It’s been an exciting month featuring various charity quilting projects, orgaizations, initiatives and quilters. I hope you have enjoyed this special feature. In case you missed any, or are new here to the Quilting Gallery, here’s a list of all the projects that have been featured:

• Victoria’s Quilts Canada
• And Still Counting
• Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative
• Helping Iowa Quilters
• Michele Bilyeu, Charity Quilter
• Canadian Comfort and Remembrance Project
• Quilting 911
• Living Healing Quilt Project
• Quilts 4 Leukaemia
• Quilts of Valour - Canada

Also, here are a few links to other wonderful quilters that let me know of their Charity Quilting efforts:

• Judy L from Patchwork Times
• Kim from A Peach in Stitches
• Cheri keeps a blog, Hearts for Linus, where she posts photos of all the quilts her guild, Illini Country Stitchers Quilt Guild, donates to Project Linus.

I want to thank everyone for their submissions. Did you enjoy this special feature? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Submitted by: Lezley Zwaal

Describe your organization or group.

Quilts of Valour - Canada has a mission: To ensure that our wounded Canadian soldiers are recognized for their bravery and commitment of their true patriotism to our country. We give this support through the presentation of quilts of comfort made for our military service people.

QOV Canada quilts are whatever you want to make - although a recommended size is roughly 50” X 60”. People have discussed a smaller lap quilt for those confined to wheelchairs. Long arm quilters are also willing to quilt. It is up to the quilter and the quilt topper to determine who will provide the backing, the batting and the binding.

The QOV Canada is also encouraging making a “pillow” or tote for the quilt. It has been suggested to make the tote with handles so that it could be used with the wheelchair too. It is not mandatory, merely a suggestion.

As for distribution, we are relying on the various chaplains, padres and the Land Forces Base West to come to our assistance for getting quilts to our wounded. It is up to the quilter to get the quilts to these bases – their addresses can be forwarded when there is a quilt ready!

Did any one person or event inspire the creation of the charity quilt group/organization?

Yes, Lezley Zwaal, Quilter

Back in January 2006 when three Canadian soldiers were injured I watched the news cast interview with another soldier recovering from a prior incident and noticed no quilt for comfort in sight. My first reaction - “Where are the quilts for Canadian soldiers?”

I thought about it, stewed about it and knowing about an American based comfort quilt project I finally made a decision to act on my query and contacted the coordinator of an American organization called Quilts of Valor Foundation (QoVF), a woman named Catherine Roberts.

Five quilts later - three from Diane in Calgary, two from my own studio, several e-mails and one phone call later with Catherine Roberts - the Canadian version: QoV - Quilts of Valour – Canada was underway!

We are in the process of becoming a registered society within Alberta – and then a charitable society within Canada.

Geographic location of your organization or group.

ALL of Canada.

If applicable, how many chapters are there world-wide or country-wide?

None – however, Quilts of Valor Foundation (U.S) is the society after which we are patterned. We are not an official chapter.

If applicable, how many charity quilts have been donated?

Between 200 and 300.

Are there any special yearly events, such as a quilt-a-thon?

No – not yet!

How many volunteers are involved?

Hundreds of quilters. There are 40 names on the registry of those who have contacted me. Most of those represent a guild or bee and have sent anywhere from one to 30 quilts to be delivered to wounded soldiers. There are 6 military contacts across Canada for quilt distribution.

How can one volunteer, donate or get involved?

If you or your guild wishes to quilts for wounded soldiers via Quilts of Valour – Canada – think Canadian patriotic – think Canadianna – moose / mountains / maple leaves / inukshuk / prairies / fishing / forests …. QOV Canada quilts are whatever you want to make - although a recommended size is roughly 50" X 60". People have discussed a smaller lap quilt for those confined to wheelchairs. Long arm quilters are also willing to quilt. Contact Lezley for a long-armer close to you. It is up to the quilter and the quilt topper to determine who will provide the backing, the batting and the binding. The QOV Canada is also encouraging making a "pillow" or tote for the quilt. It has been suggested to make the tote with handles so that it could be used with the wheelchair too. It is not mandatory, merely a suggestion.

These quilts are forwarded to the military connections and are then given to our wounded soldiers. We, as quilters, do not know who is going to receive the quilts. The identity of the wounded soldiers is not given out. There are seldom presentations. The soldiers may contact the quilters to thank them if the quilter’s contact information is included with the quilt. We are relying on the various chaplains, padres and the Land Forces Base West to come to our assistance for getting quilts to our wounded. It is up to you to get the quilts to these bases – their addresses can be forwarded when you have a quilt ready! The various Military Family Resource Centers look after our soldier’s families who remain at home while their enlisted are posted overseas. Although they have assisted getting the initial quilts to our wounded, they focus on supporting the families.

To send a quilt to our wounded Canadian soldiers, please contact Lezley when you have a quilt ready to go and a destination close to your will be forwarded. If you have any questions about the quilt or any of the projects, please feel free to email.

Detailed information on submitting a quilt is provided in this PDF document: Information Document.

Contact information:

Lezley Zwaal at (780) 983-3210,
Email: QoV@AutomatedQuill.com
Yahoo Chat Group: QuiltsOfValour

QOV Canada does not currently have web site; however Laurie Hawn, a Canadian Member of Parliament has a feature on his site, Laurie supports Quilts of Valour - Canada.

Other information:

Our support is for our soldier, wounded during their duties overseas. The quilts are given to them as they recover at home – sometimes in a hospital or care facility, sometimes the quilts are delivered once the soldier has returned to his home.

We are not providing quilts to the families of our fallen soldiers. There are two other organizations looking after them – through the direction of Department of National Defence. Operation Peace and Comfort (OPC) - Jan Wasalyshyn; and Canadian Comfort and Remembrance Project (CCRP) - Jane Guthrie.

Submitted by: Clare Worthy - Dordogne Quilter

What gave you the idea to raise money for Leukaemia research via quilting?

I am a Moderator of two France Yahoo Groups. Amongst those groups are some fellow crafters – knitters, card makers, scrap-bookers, quilters, cross-stitchers, etc. We started chatting about our creations and the men (some of them engineers) started getting bored. One of my fellow Moderators and I decided to set up a Yahoo Group specially for expatriate crafters. Between us we surfed the net for like minded people and the membership list is slowly but surely growing. It is through this that I first came across Tonya’s blog.

It was during this that I hit upon the idea of making quilts for Leukaemia Research in the hope that they could auction them off to raise funds. I only had one taker – a fellow Francophile living in the Limousin. I then started my blog and asked the question again. No takers. A few months went by and I came up with the idea that if all these quilters didn’t want to make a quilt, then why not a block for a quilt. A fellow blogger took up the challenge and mentioned it on her blog, Life’s a Quilt. The offers then came flooding in. There has also been a bit of bribery – "make me a block and I’ll send you a French recyclable carrier bag".

I have even inspired a fellow Moderator on one of my Yahoo groups. He is a retired engineer living in the Lot et Garonne, has got his mother’s old sewing machine out and is on the way to making his first ever quilt block. Because he is an engineer, no doubt his block measurements will be exact!

In September 2004 my sister’s then boyfriend, Matt Julians (aka Floyd London, guitarist for The Almighty, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

To quote Sophie:

“His type of AML was quite rare (1:70,000) and he was treated with 4 courses of aggressive chemotherapy. Unfortunately a bone marrow biopsy was out of the question as the procedure alone carried a 40% mortality rate. Floyd’s chances of successfully beating the cancer are 50/50 but he still made it to remission after the first course of chemo, and he’s still there now!!! We have another 4 years to get through before we can say he made it! Floyd is a tough wee lad and we know he’s going to beat this leukaemia.”

Floyd went into remission and they got married a couple of years ago. He has still got a long way to go before he is in the clear.

Sophie and Floyd are working their hearts out for this very worthwhile cause. They visit hospitals nearly every weekend, mostly the childrens’ wards. They raised about £25,000 through 2 charity concerts in 2005/6 and have just finished a second bout of fund raising.

We couldn’t hit upon a way of auctioning the quilts off, except through a certain Internet auction site and Sophie and I didn’t quite like that idea.

So we changed the position of the goal posts halfway through and now these blocks (well over 100 at the last count) are made up into quilts and sent to children worldwide.

What gave me the idea?

Watching Floyd and Sophie go to hell and back and wanting to do something to help them help others.

The contributors are mainly from the States (bien sur), but I have contributors from Finland, Germany, Australia, Japan, Turkey, Italy, France naturally, UAE, South Africa and the UK. This is truly "wrapped around the world" One or two people have made "cot quilts".

People send me a "block" which is 8 1/2 inches "unfinished". This block is made up of red and white material, representing the blood cells in any design the contributor likes – basic quilt block design, free piecing, anything. Some of them are stunning!

Allowing for a 1/4 inch seam (and my non-straight seams LOL), the blocks will finish up as 8 inches square. I will then stitch them together, make up the "sandwich" and then quilt.

Number of quilts completed so far is 8 with one on the wall. Quilts have been sent to Germany, the UK, the US and New Zealand.

Contact information:
Web Site: Quilts 4 Leukaemia
Clare Worthy: Email | Clare’s Blog: Dordogne Quilter

Living Healing Quilt Project — Promoting Healing — One Stitch at a Time

If you or someone you know has been directly affected by Indian Residential Schools, then we encourage you to contribute to the Living Healing Quilt Project. The Living Healing Quilt Project is a unique way to get involved and promote a better understanding about the experiences endured by children who attended Indian Residential Schools.

Call for Quilt Blocks – How You Can Get Involved

Create your own 13″ x13″ square quilt block. Choose your own colour, design and material. Paint on canvas or stiff paper, or use a photo - your image can be transferred onto fabric.

Dedicate your square to a child or adult affected by Indian Residential Schools. Individual squares will represent what you wish to express about the history or your personal experience of Indian Residential Schools.

Include:

1. A brief story about your square
2. Your name, address and email
3. Your phone number (If you wish to be contacted about the progress of the quilt)

Deadline for Submissions is August 31, 2008

Please mail to:
Alice Olsen Williams
Curve Lake First Nation, ON
K0L 1R0
Tel: (705) 657-3319.
Email: alwilliams@trentu.ca

Once completed, the Living Healing Quilt Project will travel across the country with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Living Healing Quilt Project will honour the strength, courage, and commitment of Indian Residential School Survivors and bring awareness to Canadians about Indian Residential Schools, as we move forward together on a path of healing.

Submitted by: Jean Kester - Quilting 911 - Quilting Ranny

I would love to be included in your list of charity quilt makers. I make quilts specifically for police/fire dispatchers in need, because as a police dispatcher for over 12 years, I know how they are forgotten during and after a tragedy or catastrophe.

Describe your organization or group.

My organization is just me, making quilts for dispatchers and their families in need.

Did any one person or event inspire the creation of the charity quilt group/organization?

Hurricane Katrina inspired me to get involved with a group called 911 Cares, it was through them, that I began making quilts for police dispatchers in need.

Geographic location of your organization or group.

I personally live in Aberdeen, Washington, but I reach out to dispatchers all over the United States.

How many charity quilts have been donated?

I have sent out my own 22 quilts to those in need. Quilts to people who lost all during Hurricane Katrina, the floods of Broome County, the tragedy at Virginia Tech abd lastly a quilt for a homeless teen in my area.

Are there any special yearly events, such as a quilt-a-thon?

No, I quilt on my own, as often as I can.

How many volunteers are involved?

Just 1 quilter, me.

How can one volunteer, donate or get involved?

I am always in need of donations for batting from crib size to king size and thread in all colors. Right now, I have plenty of fabric and patterns.

Contact Information:
Web Site: http://quilting911.blogspot.com/
Jean Kester - compassionatequilter@rocketmail.com
Jean’s Blog - Quilting Ranny Blog

Photo Notes:

The black and white one was donated to the woman who works at my childrens day care, she is in her 70’s, works everday and is always cold and shivering. The Chinese coin quilt was donated to a family in need. The two baby quilts were sold to buy more batting for charity quilts.

Submitted by: Jane Guthrie

The Canadian Comfort and Remembrance Project (CCRP) was born Jan. 17, 2006 when I heard the news of the death of Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry, who was killed that morning in Afganistan.

In the CCRP I invite Canadians to make blocks and quilts to be given to spouses and mothers of fallen Canadian soldiers. I wanted to give ordinary Canadians a tangible way in which to let the families of our fallen soldiers know that we care that they are hurting, and to let them know that we support them in their journey of sorrow. The "Maple Heart" block was designed by Jennifer Hodge, of Picket Fence Fabrics. I ask the block maker to write their name, home town and words of comfort in the centre heart of their block.

In March, 2006 I met with Lt. Col. Blais, of the Directorate of Casualty Support (DCSA) in the Department of National Defense (DND) and his staff. The military adopted the CCRP. In order to maintain the confidentiality of military families, we are not given the names, addresses or any personal information about the families of fallen soldiers. DCSA sends an invitation to the spouse and the mother of each fallen soldier, offering them a CCRP quilt, or a quilted wall hanging from "Operation Peace & Comfort" of Innisfail, Alberta (Email). A picture of each is sent to the potential recipients with the invitation letter, to help them see a sample of what their choices are.

By November, 2006, we sent 22 CCRP quilts to DCSA, who delivered them to recipients, many for presentation at local Remembrance Day ceremonies. In April, 2007 we sent another 14 quilts. By the end of October we sent 45 quilts for 2007. There were two others which were presented locally where they were made, and did not pass through our hands, even though they were definitely part of the CCRP. So the CCRP total as of 11 November, 2007 was 48 quilts. .

We have received several letters of appreciation from grateful recipients who are deeply touched by the care and efforts of those who have reached out to embrace them through the CCRP. I continue to receive blocks and quilts regularly. As of May, 2008 I have 35 quilts on hand, a request for 7 to be sent out, and several more quilts in progress for this fall. I am amazed, humbled and honoured to see how many Canadians have taken this project to heart and are working so hard to send comfort and care to the families of our fallen soldiers. As long as Canadian soldiers are falling, their family members are grieving, and quilters are willing to help, we will reach out with care and comfort to fellow Canadians in their time of need by continuing the CCRP.

I want to thank those whose efforts have helped make this project possible: Capt. Geri Bush and Louise Rochette of DCSA, Lolly Chalice, our web-mistress, Veterans Affairs - Canada, Trend-Tex Fabrics, the Mallorytown Legion, Jennifer and Jonathan Hodge and many groups and friends across this land who have made quilts and blocks and donated funds and material.

It is ordinary Canadians who are making this project happen. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your generous out pouring of support for the families our fallen Canadian soldiers.

Silver Cross 2006 Quilt

Mrs. Alice Murphy, of Conception Bay, Newfoundland was selected by the Royal Canadian Legion as the Silver Cross Mother for 2006. The Silver Cross Mother is chosen annually to represent all Canadian mothers who have lost a son or daughter in military service. When Mrs. Murphy requested a CCRP quilt, we wanted a way for her quilt to be unique and to acknowledge this great honour.

Contact Information:
Jane Guthrie, CCRP Founder and Co-ordinator
Web site: www.ccrquilts.ca
Email: ccrquilts@gmail.com

Michele Bilyeu is a life-long volunteer who currently lives in Salem, Oregon. Having learned to sew at age 12 on her Alaskan grandmother’s old treadle sewing machine, she quickly developed a love of not only sewing but sewing for others.

In September of 2005, she was one of 200 women gathered at the Salem Convention Center in to create "200 quilts in two days" for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Members of the Salem community donated fabric, thread, batting and quilting items as their part in contributing to the disaster relief movement. The goal was reached. 200 quilts were created in just two days by 200 women. They were hand-delivered by members of the Salem community to Hurricane Katrina survivors by Christmas.

A dozen members of that original group continue to sew every Monday and to make and donate quilts for a variety of charitable causes.

These quilts are sent out on various missions all over the United States, as well as to other charitable groups and causes. They are continually sent to the survivors of the hurricane damaged areas of the U.S. for both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to Habitat for Humanity homes, to members of Inter-Faith Ministries, to the Red Cross, the Union Gospel Mission for the homeless, to neo-natal units and for use by hospice. We have also sent quilts to AIDS babies in Africa, to forest fire victims in California, and to wounded soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Michele is one of the group members who continues to sew three days a week at home for the charitable causes. She likes to create "sew and go" quilts. When group members travel, they will carry a few of their quilts along and drop off at quilt shops to donate to various causes. Our patriotic "quilts of valor" have been hand-delivered to the "Veterans’ Outreach Center" in Salem, Oregon and to the Madigan Army Medical Center Hospital, located at Fort Lewis, in Tacoma, Washington. There, they are immediately given to wounded soldiers as they arrive at the hospital.

Michele’s current project is combining her love of quilting with her love of sewing. She is involved with sewing and giving away "morsbags"….free, reusable cloth shopping and carrying bags. Her last two quilts were made in honor of one of the quilting group’s members who passed away two weeks ago. She made two brightly colored, scrappy children’s quilts and sent them off in two little "morsbags" for children in the "Family Building Blocks" program in Salem in honor of the quilter who had died. This not only honored that quilter’s love of sewing, children and animals but went to the group in which she had served as a dedicated volunteer…helping children and their families break the cycle of child abuse.

All of these quilts and bags are made simply, using donated, even recycled materials, (the bags below used to be curtains) all are lovingly labeled, and then sent out on their missions of creating heartstrings between our Salem Community Quilters and members of our larger community, everywhere!

Check out Michele’s blog: With Heart and Hands: A Quilted Journey

Gudrun is collecting quilting supplies and fabric to help those affected by the terrible flooding in Iowa. Many residents have lost everything and still have not been able to get back into their homes. Gudrun is hoping to have all donations in by August 15.

Find out more from these posts: Quilters in Need and Quilting Care Packages for Flood Victims.

Submitted by: Ami Simms - Blog

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) is an Internet-driven, grassroots, totally volunteer effort to raise awareness and fund research through art.

More than $157,000 was collected for various chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association during 2006 and 2007 by the AAQI. In January 2008, the AAQI became a Michigan nonprofit corporation and will be funding research directly.

The AAQI currently administers two major programs. The first is a nationwide quilt exhibit called "Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece". It contains 52 quilts each interpreting Alzheimer’s in some way. So far, an estimated 192,000 people have had the opportunity to see this exhibit. It will continue to crisscross the country until the end of 2010. A book and a CD of the exhibit are available for purchase.

The second is the "Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt" project, so named for the urgent need for research dollars and the requirement that these quilts must fit into a flat cardboard USPS priority mailer without folding. They are small works of art no larger than 9 inches by 12 inches, offered in an online silent auction the first few days of each month or sold outright on the Internet or at selected venues across the United States.

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. Quilters across the United States are threading their needles in the hopes of bringing a cure for Alzheimer’s disease one stitch closer.

Did any one person or event inspire the creation of the charity quilt organization?

It was founded in January 2006 by quilter Ami Simms. Her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2001.

Geographic location of your organization.

US primarily although we have some foreign participants.

How many charity quilts have been donated?

Almost 3,000.

Are there any special yearly events, such as a quilt-a-thon?

We offer quilts for sale at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX each year. We hope to bring 1,000 quilts in 2008.

How many volunteers are involved?

A handful of core volunteers, and hundreds of quilters who make, donate, and purchase the quilts.

How can one volunteer, donate or get involved?

See our web page at www.AlzQuilts.org or go directly to the You Can Help! page. (Donate quilts, bid on monthly auctions, buy AAQI gear, subscribe to our AAQI update newsletter.)

Contact Information:
Web Site: www.AlzQuilts.org
Ami Simms (founder, curator, executive officer)
amisimms@aol.com or 810 637-5586

Reminder: I’m putting together a blog post of links to other quilter’s posts about their charity efforts. If you would like to write something this month, or already have a post, please send it to me for inclusion.

Submitted by: Caron Lage

Inspiration and description for my project:

Not long ago, I was perusing the Internet, when I came across some photos of a display at Reed College out in Portland Oregon. Flags had been placed in the lawn. A red flag for every American who has died in the war, and a white one for every six Iraqis. There were 3055 red flags, and 112,000 white flags. I was overwhelmed.

I don’t live in a hole, I consider myself moderately well informed about the world, but seeing the visual representation of the consequences of war was so much more powerful than hearing, or reading the numbers.

Thus began the haunting. That visual was thought provoking without telling one what to think. It was something to raise awareness about something that is far too easy to ignore on a daily basis. But it was also impermanent. It would most likely be picked up in a few weeks when the lawn needed to be mowed.

Haunt. Haunt. Haunt.

Wait! I’m an artist, what can I do to make something as a visual reminder? My chosen medium is quilting, so it would obviously have to be a quilt of some sort. The rest of that particular brainstorming happened so fast, I can’t describe it for you, except to say I was jumping up and down and dancing the dance of good ideas.

Here’s the idea - A small quilt for each American who has died and on that quilt small french knots to represent each Iraqi. Using the numbers from the Reed display, that’s 3055 little quilts with 212 french knots on each one. The quilts will be made and bound with solid color fabrics. Any color is fine, they represent the soldiers who represent us and we are of every color and ethnicity. The 212 french knots will be made with black thread. I’ve been using 2 strands of embroidery floss, and starting in the center, make a spiral of french knots. Each little quilt will be connected to the next with small brass safety pins. I am putting a purple bead on the safety pin between the quilts to represent the wounded. It’s no where near the actual number of wounded, but, they need to be represented as well.

The idea has evolved a bit – folks are helping me with beads and some decorative machine stitches are ok (Check with me first please with machine stitches) and you can out the knots or beads on the blocks in any non-representational design. I still want the main idea to be a visual reminder of the numbers, and not to dictate anyone’s specific meaning. So, no peace signs, crosses, or doves.

How folks can help:

My family and friends have been incredibly supportive and helpful! And the Internet has brought bits of help from all over the continent. I’m always being amazed with support.

I still need about 1500 more blocks to complete the first branch of this. My goal, for now, is to finish 3100 blocks, because that is how many American military deaths there were when I started the project. When these are done, we can probably start another project of similar size. Another 1000 plus military deaths have occurred and, there wasn’t talk of American contract workers dying when I started this. Last I heard there were at least 1200 who have perished.

So all of that was to explain that YES! I do need help! Go to my tutorial pages and make some blocks!! Drop me an e-mail and I will give you my address to send them in.

I am also looking for venues for the memorial to be seen. It can hang in sections as small as 30 blocks, or any combination really, as the design allows it to be fluid and flexible for any space.

As the project grows and is ready to be seen, I could use monetary help with shipping costs, and insurance while it travels.

Contact info:

Check out my blog for this project at: And Still Counting. Photos, tutorials contact info and updates will be there.

Comforting People with Cancer
Réconforter les personnes avec le cancer

Victoria’s Quilts Canada was established in 2000 by Betty Giffin. VQC is a non-profit charitable organization, committed to providing comfort, both spiritually and physically, to individuals diagnosed with cancer. It is staffed entirely by volunteers who make quilts and distribute them to people diagnosed with cancer in Canada.

Victoria’s Quilts Canada was modeled on an organization in the United States, Victoria’s Quilts, which was established by Deborah Rogers in honour of Victoria Ann Morrison, a wife, mother, grandmother, and Deborah’s best friend. Victoria was also a cancer patient who often commented about being cold during her chemotherapy. Victoria was also a quilter who took the fear out of quilting by reassuring others that “since people are not perfect – quilts don’t have to be either.” Out of this grew Victoria’s Quilts.

In August of 1998, Betty Giffin learned about this effort and brought the idea to Canada. She started slowly with a handful of friends. In the first year, 16 quilts were distributed to adult cancer patients in the Ottawa area.

Over the past eight years, the organization has seen immense growth, and now includes some 800 volunteers in 20 groups in Ottawa and 18 communities across Canada. This growth enabled VQC to deliver its 10,000th quilt during January 2008, and it distributes an average of 250 quilts each month.

However, with the number of people stricken with cancer continually rising, VQC has also seen an increase in the demand for quilts. Although the organization has, to date, been able to meet all the requests, it is concerned that quilt production will soon not be able to keep up with the demand. Victoria’s Quilts Canada is actively looking for new people interested in sewing or quilting, or any of the non-sewing positions that need to be filled.

Victoria’s Quilts Canada also appreciates the support it has received from corporate sponsors, including many of the local quilt shops and Fabricland Distributors. But the major source of its funds is donations from private individuals, often the recipients of our quilts, and their families and friends. Victoria’s Quilts Canada also raises funds through raffles and direct solicitation, and through some innovative ideas, such as President Betty Giffin’s head-shaving in April 2008.

In addition, Victoria’s Quilts Canada holds an annual Quilt-a-Thon, in October, where about 100 quilters converge to make more than 100 quilts during the day. And besides the quilters, the volunteers include the administrative organizers, floor managers, food caterers, and clean up staff. A whole lot of people work towards making the day the successful endeavour that it is.

In addition, we hold an annual raffle of three major prizes. This year, the three prizes are two queen-size bed quilts and a lap quilt.

As well, anyone who wishes to get involved with Victoria’s Quilts Canada can contact us. No quilting experience is necessary, as there are many jobs that need to be filled, from administrative, to quilt delivery and counselling, to public relations. If a person is willing, we’ll find a job for them to do!

Here are some photos of the many quilts that have been sent to people over the last few months.

Contact Victoria Quilts:
http://victoriasquiltscanada.com/
By phone: (613) 843-9212
By fax: (613) 843-9131

Mishka’s Notes: I am a volunteer for Victoria Quilts meeting once a month to help baste quilts done by other members of my group. I would like to volunteer more, but don’t seem to have time right now. A friend and I participated in the Quilt-a-thon last year. It was a blast, I highly recommend others to get involved. I have raffle tickets, if anyone wants them, drop me an email and we’ll make arrangements.

Reminder: I’m putting together a blog post of links to other quilter’s posts about their charity efforts. If you would like to write something this month, or already have a post, please send it to me for inclusion.

… I’m really behind these days. A couple of days before Canada Day, I switched Internet providers and something went very wrong, resulting in me having no access for several days. While this might not be a big deal for many, for a web developer who works from home, this really caused me a lot of nuisance.

I had every intention of starting the Charity Quilting Month posts on July 2nd, but just haven’t had time to get them together. I hope to get caught on the Wednesday or by the weekend for sure. If you’re waiting for an email reply, please be patient, it’s coming too.

My mom and I had a great visit, we did some stitching (her knitting, me blanket stitching some applique) and shopping and eating out at restaurants. It was my birthday on the weekend, and I got some great gifts from my family (including home-made cookies that the cats ate already) and a lovely professional seam ripper from a friend of mine. My mom was here for breakfast that day, and she left right after so I spent a quiet afternoon and evening, relaxing, reading, watching some television and drinking some beer. It was perfect as I didn’t want anything elaborate and preferred to just forget about it altogether (yes, it was one of those big ones).

Anyway, I was back to work and getting client stuff done today, so I feel more in my groove than I have the past couple of weeks.

I was reading Judy L.’s Patchwork Times blog earlier today, and she was kind enough to post about my Charity Quilting Month in this great post of her Charity Quilting projects, which gave me a great idea to tie into the theme here. If others want to post a blog entry on their own site about their charity quilting efforts, then send me an email, I’ll gladly compile a list of the posts together in one spot on here. Depending on how many I get, I’ll do a couple of posts this month to highlight your submissions.

Have a great week,
Michele

July will be Charity Quilting Month here at the Quilting Gallery. This will be an opportunity to feature the many wonderful charities and organizations out there where quilts and quilters are involved. We are a very generous community. My hope is to have a charity to post about every other day during the month of July, but if I get more submissions, all the better.

Are you a charity organization and want to be featured here?

I’ve created a series of questions below that you can use as a template in preparing your submission. Send me your submission along with any photos or logos you would like used in the post. Please don’t just send me a URL, I don’t have time to do the research myself. Feel free to skip questions that are not appropriate and add ones that are more applicable to your particular group.

• Describe your organization or group.
• Did any one person or event inspire the creation of the charity quilt group/organization?
• Geographic location of your organization or group (i.e. world-wide, country-wide, or city/state/province only).
• If applicable, how many chapters are there world-wide or country-wide?
• If applicable, how many charity quilts have been donated?
• Are there any special yearly events, such as a quilt-a-thon?
• How many volunteers are involved?
• How can one volunteer, donate or get involved?
• Submit photos of finished quilts (maximum of 4).
• Submit logo or other branding for use in the blog post.
• Web site address?
• Other contact information.

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I reserve the right to edit any submissions; however, I’ll be sure contact you if I’ve changed anything significant.