Category: Uncategorized

Join us for a Sew-in

If you’re in the MN/WI area and want to join us in person in Roberts, Wisconsin for a HeartStrings sew-in on August 2nd, please contact Kathy at kwmiller@pressenter.com.

Otherwise, consider joining us in spirit and working on a donation quilt or HeartStrings blocks at home that weekend. Make sure to contact us and let us know what you’re working on by emailing Mary.

Guidelines for HeartStrings blocks that can be sent in for group quilts.

It’s not all strings

Tresica recently sent me some photos of quilts she made and donated locally. She wrote:

“After seeing the photo of my 365 blocks, a lady at the Skidaway United Methodist Church here in Savannah contacted me and told me about the quilts they were making.

I donated the twin quilt tops to the church to help the orphanage. The United Methodist Women are quilting any twin size quilt top donated to them. After completion they are given to the United Methodist Orphanage in Macon Georgia.”

Tresica’s photo with her blocks also inspired other HeartStrings members to start their own 365 block challenge.




Quilts for wounded soldiers

In honor of our Memorial Day, HeartStrings members worked on making blocks and Chinese coins sections that will be assembled into quilts for wounded veterans. We’ll continue to make and collect both through July 4th.

If you’re interested in joining us, you can find instructions for making RWB HeartStrings blocks by clicking this link.

If you’d rather make Chinese Coins sections, instructions can be found here.

For the mailing address for RWB blocks or RWB Chinese Coins sections, please email Mary at mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Memorial Day Weekend

Won’t you join us sometime during the Memorial Day weekend (May 23 – 26) to work on HeartStrings blocks or quilts that will go to our wounded and returning veterans?

You can either make HeartStrings blocks using just red/white/blue strings to send in for group quilts or work on your own quilt to be donated.

For blocks to be sent in, the following instructions should be used:

HEARTSTRING BLOCKS – to be pieced on a cotton fabric foundation; muslin or any cotton fabric can be used, if using dark or printed fabric foundations they shouldn’t be visible through the strings pieced on top of it.
Please start with a foundation that is 10 inches square.
Using only Red/White/Blue strings, use a 2 inch BLUE string for the center and add strings on either side of the center strip until the entire foundation is covered. Refer to the above photo if you have any questions about how the block should look – you can click on the photo to see a larger view.

You may use strips of any width up to 3 inches wide in your blocks; you may use strips all the same width or a variety of different widths in each block. You can even use strips that are not a consistent width down their entire length if you wish.
You can use any 100% cotton Red/White/Blue fabric for your strips once you’ve got the blue starter strip in the center.
When you’ve covered the entire foundation, press it and then trim it back to 9 and 1/2 inches square.
Email me for the address to mail your finished block or to tell us what YOU are working on.
Mary Johnson at mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Adopt a Soldier

Fran, a HeartStrings member posted this request for help back in January.

A few weeks ago I pulled out the blocks from our summer block swap in anticipation of my son coming home from Iraq I started a quilt for him. The Family Readiness Coordinator from his unit explained that single soldiers come back from deployment to sterile looking rooms in the barracks, therefore upon arrival they like to make the rooms nice for the soldiers and they are allowed to have personal bedding. Most parents will adopt their own soldier and send bedding that will be put on the bed including comforters etc. I am making my son a quilt.

Because not every soldier has family or one that is in a position to provide one I am looking for r/w/b twin quilts for those who don’t get adopted. I am expecting to be in Savannah end of March to meet them. These guys have passed the one year mark and it will be 15 months by the time they get back! (This is infantry so all guys)

With help, Fran was able to provide 27 quilts to returning soldiers and wrote:

I wish I had a picture of every soldier that was given a gift but so many so fast! You will see on their faces that it made their day. We gave every soldier that received a quilt a thank you, a quilt and welcome home. The young men who received the quilts did not have anyone there for them personally. It made my day, week, year! I hope all of you feel the same we all did something for someone who risked their lives! Again thanks everyone. Fran




Ladies of the Thread – Port Orchard, WA

I received the following email and photos from Vicki who is working with her group making and donating quilts. I just love how bright and happy this string quilt is.

Finally, here is a photo of the strip quilt made by our group, Ladies of the Thread, in Port Orchard, WA. We meet at a local church on two Wednesdays per month to make quilts for Project Linus. I’ve also included pics of other Linus quilts made by group members using the Quick Strippie pattern on your website.

We also make quilts for area coroners. The quilts are carried in their vans and used to pick up babies and children (instead of body bags), such a sad thing. The coroners say it eases the parents just a bit to see their child in a quilt and oftentimes the quilt goes on with the child, so we re-supply them as needed.

Best regards,
Vicki Chang

Instructions for making a HeartStrings quilt.

Instructions for making the Quick Strippie quilts shown below.


We’ve been busy

Although the blog has been quiet lately, we’ve been busy making and donating quilts. Quilts for kids, for soldiers, for women with breast cancer, and quilts for those effected by tornadoes in TN to name a few. These are recent finishes and donations and more can be seen in our online albums.
By Lori for Project Linus
By Ruthie for a returning soldier
By Jennifer from donated blocks for a woman with breast cancer
by Mary from donated coins for Tennessee tornado victims

We’ve also received thank you notes from Bledsoe Baptist Associate for quilts received. If you’d like to send quilts to Tennessee – they’ll make sure they get to those effected by the tornadoes.