Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Sweet Treat bags and donation quilts

If you've ever been to a major quilt show, you know what Sweet Treats are. They are yummy fat quarter bundles of 8 coordinating fabrics. I don't usually buy bundles because I like to pick my own fabrics, but it's a great way to get a group of fabrics that are not the sort of thing you normally buy. It allows you to sample a whole new color scheme, or do something thematic. I picked up a Sweet Treat of animal skin prints in Chicago last year, and my friend G, who also loves Sweet Treats, suggested we make bags from them. For Christmas she gave me a copy of M'Liss Rae Hawley's 101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags.
This terrible photo shows the beginning of one -- the big center panel is the bottom, and when folded the top and bottom pieces become the two sides. I goofed. The two B&W prints should be on opposite sides so that they won't be next to each other in the finished bag. I have a little unstitching to do...

I have a few more MLK Service Day links for you. Seems like many of you spent some time working on donation quilts that day!

Sara made a bright squares quilt to donate, and kept working right through inauguration day!
Susan finished another quilt for Project Linus -- wow!
Mary, who makes makes most of her quilts for charity, worked with us on MLK day and that evening quilted a cute penguin quilt that her mom had made to donate.
Michele worked with leftovers from one quilt to turn them into another donation quilt.
Alycia makes so many wonderful Quilts of Valor that stitching on MLK day was much like any other quilting day!

It's not my place to thank these quilters for what they've done, but I am so glad they participated and I know their efforts are greatly appreciated by many.

7 comments:

laura west kong said...

can't wait to see how the bag turns out. it looks great so far! =(^_^)=

Colleen formerly of South Africa said...

I really like the fabrics in the bag.... really looking forward to the finished one.

Libby said...

I had never heard of "Sweet Treats," but they sound fun.

It's great to see everyone's projects from MLK day - thanks for sharing.

Finn said...

Hi Cheri, I didn't know you were doing the service day bit, but I'm still happy to report I participated anyway *VBS* Betsy and I both receive the update from Barack Obama.com and the links for service possibilities in our area were listed there.
Betsy and DH drove to Eau Claire, WI and worked the lunch shift at a community outreach meal center. From there they followed his suggestion to donate blood. Both did.
I'm not able to do either of those things for various health reasons, but I spent the day pinning and tying a donation quilt *VBS*. What fun that you posted about donating service and so many great links. Let's get to work...right? *VBS* Big hugs, Finn

Lisa said...

Hi Cheri, your idea of making bags from fat quarter bundles is a great idea. I always want to use all of tese fabrics up in one project and a bag would work well. I'll have to add that book to my wish list.

jacquie said...

that's so great that all those folks participated! i've never heard of a sweet treat before. i could get into those!!

Browndirtcottage said...

I have never heard of the sweet treats eithe...great start there!!