning…

Baby Quilts from Today’s Guests

Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works

Here is a photo of a baby quilt that I made for my daughter.

I wanted to make this quilt for her when she was about two. It was just too cute! The quilt was a Pam Bono design and totally pieced. No paper piecing here. There was literally a gazillion little pieces. Each bunny was a challenge as I tend to be a super perfectionist when it comes to piecing. I seem to remember that there was a lot of unsewing going on. But in the end I was very pleased with the result. The fabrics, as you can tell are older calicoes and have faded somewhat. But my daughter still has it in her room all nicely put away.

Wendy – Ivory Spring

I made my first quilt after much encouragement from my quilting mentor and friend Barbara. I had the perfect excuse to venture into something new — a newborn in the family! I had the most fun picking and choosing the different fabrics for the quilt. The applique was really fun too. My favorite part of the quilt is the “bunny-go-around”.

Give-Away

I have two copies of Marie’s Ties that Bind novel to give-away to my blog readers. To enter, leave a comment below answering: What’s your favourite springtime flower? Winners will be chosen randomly on May 2nd.

Plus, visit today’s two guests, read their answers to the FUN questions, and enter the give-aways on their blogs too:

• Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works
• Wendy – Ivory Spring

Congratulations to the winners: #21 Judith Reynolds and #118 Margie W. Check your inbox for a message from me.