Big Quilt Delivery Day!

I've got tons to show you today, most of which I can take very much credit for. It's so exciting to get to take 10 quilts all at once up to the hospital for Covered in Love! This brings our grand total to 58!!  The chaplains are always so excited to get new quilts.  Prepare yourself for a picture heavy post.

First up, I finished the last of the falling leaves quilts from the November block drive. And when I say I finished, I really mean finished, as I put on the binding. That's really all I can say I did on this one. The top came to me already pieced and Annie did her awesome long arm quilting again.

Isn't it great? The colors just glow.

If you look closely at this picture you can make out the free motion design, they are big leaves.

Here they are all in one picture. Five quilts altogether from the blocks you guys made in November, pat yourselves on the back!  I have to admit, I think this is my favorite of the block drives we did last year.

Next up is the quilt actually assembled and quilted myself last week. It's the second of the string diamonds from December block drive.

This one is made from the blocks that had a lighter brown for the background color. And although I loved how the zigzag quilting looked on the first quilt, it's too time intensive to use for them all. This one got a quick stipple.

I think adding the label with everyone's name adds a nice personal touch to the quilt. Sort of to connect the people who made it to the people who eventually receive it.  Just one more of the string diamonds to go and I will be caught up on block drive quilts!

Finally, you may remember that my do. Good Stitches circle has started supporting covered in love.  Carla sent in two of our quilts from the past year which arrived today, to combine with the one Louise sent me a little while back.

Aren't they lovely?   You can see more pics on the blog posts about the blue and orange diamond quilt and the modern pineapple. Carla also sent along two of her own quilts for Covered in Love!

Whew! What blessings!  If you would like to help out with Covered in Love remember our February block drive is going on now! Click on the block below to link to the tutorial.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

More Falling Leaves

Friday finishes!  I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to post these today because I wasn't able to get pictures. Yesterday was overcast and wet all day! But this morning the sun came out, and although it's cold and windy I was able to get some satisfactory shots.

These are falling leaves quilts 3 and 4, made from the blocks sent in for November's block of the month.  I set these in a slightly different arrangement from the first two quilts, which were a simple grid.

These are more quilts for Covered in Love.  I took a dozen up to the hospital last week and delivered them to the chaplains.  We chatted for a bit and I got to hear first hand about the most recent 2 quilt deliveries, that day and the day before.

He reiterated what a wonderful gift these quilts are to the families who received them, and I'm passing that on to all of you have helped: Thank you!

I free motioned both quilts with ribbon candy in the sashing and stipple over the leaves.  They finished at 54"x68".  Both were backd with cozy fall plaids.  The fifth and final fall leaves quilt is at the longarmer's now (thanks Annie McHugs!).

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

First Fall Leaves Finished

Happy New Year! And the first two of October's blocks drive "falling leaves" quilts are done :)

These two quilts for Covered in Love were made by over 20 volunteers contributing scrap blocks to make this possible.  Thanks to Nancy, Teri L. and Teri B., Rhonda, Dee Dee, Tricia, Summer, Tish, Valerie, Susan, Melanie, Kati, Dhia, Johanna, Mina, Ann, Amanda, Barbara A. and Barbara W., Jeanice and Margaret M. from New Zealand.

I'm putting labels on the back of the quilts with everyone's names.

This batch of quilts will be dedicated to the memory of Margaret M (no blog) from New Zealand. Margaret reached out to me during the very first block drive in August and faithfully sent blocks every month up through December, half way around the world.  She passed away suddenly last week and I know she will be desperately missed by her family.  And I will miss getting her packages in the mail with the New Zealand postal marks.

Quilting is a hobby that touches lives.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed, continues to contribute to Covered in Love! We are taking to month off the block drives to give me a chance to catch up, but check back at the end of the month as we will resume in February.

These are the first two falling leaves quilts. The rest are in the top-stage.  Two more for me to quilt and one for the long-armer :)

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Friday Finishes.

Holiday Sewing

I've been spending my holidays in good style, set up in front of the sewing machine and the laptop rewatching the Harry Potter movies and finishing up some Covered in Love quilts.

I've quilted and bound the final string quilt and the first two falling leaves quilts.  I'll do proper Friday finish posts on them soon.

Today I've got the last couple rounds of the falling leaves blocks on the wall and the last two HP movies cued up.  Hoping to turn these into tops today!

Linking to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

WIP Wednesday: Falling Leaves

Right on time, fall weather has hit Texas. The leaves are changing and falling and it's a sunny, cool day outside my window.  Perfect timing for sewing up the November block drive blocks!

You guys sent in enough blocks for 3 quilts! The first two are being laid out now on the design wall (I can see that I need to do some rearranging).  Thanks for all your support! If you want to participate in the December block drive for Covered in Love the post is up here :)

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Falling Leaves Trickling In

On my design wall today are the early-bird blocks for November's Covered in Love Block Drive.  Thanks to Summer and Amanda whose blocks are already here and to everyone else who has commented or emailed me committing to make blocks!  If you want to contribute there is still plenty of time!  I love the color scheme and scrappiness we have coming together, this is going to be a beautiful quilt.

I have been sewing a bit here and there, mostly working on the Crumb-splosion, but for the most part November has been a month off quilting for me.  Partially I needed the break, but more importantly since 2002 November for me has meant National Novel Writing Month.  Becoming a published author is permanently on my bucket list, so this month I am trading the sewing machine for a keyboard and trying to bang out a rough draft of a story.

Hopefully I will be successful, and definitely I will be back to quilting full speed in December!

Linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday.

November Block Drive: Falling Leaves

Welcome to Fall! Finally!  Summer seems to last forever in Texas, but the days are finally turning cool. In honor of the arrival of fall this month's block drive for Covered in Love will be a falling leaves block.

(Edited to Add: View some finished quilts here)

First off, I didn't invent this block, I've seen it lots of places. I just customized the measurements for our purposes.  To make this block you will need some scraps in fall colors (brown, red/maroon, orange, yellow) and scraps for the background in khaki/taupe/off white shades.

Cut:

(3) 4.5" colored squares

(2) 5" colored squares

(3) 5" background squares

(1) 4.5" background square

(1) 1"x7" brown strip

On the back side of the (3) 5" background squares mark a diagonal line corner to corner and slice one of the squares along that line into 2 triangles.  Sew the brown strip in-between the two triangles to reassemble the square as a "stem" unit.  Pair the other (2) 5" background squares with the 5" colored squares and sew on either side of the marked line, then cut to yield 2 HSTs (tutorial #1 here).

Press and trim the (4) HSTs and the "stem" unit to 4.5" square and lay out the block as shown.  If you are making more than one block at once you can switch around your HSTs to have more variety within each block. Also, I used the same fabric for the background throughout this block, but feel free to keep it scrappy!

Sew together your 9 small blocks into a 12.5" finished block and you're done! Comment or send me an email for my mailing address if you want to pitch in.  Make 1 block or 10, all donations are welcome!

Covered in Love makes quilts of comfort to be given to the families of patients who pass away in the hospital where I work.  These quilts not only bring warmth to a hospital room, but are taken home by the families as transitional items.

Check out our August block drive quilt by clicking on the picture above.

Linking to Oh Scrap! and Design Wall Monday.