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Quilts for children’s charities

During the months of January and February, HeartStrings quilters finished and donated 88 quilts to Project Linus and other children’s charities and more are still in progress.

Thanks to all of you who made and donated quilts. Whether you pieced and donated blocks, donated tops to be quilted by volunteers like this one pieced by Barbara in FL, quilted tops, or made quilts from start to finish every contribution was appreciated.

Children’s quilts and Project Linus

It’s the last day of January, have you joined us this month in making a HeartStrings quilt for Project Linus or another children’s charity? If so, please let us know – we’d love to see photos of your quilt.

If not, there’s still time to finish one up before Project Linus’ National Make a Blanket Day on February 16th. To find information about your local Project Linus chapter, click here.

Here are just a few of the ones made by HeartStrings quilters this month (notice that they’re not all string quilts!)

By Lori

By May

By Mary

Let’s make some quilts for kids!

I mentioned last month that with Project Linus’ Make a Blanket Day coming up in February, we want to encourage people to make a quilt in January to donate to their local Project Linus chapter. Of course, if you have a local children’s charity you support, feel free to join in and donate the quilt where ever you choose.

These quilts can be string quilts or you may use any pattern you choose. Barb, one of our members and a coordinator here in the Minneapolis area for Project Linus has said that she’ll also accept completed tops. If you prefer to only make the top, you can check with the chapter in your area to see if they accept them, send them to Barb, or contact me and we’ll see if we can find a HeartStrings volunteer to quilt them.

I’ve got one quilted and ready for binding….my Lizard quilt and I’m going to cut out and piece another one using my Quick Strippie instructions. These are fun, fast, and cute!

Mary’s Quick Strippie

Another fun quilt can be found at Annie’s blog. I’ve been using kids prints for years making donation quilts and have lots of leftover bits and pieces, wouldn’t this quilt be great for using them?

Annie’s Happy Quilt

A string quilt like we made for our Purple Project last year would be great too….here’s an instruction sheet for one I made using just 24 string blocks.

Purple Project Quilt

Whatever pattern you decide to use, please join us in making a quilt for a child in January.

Mary
mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Happy Anniversary

A year ago, a group of quilters banded together to form the HeartStrings Quilt Project in order to make and donate quilts. Initially, we thought it would be a short term project but the interest was strong and we decided to expand it though the year. Now it’s 2008 and the interest and enthusiasm for making quilts for those in need remains steadfast.

As a group, we made and donated 281 quilts and have many more in progress. We worked on these quilts as individuals, as groups, and spread the word through our guilds and the other quilting groups in our lives.

Please take a few minutes and look through the photo albums of quilts made and donated this year by HeartStrings quilters.

HeartStrings Quilt Project Photo Albums.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved in the project. I look forward to seeing the quilts we’ll make and donate in 2008.

Mary Johnson

The King’s Daughters and Sons Home.

Jane, a HeartStrings quilter involved her guild in making HeartStrings blocks and quilts earlier this year. She recently wrote me the following update:

I’ve personally made 3 heartstrings tops, my guild and I have made many more through our block of the month activities. One month we made blue centers, another, we made red centers… some of the blocks were sent to me to combine, other guild members and completed tops of their own. One mother-sister-daughter team made 4 lap sized heartstrings quilts.

In total, we gave 112 quilts to a nursing home in November. Some were scrap quilts from Bonnie’s site, some were Chinese coins, many were Heartstrings quilts.

20 of the quilts donated by Jane’s guild were HeartStrings quilts. Below, you can read a letter of thanks.

The King’s Daughters & Sons Home
Bartlett, TN

Dear Members of the Uncommon Threads Quilt Guild,
How can we ever thank you enough for the wonderful quilts. Each one was as unique as each of our Residents. Staff and Residents alike are proclaiming the quilt party as the best of all year. Visitors frequently comment on the quilts that we have displayed and volunteers go room to room visiting with Residents
and looking at their quilts. Which of course, the Residents are more than happy to show off.

We are all, (staff, residents, family members, volunteers) extremely appreciative of your hard work and generosity.

Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Dana Lewis
Activity Director

Quilts for Annie’s House

Cricket has been working throughout the year with other HeartStrings quilters to make quilts for homeless families. After delivering a batch of quilts to Annie’s house she wrote this:

I had the most wonderful time tonight. I went to Annie’s House, a lovely shelter for homeless women. It is run by Sister Senga, who is the closest thing to a saint I’ve ever met. The women knew I was coming and were waiting anxiously. I’ve delivered quilts in other years, so they knew what to expect. They were looking out the door for me (I had called when I was ten minutes away).

They helped bring quilts in and put them on the dining room table. Even before I got my shoes off and got into the dining room, I heard the oohs and ahhs. Women were opening the quilts and just loving them. They were so thrilled. There were many comments about patterns and fabrics and color. In the end, it is the color they choose; they want the colors that speak to them. Pattern and warmth share second place. Size runs a close third. Each found a quilt that spoke to her.

One woman, still had on her olive green coat she was wearing to help me in. Guess which quilt she picked? Do you remember that wonderful top that Darlene made (and Bev quilted) which was sort of an olive green center strips with a light or white on each side of it? That was Darlene’s creativity, and Holly loved it. She thanked me, Darlene, Bev, Rebecca, and all of the Heartstringers, as they all did, and I saw her hugging it as she took it to her room.

Another woman, who is to move to her own apartment shortly, picked the wonderful yellow center stripe quilt that Darlene made and Bev quilted. She said there was one window in her room, and this quilt would really brighten it up. She had gray hair but such a young and vibrant spirit.

A younger woman, the youngest of the group, let me feel her muscles – and they were hard and big! She is in training for the construction industry, and I say, more power to her. She’s also her GED. The ladies had picked out a quilt they thought she would like, and did she ever! It is the Heartstrings pattern with deep green stripes and a lot of fabrics with pure hues. Everyone was busy looking at race cars and various other things on the fabric. She liked it so much she did not even look at the others.

The ladies picked out a quilt for one woman, who came in later. She loved it so much that she refused to even look at the extra quilts I had brought so people would have choices. It was a scrap quilt with lots of light areas and half square triangles. She asked me how long it took to make it, and I said probably close to 100 hours, all things considered. She came and hugged me and said thank you. I’m not sure if Darlene made that top or if it’s one I had in the works already.

One of the ladies picked out a lovely soft green and soft blue nine patch, queen size. I had that one in the works. Everyone had her favorites. Some people took a while to decide which quilt they wanted because they liked several “best”. Everyone was thrilled; I can actually say every person was totally enchanted by her quilt.

They were quite interested to know how these were made, and I have a new volunteer, Barbara, who works in the shelter and at Sears. I’m going to teach her how to make quilts and she will help with the homeless quilts. Not a bad deal! She’s a lovely person. I may get a second volunteer, an experienced quilter, Maxine.

I left 16 labeled adult-size quilts with these ladies, and got many hugs and many kisses in return. Quite a few said “God bless you” and many wished me a Merry Christmas. I gladly share those hugs, kisses, blessings, and wishes with all of you, because it is our greater group that made this evening possible.

I left our web address with them. In all the years I’ve been doing this, never have I had this many finished quilts (53 so far) with such great cooperation and such little stress. Thank you very much, my quilting sisters (and brothers,) This group really rocks!

The bottom line is, this is clearly God’s work, and I am so happy to be a part of it.

January Sneak Preview

As you enjoy the holidays with family and friends, here’s a peek at what we’ll be doing in January.

Since so many of us make and donate quilts to Project Linus, we’re encouraging everyone to make a quilt to donate to their local chapter in time for Make a Blanket Day on February 16, 2008.

You can make a string quilt or use any pattern you’d like. I plan to use my favorite donation quilt – a quick strippie pattern. I’ve already got one pieced and ready for quilting and hope to make a 2nd one in time to donate both of them.

If you don’t have a local chapter to donate the quilt to, contact me by email (mmcjohnson@gmail.com) and I’ll put you in touch with Barb, one of the coordinators of Project Linus here in the Minneapolis area.

Barb has said that she will also accept finished tops; your local Project Linus Chapter may also accept them unquilted. You may contact me for Barb’s address if you’d like to send her a top or finished quilt.

It’s been a little quiet

I know it’s been a little quiet here on the blog recently but we’re steadily working. If it’s been a while since you’ve visited our photo albums take a look. It’s hard to believe that all these quilts have been finished just this year and there are lots more in progress.

http://picasaweb.google.com/HeartStringsQuiltProject

As we celebrate the holidays, I’m sure I won’t be the only one squeezing in some quilting time to work on HeartStrings blocks and quilts.