Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a great holiday! We're getting ready for our New Year's Party making Happy Blocks for kids quilts. We'll continue making blocks through the end of February.

You can find instructions for the Happy Blocks we'll be making at this link:
Happy Block Instructions

And a twisted version here:
Twisted Happy Blocks

Join us on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!

The giving season

At HeartStrings, we work on making and giving string quilts all year around but as I wandered through the HeartStrings blog ring today, I found several posts that I'd thought you'd enjoy reading.

Judy finished four comfort quilts for a family who lost 2 children in a fire.

Ruthie's guild made holiday placemats for Meals on Wheels.

Deb's been collecting hats and scarves for kids in Kosovo.

Nann made a donated a quilt for a fundraiser AND made one for a little boy being adopted.

Hanne finished a string star quilt that was mailed off to be donated to children with long term diseases.

Alycia showed off some of the pillowcases that have arrived from our Pillowcase Party over Thanksgiving weekend. They'll hold the Quilts of Valor that will be donated in May 2009.

JJ continues to make quilts to send to East Timor.

Pat made a Yellow Brick Road quilt that will be donated to a crisis center.

And I took 2 quilts with me on my trip to Virginia for the Angel Tree at Mom's church.

We're planning another party!

Mark your calendar now for a HeartStrings Party - New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, we'll be making Happy Blocks to start off our special project for January and February. (You didn't think we ONLY did string quilts did you?)

We're going to be making quilts for kids so pull out your novelty fabrics and some brights to go along with them!

Instructions for the blocks can be found at the link below:
Happy Blocks Instructions.

If you're a little twisted like me, there's a twisted version of the block too BUT you'll need to make a full set of 48 blocks or piece the entire top to send these in. If you just want to make a few blocks use the instructions above.
TWisted Happy Blocks Instructions.

Email me at mmcjohnson@gmail.com with questions or for the mailing address to send in blocks.

A new quilt by Hanne

Hanne recently finished another string quilt that will be donated to children with longterm diseases in Norway.

You can see other quilts by Hanne by clicking the link below:
Hanne's HeartStrings Quilts

HeartStrings Quilts by Connie

I spent some time today updating our online photo albums. Have you seen these two quilts by Connie? I love both of them.

A successful party!

Pillowcases by Barbara in FL

Although they're a departure from our usual HeartStrings quilts, we worked on making pillowcases this weekend.

Initially our thought was to make and send some pillowcases to Alycia for her 2009 Quilts of Valor project but that idea was expanded into a 2 day *virtual* sewing party with 266+ pillowcases being made for Quilts of Valor, ConKerr Cancer, Operation Support for Deployed Military and other local charitable organizations.

Thanks to everyone who participated!