Animal Prints!

Linda K-H sent a message to let us know that she had delivered three new quilts to our local, independent bookstore, Liberty Bay Books. I went to pick them up and was delighted to find these bright and cheery animal prints:

Thank you so much, Linda (for the gifts of time, talent and treasure), and Liberty Bay Books for being such a welcoming hub in our town!

Lucile Does it Again - 12 Blankets!

We had a chance to visit with Lucile in her home last week, to drop off some of the fleece left over from #AWSL2015 for her to make into blankets, and to pick up some blankets that she had made to donate. Lucile's latest batch included 11 fleece (one here, and the others in the bag), and a beautifully knitted cotton blanket:

Thank you so much for your continuing support and generosity to Katie's Comforters Guild, Lucile! 

We appreciate and love you!

Kim: A Generous Quilter with Fleece to Share

I received an email from Kim D., a woman I had never met:

"I saved your email address from the 2013 newspaper for donations of new fleece.  I am downsizing my fabric collection and have at least 30 pieces of fleece suitable for children's blankets.  Almost all are at least 1 yard, some print and some solid." 

Kim had been making fleece hats for cancer patients, but had accumulated more fleece than she needed for making hats.
The answer is a very happy YES! - we can ALWAYS use fleece; it's a soft, cozy, lightweight, warm, washable fabric which dries quickly, comes in a huge variety of colors and patterns, and is loved by children. It is also the preferred fabric to give to patients in the intensive care unit.

Kim arranged to meet us today at a convenient location to make her donation. We were amazed at the variety and quantity of her generous gift: four huge bags of fleece, in all sorts of colors and patterns, as well as four fleece blanket kits.

This is just a sampling of the cheerful variety of Kim's gift.

Thank you, Kim, for your thoughtfulness in remembering our guild from the newspaper article, and for your generosity to patients in need of comfort.

Now, we have the opportunity to make this bounty into blankets! 
If any of you reading this would like to make fleece blankets for patients of Seattle Children's Hospital, please leave a comment here, via email, or contact us on facebook. We have plenty to share - enough for individuals and groups!

Fleece Blankets from Yelm Middle School

We received the following message from Bethany M., of Yelm Middle School:

"We did a much better job of timing fabric sales this year, involved about 55 students from the 7th grade and 9th grade leadership classes (Jen N. and Laurel R.'s classes), and made 29 fleece blankets to donate to Children's through the guild.  Jen took some of them up on Thursday and I will drop off 13 fleece blankets and two quilts tomorrow.  I think we still will have one more trip with the rest of the blankets.

"We did not coordinate a picture of all the blankets and kids this time around, but I attached pictures for the 13 blankets that will go up with me tomorrow."

Here are the photos of the 13 fleece blankets mentioned above:

 Thank you, Bethany, Jen, Laurel and all of your students from Yelm Middle School for this generous gift of 29 fleece blankets and 2 quilts to patients at Seattle Children's Hospital! 

A gift from kids to kids is especially meaningful, blessing both the giver and receiver in special ways.  
Reminder: our guild welcomes kids as Junior Members!

Thank You, Ellie & Phil!

We have a wonderful group of Guild members and friends who have a variety of gifts and talents which they share with us. Some of them knit, some crochet, some sew, some cut fleece into blankets, and some donate funds. Those funds are very important, as we use them to purchase materials and to ship fabric to those who will convert raw materials into quilts of comfort.

Ellie helping with a quilt delivery at SCH with Child Life worker Julie and KCG President, Karen

Ellie is a Guild member who has been a supporter from the very beginning. She and her husband Phil provide donations from time to time, and they just sent another one. We used it to purchase a huge roll of batting with which to make quilts, and to ship fabric to a Guild member who lives in another part of the state. This gift is every bit as important as the gifts of sewing, knitting, crocheting and cutting fleece.

Phil helping with a quilt delivery to SCH

We always need donations of time, talent, materials and funds to help us continue our work. Whichever is your favorite way to donate, we appreciate you and we thank you!

Thanks, Ellie & Phil!

Thanks for a Gift from Patti

Our Vice President, Mary, recently received a donation to Katie's Comforters Guild from her friend, Patti: this soft, cheerful, beautifully-sewn quilt.

Look at those brightly-colored fabrics, and that adorable center square!

This precious gift will bring warmth and comfort to a patient and family.

Thank you, Patti!

A Fleece Experiment

Yesterday, I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought enough fleece to make a few blankets. I have been wanting to try an experiment.

When making fleece blankets, we typically cut a square out of each corner before we cut the fringe into the blanket. I don't like to waste fabric, so I have saved a batch of those fleece corner squares (friends like Cami have also saved and donated them), and I have been thinking of ways to use them.

Tie-dyed fleece with corner squares from other fleece blankets

Today, I sewed some of them onto blue tie-dyed fleece, using a zigzag stitch around all four sides of the squares. I chose colors that would coordinate with the blue, and give it a little bit more "pizzazz." I made two of them, using different-colored squares for each.

What do you think of the finished product? 

Have you ever used your leftover fleece in this way?

Bethany M. and the Yelm Middle School Project

Bethany M. contacted me about a school project she had in mind: making fleece blankets for Katie's Comforters Guild. I was delighted to hear about her plan, and we coordinated a donation of funds (thanks to Mary Kay H.) with Bethany's students' labor which resulted in the following beautiful, cheery fleece blankets:

 

Bethany herself is a talented quilter, and she made two of these gorgeous quilts to donate along with the fleece:

Thank you, Bethany and students of Yelm Middle School for generously sharing your time and talent with Katie's Comforters Guild for the benefit of patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

Free Yarn Offer!

Would you like to receive the gift of FREE YARN to make it easy for you to knit/crochet blankets for Katie's Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital? We've received a very kind offer and would love to put it into the hands of people who can transform it into comforters!

Mystery Solved - Friendship Star Quilters!

I am so grateful to be able to report that the mystery I wrote about HERE has been solved!
The generous donors were part of the Friendship Star Quilters, a group on South 
Whidbey Island. They not only made the seven beautiful quilts pictured below,

they delivered them to Seattle Children's Hospital on behalf of our guild.

When Friendship Star Quilter Peggy saw on our blog that the information had been lost, she contacted me, provided the photo above and solved the mystery. Thank you, Peggy and all of the Friendship Star Quilters!

Lucile & Noble Visit and Donate 23 Quiilts/Blankets

Lucile and Noble came for a visit last week; look at what they brought with them!

The one on the right is a clever use of strips of flannel - Lucile doesn't waste anything!

There are quilts and fleece blankets in this batch

So many different themes and colors, for all ages and interests

That's another 23 quilts and blankets from  

Lucile and Noble - thank you so much!

Lucile & Noble Were Here...

...and they donated 28 cozy, colorful new blankets and quilts to our guild!

Please try to ignore the sunlight streaming in through the windows, making the colors look a bit different. We don't complain about sunshine here! These are a few examples of the beautiful blankets in this batch.

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

A Donation of Fabric

Thank you, Tomoko, 

for sending this box of lovely fabric and 

the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores gift card! 

What a blessing this will be to our guild's quilters!

Donations like this one are part of our "economy of grace," and they help us continue to do our work, since we don't actively seek financial support. We are thankful!

As September Was Winding Down...

...there was a lot of activity in Katie's Comforters Guild!
The last week of the September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, saw your president working for awareness and support.

On Sunday, September 23rd, I made a presentation about my book, about our guild and about childhood cancer research at Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island, WA. There is news about this event on both of my other blogs:
Gberger and 
abundant living after catastrophe .

I brought Katie's quilt with me to help "show and tell," and Donna's and Sandy's quilt (see the previous posting) was hanging on display in the front window of the store for a week, behind the poster of my book's cover. It provided a wonderful illustration of our guild's mission, and what our talented, generous members and friends do!

Several members and friends of our guild were in attendance at this event, and one of them was Bonnie P. She brought with her a new half-dozen quilts to donate to the guild. Here they are:

Awesome tie-dye center with borders and Bonnie's trademark "FROG" label

This is a photo of two together - a sunshine theme and a dinosaur theme

Beautiful batik

Handkerchief-style print

Anchors aweigh with mattress-ticking stripes

Thank you, Bonnie!

The day after this event, I was invited to speak to a group of quilters who meet to sew for charity. They wanted to know more about our guild, so I took Katie's comforter and Donna's and Sandy's quilt, along with some brochures, and spoke to them. They have decided to sew a donation for us, and I'm so thankful!

On Friday, September 28th, Dr. Michael Jensen, director of the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research announced at the annual Ben Towne Foundation BENefit that the FDA has given permission for clinical trials to commence using Dr. Jensen's T-cell therapy in treating childhood cancer. This is wonderful news! Treatment with little side effects and no harm done to patients is a dream-coming-true. The Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research supports the Jensen Laboratory, and their work holds great promise.

September was an awesome month for progress in pediatric cancer awareness, research and comfort. Thank you for all you do to help make this possible!

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

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!

Project Teen II

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...

...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!

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day: August 11, 2011

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.

Five New Quilts from Darla R.

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.

A Bequest from the Coleman Family

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!