Ladies of the Thread - Port Orchard, WA

I received the following email and photos from Vicki who is working with her group making and donating quilts. I just love how bright and happy this string quilt is.

Finally, here is a photo of the strip quilt made by our group, Ladies of the Thread, in Port Orchard, WA. We meet at a local church on two Wednesdays per month to make quilts for Project Linus. I've also included pics of other Linus quilts made by group members using the Quick Strippie pattern on your website.

We also make quilts for area coroners. The quilts are carried in their vans and used to pick up babies and children (instead of body bags), such a sad thing. The coroners say it eases the parents just a bit to see their child in a quilt and oftentimes the quilt goes on with the child, so we re-supply them as needed.

Best regards,
Vicki Chang

Instructions for making a HeartStrings quilt.

Instructions for making the Quick Strippie quilts shown below.

We've been busy

Although the blog has been quiet lately, we've been busy making and donating quilts. Quilts for kids, for soldiers, for women with breast cancer, and quilts for those effected by tornadoes in TN to name a few. These are recent finishes and donations and more can be seen in our online albums.

By Lori for Project Linus
By Ruthie for a returning soldier
By Jennifer from donated blocks for a woman with breast cancer
by Mary from donated coins for Tennessee tornado victims

We've also received thank you notes from Bledsoe Baptist Associate for quilts received. If you'd like to send quilts to Tennessee - they'll make sure they get to those effected by the tornadoes.

Quilts for those affect by recent tornadoes in Tennessee

As a group, we've wanted to send quilts to these hit by tornadoes earlier this month. Thanks to Sarah and Pam we were able to find a group and contact person willing to accept quilts and see that they get to those affected.

If you like to join us in sending quilts, please mail them to this address and include a note that identifies them as HeartStrings quilts intended for those affected by the recent tornadoes.

Attention: Anne McKnight
Bledsoe Baptist Association
P.O Box 1207145
East Smith St.
Gallatin, TN 37066

If you'd like to use the HeartStrings Print Label/Enclosure (PDF File). Print file, cut in half, and add your return address under HeartStrings. Place one in your package and tape the other to your box as a shipping label.

Please email us and let us know if you are sending quilts. Thank you!

Hearts for Linus

The Illini Country Stitchers Quilt Guild of Champaign, Illinois made HeartStrings blocks on their Make A Blanket Day for Project Linus. Take a look a the photos from their workday including one of a recent HeartStrings quilt.

Hearts for Linus Blog

Quilts for children's charities

During the months of January and February, HeartStrings quilters finished and donated 88 quilts to Project Linus and other children's charities and more are still in progress.

Thanks to all of you who made and donated quilts. Whether you pieced and donated blocks, donated tops to be quilted by volunteers like this one pieced by Barbara in FL, quilted tops, or made quilts from start to finish every contribution was appreciated.

Children's quilts and Project Linus

It's the last day of January, have you joined us this month in making a HeartStrings quilt for Project Linus or another children's charity? If so, please let us know - we'd love to see photos of your quilt.

If not, there's still time to finish one up before Project Linus' National Make a Blanket Day on February 16th. To find information about your local Project Linus chapter, click here.

Here are just a few of the ones made by HeartStrings quilters this month (notice that they're not all string quilts!)

By Lori

By May

By Mary

Remember this group?

In September, I received a top to quilt from Nancy in CT. At that time, she and the Peace by Piece Quilters at St Mary's Episcopal Church in Manchester, CT had just finished their first HeartString top.

Look what they're up to now!



St Marys Peace by Piece Quilters

Let's make some quilts for kids!

I mentioned last month that with Project Linus' Make a Blanket Day coming up in February, we want to encourage people to make a quilt in January to donate to their local Project Linus chapter. Of course, if you have a local children's charity you support, feel free to join in and donate the quilt where ever you choose.

These quilts can be string quilts or you may use any pattern you choose. Barb, one of our members and a coordinator here in the Minneapolis area for Project Linus has said that she'll also accept completed tops. If you prefer to only make the top, you can check with the chapter in your area to see if they accept them, send them to Barb, or contact me and we'll see if we can find a HeartStrings volunteer to quilt them.

I've got one quilted and ready for binding....my Lizard quilt and I'm going to cut out and piece another one using my Quick Strippie instructions. These are fun, fast, and cute!

Mary's Quick Strippie

Another fun quilt can be found at Annie's blog. I've been using kids prints for years making donation quilts and have lots of leftover bits and pieces, wouldn't this quilt be great for using them?

Annie's Happy Quilt

A string quilt like we made for our Purple Project last year would be great too....here's an instruction sheet for one I made using just 24 string blocks.

Purple Project Quilt

Whatever pattern you decide to use, please join us in making a quilt for a child in January.

Mary
mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Happy Anniversary

A year ago, a group of quilters banded together to form the HeartStrings Quilt Project in order to make and donate quilts. Initially, we thought it would be a short term project but the interest was strong and we decided to expand it though the year. Now it's 2008 and the interest and enthusiasm for making quilts for those in need remains steadfast.

As a group, we made and donated 281 quilts and have many more in progress. We worked on these quilts as individuals, as groups, and spread the word through our guilds and the other quilting groups in our lives.

Please take a few minutes and look through the photo albums of quilts made and donated this year by HeartStrings quilters.

HeartStrings Quilt Project Photo Albums.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved in the project. I look forward to seeing the quilts we'll make and donate in 2008.

Mary Johnson

The King's Daughters and Sons Home.

Jane, a HeartStrings quilter involved her guild in making HeartStrings blocks and quilts earlier this year. She recently wrote me the following update:

I've personally made 3 heartstrings tops, my guild and I have made many more through our block of the month activities. One month we made blue centers, another, we made red centers... some of the blocks were sent to me to combine, other guild members and completed tops of their own. One mother-sister-daughter team made 4 lap sized heartstrings quilts.

In total, we gave 112 quilts to a nursing home in November. Some were scrap quilts from Bonnie's site, some were Chinese coins, many were Heartstrings quilts.

20 of the quilts donated by Jane's guild were HeartStrings quilts. Below, you can read a letter of thanks.


The King’s Daughters & Sons Home
Bartlett, TN

Dear Members of the Uncommon Threads Quilt Guild,
How can we ever thank you enough for the wonderful quilts. Each one was as unique as each of our Residents. Staff and Residents alike are proclaiming the quilt party as the best of all year. Visitors frequently comment on the quilts that we have displayed and volunteers go room to room visiting with Residents
and looking at their quilts. Which of course, the Residents are more than happy to show off.

We are all, (staff, residents, family members, volunteers) extremely appreciative of your hard work and generosity.

Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Dana Lewis
Activity Director

Quilts for Annie's House

Cricket has been working throughout the year with other HeartStrings quilters to make quilts for homeless families. After delivering a batch of quilts to Annie's house she wrote this:

I had the most wonderful time tonight. I went to Annie's House, a lovely shelter for homeless women. It is run by Sister Senga, who is the closest thing to a saint I've ever met. The women knew I was coming and were waiting anxiously. I've delivered quilts in other years, so they knew what to expect. They were looking out the door for me (I had called when I was ten minutes away).

They helped bring quilts in and put them on the dining room table. Even before I got my shoes off and got into the dining room, I heard the oohs and ahhs. Women were opening the quilts and just loving them. They were so thrilled. There were many comments about patterns and fabrics and color. In the end, it is the color they choose; they want the colors that speak to them. Pattern and warmth share second place. Size runs a close third. Each found a quilt that spoke to her.

One woman, still had on her olive green coat she was wearing to help me in. Guess which quilt she picked? Do you remember that wonderful top that Darlene made (and Bev quilted) which was sort of an olive green center strips with a light or white on each side of it? That was Darlene's creativity, and Holly loved it. She thanked me, Darlene, Bev, Rebecca, and all of the Heartstringers, as they all did, and I saw her hugging it as she took it to her room.

Another woman, who is to move to her own apartment shortly, picked the wonderful yellow center stripe quilt that Darlene made and Bev quilted. She said there was one window in her room, and this quilt would really brighten it up. She had gray hair but such a young and vibrant spirit.

A younger woman, the youngest of the group, let me feel her muscles – and they were hard and big! She is in training for the construction industry, and I say, more power to her. She's also her GED. The ladies had picked out a quilt they thought she would like, and did she ever! It is the Heartstrings pattern with deep green stripes and a lot of fabrics with pure hues. Everyone was busy looking at race cars and various other things on the fabric. She liked it so much she did not even look at the others.

The ladies picked out a quilt for one woman, who came in later. She loved it so much that she refused to even look at the extra quilts I had brought so people would have choices. It was a scrap quilt with lots of light areas and half square triangles. She asked me how long it took to make it, and I said probably close to 100 hours, all things considered. She came and hugged me and said thank you. I'm not sure if Darlene made that top or if it's one I had in the works already.

One of the ladies picked out a lovely soft green and soft blue nine patch, queen size. I had that one in the works. Everyone had her favorites. Some people took a while to decide which quilt they wanted because they liked several "best". Everyone was thrilled; I can actually say every person was totally enchanted by her quilt.

They were quite interested to know how these were made, and I have a new volunteer, Barbara, who works in the shelter and at Sears. I'm going to teach her how to make quilts and she will help with the homeless quilts. Not a bad deal! She's a lovely person. I may get a second volunteer, an experienced quilter, Maxine.

I left 16 labeled adult-size quilts with these ladies, and got many hugs and many kisses in return. Quite a few said "God bless you" and many wished me a Merry Christmas. I gladly share those hugs, kisses, blessings, and wishes with all of you, because it is our greater group that made this evening possible.

I left our web address with them. In all the years I've been doing this, never have I had this many finished quilts (53 so far) with such great cooperation and such little stress. Thank you very much, my quilting sisters (and brothers,) This group really rocks!

The bottom line is, this is clearly God's work, and I am so happy to be a part of it.

January Sneak Preview

As you enjoy the holidays with family and friends, here's a peek at what we'll be doing in January.

Since so many of us make and donate quilts to Project Linus, we're encouraging everyone to make a quilt to donate to their local chapter in time for Make a Blanket Day on February 16, 2008.

You can make a string quilt or use any pattern you'd like. I plan to use my favorite donation quilt - a quick strippie pattern. I've already got one pieced and ready for quilting and hope to make a 2nd one in time to donate both of them.

If you don't have a local chapter to donate the quilt to, contact me by email (mmcjohnson@gmail.com) and I'll put you in touch with Barb, one of the coordinators of Project Linus here in the Minneapolis area.

Barb has said that she will also accept finished tops; your local Project Linus Chapter may also accept them unquilted. You may contact me for Barb's address if you'd like to send her a top or finished quilt.

It's been a little quiet

I know it's been a little quiet here on the blog recently but we're steadily working. If it's been a while since you've visited our photo albums take a look. It's hard to believe that all these quilts have been finished just this year and there are lots more in progress.

http://picasaweb.google.com/HeartStringsQuiltProject

As we celebrate the holidays, I'm sure I won't be the only one squeezing in some quilting time to work on HeartStrings blocks and quilts.

Chinese Coins

Becky recently posted this quilt she created using coins donated during our Chinese Coins Project earlier this year. She had so many requests for the pattern after doing a similar quilt that she created a tutorial showing how she made it.

Quilts for those affected by the fires in California

I wanted to bring this back to the top of the blog as I've only had a handful of requests for the mailing address for sending quilts to California.

If you'd like to send a quilt for a child, please read this previous post and contact me for the mailing address.

You can reach me by email at mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Weekend Retreat Update

Click photo to enlarge!

HeartStrings quilters from around the US, Australia, and the UK worked on various HeartStrings projects that will go to children, homeless families, wounded veterans, breast cancer patients and more.

Darlene traveled to Cricket's home and they worked on quilting and binding this weekend while the rest of us participated *virtually* , updating each other with our progress. The photos in the above collage show some of the projects we worked on.

Cricket was happy to report to the group that she has 75 quilts in various stages of completion + additional blocks waiting to be assembled. 40 of those quilts, made by Cricket, Darlene, Bev, and other HeartStrings members are completed and will be distributed to homeless families in about 10 days.

Retreat weekend

It all started with a stay at home retreat weekend on the Stashbuster group and Cricket and Darlene getting together in person to finish up a group of quilts to be donated to homeless shelters.

Now 30+ HeartString quilters are participating this weekend in a virtual retreat. Most of us are working on our HeartStrings blocks and quilts and a few are working on other personal projects.

Won't you join us and make some HeartStrings blocks this weekend? If you do, email me (mmcjohnson@gmail.com) for the mailing address to send the blocks in - we'll make sure they're assembled into quilts and donated to charitable causes.

October's Project Pink is ending

The official end to Project Pink is today but don't worry if you're still working, Jennifer has said she'll continue to accept these blocks for now so we won't set a firm deadline for all the blocks to be received - yet.

However, this is one of our short term project so you'll want to finish up and maybe get back to making some of our red and blue standard blocks before the next special project comes up. The mailing address for pink blocks can be found at this link.

Thanks to everyone who participated. We'll continue to update our online album as more tops and quilts are completed.

Helping those in need - Southern California

Nann, a HeartStrings member put Debbi Kulick in touch with me. She is requesting quilts for children in Southern California affected by the fires.

She will be working through the Kids Need to be Kids program. Having just finished up our Purple Project, I'm hoping we will be able to help. If you would like to send quilts please email me at mmcjohnson@gmail.com for Debbi's address. Her request is below.

As you know, southern California is under siege with the fires. There are currently 13 fires burning, over 500,000 people have had to evacuate and they expect that number to rise to over 1 million.

At this time, I would like to ask that anyone who would like to donate quilts for the children, I will be glad to accept them and help get them distributed. The children have nothing and need something to help them be kids while Mom and Dad will be dealing with FEMA, insurance companies and everyone else trying to piece their lives back together. I plan to work with Kappa Delta Sorority and work with our Kids Need to be Kids program which began with Katrina.

We will be collecting toys and books for the children too, I would love to have quilts for them along with toys and books.

Kasson, MN Sew-In

We had a wonderful time on Saturday. Sheree was the perfect hostess and she wrote the following summary to share here. You can see all the photos from the sew-in at the slide-show posted on our website.


Saturday, October 20, 2007 was the third meeting for the Minnesota/WI/Upper Midwest HeartStringers. Mary, Sue & Barb, all from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN met Sheree in SE Minnesota for a VERY productive day of quilting pink. Ann, who is part of the HeartString Yahoo Group, and who lives in nearby Byron, MN came by with 50! blocks. Some of Sheree’s friends also stopped by and added to the fun and productivity of the group. And we were international with virtual quilters from Australia and the UK, not to mention others quilting pink throughout the US.

The blocks and tops we worked on will all be donated to breast cancer patients and were created from pink and white fabrics in support of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our group of fabulous women put together 2 quilt tops from blocks brought to the sew-in, and completed 118 more blocks!

Additionally, the work HeartStrings does will be featured in the local weekly newspaper! All-in-all, it was a Heart warming experience as we spent the day enjoying each other’s company creating instruments of comfort for those who will need a soft place to land and the warmth that a quilt sewn with love can supply.