Fiddlesticks & Sunflowers Preview

Linda has been a busy bee last year! For the last few drives she finished and sent in completed quilts that I wanted to show you.  This first one is her version of the Fiddlesticks drive, completed with microstippling. 

I find this kind of quilting so impressive! I know I could never have the patience, but I love the texture it produces. 

 

I really love the backing fabric she found to use with for the quilt as well. I haven't started working on the Fiddlesticks block drive quilts yet, still getting the red, white, and blue ones done. But based on this I'm really looking forward to getting them done!

Next, this is Linda's Sunflower quilt. I have started to gradually assemble these blocks into tops since it looks like there will only be about 4 or 5, so I can complete them quickly. 

Nov/Dec is always the smallest block drive due to all the other things people have going on at that time of the year, so I often choose a block that I (selfishly) really like, but I know will probably be less popular for whatever reason.

I know this block had little fiddly pieces and the slants that made it more difficult than usually, but it does look wonderful once it's together!  

Help! I'm being smothered by their affection.  

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 so far! The Jan/Feb 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

Opening 2021 with Quilts

Here we are in 2021 at last.  My neighbors brought in the year with a huge amount of artillery! (The kitties were not impressed.) It remains to be seen if this year will be much better than last, but we can hope!

At the very least we can start the year off with some beautiful quilts. This batik tumbler was sent in by Jan O. and quilted by Meloney with loops.

This fantastic top was sent in by Kelly C. and also quilted by Meloney.  It's far to big to hold for a picture of the entire thing!  Kudos to Beryl who recognized that the pattern is Bonnie Hunter's 2019 mystery quilt "Frolic".

It has a mix of batik, print, and even cross-weave fabrics that blend together perfectly.  I've been preparing a delivery to the hospital so these will be going up there soon!

Wishing you warmth and safety.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 so far! The Jan/Feb 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

Jan/Feb String Drive

Hello quilters, welcome to the first Covered in Love Block Drive of 2021 and year 6 of sewing string blocks! For anyone who may be new, basically CiL is a charity that makes quilts for patients dying in the hospital. I run a block drive every two months where anyone can participate and make as many or as few blocks as you wish. Scroll to the bottom of the post for more details if you'd like to participate!

 

 

For this year's string drive we are using a tutorial I wrote a long time ago for my do. Good Stitches circle.  The tutorial leads you through how to foundation piece onto batting instead of fabric (which batting to choose, etc). 

 

We'll just make one change from the tutorial: color. The quilt my group was making at that time was for a child so we used bright colors.  You may use whatever colors you like but do keep to the scheme to making each block mostly one color with a stripe or two of contrast. If you don't have a lot of strings you can interpret "one color" a little broadly and make blocks of cool colors, warm colors, pastel florals, etc.  As long as they read clearly as one tone with a splash of another.

Access the tutorial here!

I realize that these blocks will be thicker and bulkier to mail, but they won't be any heavier so I think the postage might break even. Remember CiL can reimburse you for mailing expenses if they are a hardship, just save your receipt and email me. If you don't have any batting scraps of the right type (remember you can join together smaller pieces with a zigzag stitch) I'd recommend asking around to your fellow quilters locally! Or I have seen crib sizes of Warm and Natural for about $10.

If you have questions about the block of the drive please don't hesitate to email me.  The drive runs January thru February, so blocks should be in the mail by the end of Feb.  Email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com if you need the address to mail blocks. 

Quilts and 2020 Retrospective

Happy New Year!  We're plugging right along with block drive finishes. These six Spring Pinwheel quilts bring us to 18 from the March/April block drive.

All six of these were assembled and quilted by me with my trademark easy stipple.

I have to give huge props to Gail, Nicki, and Holly who sent in prepped bindings which really helped mew with finishing these quilts.

I love these little Boston Terrier faces!

I really liked this particular backing fabric.

There are still about 7 more of these pinwheel quilts to come.  I love how happy the colors are , definitely one of my favorite blocks we've done in a while!

 On new years it's appropriate to take a moment to look back.  My best estimate (given that the last few block drives haven't been sewn up yet) is that we will produce around 90 quilts from the block drives during 2020.

 Added to that of course were other donated tops, and finished quilts outside of the drives. Louise finished off 25 orphan quilts herself.  162 quilts were delivered to the hospital and we surpassed 700 quilts donated!  150 quilters participated in CiL during 2020, 46 of them for the first time.

Any way you count it, 2020 was a big year for Covered in Love and I'm looking forward to next year!

Apparently Jack and the cats were having a wild party last night while I was asleep.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 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

Merry Christmas, Have Some Quilts!

Merry Christmas quilters! This is my faaaaavorite holdiday; I love the whole Christmas season.  I am now working on a Covid unit and volunteered to work the holiday so my family celebrated on Wednesday.

These first two quilts were assembled and quilted by Linda D. from blocks sent in by Mina during the July/August block drive.

There's another star quilt that Mina sent in in this post, so that's a total of three from her for the summer stars drive! 

As many of you know, these patriotic star quilts are some of the most popular ones that Covered in Love makes. There are many veterans and their families in the hospital and quilts like these mean a great deal to them.

These next two were assembled and quilted by Linda as well, from assorted block drive blocks.

I grouped this batch together as "modern" stars and I LOVE how Linda arranged them.

If you see your blocks in any of these quilts please jump in the comments and claim them!

Finally, this quilt was just returned to me by Louise.  Jacomina donated these churndash blocks as a UFO and Louise completed them into a quilt.

I hope you all enjoy your holiday and stay safe and well.  As the number of Covid cases increase the hospital converted my old unit into a isolation unit so I decided to go back to work with my friends.  It's very different than normal nursing.  I did get my vaccination last week, hooray!

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 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

Strings 2020 Wrap Up

Yes, just short of a year from it's kick off the 2020 string block drive is wrapping up. Thanks to the many of you who participated in this drive, like Beth T. who made the top above and Kathy C. who quilted it!

I love the gingerbread man backing this quilt! The rest of these were assembled by a combination of Pam M. and me and quilted by me.

The seven quilts here plus those previously posted bring us to a total of 23 out of an expected 24 from this drive. There is still one out in the world with a volunteer quilter, but all the ones I was responsible for are done and I'm feeling accomplished!  When #24 comes in I will post it so we can all enjoy it :)

As you know if you have been here a while, I have been experimenting with our traditional string block design over the past few years.  This design grew on me but it's not one of my favorites compared to the ones we've done before.

I do like the variety of layouts that can be made.  Strings are a never ending source of ideas!

For January I'm thinking about going back to basics with a slight twist, you'll just have to wait and see!

Here are most of the quilts in their "family portrait." They have since been delivered to the hospital, helping to push CiL past 700 quilts.

And here is the block drive By The Numbers for those of you who I know enjoy that. Merry Christmas everyone!

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 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

A Homemade Quilt

Welcome to the weekend, quilters, and happy holiday season! Just one quilt to show today. Officially, this is the first finish from this summer's red, white and blue block drive.  It's a "bonus quilt" I decided to finish with the patriotic batch since it matched so well. (Thank you to Alycia who commented to let me know this pattern came from a mystery quilt "A8" she ran in 2018!)

Christy sent in the top a while back. There are a mix of shirtings and quilting fabrics in it and it measures a generous 66"x78" or there abouts. If you want to see more of Christy's beautiful shirtings tops for CiL click here and scroll down.

I got the rare honor of being able to pick this one out and gift it. I recently caught up with a friend and learned that, sadly, her father passed this summer. It sounds like due to Covid they fell through the cracks in our normal distribution system at that time. 

I picked this quilt because I thought she would appreciate the shirtings in the top, and I backed it with this striped fabric which was formerly curtains in Linda's grandson's room.  Binding from Gail, I think. I love how personal it all feels. Since I was mailing it personally I was able to write a card and tell the new owner all about the provenance of her quilt and the people who helped make it. 

She wishes to send her greatest thanks to you all and let you know how much it means to know that people care about her loss and how difficult this time has been. Especially going into the holidays.  She is so incredibly grateful for your efforts.

Much love, from all of us.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 700 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