Friday, September 25, 2009

Ideas For Members

For those of you who want to share your involvement in Katie's Comforters Guild with your community, we have some ideas.
People and organizations who might want to participate or give support:

  • Girl Scout Troops - Service Projects
  • Camp Fire Girl Groups - Service Projects
  • YMCA
  • Boys and Girls Clubs
  • After School Prgrams
  • Park District Programs
  • Public and Private School Home-Economics Classes
  • National Honor Society - Service Projects
  • Yarn Stores
  • Fabric Stores
  • Craft Stores
  • Church Groups
  • Quilting Clubs

 
We have information sheets available for you to use when you talk about the Guild and its mission. Click on the tab that says "Resources" (it will be up soon).

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Welcome - Here is a Free Sewing Pattern for You to Use

Katie’s Quilt – to make one, you will need:


 1 yard Cotton Flannel

 1 yard Cotton Quilt Fabric, color-coordinated with the flannel

 Wright’s Satin Blanket Binding 4.75 yds. (4.35 m), 100% polyester, color-coordinated with the fabrics

 1 yard of 1/4 to 1” thick Machine-Washable Batting

 Thread to match

Wash and dry both pieces of fabric. If one piece is larger than the other, lay that piece, right-side down, on your work surface. Smooth it out from the center to the edges; place the batting on top of it. Lay the other piece of fabric on top of the batting, right side up; smooth out the wrinkles.
 Pin all 3 layers together in at least 5 places in the middle and around the quilt. Trim the edges so that the 3 pieces are all the same size.

Unwrap the satin binding. Starting at one corner of the quilt, pin the binding around each side, with the points of the pins facing the outside edge of the blanket. When you come to a corner, fold the binding to make the turn (a mitred corner). You are sandwiching the 2 layers of fabric and the batting between the 2 layers of the satin binding. Pin all four sides of the quilt with blanket binding, turning the end of the binding under and overlapping the beginning with the end piece.

Using a strong zigzag stitch, sew along the edges of the binding, all of the way around the blanket. Check the underside of the binding to be sure that you are capturing it as you are sewing the top. When you get to the end of the blanket binding, you may fold the binding under and stitch it closed, or finish it as you like, to make a clean seam.
 In the center of the quilt, stitch by machine (or by hand) where your pins are tacking the three layers in place. Do this at least 5 times, around the quilt, to keep the batting from shifting with wear (and love and washing).

Please be sure to triple-check your quilt for stray pins before you donate it to the Volunteer Office at Seattle Children’s Hospital – this is vitally important for patients’ safety!