Katie's Comforters Guild

Knitted Beauty

2012-01-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Newly-donated knitted blankets arrived this week! Three soft, cozy blankets from Leigh that will be great for cuddling:

and one extraordinary, playing-card themed blanket from Bev L.:

Can't you just imagine how delighted a kiddo who loves playing card games will be with this one?

I wish I could see his (or her) face when it is given!

Thank you, Leigh M. and Bev L.!

Thanks to Mary, Briana & St. Olaf's Edge Group

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a "thank you" note for 10 blankets donated by the St. Olaf Edge Youth Group during the holiday season. Our members Mary and Briana delivered the blankets to Seattle Children's Hospital before Christmas, so we didn't have a photo of them until now. Junior Guild member Briana led the group in this project - thank you, Briana & Edge Youth Group!

If you look closely, you'll see the shark print blanket (see the posting below) in this batch.

If you know a young person who would like to join our guild, please let them know that we have Junior Guild memberships available!

A Meaningful "Thank You" to our Guild

2012-01-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I received this lovely message on our guild's facebook page from Mickie:

"My 3 year old spent three days at Children's this month, and received a wonderful shark fleece blanket (made by Briana and Mary). He LOVES it. He was so pleased when we were brought to his room to see his bed made up with a fuzzy blanket, and was really excited when the nurse told him he could keep it. He got a monkey blanket when he was admitted last year, and it's one of his favorites to this day! Thank you so much for your work, and please know that you brought a big smile to my toddler!"

How wonderful to know that our blankets are indeed bringing comfort and happiness to patients and families. Thank you for taking the time to write, Mickie, and for making blankets as members of our guild, Mary & Briana!

Fabric and Four New Blankets

2012-01-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed by donations of fabric, and four lovely new blankets.

The fabric was donated by Judy O., who I know from our pediatrician's office and from women's soccer (I played long ago). Thank you, Judy!

The four new blankets were donated by Janice O. and Sherry B. I met Sherry and her family years ago through women's soccer and church. Janice O. is the dear nurse who worked with Diane Fuquay, M.D., and pierced Katie's ears for her. Janice reminded me that Katie was so happy about having her ears pierced that she kept announcing from various rooms around the house, "I'm in the kitchen, with pierced ears! I'm in the bathroom, with pierced ears!" I had forgotten that, and loved being reminded of such a happy memory.

Snoopy & Woodstock fleece blanket

Fleece horse-themed blanket and Sock Monkey quilt with plaid binding and backing

Space-themed quilt

Thank you, Sherry and Janice!

Holiday Blanket Bounty

2011-12-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

It's time to give thanks to our many donors for their thoughtful generosity. As you know, we are trying to do all we can to fill the hospital's request for blankets with holiday/winter themes. Of course, we are grateful and delighted to accept any theme/design of blanket at any time of year, but there was a special request at this time for blankets for the children who will be inpatient during the holiday season. Our members and friends have come through for the hospital's patients - THANK YOU!

Here are some of the newest donations.

4 quilts from our friend, Karla W.

8 fleece blankets from Karla's friend, Heidi K.

Fleece blankets from our friend, Cami H.

More fleece from Cami H.

How cute are the cat and dog Santa prints?

More fleece from Cami H.

A combination of 8 quilts and fleece blankets from Lucile & Noble

7 fleece blankets from your president (with help finishing the fringes from Cami H.)

Four quilts from Karla.
Eight fleece blankets from Heidi.
Cami donated 13 fleece blankets, and helped me to finish the seven which I donated.
Lucile & Noble donated eight blankets and quilts.
Member Ellie B. donated funds for more materials.

Thank you, friends and guild members, for all that you do to help us bring comfort and joy to patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

13 New Blankets from Deb P.

2011-12-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Katie's Comforters Guild has a new friend: Deb P., who has generously made (and delivered today) 13 blankets to Seattle Children's Hospital! Though we've never met in person, Deb took our purpose to heart, and just look at these beauties which she made and delivered:

There are some "tidings of comfort and joy" for sick children.

Thank you, Deb!

What a Great Week!

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving holiday. We have had a wonderful week at Katie's Comforters Guild, and we want to share it with you, in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

I received a phone call from Paige (the manager of Kenneth L. Salon in Poulsbo), telling me that she had shared our information with a group to which she belongs (thank you, Paige!). One of the group members responded by making a donation to our guild. A hearty thank you to Joey G. of Meineke Car Care Center! After Paige gave me Joey's donation, I went directly to JoAnn Fabrics and bought 8 yards of winter-themed fleece with it, to help fill the need for blankets for children who will be admitted to the hospital during the holidays.

I will be working on cutting fringe into these blankets soon.

I also met Lucile and Noble to pick up a delivery of quilts. Lucile had made 5 new quilts, and had finished 8 more (which I had pinned, but was not able to sew, due to time constraints). This was in addition to celebrating her 90th birthday and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for her family. (I hope to be that productive if I ever live to see 90 years of age. Lucile continues to inspire me.)

Thank you, Lucile and Noble!

Lucile's quilts

Winter-themed quilts from me, finished by Lucile

Other quilts from me, finished by Lucile

More quilts from me, finished by Lucile

Quilts from Maribeth, finished by Lucile

Many thanks to Maribeth Hinderer for donating the beautiful fabrics for the two quilts above. Though she has moved to Kansas, Maribeth is still our vice president and a great moral support to our guild.

We received two more generous donations this week: one from our dear friend, Liz D., in Chicago, and one from our dear cousins Eva and Bob in San Francisco. Thank you, Liz, Eva and Bob for your generous support of our work! We will use the funds to purchase materials and continue our work of bringing comfort to sick children. We could not do this without the help of people like Lucile, Noble, Paige, Joey, Liz, Bob, Eva and Maribeth!
Thank you all!

Holiday Quilts from Shannin

2011-11-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today, we had the privilege and pleasure of picking up six beautiful holiday-themed quilts from the very talented artist Shannin Strom-Henry. She made each quilt unique, embellishing them with buttons and rickrac that will delight each recipient.

See the rickrac and button details?

Lovely, festive fabrics!

Thank you for this generous

donation, Shannin!

Children who are patients during the holidays will be delighted by your quilts.

Kenneth L. Salon and Spa in Poulsbo

2011-11-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

I get my hair cut (my mom and dad, do, too) at Kenneth L. Salon & Spa in Poulsbo. The manager of the salon, Paige, has a generous spirit. She has taken Katie's Comforters Guild to heart, and decided to highlight our guild in a new display in the salon.

It's the first thing you see as you step through the front door. Two blankets (one quilt and one fleece), brochures, photographs, cards - all telling about who we are and why we do what we do - have been given "front and center" status at Kenneth L. Salon & Spa.

Thank you, Katie, for doing such a nice job with the display, and thank you, Paige for your warm and open-hearted welcome at
Kenneth L. Salon & Spa!

Lucile is Turning 90!

2011-11-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Our dear guild member, Lucile N., and her husband, Noble, dropped off

33 new quilts today!

33 new quilts from Lucile & Noble

Close up of one bag of 12...

Close up of another bag of 12...

Close up of a bag of 9 quilts

Lucile and Noble pack their quilts so well that I don't like to take them out for photographs, so please take my word for it that these are beautiful.

Lucile has a birthday this month...she is turning 90 years old!

And she sews a quilt a day!

Happy Birthday, Lucile!

We admire and appreciate you VERY much.

Project Teen II

2011-11-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

In fiscal 2009, the Guild Association–wide effort Project Teen collected hundreds of items for Children’s young-adult patients and raised more than $10,000 for the purchase of additional items.
Project Teen II launches this year, and we again ask for your help.

Project Teen II supports Seattle Children’s Child Life Department in providing items for teens such as:
- gift cards for chain stores such as Target or bookstores
- iTunes gift cards
- books
- DVD movies (new release, PG-13)
- nail-polish kits
- bath supplies such as bubble bath, lotion
- electronic games (E- or T-rated for Wii, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS),
- journaling supplies (journals, sketchbooks, gel pens, colored pens sets)
- college or professional sports team items (hats, t-shirts, blankets).

You can support Project Teen II by purchasing an item, making a cash donation, organizing a drive in your community or asking guests at your own event to bring items for our teen patients. New items only, please.

Mail items and financial donations to:
Project Teen II
Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association
PO Box 5371/S-200
Seattle, WA 98145-5005

Project Teen II concludes at our 2012 annual meeting (April, 2012).
Call Melissa Cardenas at the Guild Association office 206-987-6806 with questions or for more information.

Thank you!

Calling All Guild Members & Friends...

2011-11-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

...I made a blanket delivery to Seattle Children's Hospital today, thanks to the generosity of our members and donors! THANK YOU!

While we were delivering the blankets, we saw Jane Humphries, the Guild Association Board member (a.k.a. "The Blanket Lady) who hands out our blankets and quilts to patients. Jane told me that there is a great need for blankets for children who will be in-patient during the holidays and through Christmas (she mentioned the number 100), and she asked if we could help.

Yes, of course we can!

Would you please consider telling at least one friend about this need? If each one of us told one person, and that person either donated funds to purchase materials, made a blanket, or told someone else who would help, we could get to 100 blankets in no time! Please think about what a pleasure it will be to bring comfort and joy to children - especially to those who will be stuck in the hospital over the holidays.

Thank you for your support!

Quilts from Bonnie and Darla

2011-10-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Our guild has recently received donations of quilts with lovely details from two guild members: Bonnie and Darla. Both are gifted quilters whose work you can see here in detail.

Bonnie's quilts:

Airplanes and autumn flowers.

The two nearest blankets are fleece - they fold up into their own pouches - how clever!

The quilting on this one is in "stop sign" shape - octagon - it fits perfectly with the theme.

Some of them are quilted with Katie's initials (KG).

Footballs and helmets - perfect for the season!

Fireflies and a "FROG" label.

Princess fabric, custom-made Katie's Comforters Guild label and FROG label.

I love this flannel design!

Darla's quilts:

A variety of lovely themes.

Teddy bear alphabet.

Look at the piece-work and quilting on this one!

Tropical theme with lovely appliques.

The center of this wildlife-themed quilt is made of beautiful, small squares of bright colors.

This quilt is full of gorgeous details: hearts, houses, cats and pinwheels.

Thank you, Bonnie and Darla!

Blankets Donated by Bev, Lucile & Noble

2011-10-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last week we were blessed by a variety of donations: knitted blankets from Bev L. (through our friends at Liberty Bay Books), and quilts and fleece blankets from Lucile & Noble. Take a look at the bounty!

Knitted blankets from Bev, dropped off at Liberty Bay Books

Look at all of these blankets from Lucile - 32 in all!

Don't you love all of the different fabrics and colors?

So much variety of color and theme!

Two different kinds of bears - panda and teddy!

Lucile also sewed and donated 17 bead bags for the children to use in their craft projects in the hospital.

Thank you, Bev, Lucile & Noble!

Quilts on Display at Bargain Boutique!

2011-10-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Remember THIS posting (see below) featuring three fabulous antique quilts? The Bargain Boutique, located at 253 Winslow Way West on Bainbridge Island, which is Seattle Children's Hospital's treasure-trove of a thrift store, is displaying those three quilts all week. Stop by and take a look. See if they might be a blessing to you, your home, or someone you know. We are going to hold an auction and the proceeds will go to Katie's Comforters Guild, to help us purchase more materials for making blankets for patients.

Stitch'N'Bitch

2011-10-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my dear friends Heidi, Cami and Denise came over to take part in a Stitch'n'Bitch at our house. Together, we made 16 fleece blankets (cut fringe into 14 pieces of fleece, and left 2 alone, as they were perfect "as is"). We also pinned 3 quilts for future sewing.

Here are the 16 fleece (there's something for every age, taste and hobby here):

I'm so excited to deliver these to the hospital!

Thank you, Stitch'n'Bitchers,

for donating your time, talent and materials!

Wonderful Donations from Long Ago

2011-09-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

We have received a wonderful donation from a friend, Joanie Brumley: three beautifully pieced quilt tops, made by her husband's grandmother. Here is their story, in Joanie's words.

This quilt has pink leaves on the back, with blue, black & white binding.

"Grandma Zella Brumley made these quilts. She lived in Ottumwa Iowa. I know that these were all finished by 1960, but she had saved pieces from old everythings to make them...Several of the quilts she made were done by groups of church ladies, but Lee and I think that these three were hers alone. It seems the group quilts were always signed. Grandma was a little saver. The supreme recycler. She was married in the very early 1900's and some of this material probably is from her early married days. Her hobbies were her quilts and hand made rag rugs, and oh, her only son Vern, and his 3 sons, Lyle, Lynn and Lee. Lee was delighted to know that they were finished, and that they will benefit 'Katie's Quilts.' "

The squares are 2.5"

Its overall size is 7'6" by 5'8.5"

The next quilt:

The overall size of this quilt is 6'8" by 4'9"

It has a gray-brown flannel backing with brown polka-dot binding

The squares on this quilt are 1.5"

Last, but not least, is the largest quilt of the three:

This quilt measures 7'1" by 7'7" overall!

It has polka-dot backing (blue on white), and a light-brown binding (with turquoise edging on the top)

The squares are 1.5"

The fabrics used in each one of the quilts are delightful!

Our friend, Joan Morey of Henhouse Quilts in Shelton, WA, finished these gorgeous quilt tops, with binding, batting, backing and beautiful stitches, using her long-arm quilting machine.

We can't quite put into words how lovely they are, and how thankful we are!

Because these works of art contain rare, old and re-purposed fabrics, we cannot donate them to patients in the hospital. However,

we can offer them

for auction

to you!

Stay tuned for more news about the auction...

Bainbridge Bargain Boutique

2011-09-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Seattle Children's Hospital has several Bargain Boutiques around the Puget Sound area. Visiting the Bargain Boutique is like going to an estate sale every day. There are books, music, movies, clothes, toys, furniture, ktichen gadgets and home decor items - it's an ever-changing array. People in the community donate gently used items, and others buy them - an example of "recycling" at its best!

This month, all of the Bargain Boutiques are supporting Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month - helping to raise awareness and funds for research. Please stop by your local Bargain Boutique and shop to support this great cause!

The Bainbridge Bargain Boutique has a beautiful stash of NEW quilting fabric that is selling at a deep discount from regular prices. Check it out, and see where your inspiration takes you! If Bainbridge isn't near your home, here is a link to the other locations and their addresses (in Shoreline, Redmond, Port Townsend, Kent & Olympia). The stores support uncompensated care at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Have fun shopping, and do good at the same time - it's a powerful combination!

New Donations

2011-09-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

Our guild received some wonderful donations this week.

We are grateful to Linda K-H, who donated four more beautiful quilts...

and to Lucile & Noble, who drove to Poulsbo to deliver 23 more fleece and quilted blankets,

as well as 9 bead bags for the

Beads of Courage program at Seattle Children's Hospital

(see the posting before this one).

Thank you, Linda

and

Lucile & Noble!

Guild News

2011-08-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Guild Members,

Greetings! This message brings great thanksgiving for each one of you and your unique contributions to Katie's Comforters Guild. We have such a lovely variety of talented members: some of you knit, crochet, cut fleece, sew quilts and blankets, some donate funds, some donate time and talent, and some donate all of the above. In every case, your gifts combine to bring comfort to sick children at Seattle Children's Hospital - and their families - and we are deeply thankful for you!

The Guild Association sent me some information to share with you. One of the most important items is the date for next year's Annual Meeting & Luncheon Celebration. Those of you who attended this year know just how inspiring and empowering it is to gather with other guilds and guild members and listen to what is new, what we have accomplished over the past year, and what is on the horizon for next year. Please mark your calendar for Friday, April 27, 2012 and join us there!

The hospital has a few projects in the pipeline which they want us to know about, and to lend our support, if possible. Project Teen is the drive for this year - please see the attached page of information about it. Project Giggle is complete (last year's drive to benefit infant patients), and now we are looking after the teen population.

The Beads of Courage program is looking for guild members who sew to make small bags that will hold beads for Hematology/Oncology patients who are creating crafts designed to help them cope with their illness. The attached flyer has two pages of information about that program. Our friends at the Better Bilt Furniture Company in Fremont have generously offered fabric swatches for this purpose.

HUGE gratitude to our Vice President, Maribeth Hinderer; Secretary, Andrea Cunningham, and Treasurer, Linda Case. If any other members are interested or willing to serve on our board, please let me know! As President, I need to be thinking about my replacement.

We have learned recently that fleece blankets are highly desired in the hospital. They do not require sewing, the variety of materials is HUGE & can be purchased on sale (and using your JoAnn Stores V.I.P. discount card). They are lightweight and easy to wash, dry quickly, and are the only kind of blanket allowed in the Intensive Care Units. If you don't sew, please consider contributing fleece blankets! You can find patterns and suggestions for cutting fringe into the edges of fleece blankets on our blog.

You will also find attached here a couple of pages about the Research Champions program in which our guild has been invited to participate. It is a program designed to support (you guessed it) the Seattle Children's Research Institute. It's a rather big financial commitment, and is well-suited to guilds whose purpose is to raise money. Since our guild's purpose is to raise blankets, this may be a bit outside of our bailiwick...but if any of you would like to take on the challenge of raising the funds for our guild to join the Research Champions, please GO FOR IT!

Be sure to check our blog www.katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com and our facebook page frequently for updates, news, photographs of all of the beautiful blankets you have donated, and various relevant information. Please invite your friends & family to "Like" us on facebook, and invite them to join us!

If any of you are in the Poulsbo area on Thursday, August 11th, please stop by Dairy Queen to thank them for donating $2 from the sale of every Blizzard Treat sold that day to Seattle Children's Hospital! They would love to meet our members and hear from you. This is a nationwide program, but our DQ has elected to participate very generously, holding a yard sale to increase donations and selling the "balloons" that you see everywhere.

Lastly, heartfelt THANKS to those of you who have sent in your payment for this year's dues. We know what a difficult year this is (financially) for many people! If you haven't yet sent in your dues payment, please do so at your earliest convenience. If it is easier for you to renew online, here is a convenient link: https://secure.seattlechildrens.org/guilddues . Remember, you are welcome to specify the area of the hospital to which your dues are applied - you can direct your payment of dues to any department or area of special concern to you. Regular Membership dues are $25.00 per year; if you are a senior citizen, dues are $10.00. There are other levels available if you prefer to donate more.

If you have any questions, please contact me! Again, my deepest heartfelt thanks to you for your membership in Katie's Comforters Guild and your support of patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

Blessings to you,

Karen B. Gerstenberger

President, Katie's Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital

karenlboren@yahoo.com

www.karengberger.blogspot.com (my blog)

www.katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com (the Guild's blog)

www.katiegerstenbergerendowment.blogspot.com (Katie's Endowment's blog)

Quilts from Linda K.-H.

2011-08-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

We met Linda K.-H. through our dear friend, Kathleen. Kathleen's younger son, Hayden, was a patient at Seattle Children's Hospital over a decade ago, and it was because of Hayden's journey with pediatric cancer that we knew a little bit about it before Katie was diagnosed. Their family moved into Ronald McDonald House, so we knew that was a good option for our family. Though we are deeply sorry, beyond what words can express, that Kathleen & her family had to walk such a difficult path (both of her sons have passed away) we will always hold them in loving gratitude for lighting our way when we had to embark on the cancer journey several years after them.

Linda has sewed for our guild before, and last week, she donated 10 more beautiful quilts.

The variety of fabrics, colors and themes is terrific!

Thank you, Linda,

and thank you, Kathleen, for introducing us to Linda!

Lucile & Noble's Latest Contribution

2011-08-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Fleece blankets by Lucile

Quilts by Lucile

I met Lucile & Noble yesterday for a quilt & blanket delivery. She has made 21 fleece blankets and 12 quilts for Katie's Comforters Guild since we last met.

This delivery was particulary exciting to me, because I had recently given Lucile some of my "stash" of fabrics, and she turned them into finished quilts for the hospital!

Olivia quilt

I don't have as much time to sew as I originally did when we started Katie's Comforters Guild. Being president means that I "wear a lot of hats," and most of my work is now in pick-up & delivery of quilts, keeping up with this blog (& photography), sending "thank you" notes, and networking for the guild. I don't often get time to sit down and use my own sewing machine nowadays.

Detail of Olivia quilt

Lucile is a much faster and more highly-skilled seamstress than I am, so it is more efficient for her to sew than it is for me to do it, but sometimes I miss the process. My favorite things about sewing are selecting the fabrics, pinning them together, and admiring the finished product. So in giving my fabric to Lucile to sew, I got to do two out of the three of those favorite things. And look at what she did with what I gave her!

European travel (left) and floral (right)

Old-fashioned beach print with mosaic fish

Butterflies with watercolor abstract

Flamingo quilt and dolphin camo quilt

Musical instrument quilt and crocodile (or alligator?) quilt

Pink curlique & bubble quilt

If you love to select fabric, but are not a skilled seamstress, consider buying what you like, and donating the fabric to our guild. We have guild members who will be happy to turn your materials into blankets and quilts!

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

Fleece blankets from Kathy H.

2011-07-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting Kathy H. & her husband. Kathy and Gregg went to the same high school, and she read an article about our guild in the local newspaper. The article inspired her to order a LOT of polar fleece. Kathy has been diligently cutting and knotting fringe on the blankets.

Yesterday, she delivered 29 fleece blankets to our guild!

Here is a sample of what Kathy has made:

A great variety of different colors, designs and themes, for all ages, boy and girl!

That was just the contents of the smaller box. The taller box is also FULL of blankets!

Thank you for this generous gift, Kathy!

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day: August 11, 2011

2011-07-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day

(Click on the link above to learn more)

On August 11, 2011, Dairy Queen Restaurants will donate at least $1.00 of the cost of every Blizzard Treat they sell to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals!

Seattle Children's Hospital and its supporters appreciates our local (and national) Diary Queens for doing this!

Thank you, Poulsbo Dairy Queen!

Please spread the word to all of your friends and family, and

go to your local Dairy Queen for a BLIZZARD on August 11th!

Please remember to THANK them for their support of Children's Hospitals.

Blankets from Terry

2011-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Gregg and I took a drive to visit his Aunt Barbara and cousins Pam and Terry. Terry has been generously making blankets for our guild for many months now. Look at her latest fleece and crocheted creations:

Fleece and crocheted blankets.

Terry created her own binding by cutting one piece smaller than the other, and wrapping the edge of the larger piece over the smaller one. It makes a nice contrast.
The turquoise blanket has a matching hat!

The bright colors and patterns in these double-layer fleece blankets are going to make patients very happy!

Thank you, Terry!

Five New Quilts from Darla R.

2011-07-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Darla R. lives north of our area, and has shared her beautiful quilting skills with us in the past. Today, I had the privilege of picking up five more beauties which she donated to Katie's Comforters Guild:

Aren't they gorgeous?

The lovely top-stitching (quilting) details don't show up in these photos, but it is there!

The variety of colors, fabrics, sizes and styles will be sure to please the patients!

This intricate one with so many squares is a gem.

Thank you, Darla!

And thank you, Andrea, Chuck & Cheri for delivering them to us.

New Quilts from Bonnie P.

2011-07-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Look at what we received this week, from guild member Bonnie P.:

Wrapped up like a gift, which it is!

The variety of colors, patterns and textures is wonderful!

Bonnie has an eye for striking details.

For example, doesn't most everyone like frogs?

Bonnie created these frog patches and sewed them onto the quilts.

Some people tell me that they have been encouraged by frogs as a reminder to F.R.O.G. (forever/fully rely on God).

And look at this heart-shaped quilting detail on the pink quilt. It is going to make a little girl's heart so happy!

Note the home-made label by Bonnie, using our guild's business card.

Very clever!

One of my favorite quilts, using donated materials from Better-Bilt Furniture! Bonnie is our first guild member to try using these 100% cotton fabric samples, and what beautiful results!

If you'd like to try this yourself, please let me know and I will give you what we have. Better-Bilt is a custom furniture company in Seattle that donates gorgeous fabric samples to us. The machine washable ones can be used in making quilts.

Thank you, Bonnie!

Thank you, Better-Bilt Furniture!

Turning Donations into Blankets

2011-07-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we stopped by Lucile & Noble's house for a quick visit. We had some donated materials (fleece, cotton, flannel and satin blanket binding) to give to Lucile, and Lucile had quilts to give to us.

Lucile has made 29 new quilts since we last saw her!

A dozen of those quilts were made with materials donated by the Coleman family. You may recall from this posting that Pat Coleman had purchased and organized beautiful materials to make 12 quilts. Unfortunately, Pat passed away recently. Her family generously donated the materials to Katie's Comforters Guild in her memory. Lucile kindly sewed them up, and the result is pure beauty:

Thank you, Coleman family,

and

thank you, Lucile & Noble!

Donations from Elsie W.

2011-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Elsie W. called and told me that she had a batch of blankets ready to donate. Because I had appointments in Seattle on the day that she was coming to our town, Elsie delivered her blankets to Suzanne Droppert, the owner of Liberty Bay Books. It included polar fleece fabric, ready to be made into more blankets. Thank you very much for this donation, Elsie!

Elsie's blankets and fleece material donation

Liberty Bay Books donated $20.00 to our guild when I went to pick up the blankets. Thank you so much for your logistical help and donation, Liberty Bay Books!

A Bequest from the Coleman Family

2011-06-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

I recently had the privilege of meeting Cathy Coleman in town to receive a beautiful gift from her and her family. Cathy's mother-in-law, Pat, was a quilter and a member of our guild.

This is a photo of Pat, provided by Cathy.

She made lovely quilts for the hospital, and chose her fabrics with an eye for design, as well as for the heart of a child. I'm sorry to say that Pat passed away recently.

In spite of her family's grief, Cathy reached out and let me know that Pat had prepared materials for making a number of quilts. Pat had even coordinated the satin blanket binding and thread with the material for each quilt, carefully placed them together in a baggie, and attached it to the material. Such tender, loving care! Cathy and her family donated those materials to our guild.

Thank you, Cathy and the entire Coleman family, for sharing with our guild out of your grief. Pat's generous spirit will continue to bring comfort to sick children at Seattle Children's Hospital!

More From Lucile & Noble

2011-05-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Lucile and Noble visited us this week to drop off 18 new quilts, plus 3 that Lucile finished for me (I pinned them, and she sewed them). Lucile is very modest, but she is still nice about allowing me to take photos.

There were a couple with "Peanuts" (a.k.a. Charlie Brown) characters, and a fabulous airport/road one, among them. The patients will love these!

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

Two New Quilts & Quilters

2011-05-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Donna and her friend, Sandy, last week. Donna contacted me after learning about our guild through an article in the newspaper which Sandy gave to her.

The funny part about this story is that Donna had used the newspaper which contained the article to house-train her new puppy. As she was cleaning up after the newpaper had been "used," the word "quilt"caught her eye! She made me laugh as she told me the story. But behind that story is another one. Donna's daughter passed away this year, from the same kind of cancer that Katie had: adrenocortical carcinoma. When she heard that Katie had the same cancer that her daughter had, she contacted me. I met Donna and Sandy at a local quilt shop. Both of them are very skilled quilters, and they showed me their gorgeous handiwork and donated these two beautiful quilts to our guild for the hospital.

This is Donna's Polka Dots quilt, held by Sandy (on the left) and Donna (on the right).

This is Sandy's Autumn Border quilt.

Sandy teaches beginning quilting in three classes. She has offered to teach our guild members! I would love to take her up on this offer, once we figure out the right time and place.

Thank you, Donna & Sandy!

A Generous Gift and a Beautiful "Thank You"

2011-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

We received a generous gift this week from one of our non-sewing guild members, Ellie B.

Ellie sent a check (she does this often - humbly, and without fanfare). For someone who doesn't knit or sew, it might seem less than rewarding to join a guild that makes blankets for the hospital, but Ellie believes in our mission, and supports it in her own open-hearted way.
Thank you, Ellie B.!

We will use your gift to buy supplies for making blankets and quilts.

**********

I opened a letter which was forwarded to me from the hospital this week. It was sent to our guild from the "S." family in Washington, in care of the Guild Association. This is what it said:

"Karen,

Thank you so much for organizing and working to put blankets on the waiting cribs at Children's. We took our son (18 mo) L. to the Quick care clinic in Burlington with (we thought) a virus. They sent us to the pediatrician, and she sent us straight to Children's.

In my crying and praying on my way down with my husband and L., I kept saying '...and I have no blakets for my baby! I have to use the gross pilly hospital blankets.' We were told he needed an IV treatment immediately because he had Kawasaki Syndrome. One in four kids without treatment end up w/serious heart trouble. As we walked into our room, I cried when I saw the yellow fleece blankie on my sweet boy's crib! I knew God heard my mama heart to nurture him as best I could!! Thank you!!

The treatment worked - praise Jesus. I have a very happy healthy 20-month old home w/a sweet yellow blanket to remind us God was there in our storm. So thanks again for your loving work!

Love,
C. & A. S. [and family]
Bless you ladies in Jesus' sweet name!"

If you ever wonder about the importance of a homemade blanket, here is proof of what it means to the heart of a parent-caregiver.

Thank you, Mrs. S. for sharing your story with us! We are happy that Katie's Comforters provided you and your family with comfort!

Quilts from Lucile, Darla and a V.I.P. Reminder

2011-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

We received more beautiful quilts last week. Here is a lovely batch from Lucile (she's given us 12 more since then!):

A great variety of cotton and fleece quilts - a few unpacked, on the right side. Each quilt is individual!

Here is a batch from a new guild member, Darla (welcome, Darla!):

This quilt has "Goosebumps" on one side and children of many nations on the reverse.

A vision of oriental splendor.

Album (CD) covers on one side, and flowers on the other.

A peaceful forest scene with a family of foxes. Can you see the woodpecker in the upper right corner?

African wildlife on the back.

A beautiful abstract design on the left, and ocean scene on the right. The quilting stitches are gorgeous - take a close look at the tops!

An important reminder to all: if you are a guild member, you can apply for a V.I.P. Discount card from JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores. This will give you 10% off of every purchase, even sale items, to use in making blankets for Katie's Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital. Check it out, using this link.

Thank you, Lucile & Darla!

Rolling Bay Automotive Donates to Seattle Kids C.A.N.

2011-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Gregg's car needed repair work this week, so we dropped it off at Rolling Bay Automotive, a local company where we like to take our cars for repair. They even have a courtesy shuttle to take you home or back to their shop to retrieve your car!

One of the leaders at RB Auto has had the experience of walking the cancer journey with a close family member, and when I brought in the donation can for Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network, he not only put it on the business's front counter (in a prominent position), he kept it there after September's drive ended.

Yesterday, when we picked up Gregg's car, RB Auto contributed

$75.32 to the

Seattle Kids' C.A.N. (the nickname for Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network).

Thank you, Rolling Bay Automotive!

Gratitude to Lucile, Noble & Liberty Bay Books

2011-04-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

This week, we received some wonderful donations. Lucile & Noble Nilsen arrived with 31 new quilts for us to donate to the hospital.

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

After they had unloaded their bags of quilts, we went through the donation of fabric and batting stash from Ruth & Greg B. Lucile & Noble then packed that into their car, along with satin blanket binding, and Lucile is ready to sew some more.

Have I mentioned that Lucile makes a quilt nearly every day? She inspires me!

I stopped by Liberty Bay Books yesterday, because owner Suzanne Droppert told me she had two new knitted blankets to donate, made by the wonderful ladies in her knitting group. They meet in the bookstore in downtown Poulsbo, and everyone knits a square (or more). Then they connect the squares and make a large blanket out of them. Here are the lovely blankets which they made together:

Suzanne has also kept a

Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network Donation can at Liberty Bay Books for us since September.

Yesterday, I collected $57.75 from the can!

Thank you, Suzanne and Liberty Bay Books' customers/friends!

Donation of Quilter's Stash

2011-04-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Gregg and I had the pleasure of meeting Ruth & Greg B. of Seattle. Ruth's mother was a quilter - a hand-quilter - and she left a legacy of five boxes of fabric and three bags of batting. Through the Pink Polka Dots Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital (who you may have seen recently on the Nate Berkus Show), Ruth and Greg B. found out about Katie's Comforters Guild, and contacted us about making a donation of Ruth's mother's materials. On Saturday, Gregg and I had the pleasure of meeting them, and picking up the treasure trove of supplies that had once belonged to Ruth's mother.

If you are in need of materials and want to make quilts for Katie's Comforters Guild to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital, please let me know here, and we will work out a transfer.

Thank you, Ruth and Greg B., for your generosity!

A World Without Cancer - Guild Association Annual Meeting

2011-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Angela, Bev & me at the luncheon - Heidi took the photo

Yesterday, three of our guild members from Kitsap County attended the Annual Meeting of the Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association with me. We elected new board members, said "thank you" to the outgoing president and confirmed the incoming one, listened to the head of the hospital tell about the past year's highlights and challenges, and watched an inspiring slideshow of what all of the different guilds do to support the hospital. We heard facts and figures about the guilds who make the largest financial contributions, a guild that was featured on the Nate Berkus Show, innovative ways to raise support, and more. All of us were thrilled to see the impact that a varied group of volunteers can have upon the well-being of a great hospital.

A summary of 2010 - the Guild Association:

has 7,000 members
is comprised of 500 guilds
added 22 new guilds
raised $10.6 MILLION dollars with their projects
raised $148,000 from membership revenue (this money also goes to support the hospital)
raised $425,000 net revenue from thrift stores, including the Bargain Boutique on Bainbridge Island, where Katie's portrait is now on the Wall of Courage
donated 185,957 volunteer hours
provided $1.7 million in guild-affiliated revenue for Foundation programs (from guild members and their friends)

Anna Clise, the visionary founder of the hospital, foresaw that such an institution would always need financial support, and so the Guild Association came into being. Guild membership is a vital part of the ongoing health and well-being of Seattle Children's Hospital. It is a privilege to be part of "the largest all-volunteer fundraising network for any hospital in the nation!"

If you would like to know more about the history of Seattle Children's Hospital, click HERE.

We heard from Aileen Kelly, the wonderful Executive Director of the Guild Association, and from Dr. Michael Jensen. Dr. Jensen showed THIS video which moved a lot of people - to tears, to hope, to joy, to excitement, and - I pray - to action.

And finally, we heard from Skyler Hamilton, a former cancer patient who is now in remission. Our family met Skyler and his parents when Katie was in treatment at the hospital. At one point, we were in the inpatient room next-door to them, and we were living at Ronald McDonald House at the same time. Skyler was very, very sick then; his misery at the time is burned in my memory (as is his mother's grace and generosity in praying for Katie). So it was a great thrill to see him making jokes, cleverly fielding questions from Pat Cashman, telling his story, happy, walking without crutches and discussing what has been done for him at Seattle Children's Hospital. He was a motivational speaker such as I have never seen before. Well done, Skyler! I'm so thankful that you are in remission.

If you are a friend of our guild, Thank You. If you are a guild member, Thank You. If you are not a member, please consider joining this wonderful organization!

New Donations this Week

2011-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

This has been a great week for donations to Katie's Comforters Guild. We recieved this beautiful knitted blanket from Ricki at our cats' veterinarian's office. She's a very experienced knitter. The blanket has gorgeous autumn colors, juxtaposed with a cool blue - a great contrast!

We received a beautiful, intricate patchwork quilt from Joan B.:

We also received 45 new quilts from Lucile. Check them out!

I love this crocheted blanket that Lucile made, too.

I drove to Lucile and Noble's house to pick up the blankets, which were taking up a lot of space in their home. While I was there, Lucile showed me how she is using 6" fleece squares which were donated to her. She is sewing them together with a zigzag stitch, side by side, rather then one on top of the other. It's fantastic: no ironing, no trimming of seams, no cutting fringe - just zig, zag, and the result is a beautiful fleece quilt! So if you have smaller pieces of fleece, you don't need to throw them out; you can try Lucile's technique.

Here is a close-up view:

Here, she made her own binding:

Noble & Lucile were written up in the March, 2011 issue of the Port Ludlow VOICE, on page 15. The article talks about their recent award as Jefferson County's Chamber of Commerce "Citizens of the Year." Congratulations to the Nilsens for their well-deserved recognition!

Last Saturday, Katie's portrait (on the far left) was unveiled at Seattle Children's Hospital's Bargain Boutique on Bainbridge Island. Katie & Hannah Hunt are the newest children to have their portraits placed on the Wall of Courage. You can read about this on my blog here and in the Bainbridge Review newspaper's article. There were two reporters at the event, so there may be another article with more coverage coming soon.

Thank you, Ricki, Joanie and Lucile!

Kitsap Newspaper Coverage: "Made With Love"

2011-03-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Our local newspapers, which are part of The Kitsap Newspaper Group, published a lovely story about our guild and about other charities in the area. It is in the Kitsap Week pullout section.
You can read it by clicking on THIS LINK.

Many thanks to Erin Jennings, who made it so easy to tell the story, even with a tape recorder on! If you'd like to share this story with your friends and family to tell them what we do, please share the link in email, facebook, your blog, etc. Everyone is welcome to join us in making blankets, or in supporting those who do!

2011 Annual Meeting & Luncheon Celebration

2011-03-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

Guild members:

You are cordially invited to the

Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association

2011 Annual Meeting & Luncheon Celebration

on Friday, April 1

The Westin Seattle, 1900 - 5th Avenue

*****

From 9:30 - 11:00, there will be guild project tables & hospital displays

At 10:00, you are invited to attend a member training session on one of two topics:

*Using Facebook and other social media to promote your guild or

*Cost-saving tips for your fundraiser

*****

The Guild Association will also be collecting infant toys for Seattle Children's Hospital Patients: please bring a NEW rattle, teething ring, board book or other infant toy to the meeting for donation (Fisher Price, Playskool or Sassy are requested brands).

*****

*Dr. Michael Jensen will speak about his exciting innovations in cancer research

*Dr. Thomas Hansen will speak about future plans for Seattle Children's Hospital

*****

I hope to see you there!

Stitch 'n' Bitch

2011-02-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

Today, six friends gathered at my house to make fleece blankets and quilts - we had food, beverages, lots of fun conversation and laughter. We call it a "Stich 'n' Bitch" (pardon our language), and it resulted in

12 new blankets & quilts for

Katie's Comforters Guild

to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital!

Carol, Heidi & Julie

Suzanne, Denise & Cami

Cami, Denise, Suzanne (in front), Julie, Carol and Heidi

Carol, Heidi, Denise and Suzanne with quilts and fleece blankets

Thank you, Stitch 'n' Bitches!

What Size Blankets?

2011-02-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Many people ask, "What size shall I make the blankets?"
The answer is, any size that you like.
Having said that, you might prefer a little more guidance, so here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Fabric comes in bolts, usually 44" - 45" wide. Bolt width is a good width for a blanket.
2. A yard is a good length for younger children and babies. It can be easily carried and packed.
3. Older kids and teens prefer longer blankets (a yard and a half to two yards in length).
4. One package of satin blanket binding is enough to make a blanket that is a yard long, with a bit left over. If you are making a larger blanket with this edging, buy two packages of binding.
5. If you are still undecided, make the blanket larger. That way it can go to either a teen or a tiny.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them here or on our facebook page, or email me. Thank you for your support of Katie's Comforters Guild!

It's Here: The EHL Newsletter Article!

2011-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the EHL Insurance Newsletter, with their article about Katie's Comforters Guild and the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research.
Thank you again, EHL Insurance!

Blankets from Elsie

2011-02-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a new member of our guild: Elsie. She brought 4 beautifully crocheted/knitted blankets for us to donate to the hospital:

Can you see the lovely detail in those stitches?

Elsie told me that she had been praying about how she could do more for others, and then she saw a piece in the newspaper about our guild. She contacted us, and now she is joining our guild!

I'm thankful for her listening heart, and for those articles that share news about us.

Thank you, Elsie, and

welcome to Katie's Comforters Guild!

A True Quilt Story

2011-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

I received this note from a friend on facebook:

"...We had a kids' financial carnival...One little girl came through, & she had written on her "Give, Save, Buy" sheet that she wanted to save her money for her brother & give it to her brother and donate to Childrens' Hospital...I said 'That is really nice - you want to give your money to your brother & donate to Childrens'.' She said, 'Well, my brother lives at Childrens' right now, but he will be home this weekend.' She was 7. We talked a little bit more & I asked her if he had been given a blanket; she said 'No, but they gave him his own quilt.' :-) Made me smile & think of you!"
Thank you for telling us this precious story that shows the impact of one quilt, Renee!

Good Question

2011-02-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

I just received an email with a good question in it:
Are there links for design ideas for fleece blankets?
Because you asked, NOW there are; check our sidebar, or click on these links:

http://tipnut.com/fleece-blankets/

http://www.linusidaho.org/finishafleeceblanket.htm

http://sjlinus.org/Documents/FleeceBlanketinstructions.pdf

You might also try typing "Fleece blanket patterns" into your search engine and see what pops up.

Thank you for the excellent question, Gabriele!

Abundance of Gifts

2011-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

We are having a banner week at Katie's Comforters Guild, and we need to stop - share - and give thanks.

Lucile and Noble Nilsen dropped off 48 new quilts and blankets for our guild to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital.

Noble & Lucile with 48 blankets

Yesterday, I delivered 53 blankets to the Volunteer Office, and they were thrilled - they told me that every one of the 53 was needed, and would be given to a patient that same day! They also very warmly stated how much they LOVE OUR BLANKETS, especially the quilts and fleece blankets. Apparently, patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU, which includes cardiac, neonatal and regular ICU) can only have FLEECE blankets. If you are wondering what kind of blanket to make, that might be a good way to begin...fleece blankets are easy and fun to make. Check the sidebar of the blog (or email me) for ideas!

Lucile & Noble have been awarded Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year Award. They deserve it - they make blankets for our guild and for Jefferson County Hospital. To date, the Nilsens have donated nearly 3,000 blankets. There were articles in two newspapers about this. Congratulations, Lucile & Noble!

Noble & Lucile holding their awards

We also give thanks to Edgren, Hecker & Lemmon Insurance company for their donation to our guild. They delivered a check yesterday, and are featuring our guild in their February-March Client Newsletter. This publication goes out to 5,000 households, and we hope that it will spark more interest in, and donations to Seattle Children's Hospital through Katie's Comforters Guild. As soon as the new issue of the newsletter is available online, I will post a link here.
Thank you, EHL Insurance!

Gifts from Lucile N. & Jeanne L.

2010-12-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

Since our junior guild member, Briana, sent her letter to the editor of the local newspaper, we've had at least 3 new offers of help for our guild - Thank you, Briana!

Dear Lucile (our amazing "Producer") has done it again. Even with the Thanksgiving holiday, snow and her birthday, as well as a broken sewing machine that needed to be replaced, she donated another 27 quilts! Here are some photos of her latest creations (you'll see that several of them are winter-themed):

Thank you, Lucile!

A kind-hearted lady named Jeanne telephoned, and offered to donate three quilt-tops. They just need batting and another piece of fabric for the underside, as well as binding. If anyone would like to take these beautiful tops and finish them, let me know!

Thank you, Jeanne!

These gifts are going to make children who are in the hospital very happy, and bring them comfort! Thank you for supporting Katie's Comforters Guild.

10 Quilts from Bonnie P.

2010-12-10T22:01:00.000-08:00

Guild member Bonnie P. dropped off 10 beautiful new quilts today. She also shared some great hints based upon her quilting experience. As a beginning seamstress myself, I love learning new ideas!

- Bonnie uses safety pins to pin all layers of the quilt together, so they are easy to find, and no sharp ends can be left sticking out, after quilting is finished. This is very important for patient safety.

- She uses straight pins, with large flat heads for pinning the edges of the quilt, so that these pins cannot be overlooked after sewing - thus ensuring that no pins are left in the quilt. Again, helpful in ensuring patient safety.

Can you see the quilting in the shape of cars and trucks, red on red? Bonnie scanned her fabric, which contained cars and trucks, and enlarged these images on her computer. Then she traced them on the back side of the quilt with a water-soluble marker, quilted over the lines, and washed the marker out. Clever!

Look at these cute kittens on the beach.

Bonnie outlined the images on this one with quilting stitches.

This quilt has great details...

...Bonnie's machine can embroider letters, so she put Katie's initials on this quilt.

She also made these labels, by scanning our guild's card to her computer, and using a product called "Bubble Jet" to prepare the fabric to take the image. After printing them out, she sews them on. The labels look wonderful.

Bonnie told me that she is a very detail-oriented quilter. She has found that sewing for our guild has freed her to practice, to "think outside the box," to experiment, and so to expand her quilting repertoire.

Thank you for the beautiful quilts

and great ideas, Bonnie!

Briana's Letter to the Editor - Published!

2010-12-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Remember this posting?
Here is a link to the issue of the Kitsap Herald in which Briana's letter to the editor was published:

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/nkh/opinion/letters/111680249.html

Well done, Briana!
Thank you and your mom for your continuing support of Katie's Comforters Guild!

A Cooperative Blanket from Liberty Bay Books

2010-12-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today, I had the pleasure of picking up a blanket that was a group effort. Suzanne Droppert, the owner of Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, asked a group of her customers if they would like to knit squares to make a blanket for Katie's Comforters Guild to give to Seattle Children's Hospital. They did, and Suzanne posted their results on facebook.

Here are two of the ladies with their handiwork, after it was knit together.

I went to the bookstore today and picked it up. It's beautiful! And it was a wonderful way for people who don't knit a lot, or who don't knit quickly, to co-op their efforts and see the rewarding results.

Thank you, Liberty Bay Books Knitters!

Crocheted Dolls & Blankets from Terry

2010-11-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

Today I met Gregg's cousin, Pam, to pick up a batch of crocheted blankets and dolls that Pam's sister, Terry, made for our guild to donate to the hospital.
Take a look at the cuteness here:

Can you imagine receiving one of those dolls as a gift when you check in to the hospital?

What fun! They (and the blankets) are going to bring a lot of cheer to sick children.

Thank you, Terry & Pam!

Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (C.A.N.)

2010-11-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (C.A.N.) website is LIVE, and it's awesome! Please follow this link and browse through the site. There are interesting pages on the site that will inform and inspire you. "Our Partners" is a group of businesses that have hosted donation cans to help us raise awareness and funds in our own communities. Look for Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and Silverdale businesses that you know, and please thank them by doing business with them! Every bit of support for the Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network goes to pediatric cancer research! You will find Katie's Comforters Guild featured in the "About Us" tab.

8 New Blankets

2010-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

We have a special mother-daughter team in our membership:

Mary & Briana.

Briana is our first "junior" guild member.

For Mary's birthday this year, Mary asked family and friends to join them in making blankets for our guild.

Mary & Briana recently made their delivery to Seattle Children's Hospital.

Cozy, cheerful, fun and comforting!

Thank you, Mary & Briana,

for sharing your birthday wishes with Katie's Comforters Guild and the patients at SCH!

Kiwanis

2010-11-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

I was invited to speak about Katie's Comforters Guild and Katie's Endowment for cancer research to the Kiwanis Club in Poulsbo this morning. It was a privilege. To read about it, click on this link and it will take you to my blog, Gberger.

Lucile's Birthday and 27 Quilts

2010-11-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Lucile Nilsen has done it again! She donated 27 beautiful quilts this week. You might be asking, "How does she do it?"

She does it by sewing a quilt nearly every day.

Have I mentioned that Lucile is about to celebrate her 89th birthday this month?

Happy Birthday, Lucile!

Thank you

for your generosity to
Seattle Children's Hospital patients

through our guild!

I hope, if I live to be 89, that I will be as sharp, funny, kind, generous and active as Lucile.
Lucile is modest, and declined to be photographed, so here are some of the latest batch of her gorgeous quilts.

A BIG "Thank You"

2010-10-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

BIG

Thank You

to Karen Jolly and

the Totem Lake Relief Society

of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

for the

10 new quilts

that they made and donated to

Seattle Children's Hospital through

Katie's Comforters Guild!

IMPORTANT NEWS

2010-10-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association is the LARGEST, ALL-VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISING NETWORK for any hospital in the U.S.A.? I'm impressed - and happy that Katie's Comforters Guild is part of such a great organization!

Guild Members: Have any of you had an address change that we need to know about? Please contact us to let us know!

Please remember: dues renewal

deadline is NOVEMBER 15, 2010.

Thank you for your support!

You can help us grow by inviting friends and family to join us, telling your local quilt shop, yarn shop, coffee shop or senior center about us, inviting your friends on facebook, and handing out our cards! More quilts and blankets means more comfort for sick kids!

Not a member yet? Contact us, & we'll be happy to send you an application!

Need Inspiration?

2010-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there need creative inspiration? Maybe this will help inspire you - another donation of gorgeous fabric from Better-Bilt Furniture:

How about this:

...or this,

or this?

If you need fabric for making quilts for Seattle Children's Hospital, Katie's Comforters Guild has plenty of it! Contact us, and we will get the fabric to you, so you can make quilts for sick kids!

New Donations: Quilts and Fabric

2010-10-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made a trip to Seattle Children's Hospital to deliver 42 blankets: 41 quilts made by Lucile N., and a fleece blanket made by Katie's school friend, Courtney.

On the way, I stopped to meet the kind people at Better-Bilt Furniture in Seattle. Better-Bilt Furniture is a family-owned company that began in 1946; they make fine custom furniture. They have a showroom with plentiful, beautiful samples of all kinds of fabrics: cotton, silk, linen, wool and many blends. They have generously offered their out-of-date samples to us to use - in quilts for patients, or for art quilts for auction.

Fabric samples donated by Better Bilt Furniture in Seattle.

Thank you, Better-Bilt Furniture!

If any of you would like to help with art quilt design or construction, please contact me! We can raise money for the hospital, and for our guild, by making some of these quilts to offer for sale.

Gregg & I visited Lucile and Noble over the weekend, to bring Lucile donated fabric and blanket binding, and to pick up her latest batch of quilts.

Here are some autumn quilts from Lucile N. (note the football theme in two of them):

Close-ups of Lucile's handiwork:

Thank you, Lucile!

Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (C.A.N.)

2010-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

September was

Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

- I think I've mentioned this!

Members of the newly-formed guild, Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (Seattle Kids C.A.N) placed donation cans in varous businesses around the area. Katie's Comforters Guild is a member of this new guild/group, so I placed cans in these local businesses, with their kind permission:

In Poulsbo:
Burrata Bistro & Paella Bar
Head Hunter Salon
Lola's Mexican Kitchen
Liberty Bay Books

On Bainbridge Island:
Crystal Cleaners
Paper Products
Rolling Bay Auto

In Silverdale:
Silver City Brew Pub

Now that it's October, I am visiting these businesses to collect the donation cans. Some of them (Burrata Bistro, Paella Bar, Lola's Mexican Kitchen and Liberty Bay Books) want to KEEP the CANS all year -

we appreciate that support so much!

The funds collected go to support pediatric cancer research.

Today, I stopped by Liberty Bay Books, an independent bookstore in the heart of our little town:

Here is the owner, Suzanne Droppert, holding her donation can.

Thank you to all who have donated!
Every penny counts toward
finding a cure for cancer.

Don't you love local bookstores?

Gifts from Simplicity Creative Group

2010-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

We received a wonderful gift this week from

Simplicity Creative Group,

which owns

Wright's Satin Blanket Binding:

A big box full (19 pounds)

of Wright's Satin Blanket Binding!

If I counted correctly,

there are 108 of these,

in various colors, in the box.

If you are making blankets for our guild and need blanket binding, please contact me.

Thank you,

Simplicity Creative Group!

We are so grateful for your generosity.

Heartwarming Response to Our Letter

2010-09-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

In response to our Guild's annual wrap-up letter (see the post below this one), I received two heartwarming and encouraging notes from a mother (Mary) and daughter (Briana) who are both members of our Guild. With their permission, I am sharing them here.

Mary sent this letter:

Dear Karen-

My daughter, Briana, and I each received our own copy of your wonderful letter to the guild members yesterday. (Thank you for sending Briana one of her own.) We are very excited about the great things that are happening in the guild. 215 blankets—WOW! Right away, Briana went to the computer and composed a letter to the editors of the Sun and the Herald newspapers. I hope she won’t mind that I am attaching a copy here for you to read, but I am just so very proud of her and I also wanted you to know what an inspiration YOU are! I am off to mail her letters once I sign off here so hopefully, you will see it in the papers soon. (You get a sneak peek!:))

I also thought it was quite coincidental that my goals for this month mirror some of the same ideas you suggested in your letter. (Great minds think alike?) Our son got married this last summer in Eastern WA, so my head (and everything else) was in a tail spin for most of the 12 months prior, so, sadly, I didn’t get any blankets donated as planned. To counter that disappointment, I set myself a goal at the beginning of September; here’s how I put it in a letter to my sister-in-law…

"Well, Briana and I joined the guild last year, and I am ashamed to say that we didn’t follow through on our good intentions of making blankets during that time. So my birthday wish for myself is to complete 5 fleece blankets during this month for the cause. (Actually, I started out with my imaginary friend on my right shoulder saying, 'Let’s make 50 blankets this coming year to celebrate your 50 years!' To which the imaginary friend on my left shoulder countered, 'Get real! You have another wedding to plan this year, you silly woman!' So in an ever constant effort to keep all my imaginary friends happy (is it normal to have imaginary friends at my age???) and to keep my sanity, the real Mary said to self, 'OK. Let’s compromise and make the goal 5 blankets for this September before things really get chaotic for the wedding. Anything over and beyond that during the year will be “frosting on the cake” so to speak.') "

So unabashedly, I have invited any family and friends to join in my mission and instead of giving me gifts, I have had them all around the table tying blanket knots while we visit and enjoy each other’s company with the promised reward of refreshments following. I have been enjoying it immensely. So far, I have two blankets completed, plus one that is almost done but may not work because it is shedding like crazy. I think I bought the wrong kind of fabric for that one. Ooops! But I still plan to reach my goal. And as you can guess, Briana is a BIG part of this goal in enthusiasm, helpful hands, and genuine kind-heartedness. She inspires me!

So, Karen, please read Briana’s letter that I have attached and know that you are doing wonderful things not only for the kids at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, but for those of us in the guild in letting us share in this most worthy mission. It brings us together and gives us all a joyful heart. Now I am off to the post office and Joann’s. Have a great day!

With sincere thanks,
Mary (& Briana) R.

Well, you can imagine how that letter made my day. But - wait, there's more...here is Briana's letter to the editors of our local newspapers:

Dear Editor,

My name is Briana R.; I am 11 years old and in the 6th grade. I go to school at P. Middle School. My mom and I are guild members of Katie’s Comforters. We make quilts and blankets for the kids at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. The guild is run by Karen Gerstenberger. Karen’s daughter, Katie, was treated for cancer at the children’s hospital in 2006-7 and she died when she was around 12 years old. She used a quilt her mother made for her to do things like distract her during procedures, cover her nose when something smelled bad, and most importantly it was a comfort. When Katie died, her mother found comfort in making quilts and started a group to donate them to kids at the hospital.

This year, the group made more than 215 blankets and grew in numbers to an amazing 50 members. The group has only been going for a year but it has made a huge difference in kid’s lives and I am proud to be a part of it. When my mom and I make a blanket, I always know that we have brightened one more kid’s day in the world just by showing I care. Besides the physical uses of the blanket, I think it gives them the feeling that someone cares about them and they care enough to put time, effort, and money into making something for them. This gives them hope, happiness, strength and courage to keep moving and enjoy life and its gifts. It’s so cool that so many people do this and that every blanket is different! Some are crocheted, some are sewn, and some are knitted. The ones my mom and I make are assembled from polar fleece.

My hope is, that in reading this letter, we can get even more people to make comforters or donate new fabric to our guild for the kids at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Anyone who wants to learn more can visit the blog or check us out on Facebook. Our blog is http://www.katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com/ .

Thank you for your time and thanks for listening to my story. I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Briana R.

Thank you, Mary & Briana,

for your support of Katie's Comforters Guild,

and for sharing your story with your (& our) community!

It's That Time of Year...

2010-09-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

...for renewing your Guild membership. You will be hearing from the Guild Association, as each year they send out membership dues renewals for the new fiscal year on October 1 (and reminders in January and March).

Meanwhile, I've sent a letter to all of our members:

Dear Katie’s Comforters Guild Members,

Our first year has been a great success, and it is thanks to you and your efforts! THANK YOU, each one of you, for helping to bring comfort to patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Whether you sewed, knitted, crocheted, assembled fleece blankets, purchased or donated materials or gift cards, or told your friends and family about us, you made a difference in the life of a sick child.

We donated more than 215 blankets this year, and we grew to 50 members! That was our first year; imagine what we can do next year!

Here are some ideas for next year:

-gather new, unused fabric from donors (fabric shops, retiring quilters, etc.)

-be on the lookout for fabric sales

-have a blanket-making party & make fleece blankets, or host a sewing circle or knitting/crocheting circle at your house, sewing or yarn shop (it’s even more fun if you can share food and beverages)

-tell your local newspaper about us – give an interview or write a letter to the editor.

-Hand out our cards to friends and acquaintances.

-tell your facebook friends about us – we have a page now, in addition to our blog

-set a personal goal to sew, knit, crochet or make (choose a number) fleece blankets this year

-take photos of any blankets you make for the guild to donate & send them to me – I’ll post them on the blog and facebook!

-order your Jo-Ann Stores discount card at www.joann.com/VIP or by calling 877-604-2280.

-help us sew an art quilt for auction (to raise funds for our guild) – if you’d like to do this, please contact me!

-share your ideas on our blog at www.katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com

In case you don’t know, September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month, and there is a lot of activity around the country to raise awareness and funds for research. This spring, our guild was invited to become part of the Seattle Children’s Cancer Advocacy Network, or Seattle Kids C.A.N., a group of Seattle Children’s Hospital Guilds that support cancer research. We are helping to raise funds by placing donation cans in businesses in our area. If you would like to join in the efforts of this group, please email me at karenlboren@yahoo.com , or write to me on our blog and I will share the information that I have with you.

Seattle Children’s Hospital has great good news: Dr. Mike Jensen, a pioneer researcher in immunology, has joined Seattle Children’s Research Institute to lead the new Center for Childhood Cancer. He is doing amazing work with the immune system that has potential to change the way we treat cancer for the better! You can see a video of Dr. Jensen explaining his work at www.rockthecurefoundation.com (at his former hospital, City of Hope – I hope to see a new, Seattle Children’s Hospital video soon).

I think that’s all the news, for now. Please check our blog for updates and feel free to contact me if you have ideas, suggestions or questions. Thank you again for all you do to make Katie’s Comforters Guild a success!

Blessings to you,

Karen (your President)
karenlboren@yahoo.com

I'm thankful for each one of you members and friends of our Guild.

A Variety of Donations, and Our 1st Year Anniversary

2010-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with a variety of donations. Every kind of donation helps us to accomplish our mission!

Supplies for quilt-making were donated by Ellie B. (my mom). Thank you, Mom!

Forty-one quilts, sewed by Lucile N. (she sews an average of one quilt a day!) - there were so many that I didn't take them out of the bags, since I wasn't sure I could pack them all back in as well as Lucile & Noble had done. Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

A beautiful fleece blanket, made by Katie's friend Courtney. It was wonderful to see her and her sister today when they stopped by to deliver the blanket. Thank you, Courtney!

At the end of our first year,

Katie's Comforters Guild now has

50 members!

We have donated over 215 blankets to Seattle Children's Hospital this year.

Thank you

to everyone who has helped to make this possible.

I'm looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in our 2nd year!

I have lots of ideas percolating...

Knit Blanket from Elizabeth A.

2010-08-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

I just received a package from one of our guild members in California, including this beautiful, hand-knit blanket:

It's a lovely pink color, and is super-soft and cozy.

Thank you, Elizabeth A.!

I know that you knit love into every stitch.

Blessings to you and your family.

Jo-Ann Craft for a Cause Contest

2010-08-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores is sponsoring "Craft for a Cause 2010."

Here is a link to use if you want to learn more about how you can win a $1,500 Jo-Ann Gift Card, and how your favorite charity can win $50,000!
Thanks for the link, Karla!

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores VIP Discount Cards

2010-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Katie’s Comforters Guild members,

I hope you are all enjoying a happy and creative summer. Katie’s Comforters Guild is having a good one: we’ve received wonderful donations of quilts, fleece blankets and fabric/supplies, and our membership continues to grow. You can keep up with the news, and see photos, on facebook and here, on our guild’s blogspot. I hope that you will continue to help spread the word about your guild.
One of our members (thank you, Karen W.!) asked me recently about the discount cards that Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores generously provided for our guild members this year. The cards are due to expire at the end of August, so I wrote to our contact at Jo-Ann’s corporate office, and received the following kind and generous offer:

“The VIP cards from last year will in fact expire at the end of the month. We have changed the process a bit and now send the cards, with the member's name on them, directly to their homes.

“The new Jo-Ann VIP Discount Card is valid from 8/1/10-8/31/11. The VIP Card can be used for 10% off your total purchase, including regular and sale priced items. For in-store purchases, the Jo-Ann 40% off regular priced item coupons can be used in the same transaction as the VIP Card 10% total purchase discount, although the 10% would not apply to the item that receives the 40% discount. For online orders, the VIP discount cannot be combined with any other offer. The Discount Card is valid at any Jo-Ann store, and is also valid online at www.joann.com by using the promotion code supplied on the back of the card.

“[Guild] Members can request their card online at www.joann.com/VIP for expedited processing. For members who do not have internet access, they can phone in their information to 877-604-2280.

“Please be sure your members are aware that their new cards will need to be validated by store management prior to first use by providing proof of organization membership and a state issued photo ID.
“I look forward to working with you in the future.
Best Regards,
Rochelle”

If you would like to renew your Jo-Ann Stores VIP Discount Card, or if you’ve never had one and would like to receive one, please follow the directions that are highlighted in yellow, above. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to enjoy great prices all year long, when shopping for supplies for our guild. (This offer is for guild members, and is to be used for items purchased for the guild.)

Thank You, Jo-Ann Stores!

Girl Scout Troop Donates 25 Fleece Blankets

2010-08-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have had the pleasure of corresponding with a Girl Scout Troop Leader, Heidi R., over the past few months. Heidi learned about our guild through the Internet, and she told me that her troop needed a community service project.

She asked whether a Girl Scout Troop could help Katie's Comforters Guild.

Could they ever!

Heidi R. and her troop are an industrious and lovely group of young ladies. They not only made blankets, they also traveled all the way to Seattle Children's Hospital on a summer day, to donate those 25 beautiful blankets (which they had made out of fleece) in person. (The troop and their parents gave me permission to post photos of our visit.)

First, they stopped in the Volunteer Office, to meet with Guild Association Board Member Jane H., and to fill out the brief paperwork at the desk. Then they put the blankets in the Blanket Closet.

Here they are with their donations (on the shelf above them).

Then we took a tour of the hospital, (guided by Ashley, from Childlife) and visited the Giraffe area, Playroom, Hematology-Oncology area, Family Resource Center and Whale atrium.

The troop in the Giraffe area.

By the way, the hospital has its own beautiful quilt near the Giraffe elevators.

If you are a leader of a Girl Scout Troop, or a Camp Fire Girl Group (or know of one looking for a community service project), please feel free to contact me about helping Katie's Comforters Guild! If every troop or group made just one batch of blankets, so many children would be blessed with comfort - and the troop/group members would be blessed by the gift of giving comfort to others.

Thank you, Heidi and all of your Troop members!

Thank you, Ashley of Childlife & Jane H. from the Guild Association's Board!

Gifts from Janice S.

2010-08-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Our guild has been blessed with great generosity recently. I received an email from Janice S., who had read about Katie's Comforters Guild in the article (written by Marietta Nelson) in the Kitsap Sun. Janice wanted to donate some of her quilting "stash," and had washed, ironed and sorted her fabric for us. She also wanted to donate some batting.

Gregg and I drove to meet Janice and her husband in our town, and they gave us the gifts for the guild. We appreciate them so much! (I forgot to bring the camera along to photograph the two of them, but here are photos I took of their donation, when I got home.)

Aren't those fabrics lovely?

Thank you so much for this generous gift, Janice!

It will be shared with a quilter (or quilters) in our guild, who will form and fashion it into COMFORT for a sick child at Seattle Children's Hospital. Thank you - this is a big help!

More Generous Gifts from Lucile

2010-07-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Today, Gregg and I made a trip up to visit Lucile and Noble Nilsen. You may recall Lucile as a generous quilter in her 80s who has made several thousand quilts for charity - she averages sewing about one quilt per DAY!

We took a drive north of our home, and found Lucile and Noble at their house, with 40 quilts to donate! We had a glass of lemonade together and a nice visit, and had the pleasure of giving Lucile the fabric that Sue A. donated. We also gave her some batiks that were donated by Gregg's cousin, Karol. Here are the batiks:

Lucile will have these new materials to work with as she makes more beautiful quilts for Katie's Comforters Guild to give to Seattle Children's Hospital. She has donated 106 quilts to the hospital, to date!

Lucile has a multicolored supply of embroidery floss that she would be happy to share . If any of you needs embroidery floss for tacking your quilts by hand, please leave a message here and I will get some for you.

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

More Gifts of Fabric and Quilts!

2010-07-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

We are having a great week at Katie's Comforters Guild: a new donation of fabric and 12 beautiful quilts were received.

I'm very thankful, as always, for the quilts (I am going to make a delivery to the hospital next week).

Aren't they luscious? I'm thrilled.

I'm also thrilled about the fabric, because we can share it with quilters who donate generously of their time and talent to our guild. This fabric will make it easier for them to continue to support Katie's Comforters Guild.

Thank you to Sue A.

for the fabric,

and Thank you to the Coleman family

for the gorgeous quilts!

Your gifts will soon make a wonderful difference to a sick child at Seattle Children's Hospital!

If you are a guild member and haven't received your discount card for use at JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores, please contact me! We still have a lot of them to give to guild members for use in buying materials for making blankets for the hospital.

A Way to Label Blankets

2010-07-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

One of our guild members, Karen W., has given us a number of helpful suggestions. She shared a good idea about labeling the blankets we donate, using the cards that I made that tell about our guild.

If you haven't seen the cards, and want to receive some, please send me an email. The front looks something like this (I'm having difficulty with the formatting on blogger, so it looks better in person), and the back side has a brief explanation of what our guild does:

Katie’s Comforters Guild at

Seattle Children's Hospital

M/S S-200, PO Box 50020

4800 Sand Point Way N.E.

Seattle, WA 98145-5020

www.katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com

Karen W. sews the paper cards onto the blankets that she makes with a small stitch onto the corner of the quilt, and ties a knot in it. The recipient can easily remove the small knot (and card) when they receive the blanket. She suggested that this might even inspire friends or family members to share our story and spread the word about the guild.

A family friend, Marisa, recently donated some beautiful batik fabric. Here are photos of the pieces:

Aren't they gorgeous? If you need fabric for making quilts, and would like to use some of this batik, please let me know.

Thank you, Karen & Marisa!

Five New Quilts from Bonnie P.

2010-07-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I had the pleasure of a visit from one of our guild members, Bonnie Petersen. Bonnie delivered 5 beautiful quilts that she made. Here she is, surrounded by them:

One of the great things about these quilts is that Bonnie very cleverly made 4 of them out of donated materials! Now, THAT is thrifty.

Please remember: if you are going to use donated fabric, it must be NEW, not recycled (no cut up blankets, sheets, etc., but only NEW, unused fabric). This fabric was donated by a quilter who was clearing out her "stash."

Look at how wonderful the quilts are:

Bonnie also bought some Yogi Bear fabric to make a quilt. Do you remember Yogi & Boo-Boo? I loved that cartoon when I was little!

Thank you, Bonnie!

Art Glass Raffle for Cancer Research

2010-07-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, I mentioned the Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (Seattle Kids C.A.N.), a group of which I'm a member. We are gearing up for Pediatric Cancer Month, which is September, and one of the great ideas that has come from our members is a raffle of art glass made by some of the cancer research team at Seattle Children's Hospital. Information about the raffle and photos of the gorgeous glass pieces can be found on http://www.seattlecancerblows.blogspot.com/ .
I love the name, since the pieces were made at a glass blowing studio! Please check out the website, and consider buying a raffle ticket.

Remember this Article?

2010-07-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Do you recall the article published on the Blissfully Domestic website (in November, 2009)about Katie's Comforters Guild? In case you missed it, here is a link to the article, "A Small Act With Big Impact."
Feel free to share the link.

New Quilts from Rhonda & Carol

2010-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

One of the beauties of the internet is the way it helps people to connect across the miles.

A great example of this is the inquiry that I received on our facebook page from Rhonda Casey. Her mother is a quilter, and wanted to donate her work to Katie's Comforters Guild - all the way from NEBRASKA!

You can imagine how thrilled I was when (after facebook and email messages were exchanged) a box arrived, containing these two lovely quilts.

Thank you, Rhonda and Carol!

Something Wonderful: HOPE

2010-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

There is important (and wonderful) news over at Gberger.

Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN)

2010-06-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

There is a new blog on the block! The Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN) is a group that is meeting monthly to prepare for September's Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and it now has a blog: http://www.seattlechildrenscan.blogspot.com/. Please visit (and follow) to learn what is going on with the guilds that support cancer research. Everyone is welcome!

Katie's Comforters Guild is listed as one of the guilds that supports cancer research. The guild's connection to cancer research is 1) because Katie died of cancer, 2) our family and friends created the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research in 2007 and 3) we began our work by sewing quilts for children in the cancer ward at Seattle Children's Hospital - and we've now expanded to blanket the entire hospital. As you know, Katie's endowment is for solid tumor research, to help find a cure for the kind of tumor she had (adrenocortical carcinoma). Since adrenocortical carcinoma is very rare, Katie's endowment supports ALL solid tumor research with the income that is generated by the principal in the endowment. At last count, the principal was just over $100,000.
We are thankful for the creation of the Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN), and excited to see what lies ahead!

Guild Notes Available Now

2010-06-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can receive a copy of the Guild Association's newsletter, Guild Notes, via email? There is a new issue available now. Just contact the Guild Association by following this link.

West Coast Oddball Knitters

2010-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a speaking engagement at Seattle Children's Hospital (I'll post about that on my blog soon), so I arranged to meet with Janet D. of West Coast Oddball Knitters at the hospital for a blanket delivery. Janet's group donated 9 handmade blankets, and picked up the bags of yarn that Lucile and Noble donated recently (see the posting below). West Coast Oddball Knitters is going to use that yarn to make more blankets for Children's Hospital.

Please visit West Coast Oddball Knitters' blog - you'll be glad that you did (and don't you just love their name)! It's original and inspiring. They knit blankets as a group, but one section at a time. In other words, one person knits a section, and then sends the blanket on to the next person. That person knits another section onto the same blanket, and sends it on - and so, the blankets grow. Each one is original, with varied colors and stitches. They are a pleasure to look at. When you visit their blog, take time to scroll down and look at the blankets and how different each one is. Their method keeps everyone from feeling overwhelmed, and it clearly keeps the inspiration fresh!

HUGE thanks to Janet and Steven for coming out on a Sunday to make the delivery. I was also able to deliver quilts made by Joan and Lucile (photos posted below), for a total of 31 blankets donated yesterday to Seattle Children's Hospital by Katie's Comforters Guild.

Lucile & Noble

2010-05-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

I've written about Lucile and Noble before.

They are a dynamic and attractive couple in their 80s who inspire me.

Lucile sews, knits and crochets. She is very, very active and talented.

Today I met them in town, and picked up a donation of 13 quilts and one blanket, all made by Lucile. The variety of fabrics is going to please a lot of children!

Lucile also donated three enormous bags of yarn that she received from a neighbor.

If any of you needs yarn in order to make a blanket for Seattle Children's Hospital, or knows someone who needs yarn for making blankets, please leave a comment here.

It's all free.

Thank you, Lucile and Noble!

FREE YARN!

2010-05-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Calling all knitters & crocheters (is that a word?): we have just been offered an enormous stash of yarn - 100+ skeins!

Do you need materials for knitting/crocheting blankets for the hospital?
If so, please leave a comment here, or email me at karenlboren@yahoo.com, & I will share the wealth, so you can turn it into comfort for patients at Seattle Children's Hospital! Thanks to our friend Lucile Nilsen for this bounty!

14 Quilts from Joan!

2010-05-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

From kindergarten to 5th grade, Katie attended Poulsbo Elementary School. She had some wonderful teachers, and I was a volunteer in a number of her classes: as an Art Docent, Rolling Reader and general helper. It is one of the things that I loved about the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom. My dad is still a Rolling Reader for some of the teachers at Poulsbo Elementary.

One of the ladies who was a secretary at Poulsbo Elementary is also the sister of a friend of Gregg's, from high school. It was always fun to see her and talk about that connection when I had business in the school office. Her name is Joan.

Joan moved away from our area, and recently, she moved back. She contacted me and offered to help sew with our guild. Joan is a professional quilter, and has a "real" machine in her home. That is a blessing to us, because we have been given some fabric and quilt tops that are beyond my sewing ability...but they are not beyond Joan's.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Joan to drop off three beautiful quilt tops for her to finish, and to pick up 14 gorgeous quilts that she has made for our guild to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital. These are photos of her work.

While I was with Joan, I also got to see:

Katie's Girl Scout troop leader, Karene, who is working with her girl scouts on quilts to donate to the hospital,

Katie's 3rd and 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Berg (who I love) and

Joanie, another of the school secretaries, whose husband helped us to coordinate Katie's "celebration of life" - enabling us to shoot off the fireworks that Katie had requested.

It was like "old home week."

Thank you, Joan!

A Harbour Tour & A Quilt Donation - from Hawaii!

2010-05-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I had the fun "job" of meeting a Camp Goodtimes camper/staffer and his mom in Seattle, to pick up a batch of quilts. "Doppler" and his mom, Jane, met me at Argosy Cruises, and we took a picnic lunch on board the Lady Mary for a Harbor Tour. We talked about Camp Goodtimes and the cancer journey, laughed a lot, and admired the fabulously beautiful quilts that Jane has made to donate to the hospital through our guild.

I think these quilts have the distinction of having travelled the farthest to be donated, since Jane lives in Hawaii! She sewed them there, and brought them with her when she came to visit her son. That's quite a trip!

Here are photos of Jane, "Doppler" and the fabulous quilts on board the Lady Mary:

and here are some close-ups of the fabrics:

Thank you, Jane and "Doppler!"

The kids are going to love these.

A Quilt Delivery with Dad

2010-05-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today, my dad and I went to deliver quilts to the hospital. It was his first time on a quilt delivery, and I enjoyed showing him the routine. We gave some of the quilts to the volunteer office, and took some up to Childlife in the Hematology-Oncology department. It was great to see our friends in Childlife, Julie and Ashley, and to have a surprise visit from Tanya (our social worker when Katie was a patient). We haven't seen Tanya in many months, because she has been on maternity leave recently, with her beautiful baby girl.

It makes me happy to know that the quilts that we donated will bring comfort to children who are in the hospital. Thank you, Lucile and Linda, for your beautiful and loving handiwork!

We also visited the Guild Association office to collect a gift from a brilliant, local fashion designer named Luly Yang: fabric remnants and samples that can be used for making quilts. These are some of the most beautiful fabrics I have EVER seen, from notable designers. They can't be used in making quilts for children, because they are made of fine fabrics such as chiffon, silk and lace (and those can't be machine-washed); but they CAN be used to make beautiful art quilts that we could sell - to raise money for the guild!

If you are an experienced art quilter and would like to help, or have advice and/or suggestions for us, please leave a comment here.

Thank you, Luly Yang, for this exciting and inspiring gift!

An Offer of Quilting Services

2010-04-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

I received an email recently from a friend, Joan, who has known our family for many years. Her brother is a great friend of Gregg's from WAY back, and Joan was the secretary at Katie's elementary school. We saw her often during the grade school years. A while ago, she and her husband moved away, and after they moved back to our area, I received this message:

"Mark bought me a longarm quilting machine. I am now quilting for people. I would love to donate quilts... I would love to do some quilts that I can machine quilt on my large machine...I would love to help in any way that I can. You are always in my thoughts and prayers."

"If you have anyone that has pieced a quilt and would like me to quilt it for them I will donate my time and the machine. This is so great. I have been looking for something to do to fill the down time that I have, not that I have much but the machine is just sitting there, it begs to be used." - Joan Morey, Henhouse Quilts

What a great name for a business! And isn't that a lovely offer? If any of you need help with quilting a larger quilt for the guild, please contact me, and I will put you in touch with Joan.

We have been given three large, pieced quilt tops and I think Joan's offer may be the answer to our prayers. We could have them finished, and then auction them off to raise funds to benefit the hospital, or our guild.

Our guild has been invited by Kelley Stryer to participate in the Children's Hospital Calendar Project. It has been one of the top guild fundraisers for over 70 years, and they provide lots of support to make it easy. Does anyone want to spearhead this project? Please leave a comment or send me an email!

Thank you!

Guild Luncheon

2010-04-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Gordon Cohen

Today was the annual Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association Luncheon at the Westin Hotel. It was a wonderful event, and this was my first year attending. Friends & family (guild members) came from Poulsbo, Bainbridge, Arlington and Seattle to support our guild and the event.

Thank you all!

One of the highlights, for me, was hearing Dr. Gordon Cohen (pictured above), who performed the cardiac part of Katie's life-saving surgery. Dr. Cohen is a genius and a warm and kind human being.

I love him.

He is the surgeon who took the tumor out of Katie's heart, and gave her sub-cutaneous (under the skin) stitches, so the scarring was minimal on her chest. That meant that she could wear a bathing suit or t-shirt with very little evidence that she had had major surgery. To a 12 year-old girl, that has meaning.

Dr. Cohen is making wonderful changes and progress for children with heart issues right here in our Pacific Northwest.

Paul & me

We were seated with Aileen Kelly, the creative, energetic, thoughtful and encouraging executive director of the Guild Association, two lovely board members, and Paul (Mooselips) Dudley, the Master of Ceremonies (maybe we got to sit with Paul because his wife is a member of our guild). It was a great table:

Julie, Denise & Heidi (Mrs. Mooselips)

Mom, Linda (my sister-in-law, and our guild's treasurer) & me

We shopped at the booths of other guilds and bought some things they were selling (a fleece vest for me and raffle tickets for mom). We heard inspiring stories of fundraising success, fellowship, innovation and progress. We heard about medical advances that need and deserve to be funded.

I am so excited by what I heard, and grateful for Seattle Children's Hospital, its dedicated staff and their love for our kids!

Guild Association Facts from Fiscal Year 2009

Number of Guilds: 500

New Guilds Formed: 15 (we're one of these!)

Project Revenue (net): $10,200,000

Number of Volunteer Hours: 140,000

Guild affiliated revenue in Foundation Programs: $5,500,000

Total Guild Association contributions: $15,700,000

New Donors, New Quilts

2010-04-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

We have been given some beautiful new quilts by new donors, and we are very thankful. I'd like to present the handiwork of Bonnie P., a member of Katie's Comforters Guild:

Bonnie didn't want to have her picture taken, but she gave me permission to post a photo of her beautiful quilts here. Thank you, Bonnie!

Here's a closer view, so you can see the lovely fabrics:

And I'm thrilled to introduce a new donor, who has made nearly two thousand quilts so far, during her productive quilting career. Meet Lucile N. and her husband, Noble:

Lucile and Noble donated 28 quilts today!

Lucile makes a quilt per day, and I hope she won't mind me telling you that she's in her 80s. What an inspiration - she's amazing!

Here are just some of the quilts that she donated today:

Thank you, Lucile!

If you know any quilters or blanket-makers who would like to join us, please give them our email address, blogspot, etc.

We always need more quilters, knitters, crocheters and fleece-blanket makers.

Redbook Magazine, April 2010

2010-03-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

The April, 2010 issue of Redbook Magazine is on newsstands now, and on the last page is a paragraph that mentions our Guild! Check it out, and help us spread the word about Katie's Comforters Guild.

Guild Association Annual Meeting and Luncheon

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association Annual Meeting will be held on April 22nd at the Westin Seattle. Please join Seattle Children's supporters from around the state for a celebration of guild contributions to the hospital.

Two of the speakers treated Katie when she was a patient. One of them is renowned cardiac surgeon Gordon Cohen, who took the tumor out of Katie's heart.

Registration & Displays begin at 10:oo A.M.

The Meeting & Luncheon begin at 11:30 A.M.

We would love to see as many of our guild members at the meeting as possible. If you are a member, you should have received an invitation by now that contains a place to request your seating. Feel free to request to sit with your fellow guild members, if you would like that. I hope to see you there!

S.C.O.R.E. Cards are Here!

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Our S.C.O.R.E. cards have arrived! I wrote about this fundraising guild, the Seattle Children's Oncology Research Enterprise, and their wonderful cards, here. The ones that we ordered for the guild are here; if you would like to have one, please leave a message here (or email me) with your address, and I will send one to you.

I have also made business cards for our guild, if anyone would like to have some to hand out to friends, family and interested acquaintances.

Thank you, Sara, at the We Keep S.C.O.R.E. Guild!

facebook: 96 New Fans

2010-03-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

Our first week on facebook yielded 96 fans!

That's outstanding!

Thank you to all who have become our fans. Please keep spreading the word, so that more people will know about us and what we are doing, and invite your friends to join us!

We would love to welcome new members, as well as those who are not "joiners," who may just want to knit, crochet, sew or make fleece blankets on their own to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital, or through our guild. The most important thing is bringing comfort to patients!

I've been making "business cards" for our guild. I am going to be speaking at a conference in Indianapolis in a couple of weeks, and have been invited to bring information about the guild. I think these cards will be simple and clear. They have our guild's name, address, and a photo on the front, and a brief paragraph explaining who we are and what we do on the back. If you would like to have some of these cards to hand out to acquaintances and friends, please leave a comment here.

Katie's Comforters Guild is Now on facebook!

2010-02-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

We have a facebook page now! Check us out by typing Katie's Comforters Guild in the facebook search box. Suggest us to your friends and watch us grow!

A Sewing Bee

2010-02-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Today, a group of friends joined me at our house for an informal "sewing bee," or what we liked to call a "stitch 'n bitch," after the knitting books of the same name.

We had a potluck brunch: salads, fruit, veggies and dip, baguette and cheese, pastries, bread pudding with a fabulous hard sauce, mimosas, coffee, great conversation - and we made lots of quilts!

We started with a quick overview of how to make a quilt like Katie's,

and quickly moved on to sewing.

More friends arrived later, and we continued passing on the pattern and sharing the fun.

All in all, 5 quilts were finished, 7 were pinned and one is part-way pinned. We also cut 17 pieces of batting from a full roll, and they are ready to use.

This is a fun way to combine visiting with a great meal and making quilts for Seattle Children's Hospital patients. I highly recommend it to all of you guild members and your friends!

Thank you, Stitch 'n Bitches!