Alycia's QOV Goal - 400 Quilts

Are you following Alycia's quest to donate 400 Quilts of Valor in May 2009? She works with students to make these quilts and with this ambitious goal this year has been getting help from HeartStrings members and many other quilters.

She recently spoke to a group and her project was mentioned in the local paper.

Australia - helping out

There are plenty of ways to help those affected by the bush fires in Victoria but we're quilters right? So lets make some blocks.

Jan Mac is a HeartStrings member who will be collecting quilt as you go string blocks for assembling and donating. She's posted a tutorial on her site if you'd like to help her out and send some blocks.

I've got strings -- I've got batting leftovers -- I'm going to make some to send.

You can contact Jan Mac at janmac@mcmedia.com.au

Do you want to attend a Sew-in?

The MN/WI group has been getting together since our first year and now more groups are starting to coordinate Sew-ins in their area. Here are the current ones scheduled. For more information email the contact person or Mary at mmcjohnson@gmail.com.

March 21st -- Las Vegas -- The Las Vegas Quilters will be working on some HeartStrings projects during their sew-in and welcome other members. They will be sewing for St. Judes Ranch new group home for unwed mothers -- contact Tonie at TONIEGK@aol.com

April 25th - Virginia is hosting at Hope Christian Church in Shoreview, MN.

May 2nd - Jay and Julia are hosting in Fremont, Nebraska. Contact Jay at gap_number_02@yahoo.com

June 27 - Cindy & Mary H are coordinating in Seattle, Washington. Contact Mary H at maryhopkins39@yahoo.com

August 22 - Kathy & Rhonda are hosting in Roberts, WI

SF Bay Area (Date TBA) - contact Cynthia H. at QuiltTechEd@comcast.net if you'd like to participate

Dawn's scrap quilting class

Earlier this week Dawn gave a talk about scrap quilting at a free community Library Quilt Show in Shelley, Idaho.During her talk, she also shared information about HeartStrings. Here is what she wrote to us:

They LOVED the heartstrings quilts. I gave them the link to join us,on my handout and told them about all of you. I told them all the great and easy ways that they could be a part of Heartstrings. Sue sent me three completely different quilts with different looks so that I could teach and quilt them for charity - they were really impressed with how wonderful the quilts looked.)

Dawn is a member of HeartStrings and a longarm quilter; she has an excellent quilting DVD (yes, you can quilt her designs on your domestic machine too) and I have used her designs on many of the HeartStrings quilts I've finished in the last year.

Thanks to Julia for sending me the photo and you can see a couple of Julia's recent string quilts on her blog.

Make a Blanket Day

Project Linus National Make a Blanket Day, February 21, 2009 is almost here! Just a reminder that this is the day that Project Linus chapter volunteers and blanketeers across the country celebrate Project Linus with special blanketmaking events.

Please check with you local chapter to see if an event is being planned in your area,
or set a goal to make a blanket to be donated to your local chapter by February 21. Project Linus is very flexible -- whatever works for you and your schedule. Keep in mind that depending on weather and local circumstances, the local chapters may have an alternate day of celebration in your area.

We hope that you will honor this day by making a blanket for Project Linus or by helping at a blanketmaking event in your area.

To find a Project Linus Chapter near you, check out
http://www.projectlinus.org.

Thank you!


Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Happy Blocks

Quick Strippie

String Quilt

Twisted Happy Blocks

Dragonflies

Fish

Roman Stripes

Happy Block Quilts

Here are two Happy Block quilts by Mary Hopkins - finished and ready to donate. She added borders to hers but they look equally good without.

Happy Blocks - are you making them?

We're continuing to work on our Happy Blocks and Happy Block Quilts through the end of February and I've heard people comment that they either don't have a variety of novelty fabrics or don't have a variety of framing fabrics so here are a couple ideas.

Jessica used the same fabric for all her centers. (photo linked from her site)


LauraJean used just two fabrics for framing her blocks.

So you can see, even with limited fabric choices, these quilts can be really successful.

Happy Block Instructions

Martin Luther King Day

Looking for something to do on MLK Day (January 19th)?? Go visit Cheri's blog and read her suggestion.

Darlene's first HeartStrings quilt

Made with red centers, Darlene recently posted her first HeartStrings quilt that will be donated to an orphanage in Tanzania.

Instructions for making a HeartStrings quilt.

The beginning of a new year!

We started out our 3rd year of service making Happy Blocks. They're a departure from our usual string blocks but every now and then we like a new challenge.

If you'd like to join in, we'll be collecting blocks for use in group quilts through February and you can find the guidelines are the link below.

Happy Blocks for HeartStrings

Take a look below at some of the blocks and tops being made by HeartStrings members.

This set has all cat prints.

I love the graphic black and white of this top.

Here's a *manly* set from Lori.

And a twisted version.

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!

HeartStrings and Quilts of Valor

Becky has been working with RWB Chinese Coins sections donated this summer by HeartStrings members and has several quilts ready to ship off to Alycia to be donated as Quilts of Valor for wounded soldiers. You can see the others at Becky's blog.

We're also making pillowcases this weekend to send to Alycia - the Quilts of Valor are placed in pillowcases and with a goal of 400 QOV for 2009, she'll need some help. You can use any pattern you like - I was shown how to make them by Ethel who sews them for Operation Support for Deployed Military and since I learn best with lots of photos, I took step by step photos to share as I made my first ones earlier this week.

Fabric?

Wondering what fabric to use for making pillowcases during our Pillowcase Party on Thanksgiving weekend??

Alycia wrote today:

I tell you what - Anything goes!! I have some mickey mouse pillowcases and western ones and - oh my - they are just so cool! I have been making sure that the floral/feminine pillowcases go with girly quilts - so maybe think more generic - that I could put any quilt it there?? Male or Female?

I'm going to head for my Blue stash first and go from there!

Save these dates

November 29 & 30

We're having a Pillowcase Party to make pillowcases in patriotic colors for Alycia's Quilt of Valor Project. The pillowcases are used to present the quilts to the wounded soldiers - you don't have to have patriotic fabrics....just use Red/White (or beige)/ Blue in any combinations.

Pillowcase instructions (no exposed seams - I like that!) from the website Operation Support for Deployed Military.

I made a few practice ones and took lots of photos so if the directions still seem fuzzy, take a look at the step by step photos and see if it's any easier.

As always, if you have a local charity feel free to work alongside us and donate your pillowcases to any organization you choose.

There will be door prizes so make sure you email me during the Party weekend to tell me you're sewing with us and I'll send you Alycia's mailing address.
Email Mary at mmcjohnson@gmail.com

Green for Guys

Our project for September/October is ended. If you've made any Green centered blocks, please try to mail them this week. They'll be combined with other donations into quilts and donated.

Betty is shown below with a full set of green centered blocks she made, this top was assembled at the sew-in and is waiting for quilting.

Email me if you need the mailing address to send in your green centered blocks at mmcjohnson@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for information about our Pillowcase Party to be held Thanksgiving weekend.