Facebook and Instagram Posts

Hop on over to our Facebook page to see the heirloom-quality quilts posted by guild member Amanda W. She takes incredible care over each one and the results are impressive! She also posts on her Instagram page as "meander." Her quilts are sure to delight each recipient and family. Thank you, Amanda!

Lots of Good News!

We have a great deal of good news to share with you. So much generosity has come to Seattle Children's Hospital through donations to Katie's Comforters Guild!

First of all, Charlotte B. kindly created six quilts and delivered them to Seattle Children's Hospital for our guild. Thank you, Charlotte!

Michelle F. gathered quilts from a variety of sources and delivered them to the hospital with the help of her son, Owen. Michelle is a member of our guild, and both of her sons are junior members. She teaches others to quilt, and shares fabric to help them get started with charitable sewing and giving. We love this family's community involvement and commitment to giving back! Mickie donated quilts from her family, as well as from a young lady named Skyler, and friends Margie, Brenda and Kristin.

Skyler's stack

One of Margie's quilts

Margie's applique work - stunning!

Kristin wrote the following: " I live in Seattle near Children's and quilt weekly with a group of women. I saw a post a couple years ago from Mickie Geri Farris about Katie's Comforter Guild, and love the idea. The quilt this time was a world map and I thought that a kiddo might plan some world travels during their stay."

Thank you, Mickie, Owen, Luke, Margie, Kristin and Skyler! We are so grateful for your help and generosity!

Fabric Traditions has done it again, sending us a box of professional sports team fabric in cotton and flannel. If you would like to make a sports-themed quilt for patients at Seattle Children's Hospital, please let me know and I will find a way to get the fabric to you! Regardless of which teams you might favor, it's possible to make a truly wonderful quilt by combining the fabrics. The only thing they ask in return is that we send photos of what is made with their fabric - a fun request to fulfill! Thank you, Annette S. and Fabric Traditions!

I just received a donation from Angela and her daughter Olivia. They contributed three beautifully-knitted and two lovingly hand-knotted fleece blankets. These will bring comfort and cheer to patients!  Thank you, Angela and Olivia!

Finally, we took a trip to Lucile's house to pick up the latest batch of 56 pillowcases which she made for patients, so they will have a personal touch, rather than hospital linens! Thank you, Lucile - we appreciate you and all that you do!
Katie's Comforters Guild has so much for which to be grateful - and we are! All of our donors and members are treasured and appreciated.

The Sew-n-Sews' Latest Bounty

Katie's Comforters Guild is grateful for all of our friends and supporters, whether they are guild members or not. The Sew-n-Sews are a wonderful combination of both. They meet once a month to sew for patients at Seattle Children's Hospital, and it is because of guild member Sue H. that we are blessed with this relationship. Sue was our original contact, who introduced us to her friends. Thank you, Sue!

Having a regular group meeting date makes it easy to plan (and not to miss) a sewing gathering. There is fellowship and fun in meeting around a craft table and sharing love and care for others in need. The Sew-n-Sews met recently, and produced a fabulous new batch of baby blankets and quilts.

We are deeply grateful for your dedication and generosity, Sew-n-Sews - thank you!

Bonnie's Beautiful Handiwork

Bonnie came over to deliver seven gorgeous quilts last week. Her designs are expertly crafted, including free-form quilting stitches. Bonnie dyes many of her own fabric pieces, so her work is one-of-a-kind, from start to finish!

Here she is with her latest batch:

Baseball quilts, using a diamond motif and diamond-patterned flannel for backing

These were made using some of Bonnie's own fabric designs

Close-up of her original fabrics and GORGEOUS quilting stitches

More beautiful stitching...

...and more

...a spiral

...and a square spiral.

Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing your gifts with Katie's Comforters Guild! These quilts are treasures, and will bless the patients who receive them with beauty, artistry and cheer.

Many Hands Make Light Work (and Joy-Filled Hearts)

A guest post from our wonderful Vice President, Mary Ryan:

"Who remembers the scene in Walt Disney's "Cinderella" where all her beloved little animal friends work together to make quick and cheerful work of sewing the most beautiful ball gown for their friend Cinderella from miscellaneous ribbons and remnants? I recently got to witness and even participate in the magic of just this sort of experience when our dear friends, Sue H., Dawn K., Cindy B., and Becky M. all gathered to use their special sewing talents to transform stacks of donated flannel (a majority from our long-time member Lucile N.) into cute and cuddly receiving blankets for the babies at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"These big-hearted ladies joyfully made quick work of matching, cutting, and stitching ten sweet baby blankets in just a few hours. And to top it off, they plan to make sewing for Katie's Comforters Guild a monthly event.

"Sue, Dawn, Cindy, and Becky, thanks so very much for your enthusiasm, generous spirit, and the treasured gifts you share. You are the best "magical" helpers our guild could ever imagine. We are blessed.  - Mary"

And we are blessed to have Mary (pictured in the center of the photo) as our Vice President! We love you, Mary!

Briana & St. Olaf's Youth Group, Karol & Nadine Donate Quilts and Blankets

Recently, we've been blessed with some wonderful donations. It's time to say "Thank you!"

Briana Ryan and the youth group of St. Olaf's Catholic Church made these four bright, cheerful fleece blankets:

Thank you, Briana and St. Olaf's Youth Group!

Our cousin, Karol, lives in Scotland, but gets to come home to visit during the year. Karol is a quilter and her mom (Auntie Nadine) is a knitter, who also crochets. Karol made these two beauties:

and her mom crocheted these four cozy blankets:

Thank you Karol and Auntie Nadine! 

All of these gifts will bring warmth and comfort to children and families who are facing hospitalization. This is deeply appreciated by the patients and families, and by the hospital staff!

8 Quilts from Bonnie P.

On Monday, Bonnie P. stopped by with eight beautiful new quilts to donate. Bonnie is a talented creator of intricate quilts, and she even dyes some of her own fabric! I persuaded her to sit for a few photos with her gorgeous handiwork:

(please ignore the holiday-preparation  chaos behind her)

Thank you, Bonnie, for your faithful support of, and membership in our guild!

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!

A Stash of Fleece, Transformed

It's a thrill to share with you another story of fabric which is turned into comfort. You might recall this posting from January, 2015, in which a kind-hearted donor (Kim) offered and delivered to us her generous stash of polar fleece.

This week, I received a letter from our guild member, Bethany (of Yelm Middle School), telling me that she, her students and a colleague have turned that fleece into 12 blankets - and added two quilts to the mix. Bethany wrote:

...[I] delivered 12 fleece blankets and 2 quilts to Children's yesterday via my sister. The fleece blankets were made by YMS students and were a combination of fabric that you provided and also donated by Jen Nelson.  The greener quilt was made with some of the fabric you provided me...[please add] our gratitude to those who donated the fleece and fabric that made it possible to make the blankets.

 When you donate whatever you have - time, talent, treasure or materials - you become part of the "economy of grace" in which we operate. We'd love to have you join us! Kim's fleece and Bethany's community came together - though they haven't met - through Katie's Comforters Guild. Now, their gifts are on the way to comforting 12 patients at Seattle Children's Hospital!

Thank you, Kim, Bethany, Jen and 

Yelm Middle School students!

Lucile & Mickie: 28 New Blankets and Quilts

I went up north to visit Lucile this week. You may recall that her beloved husband, Noble, passed away recently. Lucile has been busy in her home, as well as organizing Noble's workshop. A family of raccoons had made made their nest in the workshop's attic, and had to be dealt with, but none of that stopped our Lucile from donating 10 new fleece blankets! She had them waiting by the front door for me. She is a woman to admire.  
Thank you, Lucile - we are grateful to you!

We received a note on facebook from our friend Michelle Farris, with photographs, letting us know that she and a group of quilters in Seattle and Lynden had made 18 gorgeous new quilts and delivered them to Seattle Children's Hospital for our guild. The photos below were taken by Michelle:




Note the awesome skateboard design in the middle photograph!

Thank you, Michelle, for continuing to inspire and organize quilting groups to wrap patients in comfort! We appreciate you!