Block of the Month

In our little town, a group of women meet monthly at the Grange Hall to quilt. We are a very giving group and always have a charity quilt project going on.

It was decided that it would be fun to participate in a 'block of the month' project. So, each month my friend, Karleen, and I would distribute a pattern for that month. Participants would return home and go through their fabrics, creating a block in that month's design. It was always fun to see the blocks that were completed when they were returned to our next sewing session.

At the end of the year we had enough sets for about twelve quilts. There were even enough spare blocks from February and April for us to make a heart and tulip quilt of only those blocks.

Volunteers took the quilts home to quilt them on their long-arm machines. Others volunteered to stitch on binding. As time went by we had them all done and ready for distribution.

We were so pleased with the results, we decided a photo session would be fun so we would have a memory of the quilts that we had made.

Fun was had by all!

And we all learned that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

With this project done, we are now working on completing a stack of batik charity quilts that are in progress.

Quilt on!

BOM's for Charity

BOM's for Charity is a project that our quilt guild has been working on over the past year. We meet monthly to sew and quilt. Karleen and I coordinated a monthly "block of the month" project, giving instructions for a different designed block for each month of the year. Guild members stitched two of each block; one to keep and one to donate for charity quilts. Some had so much fun sewing them that they stitched more than their assigned "one". 

At the end of the year we had a drawing for project participants. The winner won a gift basket that we filled with homemade items, gadgets, pretty things, and quilters tools.

We had enough blocks for 12-plus quilts. But, of course all those blocks needed to be stitched together into quilt tops and then quilted and bound. The group decided that we should meet for an extra sewing day each month and dedicate that day to working on our charity quilts.

It has been so much fun! We start bright and early. There's a lot of chatting happening as we sew. The production line plan has worked well. We break for sack lunches and ice cream, and then get right back to work.

Each quilt will be large enough for a double-sized bed. And everything is made from scraps donated by guild members. Thus, each quilt is different and has a characteristic all its own.

Here's an example of one quilt top that's made up of some of the "extra" blocks. I think this one is my favorite!

And this is an example of a BOM or "block of the month" quilt that represents each month of the year. This shows what the other 10-plus look like.

The quilts will be given to individuals in our community who are ill, homeless, or victims of a house fire. The guild members are generous and give freely from their hearts. I am most blessed to know them!

Lessons from Quilting

The local quilt guild ladies have been busy! Each month they continue to share their beautiful projects at our guild sewing sessions.

Additionally, they participated willingly in a "block of the month" project last year, stitching a block each month to donate to a communal project. By the end of the year, there were enough blocks donated to put together twelve quilts for charity. 

It was decided that there were not enough hours during our monthly sewing session to get the charity quilts done fast enough, so we decided to add another monthly sewing session to our calendars. The additional sewing session is for sewing community donor quilts only.

It's amazing what a few people can accomplish during a morning of sewing. A production line was set up and everyone got to work.

Friendly chatter accompanied the whir of the sewing machines.

We took a break for lunch and ice cream, and then got back to work. In the end we accomplished much.

The quilts are not finished yet, but progress has been made. I'll be sure to show you pictures when the projects are done. Our club quilts are given to people in our rural community who are in need. They go to homeless students, victims of fire, and individuals who are sick. It feels good to give from the heart. What a gracious group of ladies. I have been blessed by observing their generosity.

Quilt Guild & Teapot

This month I am hosting the traveling teapot, a project where like-minded women  host a teapot for a month and share of its adventures. The traveling teapot has been on the road for fourteen months now. So many have blogged about the teapots adventures. I invite you to meander over to that blog today and catch up on some of the interesting things the teapot has been doing. Below is the post I wrote for the Traveling Teapot blog today.

The little plum teapot went to Sassy Quilters guild meeting at the Grange Hall today. It was a busy sewing day, and the teapot did a good job as ambassador of tea.

The guild makes dozens of quilts for charity and gives them away to people in the community who are facing illness or who've experienced loss by fire. The guild recently gave four quilts to members of a family whose house burned down. Realizing that the quilt reserves were low, it was decided that we'd concentrate on building up the stash again. Someone had donated batik fabric to the guild, so it was decided to use it to make charity quilts.

The process is interesting, as these are truly scrappy quilts. Complementary prints were paired and stitched into 4-squares. Then, they were laid out on the floor and the ladies designed on the fly! Two queen-size quilt tops were completed in this fashion today.

Someone had also donated Sunbonnet Sue quilt blocks to the guild and Louise took them home last month. She brought them back today, stitched into two pretty baby quilts. They will go into the donor stash for charity.

And the Quilt of the Month blocks are steadily increasing as well. This month fifteen were added to the stash. So far we have enough for six charity quilts and we are only half-way through the year. By the end of December we are hoping for enough blocks to make a dozen or more charity quilts. Each month guild members are given a pattern for that months block. It is always fun and interesting to see what color and pattern combinations they create. Each seems to express the personality of each individual so well.

Lunchtime is always potluck. Today's theme was salads and the traveling teapot's story was told around the luncheon table. The tea today was Darjeeling.

I captured Beulah going through line. She is the gracious hostess of each month's business meeting where she always has snacks for the group. She also makes delicious cinnamon chip scones for each month's sewing day and potluck luncheon. Everyone loves her tradition!

Today they went so well with tea!

The little plum teapot today served a group of ladies who have inculcated altruism and exhibit it so well. They have learned that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. I'm so glad the teapot was able to serve them today.

Common Threads

When women create...they are tied together by common threads. Threads of friendship, service, and community. Threads of proximity, mutual interest, and appreciation for the materials from which they create. 

Our "show and tell" at this month's quilt guild meeting included many beautiful quilts. Mary's quilt was stunning! She's the one on the right. Her quilt's a Thimbleberry design and is called "A Quilter's Garden". It was my favorite.  Although she only brought one to show to the group, she's made another quilt just like it. She pieced two, one for her and one for a friend. Her friend quilted both. And now they each have one of these beautiful quilts. That's a cooperative friendship!

In the meantime...

Karleen and I are coordinating the creation of blocks for charity quilts from our guild. Each month, each guild member makes a block from an assigned pattern. The selected design is another one by Thimbleberry called "Month by Month". It consists of twelve blocks, one for each month of the year. Guild member have generously jumped right into participation! So far we've gathered quilt blocks for January through April and more than forty blocks have been turned in! At this point we have enough blocks for four full-size quilts. We hope to have twelve or more charity quilts ready to give away to individuals in our community by the end of the year.

I love April's block. The tulips remind me of all the pretty tulip pictures I've been seeing around blogland from tulips fields in Washington, Oregon, and Michigan. They've been stunning!

And for May, a sweet basket that's just ready to be filled with May flowers. It really does feel good to work on a project communally with other women. When women create, friendships deepen and generosity is shared. Common threads.

Quilting Bee

My friend, Karleen, has a creative approach to productivity. I quite like it! She says that the cold weather months are for quilting and the warm ones are for working in the garden. She does both with excellence, so I know it would be of benefit to me if I would heed her counsel. This winter she invited me to join our local, community quilt guild with her. What fun it has been! Local ladies meet once a month at the community grange where quilts are stitched. Family, friends, and community members benefit from all the busy stitching! There are some very gifted quilters in the bunch! A spirit of cooperation, sharing, teaching, and learning together is evident. And a lunchtime potluck is an added perk! As time goes on I'll share pictures of some of the quilts being made. I think you'll enjoy them. Stay tuned.

~ Click on the montage to make it full-size ~