A Gift from Bonnie P.

Yesterday, our guild received a gift of time and talent from member Bonnie P. She came over and spent several hours with me, sorting donated fabric. Bonnie's expertise is deep, as she is a gifted quilter and designer, and dyes her own fabric. Bonnie knows a lot about what we can use and what we cannot. Together, we sorted fabric by color combination and proposed use (separating top pieces from backing, pieces that would go well together in color and/or theme to make a nice quilt top) and organized about five bags of fabric which we cannot use, and which will be donated to charity.

What this means for our members and friends is that we have a LOT of lovely fabric which is now much easier to sort through, so if you want to make a quilt for our guild to donate to the hospital, we can provide the fabric in most any color combination you wish!

In addition to her generous donation of time and expertise, Bonnie also brought a gorgeous wall-hanging to donate to our (future) auction:

Isn't this awesome? It is made of special paper, though it looks like fabric, and the backing of it is fabric. Bonnie even sewed a special sleeve for hanging it. The colors are more vibrant in person.

Thank you, Bonnie!

Dear Guild Members & Friends...

Katie's Bench, waterfront park in Poulsbo

Dear Guild Members & Friends,

We often receive thank you letters from the hospital. Here is the latest one:

"Dear Friends,

Thank you for the 78 handmade quilts and blankets that you recently donated to Seattle Children's.

Gifts of items and services have always played an important role in helping us give kids the very best care. Early in the hospital's history, farmers contributed their surpluses to the hospital pantry, schoolchildren collected homemade jams and jellies from their neighbors and homemakers sewed bed linens.

Today, that same spirit of compassion and generosity lives on through people like you.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our children and their families. Please know that all of us at Children's are grateful for your donation to enhance the care and comfort of our patients.

Very sincerely,

Thomas H. Hansen, MD
CEO"

Thank you for being part of this effort!

The Guild Association's Membership Committee chairwoman, Judy Ogden, sent a letter share some upcoming events and opportunities with us.
- Operation Family Care: to help families in the hospital. Greatest need: gift cards ($15 - $25 for gas & grocery stores). The Food for Families Initiative is also part of this drive; contact Melissa Cardenas at 206-987-6806 or melissa.cardenas@seattlechildrens.org about this.
Other needed items:

• spiral bound notebooks/journals
• prepaid phone cards
• LED candles or LED tea lights
• Headphones for use with electronic devices
• Baby wipes (80 count)
• Adult toothbrushes and toothpaste

- New Member Brunch Saturday, Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 9:30 - noon. New & current members are invited to learn about the hospital and meet other guild members while enjoying a complimentary brunch. Please direct your questions and/or RSVPs to Melissa Cardenas (see above).

- Annual Meeting & Luncheon Celebration, Friday, May 10, 2013 at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. Invitations will be mailed in April, so please mark your calendar now.

- Anna Clise Award for Individual Achievement and Chairman's Award for Guild Excellence: if you know a person who you feel deserves to receive one of these awards, please let me know (or contact Melissa). The nomination forms need to be submitted by March 15th.

She also wrote to remind guild members about sending in our annual dues. If you have done so already, Thank you! If you haven't, this is a gentle reminder. If you know anyone who might like to join our guild, please invite them - they are welcome.

Remember: you and your time, talent and support are VITAL to Seattle Children's Hospital. 

Together, all of the Guilds raised  

$10.45 million in fiscal 2012!

The Friends of Costco Guild raised 54% of that amount - they are awesome!

Thank you again for all you do for Katie's Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"A Kiss from Katie"

Our guild has a wonderful friend in Idaho named Dorothy, who goes by "Dot" or "Dottie." When her daughter Linda introduced us last year, I felt immediately at home and familiar with Dottie. She is warm, open, compassionate and kind. Dot is also a gifted, experienced quilter who is generous in sharing her knowledge, skills and inspiration with others.

Last week, I received a call from Dottie, saying that she had completed another 11 quilts for our guild to donate to the hospital. She sent photos for me to share with you.

Close-up shot of the quilts

Another close-up

Another close-up

 One of Dot's unique trademarks is the label that she creates for each of the quilts she donates to our guild. It says "A Kiss from Katie" - here is an example.

 What a sweet touch to add to the soft, warm comfort of her quilts!

Thank you, Dottie!

Happy New Year 2013

Today, I had the pleasure of a meeting with Lucile & Noble. I was able to give Lucile three bags of donated flannel fabric, and she & Noble gave 22 beautiful, new quilts to our guild so that we can give them to Seattle Children's Hospital:

Here are 10 of the 22 Lucile made recently

Suzanne Droppert gathered and donated a batch of knitted/crocheted blankets from her Liberty Bay Books store's Knitting Group. Our guild's friend, Cami, delivered them to us:

Cozy and attractive blankets from Liberty Bay Books' Knitting Group

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

Thank you, Suzanne, Cami and Liberty Bay Books' Knitters!

 You are helping us to bring comfort into the hospital room of a sick child, and we appreciate it. We can't do it without you!