A Little Quilt Finds a Home

So often when we donate quilts to charitable groups, we are not really sure what happens to them.  I follow the blog of Cherri House, author of City Quilts.  In March, Cherri posted a call for children's quilts on her blog Cherry House Quilts.  I didn't have anything ready, so it took me a while to get a quilt together.  One month later, I mailed the quilt I blogged about here (http://saltmarshpath.blogspot.com/2011/04/another-finish.html)  to the Early Head Start Program in Baltimore, MD. On Monday, I received a lovely thank you note in the mail.

As a retired nursery school teacher, I was delighted to know that the quilt would be part of the school's "Cozy Corner" In-Home Literacy Project.  Each child is given a quilt and a book to begin an infant/toddler library in their home.  Books are taken to their house throughout the year to encourage a love for reading.  Although I wasn't expecting a thank you for sending the quilt, it was wonderful to hear how the little quilt that traveled hundreds of miles would be used.

What was I thinking?

While searching for hidden UFOs in my fabric closet, I also went through the patterns I have been hoarding.   When visiting a LQS, I saw a lovely sample for a sweatshirt jacket called Sunset Strip by Moonlight Designs.  Unfortunately, they were out of the pattern and ordered it for me.  When I received the pattern, I realized that  I would never make it.  The same applies to the lovely 25" x 25" paper-pieced  Ginger Jar quilt pattern by June Colburn that I loved when I saw it at a quilt show.  Check the links and see if you would like to have one of these patterns.

Another Finish

I finished this baby quilt yesterday, but it was so nasty out I waited until today to take the picture on my front stoop.  While searching through my UFOs, I found a bag of 4 inch insect and sea creature strips.  Packed along with the strips was a group of 4 patch blocks.  I have no idea what they were originally intended for, but it seemed as though they were meant to go together.  I used 2 inch strips of Kona aqua to break up the prints so it wouldn't look too jumbled. I practiced  FMQ on some quilt sandwiches to warm up, but decided to use the serpentine stitch on my Sapphire to quilt it.  I used 6 full  bobbins and emptied 1 full spool of thread and 3/4 of another.  Hopefully, some little person will love it.

This is the back

Unexpected Pleasures

In February Cara of Cara Quilts held a Charity Challenge to encourage quilters to donate to shelters for abused women/children or the homeless.  I never got a chance to blog about it, but I put together 3 canvas tote bags filled with basic toiletries and brought it to the closest Women's shelter. The items were things we take for granted, but need in our daily lives.  Each of the bags held:  a toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, a bath scrubby, body lotion, body wash, a bar of soap, lip balm, and deodorant.   My husband and I also brought a large shopping bag with extra toiletries, canned goods and old cell phones which the center converts to be used for calls to 911.   It wasn't a big deal for us since we try to buy extra items when they are on sale to donate through our church.

Over 200 people responded to Cara's Challenge.  She held a drawing and her sponsors provided lovely prizes.  I was lucky enough to receive a $50 gift certificate provided by 1 Choice 4 Quilting.  I was thrilled to visit Shawna's  lovely online shop and chose a French General Maison de Garance jelly roll and 4 Fig Tree Strawberry Fields charm packs. When the package arrived 3 days later there was a pretty Thank You card and a package of Schmetz quilting needles inside.  I immediately opened one of the Strawberry Fields packs.  It's a beautiful collection.

Sarah over at Confessions of A Fabric Addict gave away 2 Moda Jelly Rolls as part of the Hands to Help Charity Challenge and I was lucky enough to win the Origins by Basic Grey jelly roll donated by Judi of Green Fairy Quilts.  Thank you to these generous bloggers for encouraging others to support people in need.  I can't wait to use these very special fabrics.

Fun Link

I found a great site that I would love to share.  If you love to make bags and totes, this site is a great resource.  DIY Bag Lover has links to free tutorials for every kind of bag and tote you can imagine and a few you never knew you needed.  

Anatomy of a UFO

A UFO no more

As I was sewing the binding on this little quilt, I couldn't figure out why I left it to languish in the closet for 2 years.  I have lots of UFOs that I have been dragging out from their hiding places so that I can face up to them in the light of day.  I keep asking myself, "Why didn't I finish this?"  In this case, as I was about to put on the border I noticed that I didn't like the color combination on 2 of the blocks.  I took the quilt apart and made new blocks to replace them. Unfortunately, after I was finished, I noticed that I sewed one of the blocks in the wrong direction.  I ripped it apart once more and turned the offending block the correct way.  I was so sick of looking at the quilt that I put it away.  Months later, I took it out again to cut the borders and binding, I noticed another set of blocks that I didn't like, but left them alone.  After putting on the borders, I realized I miscalculated and didn't have enough fabric left for the binding.  The quilt was banished to the closet once more.  Finally, I gave in and used the same fabric for the binding as the backing.  It wasn't what I wanted, but it would get done.  Once it was finished, I liked it.  I realized I should have left it alone in the first place and it would have been done 2 years ago and probably would have been just as nice.

Sharon over at Vrooman's Quilts is one of my favorite bloggers.  She creates wonderful quilts and explains the hows and whys of her projects is a manner clear enough for me to understand.  I really love to read about the different swaps and challenges she participates in.  She gets so much done, I'm not sure if I believe she is really only one person. There is a new button on her blog for the Hands 2 Help Charity Challenge.   It is a great way to have fun, use up some stash, and to spread love through one of your quilts.  Check it out soon because the sign up runs from Sunday, April 10th until April 13th and challenge partners will be assigned on April 15th.