Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Sew Some Love

Welcome to the Sew Some Love linkup!  Please link-up any post about a project you're sewing for charity.


I've been doing some quilting and binding of donated tops and my orphan block top.  My trusty assistant was nearby, of course.  She thinks she's so stealthy...


Covered in Love has been so blessed by donations from quilters, I want you all to see what each other have going on!  For purposes of the linky, I'm going to define "charity" really generally.  If you're sewing a quilt for you co-worker's mom with cancer or your friend's uncle who lost his home, that totally counts!  Anything you're sewing out of the goodness of your heart for someone outside you immediate circle of family and friends. 



Some Quilt Charities:
Covered in Love - quilts for mourning families
Margaret's Hope Chest - several programs for children and adults
My Very Own Blanket - quilts for children in foster care
Project Linus - quilts for children in the hospital
Quilts Beyond Borders -  quilts for poor children around the world
Quilts for Kids - quilts for abused and ill children
Quilts of Valor - quilts for veterans
Threading Hope - children and families in poverty and war torn countries
Victoria's Quilts - quilts for cancer patients
Wrap-a-Smile - quilts for children treated for cleft palate on medical missions
Wrap Them in Love - quilts for children

If you know of any that need added to the list let me know!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Confetti Quilt

This scrap quilt was a long time in the making.  I started a couple years ago sewing 1.5"x2.5" crumbs of scraps together and just finally finished!


I love using up even the smallest scraps of fabric.  This was started as a leader-ender project, but I can never leave them as leader-enders. They have to go on and become my main project!


Originally I was going to set these still on point, but in a zig zag arrangement instead of the pinwheels (like old gum wrapper chains).  Then I saw the Bonnie Lass pattern and decided to go that direction instead.  I decided to go with setting triangles cut from scraps rather than white and I really like how it looks.


I quilted the top with a stipple and bound it with black.  Scrappy binding seemed like the natural choice, of course, but I wanted something more solid to give a definite edge to the craziness of the top.  The size of this quilt was determined by how many of those little blocks I had made... it wound up at 64" square.


Of course this quilt is going to Covered in Love.  I just took a big delivery up to the hospital yesterday bringing our total to 155 quilts!  If you want to join in you can find details about program on the main page or find our block drive going on here.

Linking to Finish it Friday and Oh Scrap!

Listening to... Avicii. I secretly love EDM and techno :)  Happy music for a happy quilt.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Sew Some Love Linkup

Welcome to the Sew Some Love linkup!  Please link-up any post about a project you're sewing for charity.


I've been working on using some more orphan blocks from last year's block drives for Covered in Love. This time it's the Sun and Sea and Lattice blocks on the wall.  I'm thinking about doing scrappy piano-key borders on the top and bottom but haven't made up my mind yet.


Covered in Love has been so blessed by donations from quilters, I want you all to see what each other have going on!  For purposes of the linky, I'm going to define "charity" really generally.  If you're sewing a quilt for you co-worker's mom with cancer or your friend's uncle who lost his home, that totally counts!  Anything you're sewing out of the goodness of your heart for someone outside you immediate circle of family and friends. 




Some Quilt Charities:
Covered in Love - quilts for mourning families
Margaret's Hope Chest - several programs for children and adults
My Very Own Blanket - quilts for children in foster care
Project Linus - quilts for children in the hospital
Quilts Beyond Borders -  quilts for poor children around the world
Quilts for Kids - quilts for abused and ill children
Quilts of Valor - quilts for veterans
Threading Hope - children and families in poverty and war torn countries
Victoria's Quilts - quilts for cancer patients
Wrap-a-Smile - quilts for children treated for cleft palate on medical missions
Wrap Them in Love - quilts for children

If you know of any that need added to the list let me know!

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Orphan Blocks at Home

Waaay back in July I asked for Star blocks for the Covered in Love block drive.  I received lots of lovely blocks that eventually made four great quilts.  After making the others 8 star blocks were leftover for the orphan drawer. Last week they finally made it into tops! 


I used my Accuquilt to cut 4.5" strips and 2.5" strips from scraps. The 2.5" strips I used to sash the stars and the 4.5" strips I assembled jelly-roll-race style.  I inserted the stars into the scrappy strips and before long I had 2 scrappy, cuddly quilts.


I did a VERY large stipple on these. I've been doing so many quilts recently with lots of scraps, I forgot how smooth it feels to quilt a top that doesn't have a million seams.


On the day I made backings for these two quilts I made several others as well. I calculated that I went though almost 20 yards of fabric, all donated, making backs! Thank you to everyone (Nancy K., Amanda, Gail, Kathy, and others) who have donated yardage for backing.  I don't need to tell you that even on sale the cost for yardage can add up fast.  Also special thanks to Mina who sent me 2 rolls of prepped binding!  I used the black one on these quilts and still have some left :)


These two quilts will be added to Covered in Love's stash to be given to families mourning the loss of a loved one in the hospital.  Thanks to everyone who contributes to CiL! If you want to join in the Jan/Feb block drive is here.


This week was the first Sew Some Love Linkup and several quilters showed off projects for charity! Please come back here on Wednesday to join the linky and see what others have going on. Any projects sewn for any charity cause is welcome!


Linking to Finish it Friday Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, and Oh Scrap!

Listening to this week... sometimes you just want the comfort of your all-time favorite

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Sew Some Love Linkup

Welcome to the first Sew Some Love linkup!  Please link-up any post about a project you're sewing for charity.


Covered in Love has been so blessed by donations from quilters, I want you all to see what each other have going on!  For purposes of the linky, I'm going to define "charity" really generally.  If you're sewing a quilt for you co-worker's mom with cancer or your friend's uncle who lost his home, that totally counts!  Anything you're sewing out of the goodness of your heart for someone outside you immediate circle of family and friends.  If this goes well we'll do it every Wednesday.


This week I'm working on some of the orphan blocks from July's Covered in Love drive.  I used my Accuquilt to cut 4.5" strips from scraps and put together 2 tops jelly-roll-race style.  As you can see, Quilt Inspector Rory is hard at work.




Some Quilt Charities:
Covered in Love - quilts for mourning families
Margaret's Hope Chest - several programs for children and adults
My Very Own Blanket - quilts for children in foster care
Project Linus - quilts for children in the hospital
Quilts for Kids - quilts for abused and ill children
Quilts of Valor - quilts for veterans
Threading Hope - children and families in poverty and war torn countries
Victoria's Quilts - quilts for cancer patients
Wrap Them in Love - quilts for children

If you know of any that need added to the list let me know!

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Finally, Some Finishes!

 Happy Friday everybody! Some of the first string quilts from October's Covered in Love block drive are ready to be revealed!

the Blue Quilt

I put together several of these quilts by literally drawing blocks randomly from the pile and sewing them together. Others I tried to theme a bit more, just to do something different.

the Brown Quilt

This week I have for you the Blue Quilt, the Brown Quilt, and the Red Quilt.  These each measure 50"x70" and will bring comfort to grieving families through Covered in Love.

the Red Quilt
 Thank you to all the volunteers who donated blocks to the October block drive!  I know I still have a few more coming it and it looks like we'll get something like 9 quilts from this drive!  You guys make it all possible.

check out that cute candy fabric right on top, next to the snakes ;)

Speaking of folks who sew for CiL, I am going to try something new.  Sew Some Love, a mid-week linkup for anything you're sewing for charity.  Ever since WIP Wednesday went away I haven't found a good replacement and it seems kind of "duh" that I should host a link up so that all the people so sew for CiL can actually get to know each other!  Of course this linky won't just for people sewing for Covered in Love, please link up any post about sewing you're doing for any charity or a good cause!


So, please come back Wednesday to linkup to Sew Some Love and see what everyone else is sewing!

Linking to CrazyMomQuilts and Oh Scrap!

Listening to this week...  the Harry Potter Musicals :)

(turn on the subtitles)

Friday, January 6, 2017

Not-Quite-Finished Friday

It's snowing in Texas and everyone is losing their minds :)  I can tell my internal thermostat was calibrated by being in Illinois because it honestly doesn't feel very cold to me.  The snow is beautiful and fine and will melt by tomorrow. They're saying that by Tuesday it should be in the 70s. That's Texas for you. 

Rory is skeptical of this white stuff falling from the sky

Before I forget I wanted to let you know I am giving Instagram a try, so if you want to follow me there's a link here or up on the menu bar ^^


I started quilting string quilts this week. Rory scared me to death the other night when I didn't know she was asleep under this quilt pile and it suddenly started to move! (As I type this she and Rey are playing a vigorous game of hide-and-pounce over, under, and around the pile.)  Four down, but they aren't bound yet.  I still have loose blocks as well, and know I have a few more still to come. Probably we'll end up with 9 string quilts, I think!


The Bonnie Lass crumbs are still on the wall and slowly growing.  Playing it fast and loose with the math this time worked out and I ended up only needing to make 8 more four-patches to make it work out perfectly!  There are 3 diagonal rows left (I think... or possibly 5) to go in the gap remaining.


It's a good day to put dinner in the crock pot and stay inside and sew! If you're looking for something to sew the CiL January/February block drive is HERE. I worked yesterday and I know there was a patient that passed away in CV ICU who got one of our quilts.  You guys who contribute to CiL are blessing people every day :)


Finally, I've been listening to music by and Irish group, Byrne and Kelly, lately. Here's one of their songs on YouTube I thought you might like :)  (Click to picture above)  It starts with them talking about the song. Skip to 2:27 if you want to start at the music.

Stay warm everybody!

Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Oh Scrap!