The joy of 5 inch squares.

Last year I had a brief period of time when I had some back issues that meant that sitting was not a fun thing to do. I decided that, seeing I could not sit at a sewing machine, I would cut fabric. For weeks I cut 5 inch squares out of my scraps and stash. The end result was hundreds and hundreds of 5 inch squares. Now all I had to do was find ways to use them.

My first step was to make a pile of simple baby quilts for Project Linus which played with colour (please excuse the dodgy i-phone photos).

This year I have got a little more creative with the squares, while still keeping it simple. First I used the squares as the basis for my wonky star quilt which you can see here. I then used the left over bits and pieces of that quilt (plus some left over scrappy white squares) to make this.

The 5 inch squares were used for the center pieces of the block, the background of the quilt plus I cut a number of the squares diagonally and used these triangles to make the star points. Wonky star quilts really are so ridiculously easy.

The latest quilt I used my 5 inch squares on is my extra-large granny square quilt, which I have just finished.

With this quilt I just lay the blocks down diagonally to make the pattern, sewed the blocks together then trimmed the extra edges and it was ready to go. Again ridiculously easy.

With both these quilts I did a simple straight quilting, running down both sides of the “ditch”.

The backing for both these quilts is from Ikea. The granny squares got the most fabulous fun lips fabric as it’s back (yes the photo is upside down!)

And for the wonky stars I went with a simple black & white music note fabric.

What I love about Ikea fabrics is their width. You can easily piece larger kids quilts with one piece of fabric plus their prints are really fun. Both these quilts are now finally finished and ready for delivery this month to Project Linus.

29Mar2013

35,000 and counting

Posted in Project Linus by wombatquilts

Last Thursday our chapter of Project Linus processed/bundled it’s 35,000th blanket. A wonderful achievement that was appropriately celebrated.

An amazing group of women and men from Portland and Vancouver have worked hard to make, quilt, mend and label 17,500 quilts, 10,500 fleece blankets and 7,000 afghans since 2001. You can see some of the quilts and hear some of the stories about blanket recipients at the chapter site.

This Project Linus chapter is the third one I have been involved in. I started making Project Linus quilts in 1999, when my sister was a nurse at the local Children’s hospital. At the time there was no Project Linus in Brisbane, Australia, so we set up a chapter. At first there was just me and my quilts, but it slowly built, with the tireless effort of my sister, to deliver to all the major hospitals in Brisbane. Working with my sister to supply blankets I got to see and hear first hand how much my blankets were appreciated.

When I moved to Bristol England in 2001 I started making blankets for the local Project Linus Chapter in Bath, and also to for the Royal Bristol Children’s Hospital. I was working for Aardman Animation, who had a strong connection with the Children’s hospital through the Wallace & Gromit foundation. Again I got to see first hand how my quilts were impacting.

Now each month I bundle up my quilts, not quite knowing where they are headed. They are made with love and sent off into the world where I hope they will bring some kind of comfort. I can imagine it is hard for some people to spend so much time making a quilt – a mini work of art – and then ship it off, not knowing where it will end up and if it will be loved or cherished. I am so lucky to have had such a personal connection to the process at the beginning of my Project Linus adventure. Having seen first hand the impact a quilt can make I know all my time and effort will help someone, somewhere.

18Nov2012

Project Linus

Posted in Project Linus by wombatquilts

Thursday was the monthly meeting of the Portland chapter of Project Linus. Project Linus is a volunteer non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gift of new handmade blankets, afghans and quilts. If you would like know more visit the official site at www.projectlinus.org.

Once a month we gather to process the quilts that have come in… usually between 250 and 350. We sort, check, label and fold.

Some finished blankets ready for delivery.

This month I delivered 8 quilts to the chapter, then spent time at the folding table. These are the quilts I dropped off……

There is always lots of laughter and fun at these meetings. It is an amazing group of women and men that give up their time to help this cause. We hear about where the quilts are going, are read thank you notes that have come in, we share patterns, swap fabric and generally have a jolly time.

At the end of this afternoon we had processed 375 quilts and blankets. Over a hundred of them are heading to the East Coast to kids affected by the recent Sandy Storm. A number of quilts are heading to a local women’s shelter and we had a collection of Christmas quilts that are going to the local children’s hospital for the holiday season. The rest will go out to a variety of organizations around Portland.

I am now off to start my next quilt, which will no doubt end up being processed at the December meeting.