July/August Covered in Love Block Drive

It's year six of the annual "Oh My Stars!" block drive.  I thought about alternative ideas and blocks but you know, if it ain't broke don't fix it! These quilts are beloved by our families and you all love making the blocks.

You can find the detailed instructions for the block drive in this post.

For the July/August drive we are back to sending blocks to the usual address (in Texas, no Kansas.) Email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com if you need the address. If you're new to Covered in Love block drives, welcome!  These are very informal, anyone can participate and make as many or as few blocks as they like.  Just try to get your blocks in the mail by the end of August, and they will be made into quilts of comfort for mourning families.

With a Little Help From my Friends

Top by Beth, pattern "Wanda" by GE Designs, quilted by me

More quilts finished this week from tops sent in by generous quilters!  Covered in Love is rapidly approaching 1000 quilts.  Do you guys have any suggestions how we should celebrate? 

Top by Beth, pattern "Hope" by GE Designs, quilted by me

When we hit 300 back in January of 2018 I had a giveaway along with the block drive, which seems like a good idea.  

Top by Beth, pattern "Toni" by GE Designs, quilted by me

The pace of quilts this spring has obviously been much faster than usual.  This is due to several things.  H2H (51 quilts and counting!) and the increasing number of long-armers helping to get quilts done (hello Linda, Pam, Ray, Mel, Wendy, and Cynthia!)

Also, Tammy being an absolute angel and taking over the May/June drive so that I had several solid months to work nothing but the January QAYG blocks and quilting donated tops.  

Fabulously scrappy 9 patch by Priscilla, quilted by me

This season of high-production won't last forever so I am stashing finished quilts for the future to gradually bring up to the hospital.

Novelty plus quilt by Priscilla, quilted by me

I am having a need for backing fabrics again.  After my appeal last summer I got so many yards of fabrics that I have been able to back the dozens and dozens, probably hundreds, of quilts that have been finished in the past few months.  

Jelly roll race by Priscilla, quilted by me

I have, finally, more or less depleted my stash of backing fabrics though.  Specifically, I have plenty of pink, brown, and neutral. I need black and colors other than pink (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple).

Scrappy leaves by Priscilla, quilted by me

We do have some financial donations which I can use to buy backing, and I have bought some, but I wanted to let you know about the need since some of you have told me you have too much fabric to use in a lifetime ageing on your shelves.

The last three quilts in this post are Mina's signature "Scrappy Village" tops.  The pattern is a Bonnie Hunter one found here.  The variety and all the novelty fabrics are my favorite things about these. This first one I backed with Texas A&M fabric and bound with sports fabrics.

For this next one I went with pink backing and binding. As you can see, my quilting assistant was very helpful with the photography.  

Third village quilt, this one got a Christmas backing that says "Blah, blah, Humbug" and a matching striped blue binding.  By my best count, Mina has sent 21 of these village quilts to CiL.  I know I've said it before, but I love them because of the "it takes a village" aspect to them, and the idea of a village supporting each other.

Thank you all! Let me know how we should celebrate 1000 quilts. And enjoy this super cute video of a snuggly Sundae.

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 800 so far! During May/June Tammy is hosting our block drive on her blog.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved. 

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

New Email Follower Service

Hello readers, if any of you read these posts in your email then this is especially for you! As you may have heard, Feedburner, the service that previously allowed you to subscribe and receive posts in your email, is closing down soon.  There are several different alternatives, but I finally found one where I can basically roll all my followers over to a new service with minimal interruption.

The new service is called follow.it and as a reader you won't have to do anything.  If you already get the posts delivered to your inbox then you should just notice that one day the emails start to look a little different. They will have ads, but still have the blog post in the email. You might get a few duplicate emails, I'll try to avoid it, but I'm also trying to avoid missing any posts.  

If you have not previously subscribed by email and you think that sounds like a good idea, there is a place on the right side bar to enter you email address and begin receiving blog posts!

Sunflower Block Drive Wrap Up

Tammy has 2 more May/June block drives quilts finished on her blog!

Another block drive is in the books; all 5 quilts from the Nov/Dec Sunflowers block drive are done!  The first one, at the top of this page, was assembled and quilted by me.

These next 3 were assembled and quilted by Cynthia from Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.  She helped Covered in Love to get a handful of quilts finished earlier this year. 

You can see Cynthia's pictures of these first two quilts on her blog here. I was expecting Cynthia to make 2 quilts, but she was able to creatively stretch the blocks into 3 by using sashing and borders!

Lovely crinkly texture. 

I know this block was a struggle for many of us, but I just love the quilts that it made. I also love LOVE the color scheme. Definitely will need to use those colors again soon. 

This last quilt of Cynthia's is on her blog here.  You can see that she enhanced the "sunflower" theme with her quilting. 

The fifth quilt was made completely by Linda and you can see it in this post.  As always the Holiday-time block drive is the smallest of the year, but that's ok. Obviously it's a super chaotic time, nevermind in the middle of a Covid surge...  Thanks to every one who participated and huge thanks to Cynthia for helping to get them finished!

I'm just back from a wonderful week at the beach with my extended family

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 800 so far! During May/June Tammy is hosting our block drive on her blog.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved. 

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

Quilts and More Opportunities to Help

Tammy has finished the first 2 quilts from the May/June block drive, go check them out on her blog!!

 

Happy happy Friday! I am headed for some fun in the sun at the beach.  (Ok, if we're honest this redhead will be keeping my toes in the sand in the shade.)

Elana sent me this partially finished quilt-as-you-go quilt earlier in the year.  She had the rows completed and all the quilting done, I just joined it into a top.  So bright and pretty and such good colors and fabrics!

These two single-color quilt tops came from Jeanine.  A pink rail fence and a really cool blue plus top.

I wanted to point you toward a couple of other charitable opportunities this week.  The first is the Positivity Quilt Along being run by Sew Preeti to benefit Mercyful Quilts.  Mercyful Quilts essentially has exactly the same mission as Covered in Love, but at a hospital in California.  

The Positivity QAL is running over the course of the summer, so you have plenty of time. And there are prizes! So go check it out. 

Next, this isn't connected to any particular organization, but I saw this pattern for "Dignity Bibs" for adults that look like shirts instead of baby bibs.  I think this is an awesome idea and would be appreciated by any nursing home or someone taking care of an elder adult at home.

Sarah W. sent in these next 3 tops.  The first one is very different from the others, bright and modern stripes!

I like how this top looks like plaid when you get a little distance from it.  The applique hearts are from a pretty floral and the background patterned brown fabric is very soft, maybe a lawn fabric.

Lastly, this one has pretty fabrics and applique tulips at the ends. 

I had an especially perfect backing fabric to go along with this top, thanks to generous donations!

I lost track of Fudge the other day while I was sewing. He gave himself away by holding paws with his sister :)

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 800 so far! During May/June Tammy is hosting our block drive on her blog.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved. 

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

UFO Rehab Graduates

Happy weekend, quilters! And how the heck did June get here already??  I've got more donated tops finished into quilts to show.  With these delivered up to the hospital recently CiL pushed up to 831 total quilts!

Linda B. sent in this plus top with the interesting pattern.

This really bright brick top came from Linda H.

This southwestern log cabin top that mixes solids with a novelty-print of peppers and onions was sent in by Barb H.

Proof that if you hang onto a backing fabric long enough (on the right), the perfect top will come along.

I had to get a close up of the mini log cabin cornerstones. 

Marianne K sent in this soft, pretty top with butterflies. I had a beautiful fabric that looked like Monet's water lilies to use on the back.

This charm pack quilt with coffee-themed fabrics came from Johanna.

I got these pictures several weeks ago with a sheet stretched out on the ground under a tree.  The same spot is a complete mud pit right now, so I'm praying for dry sunny weather so I can get some pictures again.

Katie D sent in this little green top with backing.

Tina C sent in this cool modern sampler top in solid colors. 

Each of the eight quilts in today's post was an "only child". Meaning that, at least, for now I only had one from that quilter finished. 

Last but certainly not least! Mary O sent in these friendship stars in the bright blue and red plaid.

Whew! 8 awesome quilts! I am still in quilt clearing-house mode.  As I said, we've reached 831 quilts. That count marks how many have been transported up to the hospital. There are actually many more finished here which will be in the next drop off.  The chaplains gave away several last week and we got some sweet notes. I post notes online when I have permission, and whenever I can connect a note or story to a specific quilter I make sure to share it with them. 

Thank you to all of you for all your help! 

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 800 so far! During May/June Tammy is hosting our block drive on her blog.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved. 

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