Getting fleeced

The Central Illinois chapter of Project Linus has a wonderful project to donate blankets this Christmas to the children of women in prison. And not just any blankets, but blankets made to order. The women provide the first name, age, favorite color, and their child's interests, and PL volunteers made blankets for each child. Many were quilts, a few were knit or crochet, and quite a few were fleece. This week I made these for a boy who likes all kinds of sports, a girl who loves pink, and another girl who loves purple and rainbow colors. (Can you guess who gets which?)
These blankets are quick and easy, but they have a very finished look. The Fringed Fleece pattern is on the Project Linus website. You can buy fleece on sale and make a blanket in just a couple hours for a quick donation quilt. They'd be great holiday gifts, too.

This morning I delivered 10 bags of quilts -- 6 bags for the inmates' children project and 4 for general PL use. And NO, I did not make all those quilts!! Most were made by members of my guild, and some were dropped off by others in the community. Today was our deadline, and I've really been working this week to get everything done. I also finished this quilt, shown here before I quilted and bound it. I'm not crazy about the Yellow Brick Road pattern, but someone donated a kit and the fabrics were perfect for one teenager who likes nature and outdoor activities. The backing is a leafy fern print and there's a row of leftover blocks from the front stitched in, too.

It feels great to have participated in making these blankets, and I know that come Christmas I will feel good every time I think about children clutching the blankets they received with a card from their absent mothers. This donation project is called "Here's A Hug," and I hope the kids feel loving arms around them when they wrap up in their blankets. Quilts can warm our hearts in more than one way.

Still, I'm excited to get back to my own projects that have been on the back burner for awhile. I'm off!

Stuff I'm working on

One million layouts later and I'm no happier... all suggestions welcome! I've been playing with the layout for my Stroop quilt (and I didn't think to photograph each time, wish I had). I quickly tossed the words down on the background just for this photo, to give you an idea. The light was streaming in and the black borders on the words were unfolding, but at least I managed to get my toes in the lens!

I have tried putting the words across the fabric horizontally and I've tried them going helter-skelter (which ended up being my least favorite look), but nothing quite works. I don't know whether it's simply my usual doubts in the throes of any project, or whether I just need to keep trying. I'm thinking I may want some small squares of color in addition to the words, and that may help. I have border and binding ideas, but first I need to figure out the center!

Friday I spent the day stitching with my friend Bunny. We've "known" each other for a long time through our Project Linus quilts, but didn't meet face-to-face until last week. Bunny invited me to her house to work on Priority Quilts for Ami Simm's Alzheimer's fund raising.

We ended up doing lots more talking than stitching, and it was so much fun! Bunny made a mask quilt and I decided to play around with a pieced black-and-white background that I think will be perfect for a colorful applique on top. I still haven't stitched rows together, but I laid a few out and added some bright scraps for the photo so you'll see what I'm planning.

I also pieced a Yellow Brick Road quilt for Here's a Hug. The Central Illinois chapter of Project Linus is making blankets for children whose mothers are in prison. The mothers have specified their children's interests and favorite colors, and we're making quilts for each child. Someone donated a YBR outdoor themed kit to us and it perfectly fit the interests of one of the teenage girls. There's a tiger print for the border, but I'm not sure whether I'll use that or find another fabric.
Yellow Brick Road quilts are awesome in their efficient use of fabric, but they are not that interesting to make. Still, sometimes I want nothing more than stitching row after row after row of nice, straight seams.

I'm off tomorrow for several days -- my daughter Valerie is graduating from college this weekend! We're so happy for her, and are eager to see all the California family who will be there to help us celebrate. One of my nieces says it's a real possibility that she'll deliver a baby while we're there, too! The more, the merrier!