For a Special Woman

Sometimes I make a quilt because I can't think of any other way to express what a person means to me.  That is why I made this quilt, "Native Flair".  (Pattern by Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com)

The recipient will be my daughter's doctor, a psychiatrist.  I also made a quilt for her counselor several years ago.  We found these two women after trying ten or twelve others who were not a good fit for us.  They go above and beyond for their patients, giving of themselves until they must be physically and emotionally exhausted.  They deserve comforting quilts!

The recipient of Native Flair takes a great interest in Native American cultures, evidenced by the decor of her office.  We can't wait to give her this quilt--just in time for winter snuggling!

The Journey of a Quilt of Valor

This is my most recent finished project, a Quilt of Valor, "Log Cabin Star".  It hasn't had an easy journey.

First, it was pieced by me, a confirmed handwork lover.  Machine piecing is not my favorite thing, and many times I have to force myself to do it because I need it for a particular project.  I love the log cabin pattern, had plenty of scraps, and really liked this layout.  I had to make this quilt.

If you aren't familiar with Quilts of Valor (www.qovf.org), you might want to look into their mission and their results.  They have collectively provided almost 70,000 quilts to wounded soldiers and veterans, and there is much more need for them. 

So...I finally got the top finished and requested a longarm quilter from QOV.  They assigned a woman who lives about 50 miles from me but bowls in a league in my community!  Amazing!  I met her in person, and she said she'd try to quilt the top within a week.  Amazing!

Soon I learned that my longarmer had taken a bad fall and had badly injured her elbow.  She couldn't quilt for months.  The quilt was half finished, so it stayed in her frame.  I waited.

She finally finished the quilt but had lost my email address.  I was trying not to nag so I didn't contact her every time I thought about it!  When I finally emailed to inquire about her health and the quilt, I found that it was finished and we soon met up again.  The quilt looked great!  She did a terrific job.

We both wanted the quilt to go to Afghanistan to a recently-wounded soldier.  I requested that destination and mailed it to a nurse in a surgical unit at a forward operating base, sending it off with hope and prayer that it would actually get there.

Well, the USPS can't track the package, and I just found out that the nurse has been transferred.  Log Cabin Star hasn't been able to complete its journey, to my knowledge.  Please say a prayer that it will reach its destination and comfort a warrior.

Delivery Day

No, I'm not having a baby!  (That would be a miracle at this point.)  Actually, I just delivered a group of quilts to Mercy Children's Hospital.  All of the doll quilts have left the house now, and I miss the little cuties.  The final one was "Patriotic Patty" who might go to a child who is stuck in the hospital on Independence Day and is missing all of the fun.

I also delivered this handbag quilt which I just finished yesterday.  Patterns are by Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns.  In the black border I quilted the names of things you'd find in a purse, like wallet, keys, tissues, mints, debit card, etc.

It's now time to think of some boy quilts!

Beth Doll Quilt

Yep, there's another one--this is Beth, named after my daughter and featuring her beloved ladybugs.  Even her little flipflops have ladybugs on them. This quilt was a good stashbuster as I dug into the bug bin.  I made a ladybug quilt for Beth some years ago, and there were plenty of leftovers.

There's just one little doll quilt left to quilt, and then I'll make a Project Linus delivery to the hospital.

Addison Doll Quilt

Here's the latest in the doll quilts.  I'm having so much fun with this!

This little gal is supposed to look like my younger granddaughter, Addison, age 3 1/2 going on 30--she of the big head of curly hair, the obsession with pink, and the love of sunglasses. 

I recently mailed this quilt and the "Avery" quilt to the young daughters of a hospitalized mom.  I showed my granddaughters the pictures of the quilts, and they said that the quilts did look like them.  (Maybe they were humoring me but probably not because they're both in the brutally honest stage!)

There are two more doll quilts in the works!  I can't stop myself.

I'm Working in Series Now

Does that make me an "artiste"?  I've always felt that quilting is an art form with fabric as the palette.

Kay Mackenzie wrote a darling book called Dolls and Dresses to Applique, and I made all 12 doll blocks for an (unfinished) auction quilt for a hospital fundraiser.  Lately, however, I decided to try to use a doll pattern in a large size for Project Linus quilts.  I enlarged a couple of the book's patterns to a 28-inch size and have made three little quilts so far.  I haven't donated them yet but hope they can be given to girls who resemble them a bit--like the American Girl dolls that can be purchased as look-alikes for little girls.  (Or they can be given to girls who just like them!)

Meet Doris (named after a red-headed friend), Avery (named after my older granddaughter), and Kono (named after that cute actress on "Hawaii Five-O".  "Addison" is in progress.

Back on Track for Project Linus

Well, I guess the quilting burnout is officially over, because I've finally made a Project Linus delivery to Mercy Children's Hospital-St. Louis on behalf of Project Linus.  (I've been delivering there for years and know the Child Life staff now.)

The first quilt was given to a teenage boy right away, and his mom sent me an email.  One thing I have noticed in the few times I have gotten feedback from a family is that they are amazed that PL volunteers would make something for "someone you don't even know".  That is the beauty of Project Linus and all comfort quilting, isn't it?

This batch of quilts is different from my usual quilting because all of the quilts are pieced and half are machine quilted.  I need to use my stash, and piecing with scraps is a good way to do this.  (I have to say, though, that I don't see any extra space in the closet yet, though!)



A Little Quilt for a Patriot

Here's the next doll quilt I've made in the series of swaps on the Quilting Bee Forum.  This month the theme was hearts.  I worked a few hearts into this quilt because I wanted to be able to make it for Lynn W., a true patriot.  (I had been waiting to be assigned her name for months!)

Lynn is very commited to making quilts for Quilts of Valor and has made some beauties.  She participates in a QOV group in California.  She also makes small quilts for newborn babies in a California naval hospital.  Add to that--her husband is a veteran and her grandson is in active service.  Lynn deserved a patriotic quilt!

(If you look at the message below, you'll see what inspired the center block of this little quilt--Sandy Gervais' panel design.)

News in the New Year

I am thrilled that my second Quilt of Valor is going on tour!  The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo organization is adding an exhibit of 35 quilts of valor to their expos this year.  The purpose is to recruit new quilters to the Quilts of Valor project.  After the shows, the quilts will all be donated to wounded warriors as originally intended.

Check out the link for locations around the country.  They have classes, exhibits, and free stage shows.

(This quilt was longarm quilted by Judi Thelander of Omaha, Nebraska.)