Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Hearts At Home Quilt Finish!

 Hello! I officially started my summer vacation on Thursday and I have lost my quilting mojo. Pretty much the only thing I have been doing is a little binding for Rachel. She called me yesterday evening to let me know that she was done quilting this beauty. This is "Hearts At Home"--the pattern is designed by Chelsi Stratton and I used a mix of scraps from my stash. It could be a very fast design if you used a couple of jelly rolls!
 This is a charity quilt for a foster child in a residential facility. You can find out more information on Instagram @quiltforachild. Gwen has organized this charity in the last few months and I have been wanting to donate. When I saw an 11 year old, girly girl who loves pink, red, and gray--I signed right up! My favorite age group to work with are fifth graders, which is where Jalyn falls. I can't imagine how tough this lockdown would be for a foster child not being able to go to school right now and get out...
 It is 61x76 inches after washing--pretty good for a twin sized bed. I used a Bonnie & Camille floral from their Smitten line for the backing along with a strip of red with with polka dots (left over from another quilt backing) for the label strip. Rachel quilted it with a sweet flower and swirl pattern. She just knows what a quilt needs to highlight the pattern!
I embroidered the label on an extra block--we are not supposed to include our names or towns. I am encouraged to write a note to include with my first name and state only. It is nice to make something for a deserving child in this uncertain time--it felt good to have a purpose and a focus. I know Gwen has trouble finding quilters for the teenage boys' quilts, so maybe that will be my next donation!

Stay healthy everyone!

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Hearts At Home Top

 Happy Sunday! I just finished sewing these blocks together and rushed outside to get a picture. This design is Hearts At Home by Chelsi Stratton. I made five extra blocks to make it longer. Right now it measures about 68 x 82 inches--a good size for twin bed. This is a charity quilt being gifted to an 11 year old girl in foster care. She is described as a girly girl who likes pink, red, and gray. I dug into my scrap bins and used some Bonnie & Camille strips as well as other blenders. 
I am using one of the extra blocks as label and it will be pieced into the backing to make it plenty long enough for the longarm. I plan on embroidering the label in red this evening for Slow Sunday Stitching https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2020/05/slow-sunday-stitching.html

I ordered a Bonnie & Camille pink with red flowers for the backing this morning. I am going to set the label block in a red strip and I am thinking red binding. The pattern does not show an outer border and think a bright red binding will be a nice frame. Rachel is planning on quilting it with flowers, so I am sure it will be stunning. I can't wait for the backing to arrive!

If you are interested in making a twin sized quilt for a foster child, check out @quiltforachild on Instagram. It feels good to do charitable sewing during this time. Have a great week!