Haiti

In 2010, the tiny country of Haiti had a massive earthquake that devastated so many different places.  My family doctor was affiliated with a children's hospital, so I went to the Guild I was a member of, and was given permission to host a "quilt-a-thon" for the children at Grace Children's Hospital.
We had a fabulous turn out on a Saturday morning.

The generous quilters that gave from the heart to unfortunate children in a terrible situation.....and yes, that's my family doctor in amongst us all.

I have a two fold reason for posting this.  One is to show the generosity of quilters, the other is to talk about donating.

We have given a lot of quilts over the years -- an awful lot!  

Slave Lake, Alberta

High River, Alberta

Fort Mac, Alberta

Haiti

and of course locally......always locally!

I have seen the best of the best, I've also seen quilts not so well done.  I know that people are giving from the heart,

but my theory has and always will be

if it isn't good enough for your family

it isn't good enough to donate.

Please if the quilt is just a wee bit dirty, give it a wash.  

Seriously, would you like to receive something like that?

Please consider using quality fabrics.

I know they are expensive in Canada,

but would you give something to your family that isn't the best.

Just because you are giving it away

doesn't mean it should be --

well -- cheap is the word that comes to mind.

Remember the baby quilt you are donating is going to a baby

that is just as special as the new baby in your life.

Thursday's trials and tribulations

Awhile ago, Tracy (aka Fiberbabble) sent me some fabric up from the shop she works in for a project I was thinking of doing.  This is the one.............well sort of.  I'm only planning on doing one strip.

It is from Fat Cat patterns.  I thought it would look great on a wall at Grace Children's Hospital.

Well, I made one. Not too fond of it.  The green just doesn't cut it for me.  Its too limey or something.  I just can't put my finger on it.

I took out my box of landscape fabrics and honestly thought this would work.  NOT!  Its way too busy, but it was a good thought.  Geckos frollicking on rocks. 

 Then I thought blue............not this one, I couldn't find the one I wanted.  It was a summer sky blue.  I've probably used it up.  This shade is too dark and I didn't like it either.  Boy am I hard to please or what?

I knew I had a piece of fabric that sort of looks like bark on a tree.  I dug that out too.  Maybe if the geckos were a different colour it would work, but heck I've already done them twice and not only am I running out of fabric but my Steam a Seam is running low too.

I thought I had it with this background.  I don't like it either.  Its too dull and boring.  I'm back to the drawing board.  I'm auditioning another fabric up on the tree bark.  Maybe when the three of them are there it will make a difference.  I'm trying it in different lights too.  I have no idea where it will hang so it has to work anywhere. 

 I am just about out of fabrics that have width and length.  I better find something soon.

Next week if I have a sewing machine, I'll start to get on with things.  I have been using my old machine, but I'm just not as comfortable quilting on it as I am on the Sapphire.

We're famous

All of you remember last spring when the Guild did a workshop for the children of Grace Children's Hospital in Haiti.  I mentioned on Facebook about buying an extra copy of Quilter's Connection magazine for a door prize.  Heather read it, and very kindly sent us a free issue.  The winner, Ursula, was thrilled.

A little bit later, Heather wrote and asked us if we would contribute a 900 word article along with pictures for the fall issue of the magazine.  Yesterday, my postman handed me 6 issues! 

We are published!

Open the magazine to page 8 and there we are.  The Oakville Quilters Guild, Oakville, Ontario.  To say I was thrilled, is putting it mildly.  We worked so very, very hard in this outreach project and to see it in print is a huge reward.

Sorry, folks, for page 2 of the article you will have to buy the magazine.

Thank you so much Heather.  It looks fantastic. 

The magazine is available at quilt shops and at select Chapters/Coles stores across Canada.  If you click on this link you may find a shop near you that carries it.

There are other great articles in the magazine.................charm squares made easy.....wonderful tips on those 5" squares.  A pumpkin patch pincushion and let's not forget Pippa's column.  Always a great read.

Til tomorrow....................

I had a good week-end

What a great week-end I had.  I accomplished so much on Saturday.  It doesn't look like it, but I sure feel good today.

First up, I have my Jungle Babies back from my LA.  She did a beautiful job..............don't you agree?

I wanted paws all over the quilt.  Every animal has paws so I thought this would be appropriate.

I made the label just before I got the quilt back.  I scanned a piece of the fabric from the border, then using the "watermark" feature on Word, I typed all the information on the label.  I didn't print very much, just basic info., as the people of Haiti speak Creole and I know not a word of their language.

Everything is done.  The sleeve is on, the label is on and the binding is on.  Its going on the binding pile and I'll take all the quilts away with me, to sit and sew in the evenings.  Then I'll give the quilt to Dr. Yates, for transport to Haiti.  I thought it may look nice in the "babies" ward of the hospital.

I also finished up "Wish Upon a Stars" quilt.  This was the guild BOM from last year.  I did the last little bit of machine quilting

and then I squared up the quilt and put the binding on.  I have the label in the computer, but haven't printed it off yet.  I'm holding it until I need to make another one.  This label is going to be small, not full page, so I need to get my money's worth and not waste the fabric.     

Another one for the pile.  I put all the threads I will need in a ziploc storage container and I'll put my needles in as soon as I can find them.  I don't know where I've put them.  The scissors have to go in too.  I should put a list on the top, so I don't forget anything.

This was simply quilted.  I'm not that great at it, but I am getting better.  If you would like the patterns for this BOM they are available on the Guild website.

http://www.oakvillequiltersguild.ca/

If this only takes you to the home page, you just click on Block of the Month and it leads you to them.

Okay, I promised, I'll tell you.  I voted for.......................drum roll please.......................

Stars over Emerald Waters

Sorry, the site had a slight problem over the week-end.  Its all corrected now, so you won't have any problems. 

http://quiltinggallery.com/blog-posts/

Til tomorrow.............................Fat Cat Day!

P.S.  I found my needles.  I wasn't looking for them, but they appeared last night and now I'll take better care of them.

Follow up

I want to share a couple of photographs with all of you.  These are from Haiti.  The first photo shows Victoria Jean-Louis and Melanie Yates with two of the children from the hospital looking at one of the quilts we sent to Grace Children's Hospital.  (Victoria and Melanie work in the Relief and Reconstruction Office at Grace.)



Here they are having a great time making up stories about the bugs that are on the quilt. 

These quilts are some of the ones our Guild has sent down with Dr. Yates.  Adding colour to young children's lives in a time of stress.

Did you know that July is:    

National Make a Difference in a Child's Life Month

Wow, what a great evening

We had a fabulous time at Guild last night.  We did a whole bunch of little things that turned into big events.  Dr. John Yates came and spoke to our group and thanked us for the donations of quilts that our guild has made for him.  Dr Yates is associated with Grace Children's Hospital in Port aux Prince Haiti.  He is also our family doctor here in Oakville.

Dr. Yates and I talked about the hospital when we got a few minutes to sit down. 

 

This little girl is 10 and made 4 quilts all on her own one day to donate. Her name is Caitlin and she is the granddaughter of our one our members, Margaret L.

This is the group of women that either made quilts at home, or came out to a workshop and spent the day making them.

I'm very proud to be a member of this guild.  We have now donated 174 quilts to the hospital.  They are using them and the children love them.  They are bright and colourful and make a sad place very happy.

Poor Patti was busy with membership and missed the photo.  Here she is.

Thanks to each and every one of you.  Your kindness, thoughtfullness and generosity blows me away.  We raffled baskets off tonight that contained quilting things.  The money raised from those baskets and the 50/50 draws since January will be sent to International Child Care towards the reconstruction of the hospital.

Jungle babies

I started a blog about this quilt awhile ago.
http://quilton.blogspot.com/search/label/Haiti
Sunday afternoon I was able to put some time into at least getting a start on it.  I thought I would wash and iron all the fabric.  It only takes about 10 minutes tops to do it and while the fabric was drying, I washed up the breakfast dishes.

Once the fabric was ironed I put it up on the design wall to see if I liked it put together.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm, not so much!

This was my original thought on the background for the animal blocks.  It just doesn't work for me.

Then I tried this one.  Not working either. 
Then I noticed the soft yellow of the lion and it seemed to "pop" off the fabric and say try me, try me!

I was off on a search to my "fabric/sewing room"  (I store all my fabric upstairs in a cupboard.)

I was lucky.  I found some in a bag that was earmarked for another project.

Soft yellow with little wee hearts in a darker yellow on it.  Much better with all these other fabrics.......... 

I cut it up into 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" blocks and then cut the two turquoise fabrics that will be in the other four blocks.  I redesigned them from the original pattern.  I'm doing something a little simpler.  I hope I am anyway.




I cut all the fabric and sewed it together.  Oh, my gosh, it was awful!  I didn't like it at all.  The green is, is, is..............no words can describe it! 

Back to the drawing board!  Or flannel wall in my case.

I had to start digging for fabric and I found a purple that I hoped would work.  I took one block apart to see if it worked with the turquoise squares.  I knew I was in for an evening of "reverse stitching" if I liked it.  Better to like than to have a bunch of blocks I couldn't stand to look at.

Oh my gosh, this is so much better.  The purple makes such a difference.  Its amazing.  The green really worked in the store, or at least I thought so.

I pinned the rows together and started to put it together.

All those "pinked" edges I'll be writing about in a day or two.

I've worked away on the top for a couple of days and its done.  I really, really like it.  The animals all have to be put on, but that will take a couple of days to get them done.  There is a lion, a zebra, a rhino, an elephant, and a giraffe.  Four monkeys too...............one in each corner. 

This is for the walls of Grace Children's Hospital in Haiti.  I hope it brings joy to the children.

Oh, that green that I didn't like in this quilt?  It found a new home.  Susan suggested I use it for a border, but I've decided to use it for a binding on this quilt.  It works beautifully here.  The colours that are in this piece are in the quilt.  I'm rather happy it works, because I can't get anymore of those fabrics from Connecting Threads.

The little quilt shop

Four of us ventured down to our favourite little quilt shop by the lake yesterday.  The Quilters Garden Patch.  We were going to help one person buy some fabric for an upcoming jacket workshop.  Well, we did that!  and we did a whole lot more.  Four of us purchased fabric for this and that and when we got back to my place, I asked Susan where is the fabric for.............................she had forgotten all about that. 

Susan is our colour expert.  She can do things with fabric no one else can.  It is a gift, I swear it is.

I bought the cutest fabric for the cutest child's quilt.  As you all know jungle fabric is in right now.............really in!  I want to make this quilt for the Grace Children's Hospital in Haiti to hang on the corridor wall when their new facility is completed.  I also want to have my granddaughters help me.  This is the project.........................

I found the pattern in McCall's Quick Quilts, May 2010 issue.............no longer available on the store shelves it seems.  I took the magazine with me as I wanted to see if the store had the zebra fabric.  Oh my they did!  Then I found the orange and the border and then Karen found the yellow for the lion and the giraffe.  My elephant is going to be purple to go with the elephant in the border and my hippo will be a grey fusion fabric.  I can't wait to start.

I'm going to change the alternate block slightly.  I haven't decided what yet, but I'm working on it.

Oh crumbs, the grey looks rather black.  Sorry about that.

I will run the patterns that you trace for the animals off on cardstock so it is easier for the girls to copy.  They are doing not only that part, but also the fusing to the fabrics.  I will do the sewing part while they trace.  I think this quilt top is put together and then you place the animals.  I'll check that out carefully before we start.

This will be a work in progress as the girls can only come over on Saturday at the moment and that is only for the afternoons. 

The youngest one goes to jazz dancing around lunchtime.  We will have plenty of time to accomplish it.

P.S.  Since I wrote this last night, I've had a rethink!  My hippo is going to be pink!  Not grey.  Grey is such a dull, boring colour.  I guess I have to go back to the shop today.  Aw shucks.

Summer quilts

When we were planning our quilts to make for Haiti, we didn't think of taking two pieces of fabric and sewing them together.  That brilliant thought came after Charleen and I had cut and "kitted" quilts for the girls at the workshop to sew up.  To distinquish the quilts we gave them all names and these were called "onesies".  Not a great name, but that was all we could think of when we were too pooped to think any longer.  We should actually have called them "twosies" as it is two pieces of fabric.

You use two complimentary pieces of fabric cut exactly the same size.  With right sides together, pin them together, with the pins about a hand width apart, leaving an opening for turning.  Sew around the entire "quilt".  Once the sewing is done, clip the corners, turn right side out and take it to the ironing board.

Separate the two pieces making sure there are no puckers underneath.  Using steam press the seam, making sure that you don't touch either fold created when you opened the fabrics.

The seam will automatically fall to one side and the pressing you will find, will be quite easy.  Do all four sides.  When you have completed, take your "summer quilt" back to the sewing machine and stitch down around the entire perimeter.  You can use either a straight stitch or a fancy stitch.  Your choice.

I decided to sew around twice. The first time as close to the edge as possible and then I moved my needle over to the left side as far as it would go.  Then, using my foot as a quide running along the first sewing, I sewed around the whole quilt once again. 

I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Thanks to Susan for the great tip on the pressing of the edges.  Between her fabric and my fabric, we got one great quilt.  These would make a great quilt for a new baby.  They are fast and they are easy.

One thing before I go.  Both of these fabrics were approximately the same length and width so there was little waste.  Some fabrics are not 44/45" (115 cm) wide.  Check the ends of the bolts to make sure. 

Quilter of the Week

This week we have not one, not two, not three, but 14 quilters of the week. We arrived at the Oakville Museum, bright and chipper on a beautiful sunny day.  The temps were a bit crisp, but that didn't deter everyone from arriving with sewing machines in tow.  

Dawne had arrived back to Canada the week-end before after spending her winter in South Africa.....a true snowbird!

Patti and Irene sat side by side and worked like a pair of troupers.   Liquid nourishment close at hand!

Barbara, Rosemary, Dawne, Pat, Patti, and Maureen along with everyone else there accomplished so much in one day it boggles the mind.

Chris and Judy were proud to show off their accomplishments.  Every girl made at least 2 quilts  for the children.  These are left-overs from Judy's grandson's quilt.

Elaine Sparrow made a few quilts before she even arrived at the workshop (as did many others) and I have no idea how many she made while she was there. 

Maureen shows off a beauty while Ursula keeps working on her quilt.  This lady came out to the workshop after having her foot operated on the week before.

and one more....................

Throughout the week, I'll feature more of the workshop.  It was an amazing day!  Thank you,

Dawne, Patti, Barb, Melissa, Sharon, Rosemary, Judy, Ursula, Pat, Andree, Maureen, Elaine, Chris and Irene.