Patriotic & Pretty

More finishes for Covered in Love!  Susan and Theresa sent in these two tops and Angie and I quilted them.

Susan from California made this lovely patriotic top with vintage-looking fabrics.  She also sent along backing and binding, so it was a quick finish for me.

This pretty pink and green top is the second to last of Theresa's tops.  I thought we were done already, but I forgot I'd given a couple to other quilters to finish. Angie from Texas did this one.

The tops is flannel and quilted up lovely and soft with swirls by Angie.

Sandra had sent in a perfect pink backing that found a home on this one!

Thanks Susan, Angie, Theresa, and Sandra!

Summer means experiments with tie-dye; I was going for a fish scale design

Covered in Love donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 300 so far! Our block drives are back on track and July/August is the annual "Oh My Stars!" drive.  Check out the main post HERE if you want to get involved.

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

July-August "Oh My Stars" Block Drive

....And we're back! I'm refreshed and ready to go after taking the last 2 months off from block drive.  It's time to dive back in with the 3rd annual "Oh My Stars!" block drive!

This block drive will run until the end of August. Blocks should be:

• red, white, and/or blue
• 12.5" unfinished
• something you would call a star (or stars)

These patriotic star quilts are some of our most popular, which is why I continue to do it year after year. Many of these quilts go to veterans, so they are especially meaningful.

You can look at quilts from the previous drives here and here to get ideas. Also you can check out the original block drive post for a list of some patterns here.

Like all of our block drives, these blocks will be made into quilts to benefit "Covered in Love" which gives quilts to patients dying in the hospital. Families get to take these quilts home to help them mourn and remember their loved one. Anyone can participate and make as few or as many blocks as you like. Email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com or comment (make sure you aren't a "noreply" blogger) for the address.  Covered in Love is a 501(c)3 charity, so if you would like a tax receipt just let me know.

The two block drives so far this year produced enough blocks for 47 quilts! They aren't all done yet, but well on the way.  I'm excited to see what we will make together this time!

Scrappy Happy

Another week, some more finishes! Two awesome, scrappy-happy quilts from Katie Q.  Both has the same pattern made from 2.5" squares. She also sent along backing fabrics. Awesome!

Every scrap quilt is an eye-spy quilt.

It's been an incredibly hot summer here so far.  Sounds like most of the US is having unusual heat. For Texas that means 90s-100s and melting humidity.

Holly, I think this binding came from you.  Thanks!

Quilting is an indoor hobby, fortunately. That and studying are keeping me inside to beat the heat.  This is my last semester of school and let me tell you, it's kicking my tail.

Quilting is very relaxing for me, so it's nice to have so many tops ready to go for a quick, rewarding pick-me-up.

I am steadily but surely chipping away at my "to quilt" piles.  Thanks so much Katie and everyone else who sends in donations!

Obligatory cat picture: Fluffy Nugget models string quilt #14

Covered in Love is taking a break from the block drives until July so I can catch up. If you find yourself with extra time consider donating to Jack's Blanket!

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

A Good Read

Happy Friday! I've got another do. Good Stitches quilt for my finish this week. The NURTURE circle makes quilts for Covered in Love and January was my turn to be the "queen bee".

I asked the ladies to each make 2 bookshelf blocks, making a total to 20 blocks.  The books are made from all different fabrics and the spines are decorated with ribbon, decorative stitches, and selvedges.

I put the blocks together with brown sashing to make the shelves and was pleased I still remember how to FMQ wood grain when it came time to quilt!

There are lots of fun surprises on this bookshelf, starting with this sleepy cat curled up on a low shelf.

Book titles include classics like "The Lorax" and "Star Wars".  The quilt finished at about 55" x 72" and the chaplains will place it with the perfect book-worm.

I love my NURTURE circle ladies, thank you all so much for your consistently awesome blocks and quilts!

Covered in Love is taking a break from the block drives until July so I can catch up. If you find yourself with extra time consider donating to Jack's Blanket!

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

Strings, Strings, Strings

Blocks mostly from Michele, assembled and quilted by me

That's right, more string quilts are done!  The January/February Covered in Love block drive was wildly successful and I'm working steadily on getting all the blocks turned into quilts.

Blocks mostly from Linda, assembled and quilted by me

With these finishes I think we are officially, probably, 1/3 of the way though these :)

Assembled and quilted by Kathy

I think basically all of the quilts made from sets of blocks with a particular color or theme are done, from here it's more or less random.

Blocks by Debbie, assembled and quilted by Kathy

Thank goodness for the help of other quilters, including my local rockstar Kathy, who are helping me get these together.  The local Modern Guild is even talking about getting together a sew day to assemble tops from blocks.

Assembled and quilted by Kathy

I absolutely love these string quilts and I'm told they are a favorite among the patients and families who receive them as well.

Assembled and quilted by me

For the more or less random quilt tops I try to group the blocks losely into either bright, somber, masculine, or feminine sets.  I'm not sure what I was going for with the one above... Below is masculine and below that is bright.

Assembled and quilted by me

Big thanks to Sandra, Amanda, Bonnie, and Mary whose backing yardages completed these quilts, Nicki for bindings, and to all of you who sent in blocks!
 

Assembled and quilted by me

These thirteen have already been loaded up and taken to the hospital for distribution.  CiL continues to grow and bless more and more mourning families.  I couldn't do it without ALL of your support!

Ready to go to the hospital!

Covered in Love is taking a break from the block drives until July so I can catch up. If you find yourself with extra time consider donating to Jack's Blanket!

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

A Quilt for Every Baby

As all quilters know, every baby needs a quilt! Is there a better excuse to play with fun fabrics, experiment with new quilting designs, and whip out a quick finish than a new baby? I can't think of one.

I made this quilt for my cousin's soon-to-arrive baby boy from a Gingiber "Thicket" charm pack and panel.  I made this one for his older sister two years ago.  Unfortunately, not every baby is welcomed to the world with the fanfare they deserve.

When a baby is born with Down Syndrome doctors, medical personnel, and even friends and family can be negative and less than tactful about the diagnosis.  Parents are often in shock and unsure of the way forward.

An unexpected and unknown diagnosis can be scary for new parents, but Down Syndrome is nothing to be sad about.  (By the way, there's a lovely story here about grieving the child you expected while loving the one you have). I have the privilege of being friends with a young lady with Down Syndrome and I can tell you she is a delight!  She's smart and hilariously funny and full of love.

Jack's Basket is a charity that meets parents in the confusing days right after their child's birth and gives them a gift basket full of useful items, information about Down Syndrome and local support groups, blankets and clothes.  More than that though, Jack's Basket gives them hope. Hope that their baby is beautiful and has a bright future. Hope that other parents have been here before. Hope that different is not a bad thing. 

 

I have loved seeing updates from those of you gifting blocks to Briawna while CiL's block drive is on hiatus.  Thank you! You can certainly continue to contribute to her in June but I wanted to recommend another great charity to you.  Jack's Basket appreciates baby quilts to add to their baskets.  36" square makes a large baby quilt, that would take just 9 of CiL's usual 12.5" blocks.  

If you make a quilt for Jack's Basket please leave a comment or email me a photo, I'd love to know!  If you just want to make a top you can send if to me and I will quilt it and send it along (email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com for the address.) 

Jack's Basket
2960 Snelling Avenue North L-105
Roseville, MN 55113

Thank you all for your support and patience while I am catching up. I have already quilted over a dozen quilts and I can't wait to share them all with you.  This week's quilt delivery to the hospital put us up to 331 quilts total.  In the meanwhile, thank you for sharing the love!

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished or Not Friday

What Goes Around

 

Happy weekend! I hope your week went well. This was my first week of the summer semester and it's shaping up to be a doozy. Fortunately quilting is a stress relief for me, so it continues at a good pace.

These two beautiful quilts came to CiL via a circuitous route. Betty sent the tops to me, she said they'd been sitting in a box at her house for some years.  They were made by another quilter she knew in an online quilting group who passed away. When that woman's husband needed to re-home her quilting stuff he turned to her group members and Betty found herself with some, including these tops.

The black background makes me think they look Amish-style.  I love how she pieced with so many different black fabrics and the many textures in the colored fabrics.

This log cabin was almost certainly meant to be bigger; there were 2 extra blocks with it.  But, it's big enough and done is better than perfect :)  I quilted them both with a stipple and I'm so glad they are in Covered in Love's stash now.

Here's a little cuteness to start your weekend.  Someone was sleeping in the sink the other day when I got up.  She gave me such a look when I woke her up, I went to brush my teeth somewhere else.

Covered in Love is taking a break from the block drives for the next 2 months so I can catch up, but don't go anywhere! I still need your blocks. Check out details HERE.

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished or Not Friday