We're having a Block Party

Sue tells me that her block inventory is getting low so we're going to have a Block Party next weekend - September 27-28.

We'll sew on Saturday and/or Sunday and you can make 1 block or 100 to mail in to Sue (or Stephanie if in AUS).

You can choose to make GREEN centered blocks for our Sept/Oct project or BLUE or RED centered HeartStrings blocks. (RED for AUS)

Please use the guidelines for making the blocks:
http://heartstringsquiltproject.com/guidelines.html

Anyone participating will be eligible for some door prizes - again, the number of blocks you make doesn't matter - participation does!

If you're unable to participate on the weekend - you can sew up a few blocks this week and still be eligible for the door prizes.

Will anyone join me?

Green for Guys

Are you making HeartStrings blocks with green centers for our September/October project? I'm leaving out the pinks, purples, and large florals and tossing in a bit of everything else for my blocks.

Please consider making some blocks and sending them in to be combined with other donations into quilts for guys. Email me for the mailing address at mmcjohnson@gmail.com.

Checking in with Alycia's QOV project

The current count on Alycia's blog is 136 tops and quilts, of these 90 are quilted. She's well on her way to meeting her goal of 400 Quilts of Valor for 2009.

Pictured below is the most recent HeartStrings top, sent by Laura.

Happy Quilt

Annie is a HeartStrings quilter who had made a ton of HeartStrings blocks and tops. She recently posted this Happy Quilt on her blog and talked about where this one is being donate.

One reason this caught my eye is that I just sent a HeartStrings quilt to Tristan, another little boy with Leukemia. I hope the quilts bring these two boys some warmth and comfort as they face the challenges ahead.

Rainbows

Inspired by the blocks below pieced by Cheri, Helen decided to make her own Rainbow string quilt. Click on their names below visit both their blogs for other inspiring quilts.

Cheri works with Project Linus and has used HeartStrings blocks in the past with her group to make and donate quilts.


Helen lives in the UK and makes and donates quilts to a variety of children's charities.

Where do you find inspiration?

Have you been browsing through the new HeartStrings Blog Ring? Here are some recent quilts posted by members.

From my blog, Half String Hearts. An instruction sheet for making this quilt is available on my MaryQuilts.com site.

On Becky's blog, a Funky Caterpillar quilt from RWB coins donated by HeartStrings members. She also wrote instructions for this quilt and shared them.

Ruthie shared a chinese coins quilt that she dressed up with buttons and yo-yo's.

If you are a HeartStrings quilter and have a blog, you can join our blog ring.

Let's go Green for Guys

After getting some input from HeartStrings members who attended the WI/MN area sew-in August 2nd, I chose Green for Guys as our special project for September and October 2008.

Think guy quilts as you create HeartStrings blocks using a center green strip. Use the guidelines and remember to replace the center red or blue strip with a 2 inch green strip.

Make one block, a set of 48, or anything in between. Email me for the address to mail blocks.

HeartStrings Blog Ring

Click on the logo to view the blogs of HeartStrings quilters.

HeartStrings members and bloggers - don't forget to sign up for the new HeartStrings blog ring.

Variations

Every now and then it's fun to try something different. Here are a couple fun string quilt variations from HeartStrings members.

Melva's quilt uses a block with strings in just half of the block - doesn't the sashing add a lot to this quilt too?

Lori's quilt uses light and dark strings on each side of her center rather than mixing them all up.

I'd heard rumors

I knew there were string Quilts of Valor in progress but what an amazing photo. Visit the Gypsy Quilter blog to check them out.

Donated tops

In addition to donations of string blocks made according to our guidelines, HeartStrings accepts completed tops. We quilt, bind, and donate these tops to local charities and I thought I'd share a few that I've finished up this week.

This top was pieced by Sue's Mom from blocks sent in by HeartStrings members.


We also accept non-string pieced tops like this one pieced by Deb in AZ.

This HeartStrings top was pieced by Barbara in FL.

This pretty pink string top was pieced by the quilters at St. Mary's in CT.


If you'd like to donated a completed top or volunteer to quilt and finish tops that have been donated, email me.

Donated strings

Our HeartStrings members have generously shared their strings with other members for use in HeartStrings quilts. Do you ever wonder where those donated strings go?Barbara, one of our members is currently piecing a String X quilt based on Bonnie Hunter's pattern.

So visit Barbara's blog and then click the HeartStrings link in her sidebar to visit other HeartStrings bloggers.

HeartStrings Blog Ring

At the request of several members, we now have a HeartStrings blog ring. If you participate in the project and have a blog, click the logo below to join the ring.

Alycia's Quilts of Valor Project

Alycia, a HeartStrings member, is a supporter and volunteer for Quilts of Valor making quilts for wounded soldiers. Her current goal is to collect 4oo quilts for 2009 to present to the wounded soldiers at Ft. Carson in CO and HeartStrings members are helping her out with blocks, tops, finished quilts, and pillowcases to present them.

This is one of two recent tops pictured on Alycia's blog sent by a Deborah another HeartStrings member. Visit Alycia's blog to read more about her efforts and to see the tops, quilts, and pillowcases being collected.


For information about how you can help email us.

A string heart for HeartStrings

Michele sent photos today of two of her recent HeartStrings quilts.

She writes "Most of the quilts I make make are just regular patterns (through my quilting group), my string quilting is usually patriotic to send on up to Madigan Army Hospital.  I just love string quilting and almost always have one in the pile for the days when it's too hot to think or I'm too tired for any precise cutting and measuring!" 

Don't you love seeing all the variations HeartStrings members come up with?

 

Visit Michele's blog.

Patriotic Quilts

Interested in creating a Patriotic Quilt to tour the US?

Judy Howard has put out a call for quilts 22 x 22 inches to be included in an exhibition that will tour the US for 3 years to "blanket America in Hugs for our Troops, Stitches of Comfort and to promote love of God and Country".

Click here for details.

RWB Chinese Coins

For those of you who participated in our RWB project from Memorial Day to July 4th, you might want to see the progress being made with the Chinese Coins you sent in.



Becky volunteered to receive the Chinese Coins sections and turn them into Quilts of Valor and here are the first two quilts in progress.

To keep up with her progress, visit Becky's blog.

WI/MN Sew-in

Did you join us yesterday and sew along at home?

Fourteen HeartStrings quilters met in Roberts, WI to work and play.

Join us for a Sew-in

If you're in the MN/WI area and want to join us in person in Roberts, Wisconsin for a HeartStrings sew-in on August 2nd, please contact Kathy at kwmiller@pressenter.com.

Otherwise, consider joining us in spirit and working on a donation quilt or HeartStrings blocks at home that weekend. Make sure to contact us and let us know what you're working on by emailing Mary.

Guidelines for HeartStrings blocks that can be sent in for group quilts.

It's not all strings

Tresica recently sent me some photos of quilts she made and donated locally. She wrote:

"After seeing the photo of my 365 blocks, a lady at the Skidaway United Methodist Church here in Savannah contacted me and told me about the quilts they were making.

I donated the twin quilt tops to the church to help the orphanage. The United Methodist Women are quilting any twin size quilt top donated to them. After completion they are given to the United Methodist Orphanage in Macon Georgia."

Tresica's photo with her blocks also inspired other HeartStrings members to start their own 365 block challenge.