Quilts, Hugs, and Friends

I've talked before about our little group that meets once a month, it's a fluid group and we don't always get to meet every month, but for several years we have managed to stay in touch, to meet, to share, to laugh and talk and even get some occasional sewing done!

One of our group  needed a big hug - a really BIG hug.  So what does a quilter dor for a friend in need?  Why make a quilt of course!  A perpetual hug - a bunch of arms that wrap around you in affection and acceptance.

So, Tirane and I picked out a pattern, decided on colors and wanted it to be scrappy.  She went to her stash, I went to mine; we made blocks and didn't check with each other to see what we had until it was time to put it together.  Dang! We did good!

  

                   this is a picture of the back.   Look close at the quilting.   Tirane quilted a path of pebbles with the word Friend spaced thru it --  the thought was that life is a path of pebbles, but friends can help you get thru the bumpy parts.
 The blue parts are really full of daisy flowers -- to bring a smile.    I think it worked - for a little bit anyway.  Because we knew that our friend was hurting it was hard to work on this, but our hope was to give her comfort in days to come -- I hope it does.

Pillowcases - A Place to Rest your Head

Doesn't it make you feel good when you can take your craft and make something that you can give to another?  This year, my bee has decided that we will make pillowcases for kids at a local children's advocacy center.  Our hope is to be able to give them a little bit of happiness when they lay their heads down to rest.

I've made three today.  I used the 'burito roll' ( it' called a lot of different names! ) method where there are no raw seams..  made sense to me to make them as durable as possible.

Fabric is from my stash ( what a better way to use it, right?!) and geez, takes about 20 minutes to put one together.  It's a great way to spend a day!

Today

not much else to say today.

Creativity, Productivity, Procrastination ( Gobble Gobble! )

I think I must have started this last year, yep, probably did cause I was going to decorate for Thanksgiving. Sure I was.
I have Kim Schaefer's Calendar Quilts - its a really cool booklet that has a 20x28 quilt for each month.  Each has a basic background of squares sewn together, then the main theme is put on the front ( like the turkey or a pumpkin, or snowman).  I enjoyed it because I love doing machine applique - to me it's sorta like coloring in a color book ( and yes, I have trouble staying in the lines :) LOL). 

I have/had big plans to make all twelve, to have a specific place with a hanger ready for them and the idea of changing them out once a month. 
Sure I do.
Or at least I did.

Well, I have almost two done :)  The one above is for Fall/Thanksgiving and I have to put the binding on it and sew the little beady eye.  Turkeys have beady eyes, don't they?

I did finally buy a hanger today!  Found one at Joann's and I got these curtin rings that are like clippies and thought that would make it super easy to change out these little wall quilts once a month ((  who am I kidding!  how many years will it take me to get all 12 done??)
BUT, I'm ready for Thanksgiving/Fall!

well, almost.

just gotta sew on that binding and beady little eye.

Pay it Forward - Quilts for Kids

You've read my posts about the Quilts for Kids Organization before - and I just love using my skills to make something that must might make a little one feel better.  I took two quilts to the post office today to mail back to the main Quilts for Kids group in Pennsylvania today - gave me a big smile to drop those packages in the mail box!

This is the one I made from the kit that the group sent me - their fabrics are SO nice to work with,, great quality and nice to know that they will hold up to all the washings that they go through.

The group asks that you send in another quilt along with the one that you make from their kit.  This is the one that I made - Dogs Rule.  The pattern is one of theirs, so super easy to make and doesn't take alot of fabric.  The backing was some that I had bought for super cheap..  good quality at super low prices is my way of shopping!

It's bright and fun and I hope that a special person enjoys it.

If you haven't found the Quilts for Kids sight, just click on the name.  Ask for a kit, make a quilt, maybe make another of your own.  Send a smile and it will put a smile on your face, too.