Quilts for Rock Stars

Sometimes it's fun to sew for the other end of life :) Jack's Basket is my new favorite charity for kid quilts. They welcome new babies with Down Syndrome with a gift basket and encouragement for their parents.

They appreciate baby quilts to add to their baskets and I'm just about to mail off these 6. It's been fun to do some smaller quilts and put old UFOs to good use. The herringbone string blocks, above, were originally intended to be a larger quilt but they've been sitting a looong time.

"Made from 360 tiny pieces. Small things make a huge impact."

I made customized labels for each one. The strings and small squares got similar labels about the big impact of small things.  Hopefully something that will resonate with the parents.

This is the block I asked for from my do. Good Stitches group this month. (Block source) I got into my scraps and cut enough little squares to make a baby quilt and then some.

This guitar has been hanging around a while.

It was the first thing I sewed last year after my eyes recovered enough to make out the lines on a ruler after eye surgery. I had no intentions for it, I was just getting stir crazy to sew!

I paired it with some cool fabrics and made a label that says "Already a rock star!" (With the nerd glasses and the bow ties maybe I should have said "already a hipster singer/songwriter" but that doesn't have the same ring.)

Last, I made 3 of these black and white and bright quilts. I had cut string scraps down to 2.5" for binding, but had way more than I needed. Plus white fabrics aren't ideal for binding.

I sewed them together jelly roll race style with bright scraps in between.  (I also incorporated some of the skinny strings I cut before). Nicki was so generous to give me to permission to use some of the binding she has sent in for CiL.  I had dyed some rainbow and it was so perfect for these quilts. (Besides Nicki's bindings all the rest of the materials for these quilts came from my stash, nothing donated to Covered in Love).

"You are a rainbow in a world of black and white."  A rainbow, and that's the truth!  Can't wait to get these in the mail.


Kitten update: they're doing fantastic and getting ready to go to their long term homes!

Waffles and Fudge end a play session with a nap

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 400 so far! The Nov/Dec drive is going on now.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday

Christy's Cozy Quilts

Another week celebrating a quilter who supports Covered in Love. Christy from west Texas has sent in quite a few tops.  Many of them are made with shirtings and I LOVE them. So cozy looking!

Men's shirts have a great variety of patterns and textures and make a very inviting quilt, suitable for a man or woman.

Most of these were quilted by me with a stipple. Thank you to many of you, and most especially Sandra, who have sent in backing fabrics!

When I get a big box of tops like this I can go shopping in my donated fabrics and find the perfect backings.  It is such a relief (in many ways) to not have to worry about shopping for backings.

One thing about quilts made from shirtings, you definitely don't have to worry about the colors running or fabrics shrinking! These have been washed many times over and worn to softness.

These last two were made from regular fabric scraps, not shirts. Those small tumbler blocks make a really beautiful patriotic quilt.

Sometimes CiL strikes a little closer to home than usual. A friend of mine passed away last week. When I heard the news I checked with the chaplains and sure enough, that family was gifted a quilt.

I wish I had been able to do more, but it's a relief to know they were comforted by a quilt. And a good reminder of why we do this-- so no family is alone.  The chaplain said they got the jelly roll race from the bottom of this post and fell in love with the backing. Thank you all who have helped make my dream a reality!

And here's your Weekly Kitten:
 

Little Leena likes getting high to keep an eye on things

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 400 so far! The Nov/Dec drive is going on now.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday

Block Drive: Flying Home

 

Hello Covered in Love stitchers!  Who's ready for a new block drive? This one is a flying geese block and will run November through December.  Some nice spring-y colors to get us through the cold, dark winter.  Information on where to send the blocks at the bottom of this post ;)

The color scheme for this block drive is soft, purple-y greys and blues and violets; try to let the palette above guide you.  You can add a bit more blue as long as it is a soft grey-blue or purple-blue (the blue in my example block has quite a bit more violet in it than it looks in the pictures).  Overall the effect should be muted and subdued, similar to what we did in the long 9s quilts, albeit with different colors.

For each block you'll need 4 fabrics, 2 solids and 2 prints.  Each set of four geese will be made from a solid and a print.  From one solid and one print cut a 7.25" square. From the other solid and print cut (4) 3 7/8" squares each.

Use a ruler and a pencil to mark diagonal lines on the backs of the small squares, then place two of them onto the larger square as shown.  (Be sure you pair a solid and a print together, not two prints or two solids).

Sew 1/4" on either side of the marked line.

Cut along the line and press. Then place the next squares as shown.

Again sew on either side of the line.

Cut the geese apart along the pencil line and press. Then sew into columns.  Sew the columns together as shown. The one on the left should point down, right side points up.  The block should finish at 12.5" square.

(If you prefer to make your geese by a different method that's fine! Each goose should be 3.5"x6.5" unfinished or 3"x6" finished.)

I know many of your are old hats at these block drives, but for anyone who's new to Covered in Love, we give quilts to patients who pass away at a hospital in east Texas.  Family members can take the quilts home with them to wrap up in afterward.  Anyone can participate in the block drives and make as few or as many blocks as you like.  Email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com or leave a comment (make sure I can reach you) for a mailing address or if you have any questions!

You can check out finished quilts from previous block drives here.

Got the Blues (in a good way)

PSA: If you need my address to send blocks for Covered in Love please email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com. Or if you want me to contact you please leave you email address in your comment. Many of you are "no-reply" bloggers and I cannot respond to your comments. Thanks!

Three blue quilts for Covered in Love this week. Holly sent in this large, fun quilt top and backing.  It's something like 80"x60" so it will be perfect for covering a grieving family.

binding by Nicki ;)

Next, Louise sent in this finished quilt which was made sewing-bee style by my do. Good Stitches circle.

This quilt used up some tiny bonus triangles from a previous block we did. 

spot the backward block?

Next, my long-arm volunteer Meloney returned this beauty called the "Loon Quilt" by Laura. It's something like 80"x100" and gorgeous. I'm sure each of these quilts will find their home with the perfect family :)

PS- Kitten update. Everyone is doing great! They just turned 5 weeks and we are officially weaned off the bottle (hallelujah!). Here are Waffles and Fudge doing what brothers do.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 300 so far! The Sept/Oct drive is a repeat of one of my old favorites, the grown-up eye-spy quilt.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday

Priscilla's Pretty Quilts

I'd have to go pretty far back in the archives to figure out when Priscilla from Connecticut first began sending me UFO blocks and tops for Covered in Love.

Like many (dare I say most) quilters Priscilla suffers from the accumulation of decades of unfinished projects, more than could ever be completed.

I'm only too happy to help! Most of Priscilla's quilts are scrappy with a vintage vibe and many of them are quite large.  They're perfect for the mostly-older crowd CiL distributes to.

I quilted this Flying Geese quilt and the star one below.

Both of these measure in the 70"x95" range and are gorgeously scrappy.  All of these were in the delivery I made yesterday, bringing CiL up past the 400 quilts mark!

Some of the quilts are smaller, but no less beautiful.

This neat 3D geese quilt must have an interesting story. It has a label written on one of the pinwheels dated 2008 from someone named Jeanne.

Just goes to show, each quilt eventually finds its home!

blocks from Priscilla, assembled and quilted by Kathy

PS- Here's your weekly kitten :) They are 4 weeks old now and doing great. This week they upgraded from being confined to the bath tub to having full range of the bathroom. They are all total cuddle-bugs :)

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 300 so far! The Sept/Oct drive is a repeat of one of my old favorites, the grown-up eye-spy quilt.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday

Jan's Patriotic Quilts

Almost halfway through October already! I swear every year passes faster than the last.  Jan recently sent in these 4 great red white and blue quilts for Covered in Love.

There are lots of veterans in the hospital, so patriotic quilts are always a big hit.  I'll be getting all the stars from the summer block drive done soon, but we always need more :)

I'm guessing Jan uses a high loft poly batting because these are light and very soft and fluffy.  They're generously sized and will be perfect for a family to take home.

These quilts came already finished, all I needed to do was add a label.  Thank you soooo much Jan! I'm continuously amazed by how quilters around the country and even around the world shower love onto one little Texas community.

PS - the kittens are doing great! This week they should start eating kitten milk and soft food without a bottle and learning to use the litter box.  I can't wait! Waking up every 4 hours to feed and potty is exhausting.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 300 so far! The Sept/Oct drive is a repeat of one of my old favorites, the grown-up eye-spy quilt.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday