Saturday, December 18, 2010

Gifts from Lucile N. & Jeanne L.

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.

Friday, December 10, 2010

10 Quilts from Bonnie P.

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!

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!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

A Cooperative Blanket from Liberty Bay Books

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!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Crocheted Dolls & Blankets from Terry

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!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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

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.

Monday, November 8, 2010

8 New Blankets

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!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Kiwanis

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.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Lucile's Birthday and 27 Quilts


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.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A BIG "Thank You"

A
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!