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!

Fabric Traditions of NYC

Out of the blue last week, I had an email exchange with Annette S., whom I'd never met before. She said:

"I work for Fabric Traditions in New York and was wondering if you could use cotton [major-league baseball-themed] fabric. I would UPS it, so if you would like it, please send me an address...It is so wonderful what you and all your volunteers do."

Oh, yes, we would LOVE to use Fabric Traditions' MLB fabric, Annette! 

The box arrived, containing these bold, fun prints:

 ...and a letter which said:

"Enclosed is a variety of fabric donated to you by Fabric Traditions. We are happy to contribute to such a wonderful cause and hope this fabric will bring joy to those you help.
"The only thing we ask of [you] in return is to please send us photos of what you create with the fabric. We'd love to share with others the work that you do so they too can be inspired. You can email any photos to 

customerservice@fabrictraditions.com 

"Best of luck with your endeavor.

"Sincerely,

The Fabric Traditions Team"

Would YOU like to make quilts with this fabric? Are you willing to share what you have made (through photographs) with Fabric Traditions? If so, please contact me and we will coordinate a delivery to you.

Many thanks to Annette and Fabric Traditions of New York! www.fabrictraditions.com

Mickie and Owen Deliver Comfort

Dedicated Guild members Mickie and her son, Owen (Owen is a junior member) went out of their way to help Katie's Comforters by picking up and delivering 14 quilts made by friends - nine were made by Margie (in Lynden) and five were made by 12-year old Helena!

Owen with quilts at the hospital's entrance

Katie's Comforters Guild is able to deliver comfort to patients only because of the generosity and dedication of all of our guild members and friends, like Mickie and Owen. From sewing to delivering, from volunteering to help behind the scenes to donations of fabric or funds, in spreading the word by mouth and media, every single contribution helps - and we are GRATEFUL!

Thank you, Mickie, Owen, Luke, Margie and Helena!

Sue H. and Friends

Sue H. and her friends came over several months ago to help us by going through donated fabric and taking it with them. She has since turned some of it into truly beautiful works of quilted art.

This week, I met Sue for a delivery. She has made some holiday-themed quilts, and others with year-round themes, and donated 17 in all. It was such a gift to see the fabric, which had been sitting idly in storage boxes, transformed into joyful, comforting quilts for patients.

There are 19 quilts pictured, and 17 of them were donated this week!

Quilting is a magical art: you select fabric which appeals to your eye, combine it through creativity and craftsmanship, and voila! The finished work is not only beautiful, but durable and practical, and can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Thank you, Sue! We are deeply grateful to you for your dedication to Katie's Comforters Guild's mission of bringing comfort to patients!

Fleece from April

We received the following photo from April:

She has created these five cozy quilts out of fleece, rather than cotton. Aren't they cute? They are going to delight their recipients.

Many thanks for thinking of  - and donating to - Katie's Comforters Guild, April! 

We are grateful for your donation of time, talent and materials to bring comfort to patients!

Free Fabric!

Our dear friend and guild member, Lucile, is sorting through her sewing stash, and has offered us 10+ bags of  

FREE QUILTING FABRIC!

 If you - or someone you know - is interested in sewing quilts for Katie's Comforters Guild, please leave a comment here or on our Facebook page, or email me at KARENLBOREN at yahoo dot com.

Jaimee & Ethan M.

Jaimee M. sent these two photos with the following note:
"Sending these 4 quilts and 1 blanket today. 
Ethan wanted to make a quilt for the kids, too, so the rag quilt is his first quilt. 
He was very excited to make it, and has already started on a second one!"

As we've said, you are never too young (or too old) to be needed and helpful to others. And you're never too far away, either - Jamiee and her family live in another state!

Thank you, Jaimee and Ethan!

Scrabble Quilt

We received a fantastic new donation: a Scrabble quilt.

If you've ever spent a lot of time in a hospital - either as a patient or a visitor - you'll know how the hours can drag on and on. Having a favorite book, hobby or game with you provides a relief, and it can bring a great deal of simple joy.

One of our wonderful donors just combined our mission - bringing comfort through quilts and blankets - with the inspiration of a favorite game, and voila! Just like that, smiles all around. Here is the finished product:

A usable game board, built right into the quilt!

Note the brilliant colors of fabric and trim, suitable for all ages and tastes.

Thank you, Mary Ryan, 

for facilitating delivery of this fabulous gift!

Guild Association Initiatives and Important Dates

We are part of a unique and wonderful organization, Seattle Children's Hospital's Guild Association. Established by the hospital's founder, Anna Clise, the Guild Association supports the hospital in a variety of ways through gathering the talent, time and treasure of community members in service of the hospital's mission. If you're not a member, you are missing out; please consider joining us!

Here are recent updates from the Guild Association about this year's initiatives.

 You can see in the timeline above that yesterday was the day that annual membership dues were due. (Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo...) If you missed the deadline, no need to worry; simply send your renewal in as soon as you are able!

* If you are a new member, please note the new member brunch date: February 13, 2016

Please mark you calendar and join us on May 6th at the Annual Meeting and Luncheon Celebration - it's a blast!

Do you know a guild, or guild member, who you especially admire? Nominate them by following the instructions above. Nominations are due on March 20, 2016.

 Would you like to donate to meet specific needs? The information above shows you exactly what NEW toys are needed for Project Playtime.

Want to support the hospital's research departments? Join Research Champions (see above). If you have any questions about any of this information, please contact me here, or Melissa Cardenas at the Guild Association office: 206-987-6806.

Liberty Bay Books Supports Katie's Comforters Guild

I stopped into our local "Indie" (independent) bookstore, Liberty Bay Books, and the owner, Suzanne said that she had a donation for us. Suzanne's bookstore is a hub of activity in our little town (I just typed "hug of activity" - it feels like that in the store: warm, inviting and enriching). Suzanne and her staff host book signings, book clubs (cookbook groups even get to sample recipes), game nights and a knitting group, among other things. The Liberty Bay Books Knitters have kindly donated a fleece and two knitted/crocheted blankets, which you can see here:

Something for everyone here - variety of color, material, design and texture

Thank you, Suzanne, 

and Liberty Bay Books Knitters! 

Katie's Comforters Guild 

appreciates your support!