Blankets & Stuffed Toys from Jaimee

We received a note on facebook from Jaimee M., with this photo:

She has made (and is sending to the hospital) six beautiful blankets and 14 adorable stuffed toys! We're admiring her creativity, skill and imagination. Those cute and cuddly gifts are sure to cheer up a crowd of sick children.

Thank you, Jaimee!

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!

A Fleece Experiment

Yesterday, I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought enough fleece to make a few blankets. I have been wanting to try an experiment.

When making fleece blankets, we typically cut a square out of each corner before we cut the fringe into the blanket. I don't like to waste fabric, so I have saved a batch of those fleece corner squares (friends like Cami have also saved and donated them), and I have been thinking of ways to use them.

Tie-dyed fleece with corner squares from other fleece blankets

Today, I sewed some of them onto blue tie-dyed fleece, using a zigzag stitch around all four sides of the squares. I chose colors that would coordinate with the blue, and give it a little bit more "pizzazz." I made two of them, using different-colored squares for each.

What do you think of the finished product? 

Have you ever used your leftover fleece in this way?

A Package from Colorado

We miss our guild's friend Sally T. of the Fearless Quilters on Bainbridge Island, who moved to Colorado to be near her family. We understand - and we're happy for Sally and her family - but we miss sorting fabric and chatting together, as well as seeing her clever, creative quilt designs.

It was a so nice to receive a message from Sally, telling me to be on the lookout for a package she was sending. When it arrived, I was in for a real treat- and now, you are, too. Here is what she sent, made with fabric that we donated to her group, the Fearless Quilters of Rolling Bay:

It's amazing what she was able to create with all of those varied pieces! These quilts are so cheerful and original - the patients are going to treasure them.

Thank you for making and sending these two beautiful works of art, Sally!

Lucile's New Designs: Strips

Lucile & Noble came down last week with another batch of 28 beautiful quilts and fleece blankets. She accomplished all of this in spite of some nagging back/leg pain and her sewing machine breaking down. (If anyone out there has any contacts in the sewing machine world, I would love to see Lucile get a replacement machine!)

Lucile has been working in some new patterns, using smaller pieces and creating strip-quilts. They are gorgeous and FUN.

Look at the symmetry and variety of color

 of pattern

and theme. Here are some of her other designs...

What happiness, comfort and visual enjoyment these 28 quilts and blankets will bring to patients who are in the hospital!

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

Baker's Dozen from Bonnie P.

Katie's Comforters Guild member Bonnie P. stopped by today to drop off 12 new quilts (plus one which needed its binding finished - Bonnie also did this for us). The artistry in her quilting is a wonder to behold. Every time she brings a new batch, the quality and creativity of her quilts makes me want to sit and watch her work!

Chevrons made from scraps on the left; Hawaiian ladies on the right.

 Bonnie is especially talented at creating her own free-motion quilting stitches. If you click on the photos, you can see the tone-on-tone designs she drew and then stitched to coordinate with the theme of the quilts (Hawaiian flowers on the pink background at right).

 The quilt on the left features a "counting" theme, with numbers 1 - 9 on the front, and 10 on the back. The quilt on the right has a golf theme.

 The scrap quilt on the right makes me think of the sea. The citrus theme on the left is so cheerful!

 Purple scrap quilt on the left; Mary Engelbreit quilt on the right.

Bonnie with her "Clifford the Big Red Dog" quilt at left and "Nascar" (featuring Dale Earnhardt, Jr.) on the right.

"Deer" theme on the left and "Jungle Tiger" on the right. Check out the background stitches in the light green (at right).

Thank you, Bonnie! 

We deeply appreciate your artistry and generosity!

32 Gifts from Lucile & Noble

Lucile & Noble dropped off 32 new quilts and fleece blankets last week. Her creativity and work ethic never cease to amaze and inspire me!

Here is a sampling of the 32:

Lucile is experienced enough to be able to make her fabric cuts and seams straight and true, while setting her sense of color and joy free to make new creations, day after day, week after week, year after year. She has made THOUSANDS of quilts for charity in her 90+ years, yet she continues to come up with new combinations.

Thank you, Lucile & Noble!

New Quilts from Bonnie P.

Look at what we received this week, from guild member Bonnie P.:

Wrapped up like a gift, which it is!

 The variety of colors, patterns and textures is wonderful!

Bonnie has an eye for striking details.

 For example, doesn't most everyone like frogs?

Bonnie created these frog patches and sewed them onto the quilts.

Some people tell me that they have been encouraged by frogs as a reminder to F.R.O.G. (forever/fully rely on God).

 And look at this heart-shaped quilting detail on the pink quilt. It is going to make a little girl's heart so happy!

Note the home-made label by Bonnie, using our guild's business card.

Very clever!

One of my favorite quilts, using donated materials from Better-Bilt Furniture! Bonnie is our first guild member to try using these 100% cotton fabric samples, and what beautiful results!

If you'd like to try this yourself, please let me know and I will give you what we have. Better-Bilt is a custom furniture company in Seattle that donates gorgeous fabric samples to us. The machine washable ones can be used in making quilts.

Thank you, Bonnie!

Thank you, Better-Bilt Furniture!