Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Two more Boo-Boo Kids quilts

We got two more wonderful Boo-Boo Kids quilts on the theme Lyrics for Linus. This adorable quilt was made by Debbi D.
Her mother, Marge P, who sews the labels on all our blanket donations, created this very cute quilt with a musical theme. Thank you!

Make A Blanket Day at Sew Sassy

Make A Blanket Day was so much fun! The back room at Sew Sasy was full all day long with guild and community members who were busy making blankets for Project Linus. We made enough blocks to make several heartstrings quilts, like the one below, which we recently made at a worknight. We worked on lots of other projects, too.

Here you can see some guild members busy stitching away. In this photo are Diane M, Mary M, Glennys M, Diane D, and Alma M.
At 2:00 we had the drawing for the raffle quilt, which raised $1024 for Project Linus. We are so pleased! Pictured below is the lucky winner with the raffle quilt.

Lots more quilts!

In the last week or so we've received many Linus donations from guild members. Here's a very cute panel that was bordered with a bright green fabric.
This cuddly flannel quilt was tied rather than quilted, always an option. It was very cleverly tied, too -- red yarn was tied over the red bowties the frogs are wearing!
Here's a colorful quilt with lots of color and movement to hold a child's interest.
Becky G. quilted this bright orange quilt. The back has a cheery "make a wish" print. Becky also put the binding on one of the prequilted Barbie panels that we've already shown. Thanks, Becky!
Sorry, I can't get this photo to turn upright. Use those neck muscles to turn your head and take a look at this cute panel quilt.
We received two more jar quilts from Stephanie -- so much fun to look at! Click the photo to enlarge it and see what's in each jar. Thanks, Stephanie, and thanks to Tom for quilting these and Martha for binding them.

This fun sports quilt is from a project Donna R put together for guild members. Squares are stacked and cut, then reassembled using pieces from the various stacked squares. Cute!
If I did not mention your name and you contributed to any of these quilts, please let me know. Often I pick up quilts that have been left with others and I just don't know everyone who put time, effort, and love into making this wonderful blankets.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Mumbo Gumbo and a Worknight WIP

Here it is -- the wild and crazy Mumbo Gumbo quilt that so many of you contributed to!

The committee put together the string blocks pieced by guild members, and someone from the Needle and I in Rantoul quilted it for us. It's such a fun quilt -- thank you everyone for your efforts!

And here's a work-in-progress from last night's worknight at Sew Sassy.

Diane D designed this quilt with the help of Debbi D and Michelle G, and took it home to start on the layout -- you can see it's not done yet!. If you recognize the border, it's because it uses the extras (the quick corner remnants) from the zig zag blocks made by guild members. Waste not, want not! It's so exciting to see the creativity that quilters have when they just have bits and pieces to work with.

Diane L's great quilts

Diane L. donated two serged fleece preemie blankets (not shown) and 3 adorable quilts. Thank you so much, Diane! This I Spy/Jar quilt will provide lots of entertainment for a child checking out the contents of each jar.
This colorful quilt features a fish fabric and a very snazzy border.
Lots of wild animals and fun fabrics will keep a child cozy and happy under this quilt.

Grandma Bunny donates 7 quilts!

Grandma Bunny donates many quilts to Project Linus -- all very bright and child friendly, and each one personalized with a cheery saying and her signature on the label. This year Grandma Bunny donated a Boo Boo Kids quilt (part of a fundraising project for the Central Illinois Chapter) on the Lyrics for Linus theme.
Here's a quilt for a cat lover!

And a King Kong quilt for a lucky child.

This animal quilt makes great use of zebra fabric in the borders.
The athletic shoes in this quilt will inspire some child to get up and go!
This whole cloth quilt uses delightful fabric and is, as always, beautifully quilted.

The next two quilts Grandma Bunny donated make use of star blocks that she combined with children's fabric -- they are winners! Don't forget to put your own orphan blocks to good use.

Thank you so much, Grandma Bunny! Your loving donations are bringing comfort to many children.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Four from Fran

Fran H. donated four fabulous children's quilts, all made with bright, child-friendly fabrics. This one is a puzzle quilt.This pattern looks complicated, but Fran says it's easy to piece. There's lots of interest in the design as well s in the novelty fabrics.
This cute quilt is made from a pattern in the book Sunshine Quilts. It makes great use of a novelty fabric that has several areas of interest because different sections of the fabric are fussy cut and put into frames. Click the photo for a closer look.
This quilt provides a wonderful way to use up scrap fabrics. Solid blocks of novelty prints are alternated with blocks pieced from strips. It's a great I Spy for a child!
Thanks so much, Fran, the quilts are terrific!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Boo Boo Kids quilts

Boo Boo Kids quilts are a major fundraiser for Project Linus. Each year the entries are displayed at Hickory Point Mall in Forsythe for the week before Make A Blanket Day and visitors pay to vote for their favorites. There are so many wonderful ones that it's hard not to vote for them all! So far, we have 3 donations from our guild (more are coming). This year's theme is "Lyrics for Linus" and the black print with bright instruments is the required fabric.

Donna R. donated this "When You Wish Upon A Star" quilt. Two of the stars use the theme fabric, and the black and yellow background fabrics have star sayings swirled throughout. (As always, click on a photo to enlarge it for a closer look.) It's a great quilt, Donna!

Kim Ly. always donates creative quilts to Linus. She says this was easy to piece, but the finished look is dynamite. Thanks so much, Kim!
Mary S. used her embroidery machine to make some crazy frogs playing musical instruments. A close-up look at this is definitely worth it. The theme fabric is in the inner border. Nice quilt, Mary!

A new quilter!

We always have more people who like to piece quilts than who like to quilt them, but we now have a new quilter who much prefers quilting! Hoorah! Tom, Elaine G.'s husband, recently took up quilting and has volunteered to quilt some Project Linus quilts. Here's his first donation, a printed panel that he quilted so beautifully that it actually looks pieced! Thank you so much, Tom! We look forward to your help in the future!

January donations

We had some great quilts come in this January! Here's a simple flannel panel that was bordered and quilted, made from a committee kit.
This cute panel was not big enough, but the addition of borders, sashing, and some four-patches did the trick! The back was made using a donated map, a perfect match for the front. Kathy from the Needle and I generously donated her talents to quilt this (and two other Linus quilts). Thank you!

This kit quilt was pieced by Marilyn N's daughter Rosemary and quilted by Marilyn. It's a great quilt for a teenage boy -- we don't get enough of those. Thanks, Rosemary and Marilyn!
This raggedy patch fleece quilt was made during a Linus worknight at Sew Sassy. Karen O. did the piecing and Tina J. provided the kit.
This string quilt is also from our worknights. Donna R. provided the green strips and muslin foundations, and everyone stripped piece using donated fabrics from our stash. Whenever we have little bits of fabric leftover, they go into our strip bin and get added to one of these quilts.
Here's another quilt from a committee kit, a cheery flannel rail fence for a baby.
Here's a bright and cheery squares quilt that soon will be well-loved by a child.
Here's another favorite that has become a committee stand-by. We make 9-patches from donated fabric that isn't children's fabric, and then turn it into a child's quilt by appliqueing a dog or cat on it.
This quilt is from a kit -- a center panel bordered by a 9-patch checkerboard.
Marion R. made this quilt from zingy, bright fabrics -- wow! It was on display in Sew Sassy, and then she donated it to Linus. Thanks, Marion!
Here's a very cute, scrappy quilt with an adorable animal-print border.
This attic windows kit, put together by Charlene B, has a different group of animals in each window -- everything from a sunbathing hippo to creepy crawly bugs. The back is a bright animal print. Thanks, Charlene!
Hancock's in Champaign gave Mary B. a large amount of pre-quilted fabric to donate to Linus. At our recent workday, we cut up the fabric into 6 quilts and cut binding for them all. Donna finished off this one. Thanks!

More quilts from fall 2007

Fun, crazy lizards and bright colors make this a great Linus quilt! If you have enough leftover kids' print from a project to make a few squares, consider combining it with other fabrics in your stash to make a quick, cute quilt to donate.
Here's a bright four-patch alternating with an adorable children's fabric.
This adorable quilt has a sports theme and Illini colors -- a real treasure for some Illinois child. Go team! And thank you Marge P. for making this quilt for Linus.
Dorothy B. donated this squares-on-point quilt. The border is a star fabric, and the back is pieced from a couple red star fabrics. Thanks!
This is an awesome quilt and I don't know who donated it. It's a great I Spy that uses scraps of lots of children's prints. Wonderful!
Here's a very cheery strip quilt with some hot-colored stripes and animal prints. Very nice!

This absolutely charming quilt is made from 30's prints -- such a lovely quilt!
What a cute watering can quilt, with bright cans in a garden of bright flowers.
And here's a crazy cut quilt with whacky violets (or are they pansies?). What a fun quilt to make, and what a wonderful quilt to receive!
A squares quilt based on a child-friend fabric with coordinating plain squares. This quilt is tied rather than quilted. If you don't have the time to quilt, or don't want or like that part of the process, please consider donating a tied quilt. They are every bit as much appreciated!
A great big THANK YOU to everyone who donated a quilt!