Wednesday, March 27, 2024

A Fistful of Finishes

Quilts really fly through the pipeline when I have a few elves to help!

Today I have quite a few finished quilts to share.  There is a little bit of everything.



First, I will share some quilts made from or Happy Block drive.  We are still working away on those.

This Happy quilt is all about travelling the USA. It is the 66th quilt to be completed.




The backing is suer fun.  There is a small piece of fabric with all the national parks.  And the rest of the back is places in the PNW to visit.

This quilt measures 48" x 54".


Happy Quilt #67 has a school theme. Crayons, hand prints, science scissors - lots of fun things you would find in a classroom.  I didn't have to do much to finish this quilt.  a good friend sewed up the quilt top and Laura quilted it up and sewed the binding.



A fun Dick and Jane fabric for the back.  Not sure today's kids even know what this is.

This quilt is 48" square.


I was finally able to get this shark quilt top that Kristi sent in last year quilted.  Local quilter Cindy helped me out with the quilting.  And Chris was able to sew up the binding for me.  



Kristi had sent a smaller cut with fishes for the backing.  I knew I had to finally cut into my piranha fabric I have been hoarding for years.  Isn't it fantastic?!

This quilt measures about 40 x 48".


Kristi also sent in this fun quilt top.  The same trio worked on this one too.  Cindy did the quilting and Chris sewed the binding.  I appreciate everyone's help on these!



I was so happy to finally use this green chevron fabric that has been in my stash a really long time.  It was the perfect size for this quilt.

I think this quilt was 40 x 48" also.



Finally, check out this scrappy goodness.  Christine made this quilt top. and I sent it to local quilter Laura for quilting. (She even sewed on the binding for me too!)



It looks like even the back was made from leftovers.

This quilt measure 48" x 56".

I have a couple more log cabin finishes to share but I will wait until Friday to reveal those.

Thanks to all who contributed their time to help me get these past the finish line!


Sunday, March 24, 2024

Oh Scrap! : Log Cabin #13

 All I did this week was create scraps!

I had high hopes that I would find some time this week to sew some of my scraps.  

But that is not what happened.



I did finish up this lovely log cabin quilt.  It is the 13th quilt made from our last block drive.  I received a LOT of purple blocks so I have been making a ton of purple quilts.  
I decided to put these blocks on point.

Sue sent me this lovely purple floral fabric I used for the inset triangles.



I also used it for the backing and the binding.

This quilt measures 64" square.

I always have hope I will get to play in my scraps next week....Time will tell!


*********************************************

It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

  • This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
  • You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
  • If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
  • If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
  • This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
  • Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

Quilting is more fun than Housework



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter



Friday, March 22, 2024

Fun Finishes

The two finishes I am sharing today were made by others. I received the quilt tops almost a year ago but have just finally finished them off.


This first one was made by Kristi. I always love quilts that are a variation of a bear paw. I really should make one for myself one of these days!


I dug around in my stash and found some brown fabric for the backing and the binding.

This quilt measures about 45” square.



Sue sent this lovely sampler top all made from grunge fabric. It is so pretty! There are quite a few blocks I want to play with. Especially the bottom left one. 

There is also some pretty turquoise grunge on the back. Local quilter Terry quilted a fun fleur de lis pattern on it.

This quilt is about 60 x 72”.  

It might take me a bit to get the quilt tops you send but I do get to them eventually.  I really do appreciate all of your donations!

Enjoy your weekend!



 

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Let's Talk Shipping

Before we talk shipping, I want to share another Happy Block finish.  
Just so we have a pretty quilt to look at.


This is happy quilt #65 and it is all about dogs.  My friend Audrey helped me with this one.  She isn't a quilter, but she loves to lay out the blocks on the floor.  I think she did a great job!


On the back are some fun paw print and fun dog prints.  This quilt measures 48 x 56".


Now we can talk shipping...

I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs about shipping.  But I do receive lots of packages. And I see lots of freight charges that I would like to help you minimize.

1. Freight charges are usually first determined by the size of the package and then by the weight.  So try to ship using envelopes if you can.    Reuse some of those plastic or tyvex envelopes you receive in the mail.  If you are using a box, find one that is the exact size you need.  Just squoosh everything in there.  If you need to cut down the box a bit, do so.  Just use lots of tape to make it secure.

2.  If you are worried about wrinkling your blocks, I can always press them.  If you want, give them a spritz of starch and fold them.  If you stack your blocks up and then fold them as one, there are not going to be as many creases.  Also, rather than a zip lock bag, you can use clingwrap (please don't go crazy) to package it up with.  It will keep the water out and the blocks contained really well.

3. Save yourself time (and maybe some costs) by buying your postage on-line.  I like to use USPS Priority Service so things can be tracked.  I also like that I can use their packaging material (boxes and envelopes).  I have an account with them, and I think the freight is a bit cheaper than if I stand in line and buy the postage at the post office.  I can have them pick the package up at my door or just drop it off at the post office.  There is usually a place to skip the line and just drop it off.  

I have also been told about PirateShip.com for cheaper shipping rates.  I know a few of you already use this site.  You can compare USPS and UPS on the same screen.  Some of you may find one freight company is cheaper from your location.  I have not used this site but I did go check it out and it looks pretty easy to use.

4.  If you ship often and are worried about packages arriving safely, you might want to see if USPS Informed Delivery is available in your area.  Once you sign up, every day, you will receive an email with a photo of (almost) every piece of mail you are receiving and a list of packages arriving that day.  You can also click through the email to your account and see the status of your outgoing packages.  You will know if I received our package.

I use informed delivery every day.  I can see when one of you take a package to your post office with my address on it.  It shows up on my list.  It also shows up when you buy a label on-line.  I can then watch its location as it travels my way.  It is not always accurate but it is a pretty cool tool.

5.  Fill the box!  If you are sending a box, feel free to send off unwanted thread, orphan blocks, unloved fabric, project leftovers (scraps), and unused bindings.  Usually these added bits don't add anything to the cost of the freight but I can use them to make even more donation quilts.


So that is all I have. Hopefully there are some ideas to make your freight a little cheaper.  If you have anything else to add, leave a comment.

Thanks so much!



 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Oh Scrap! : String Blocks

A few posts back, I was saying that I was going to be one Veteran quilt short for the next hospital delivery.  Well, Wilma to the rescue!

Wilma had emailed me to ask if I could use some string blocks, Last week I received 30 string blocks that she had made in RWB.  It didn't take me long to sew them up and get them made into a quilt.



I really do love a good string quilt.  There are just so many wonderful prints in each block.



My friend Janet came over and organized all the fabric.  Then she decided she was going to pick the backing fabric out for this one.  I don't think she wanted me to mess up her nice stacks. 😂

This quilt measures 50 x 60".

A few other folks have asked if they can make string blocks from their scraps.  ABSOLUTELY!
I would love them all trimmed to 10.5" please.


*********************************************

It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

  • This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
  • You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
  • If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
  • If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
  • This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
  • Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

Quilting is more fun than Housework


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

                                  Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly




Happy National Quilting Month.  
Connecting Threads is having a sale with free shipping!



Friday, March 15, 2024

Some Friday Finishes

A few more finished quilts to share today.



This finish is another quilt top that was rescued from an estate sale by my neighbor.  It was all finished - just waiting to be quilted.  I am so happy it will now go on to make someone smile.



Dorothy had donated this pink leaf fabric.    It was perfect for the back!

This quilt measure about 62" square.



Another Happy Quilt crossed the finish line.  This one makes 64 completed quilts from this drive.
There are still many more to go!

This quilt is all about bicycles. One of my local friends sewed this one up for me.



Bikes and sunflowers (thanks Joan) on the back - such a fun combination!

This quilt measures 48 x 56".



Check out this cute quilt.  Kristi sent this to me to be quilted.  I handed it off to a local quilter Cindy and then passed it off to Chris who sewed on the binding for me.  I so appreciate all the help I am getting on all these quilts!

And a big thanks to my friend Janet who still came over to help me photograph quilts even though she was not feeling well.



I was able to find a couple pieces in my stash to make the backing.  On these smaller quilts, I try not to use my bigger cuts of fabric, so I try to make do with two cuts.

I currently have a huge stack of quilts waiting for the binding to be sewn.  So I bet I will have lots more to share next week!



I am starting to see some blocks arrive for the newest Veteran block drive.  I have one more (I think) log cabin top to sew up and then I will more onto these Churn Dash quilts.  If you are interested in making some blocks, you can read about them here.  This drive lasts until the end of May.  Last year we made 26 quilts - will we exceed that this year?

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!



Happy National Quilting Month.  
Connecting Threads is having a sale with free shipping!



 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Many Hands and Many Hearts

A few posts back, I said I had some exciting news to share.  Well, I am finally ready to reveal it.

When I started making these compassion quilts, I never dreamed it would grow as quickly as it has.  I was expecting to make about a half dozen quilts every few months. But we are now averaging about 40 quilts a month!

So I have decided to go ahead and become official and turn this into a not-for profit organization.  It is going to take some time and will be so much work. But I am ready with the help of others to do this.  

The hardest first step was coming up with a name.

I am going with.....Many Hands and Many Hearts
(I already bought the domain, but it is not published yet.)



I didn't want a post with no photos, so I thought sharing this quilt with you was perfect. I raided a friend's scraps and found a whole bunch of batik squares already cut to 6".  
Very quickly, a quilt top was made.


So back to Many Hands and Many Hearts.  I finally realized that we had reached a point where it really made sense to become official.  Even though you have been so generous with your block making and fabric donations, there still are a lot of costs associated with making this many quilts a month.  So having a team (board) to help me fundraise is becoming really necessary.  Financially, I cannot sustain this all by myself much longer.  Plus, I fully expect things to continue to grow. 

Soon I hope to have the website up and some labels printed with the logo for the quilts.  I just need to find someone to help me with all that.  I know it is all fairly simple but my days are pretty busy doing lots of other stuff!




I wanted to share this quilt today because Laura quilted in these pretty hearts.
This quilt measures 48" x 63".


Achieving all this will probably take about 6 to 9 months.  So I am really hoping to have everything done by the end of the year.  But once we have 501(c)(3) status, I will be able to do things like apply for the Give Back Box (which will save many of you a lot of money in freight). I can also use that status to get discounts on supplies and other items.

I did start up a GoFundMe to start fundraising for the attorney and governmental fees for accomplishing all of this.  I expect there will also be fees for organizing the website and such.

I will continue to keep all of you up to date on the progress.  All of you really built this by donating your hands and your hearts to make it what is today.  I really do appreciate all of you!

If you want to read more about this, you can check out the Many Hands and Many Hearts page.  There you will find links to all of the past block drives along with the current one.  There are also other ways you can help out.

Oh, and I did set up a new Instagram account where I will be sharing more information and quilt photos.
You will find it at https://www.instagram.com/manyhandsandmanyhearts/.

Hope you are having a fantastic week!



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