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!

A Dozen Originals from Bonnie P.

Bonnie P.  is a quilter of great talent. She carefully creates richly-colored, cheery, heirloom-quality quilts for Katie's Comforters to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital's patients. In addition to making her original creations, Bonnie generously helps us resolve fabric questions and other issues. Her talents are many, and she shares them generously.

Here is her latest dozen

 ...and close-ups of them, including views of front and back, and Bonnie's beautiful quilting stitches...

Fabric from Africa

 Bonnie even makes her own labels:

Thank you, Bonnie! We are grateful to you for sharing your talents with our guild and patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

Cami Does it Again!

Camille has made another donation - this time, 12 fleece blankets - to Katie's Comforters Guild. We are greatly blessed by her friendship and support.

Look at these cute and cuddly-soft blankets:

There is something for everyone here, and two of several of the patterns, to make up the 12.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Cami! Twelve patients are going to be very happy when they receive your blankets!

Quilt Tops from Frances M. - Can YOU Help?

I received a note from a nice woman named Amelia B., who said that her mom loved to quilt, and would like to donate some quilt tops to our guild. I said, "Yes, please!"

A box arrived, filled with treasures...

gorgeous, jewel-toned quilt tops

each one made with care and artistry

by a woman I've never met - Amelia's mom, Frances M.

...and it's clear that she does love to make quilt TOPS - beautiful quilt tops...

...and she does not love to make the rest of the quilt.

If you are reading this, would YOU like to help us finish these beauties, so that children in the hospital can wrap up in - and be comforted by - them? If so, please contact me in the comments here, or on facebook!

Thank you, Frances M. and Amelia B.!

A Surprise Gift: The Elation Foundation

Katie with her comforter, recovering from chemotherapy and surgery

At Katie's Comforters Guild, we are always grateful for gifts; your donations of time, talent, materials and funds enable us to create blankets and quilts which bring tangible comfort right into a child's hospital room. There are no words adequate to describe this gift, from both sides - giver and receiver - and I know this is true, as I have now been on both sides of the experience.

We use funds in order to be able to meet particular needs: sometimes we need funds to ship blankets or fabric; sometimes we need to buy materials. We have been in need of satin blanket binding for a while now. A kind wholesaler in Oregon has been our source, but that she is no longer able to sell it to us, and we are seeking another supplier from which to purchase satin binding. It is expensive, so buying it from retail stores simply doesn't make sense.

As I have said in the past, Katie's Comforters Guild functions on an "economy of grace;" just when we need something, it seems to appear. We received evidence of this economy of grace once again, in the form of a generous donation from The Elation Foundation. This 501(c)3 sent a check to us all the way from Utah. I am thankful to them for finding us - and for considering us worthy of their generosity. With their gift of $500, we can buy needed materials - especially satin blanket binding - to keep patients at Seattle Children's Hospital wrapped in comfort.

Thank you, Elation Foundation!

Gratitude for Gifts from Joanie R.

We recently received a surprise: the gift of six warm, soft, knitted blankets from a generous local donor named Joanie R. These are beautifully knitted with great precision and care; the colors are as soft as the yarn she used. The children who receive these will be wrapped in comfort and tender caring.

Thank you, Joanie!

Linda W. & Liberty Bay Books' Knitters

I just opened a bag and found these treasures inside. Linda W. has made a variety of quilts with her creativity which will delight each recipient in the hospital! Also included was a darling knitted blanket from the Liberty Bay Books' Knitting Group.

Check out the upper right-hand corner of this close-up photo and see what Linda included with the quilt:

a pair of ballet slippers, to match!
Slippers are always welcome in the hospital - what a great idea.

Linda is a talented quilter, and you can see that she has a real eye for design, color and pattern.
Thank you, Linda W. and Liberty Bay Books' Knitters!

The Fearless Quilters of Rolling Bay

The Fearless Quilters of Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church have made another generous donation to Seattle Children's Hospital through Katie's Comforters Guild. This time, they brought us 17 beautiful quilts in a variety of colors, patterns and sizes.

Isn't that a beautiful star on the left? And check out the adorable Raggedy Ann fabric on the right!

Glorious colors

 They make their own labels, with a loving message to the recipient.

 Look at the details on these quilts! The one on the right has flannel applique squares on it.

They even included soft, fluffy receiving blankets for babies (on the left, below)

Here is a closer look at the fish swimming across the squares in this quilt, surrounded by a watery blue border. I can imagine a patient who loves the outdoors being so delighted to receive this.

A special quilt was included in this batch, made from a pattern in a magazine. I believe the photo is going to be submitted to the magazine in which the pattern was found.

I delivered this batch of quilts to the hospital a couple of days after the Fearless Quilters donated them to our guild. That was the day on which we were part of a photo shoot on the Cancer Care Unit with nurses and a patient (more about that in a couple of months). It was a deeply moving privilege to see her face light up as she chose the blanket she wanted, and as she took it from my hands. The staff took care to tell me how much they love giving our quilts and blankets to the patients.

That was also the day in which I posed for a #strongagainstcancer photo, and met Macklemore while he was visiting patients on the Cancer Care Unit. (He told me that he has noticed our blankets on his visits, and we had a little chat about how our guild came to be. He was very kind.)
 
Thank you, Fearless Quilters, for your on-going support of Katie's Comforters Guild! We appreciate you. Your beautiful handiwork is delighting patients, families and staff.

Michelle (Mickie) and 11 New Quilts

Michelle (a.k.a. Mickie) is an avid quilter. She not only does her own quilting, she encourages others to join her and has organized gatherings and created a wonderful, simple pattern for those who want to make a quilt for our guild. If you'd like a copy of it, send a message to me and I will email it to you.

Mickie often donates her quilts to Seattle Children's Hospital through Katie's Comforters Guild. Last week, we received a message on facebook that she had made and delivered 11 new quilts to the hospital. She shared these photos (and gave permission for me to re-post):

Thank you so much for your support, Mickie! 
We are grateful to you and your family for all you do to bring comfort to patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

Cami's Fleece Blankets

Our dear friend and neighbor, Camille (a.k.a. Cami) is a faithful and generous supporter of Katie's Comforters Guild. She often makes trips to the fabric store, buys yards of fleece in a variety of fun patterns and colors, cuts fringe into them and then lets me know that they are ready to deliver. How grateful we are for her initiative and thoughtful generosity! Fleece blankets are lightweight, warm, washable, soft and cuddly.

If you don't sew, you might consider donating fleece fabric to our guild, or making blankets like Cami's. If you need design ideas, look on our sidebar here, or leave a message for me.

Here is Cami's latest batch of 11 fleece blankets (there is more than one in each pattern).

Thank you, Cami! We appreciate you and your gifts!

Lucile and Noble Donate AGAIN!

Lucile and Noble are our most steadfast, regular donors. I have never met a couple in their 90s with more energy, vim and vigor. They are so smart, hardworking and sharp that they inspire me with a fantastic example to follow - if I get to live into my 90s!

I stopped by their house on Monday to deliver the roll of batting which we purchased with Ellie and Phil's donation (see the posting below this one). When I did that, they donated 13 more blankets and quilts - 10 fleece and 3 quilts.

Here are the fleece blankets:

and here are the quilts.

Due to supply issues, we have not been able to help Lucile purchase satin blanket binding, so - ever-resourceful - she is making her own binding out of cotton! Check it out:

Thank you, Lucile and Noble! You are wonderful members of - and friends to - our Guild!

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!

Two Quilts from Shirley

Two beautiful new quilts were donated to our guild last week. They were made with care and artistry by Shirley F., and delivered to our guild's board member, Mary.

Those bright and cheerful fabrics are going to make a patient very happy!

These comic-book themes, combined with freedom symbols, will surely appeal to the "super-hero" in a young patient!

Thank you, Shirley, 

for sharing your time, talent and materials

with Katie's Comforters Guild! Your generosity will bring comfort to the patients who receive your quilts!

Mary's Gifts of Time, Talent and Blankets

Our Vice President, Mary, is always generous in sharing her time and talent with Katie's Comforters Guild. Mary is our "Gratitude Ambassadress" - the one who writes "thank you" notes for each contribution, and keeps records (via spreadsheet) of all donations made to the guild.

Mary also gives blankets to our guild, quietly and without fanfare. This week, she donated two bright, cheerful movie-themed fleece blankets to our guild.

Thank you, Mary! 

These blankets are going to be a great thrill to patients at 

Seattle Children's Hospital!

Why We Do It

Over the weekend, we received the most wonderful, affirming letter...

"Hello! I am writing to thank your organization, and specifically Lucille Nilsen (as referenced on my daughter's blanket tag) for the beautiful blanket we received during our stay at Seattle's Children's Hospital. We had a stressful morning in the ER at children's as our 9 month old, Olia struggled to maintain adequate oxygen levels and worked hard to breath as a result of contracting RSV. The decision was made by the team to admit her for observation and to continue to keep her on oxygen until she was more stable. My husband and I were exhausted, stressed, and worried by the time we finally arrived at our room. The first thing that I saw was this sweet blanket all made up for Olia in her hospital crib, just waiting for her. It brought a smile to our faces in an otherwise very stressful and trying time as parents. Olia immediately kicked her legs with excitement when we got her settled onto her colorful and soft blanket. We were fortunate to have a relatively uneventful stay, and only needed to stay for one full day and overnight as they took her off of the oxygen and her conditions made fairly rapid improvement.

"I just want to share our deepest gratitude with you, for all that you did for our family and continue to do all of the other families at Seattle Children's. That blanket, hand made with love and care, provided such comfort to our whole family. It was such a thoughtful touch that made our stressful experience a little bit easier to handle. Here are some pictures of Olia as she began feeling better at the hospital, and one of her sleeping in her portable crib at our parents house, we are visiting for the morning. This blanket will be a part of her entire childhood, a memory of someone who took the time to make our family's experience a little brighter. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. - Laura, Matt, and Olia S."

Included with the letter were these adorable photos of baby Olia with her quilt in the hospital:

and this one, after she was discharged, and doing well:

This letter illustrates why Katie's Comforters Guild exists, and why we do what we do. It also shows the power of comfort in each and every stitch of each and every quilt and blanket. It shows how important every donor and guild member is, and how much good Lucile and Noble do for our guild and the families we serve.

(That quilt is the same one which we picked up from Lucile & Noble just a week ago! You can see it at the top of the stack below.)

Thanks to Laura, Matt and Olia S.

 for permission to post their letter and photos, 

and to Lucile & Noble 

for their wonderful work!