Quilts for Kids

     I finished my last quilt of the summer today, washed it and packed it up for shipping off to the local chapter of Quilts for Kids. It's a smaller I Spy made with the leftovers from my son's quilt, I had cut extra pieces planning to make this. I threw it over another quilt which is hanging in my living room and tucked it in to make it stay for the photo, which makes it appear somewhat distorted, but in reality it isn't.

    It's always a great feeling to finish a quilt, but this one was bittersweet since it will be a long time till I get to make another with school starting next week!

Special Olympics Scarf

 Long story, but the scarves I was making in the Michigan colors for the Special Olympics which I posted about here and here were ruined in my home disaster last summer. When I contacted Special Olympics, I was told they had enough of those and that I should knit using the National colors. So I managed to get one scarf done in time and mailed it today on my way home from school. Hope it makes a special athlete happy!

It's In The Mail

I finally had a break to get out of the house and mail in the package containing the Quilts For Kids kit along with a quilt from my stash. Fortunately I had finished both quilts before my home disaster and they were in a room that was undamaged. So it was just a matter of finding a time when the post office was open and no work was being done on my home. 

It's funny that both quilts ended up with a cat theme. I picked out the fabrics for Wild Cats from my stash before I received the kit for Sun Cats.  I machine quilted this one with meandering also. I used a bright textured yellow for the backing fabric. It crinkled up nicely after washing.

 Here's a look-

                                     

And a closer view-

Even though my machine quilting is less than perfect, I know how much my son would have loved receiving one of these when he was going through cancer treatment, so I really hope they bring a little joy to someone.

One Down, One To Go

I finished the Quilts for Kids kit that was sent to me, I used a low loft cotton/poly batting per their directions and I machine quilted it with just meandering. The backing fabric they had in the kit would have just looked hideous rolled to the front and used to bind the quilt. Luckily, I had some lime green left from the other quilt I am making to go along with this one, and it was a perfect match. So the binding problem was solved.

Here's the front of   "Sun Cats"-

And here's the back-

I really like the cat fabric they chose for the front, but I have to admit I'm not crazy about the back. I hope some little girl likes it.

The fabric for the other quilt is from my stash, and I like it better. It seems to me a little more boyish, so maybe my quilts will go to a girl and a boy? Anyway, here's the other one, pin basted and waiting to be machine quilted.

WIP Updates

Here's what I've been working on today, not bad for a morning's progress. I was up at 3:45 this morning in order to take my hubby's aunt for her cataract surgery. So I started scarf number three for the special olympics while I sat in the hospital waiting room. All went smoothly and she is at home now.

 I like to keep a small project going to take with me whenever I know I'll have to wait. I get very cranky if I don't have something to work on while waiting. And I get nervous once I've finished something, if I don't have another project in queue.

 It has been too hot to do much outside, so I've had a chance to get some sewing done on the "quilts for kids" kit. The top is all pieced,  just waiting for me to baste the layers and then machine quilt it. I haven't decided yet how I am going to quilt it.  Pink is not my color, but I think the cat fabric is very cute and I'm sure some little girl will love it.

 Tommorrow, when I'm not so tired, I hope to browse around the 'net at some quilting ideas for this.

Quilts for Kids

When reading the blogs entered  in the Blogger's Quilt Festival back in May,  I came across a number of bloggers who had made quilts for Quilts For Kids.  This organization gives handmade quilts to kids in the hospital with life threatening illnesses such as cancer, and to children who have suffered abuse.
If you contact them, they will send you a free kit with all of the pieces precut, directions included. You need to supply the batting, construct the quilt per their directions and mail it back to them. They ask that you also donate a quilt of your own, so that more children can recieve one.

The photo above shows the kit I recieved this week. Here's another shot-

There are local chapters as well, so the quilts you make can go to your own community. I discovered that my local chapter donates quilts to the hospital where my son was treated for cancer when he was little, so this feels really right to me. After I finish the kit sent to me and mail it back to the national group, I will be making a few for our local chapter.

Summer Knitting For A Good Cause

It's been unseasonably cold here, but I know it will soon be too hot to continue handquilting the queen size quilt I've been working on. So I've been thinking about my summer project.

There are so many bad things going on in the world today, including the devastation of the gulf and the poisoning of so much wildlife, that it is easy to let them get me down. Helping someone else even just a little always makes me feel better. So I decided that my summer knitting project will be for a good cause.
 I then found out that the Special Olympics group in my area is asking for scarf donations for their Winter 2011 games.  Each participant of the winter games will recieve a hand knit or crocheted scarf. Perfect! These special folks put their heart and soul into everything they do, and I feel honored to be able to contribute.  This is a great project for the warm months and is portable, so I can take it everywhere. Now I know what I'll be knitting all summer:)

The one I started in the photo above is knit using the fibonacci sequence. I will post my progress as I go.

They can use a lot of scarves, so if you'd like to help out, I've posted the info. I recieved from them below. 

Scarf Project for Special Olympics Michigan Winter Games

Scarf Project Deadline January 15, 2011

Yarn: Coats and Clark Red Heart Soft Yarn #9518 Teal

Yarn: Coat and Clark Red Heart Soft Yarn #9925 Really Red

These are the official colors of the Special Olympics Michigan.

The requirements for the scarves are that they are hand knit or crocheted using a combination of the above two colors. Sizes for the scarves are 6 inches wide and 50 to 60 inches in length. You may use any pattern.

A Sample Pattern

Main Color (MC) 1 skein, Contrasting Color (CC) 1 skein, Size 8 needles straight or

28” circular needle. With MC cast on 220 or 200 or 180 stitches, *With MC Knit 4 rows, with MC knit 4 rows, repeat from * 8 rows 4 more times. With MC Knit 3 rows, bind off all stitches. Finish narrow ends with 5 one pompoms on each end or a one inch fringe on each end.

Please send or deliver completed scarves to:

Special Olympics Michigan 
3800 Hamlin Road
Auburn Hills, MI 48326

or

Virginia Schultz
21 North Main Street
Clarkston, MI 48346

Any questions 11 am to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday 248-625-3122

We need 2500 Scarves-Start Knitting. Yarn Available thru Coats and Clark Website

Thank you for your help in helping our Special Olympians look fantastic! The games are February 2-4 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City!!!!