Flood Relief sewing

I am continuing to make quilt tops for 'Quilting for Calgary' as donations to Calgarians affected by the flooding that happened over three weeks ago.  

Many families are still dealing with the devastation.  I am very proud to be a Calgarian these days.  The outpouring of volunteering and community spirit has been amazing.  Strangers helping strangers in desperate times warms the soul.

If you are interested in donating a finished quilt or a top please go to the Facebook page Quilting for Calgary to find out more information. This group was spear headed by Bev Rogan an incredible lady you has a heart of gold. We are aiming for delivery of the quilts for Sept.  

So many agencies and individuals have stepped up to help get quilts to us:

If you are in the US and can get your quilts to Houston, Westfreight Systems  is bringing donations across the border weekly.  See this page for details

Purolator Courier donated 150 free deliveries.  

Air Angles and West Jet teamed up to bring bundles of quilts from across Canada

Tundra Processing has donated warehouse space to house all the donations coming in.

Matt Sparrow of Sparrow Studios has a crew of volunteers long arming donated quilts. 

Not to mention the wonderful ladies at My Sewing Room, Traditional Pastimes, and Addie's Creative Fabrics for their time and efforts coordinating the quilting bees, donations and people power.  

Quilters are wonderful people. 

Here are a few pictures of the quilts I have put together with fabric that has also been donated.

I am fortunate enough that my neighbour 3 doors down has a long arm machine.  I make the tops, she long arms them and I finish the binding off.  We are our own little factory.  

happy stitching 

Lee

Reaching out to my fellow quilters......

Hello my fellow quilters,

I have been busy helping to make quilt tops for the victims of the recent (and on going floods) that have affected 100,000's of people in Southern Alberta.
this video has a great over view of the flood affected areas of Calgary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLtGxmwKLaw

I have joined a couple of groups that are coordinating efforts to get the word out to quilters across North America. Many displaced families are in need of a hug a quilt can give.

Please consider sending a quilt or top. We have an small army of long armers ready to complete tops!

How to:

Go to Facebook 

Go to the group Quilting for Calgary.  

Bev Rogan is instrumental in getting this group together.  (she was instrumental in getting 1000's of quilts to Japan after the tsunami)

For my US quilting friends:

We are most greatful to Westfreight Systems in Houston for their kindness and generosity. Westfreight will be bringing US donations to us (in Calgary) once a week hence eliminating the customs concerns and expense for our US friends in getting their donaitons to us. Please send your donations to:

Westfreight Systems 

16855 Crosby Freeway

Houston, Texas, 77049 

Ph. 281-456-7332 

Attention: Kathy or Randy

For our Canadian quilting friends:

Quilts can be sent to:

"Quilting for Calgary"

38 Rockbluff Close NW

Calgary, AB T3G 5B1

As well, a group of ladies have also been coordinating efforts to get quilts in through My Sewing Room, a LQS.

Check out their newsletter to see DD#2 and I sewing together at a Quilting Bee.

http://www.mysewingroom.ca/enews/index.php?pageref=enews-curr&scrl=Y 

I have signed up to be on the distribution list of the donated quilts. At this point in time we don't have a date for that as there is still a lot of recovery to be done.

My daughter made a poster and hung it at the mail box to have our street donate toiletries for the flood victims. Look what we had donated:

There are many many acts of kindness happening all around Calgary and surrounding areas. Strangers helping strangers; First responders going out of there way; corporations donating $$$; 1000's of volunteers putting in endless hours to get this city back together.

It unbelievable.

Community Service Project

Last October when I first joined the Guild, I took it upon myself to take a bunch of orphaned blocks home to turn into a Community Service Quilt!

(insert scratching head, what was I thinking??)

These are some of the blocks that came home with me. I had to think about how to put these together, which took a lot of time…..fast forward….

April top is completed.  When my mom was here visiting, she wanted to see me ‘do’ some quilting. so i put these blocks together, sandwiched it and started to quilt it. Then life got busy and it sat. Fast forward again

October…..completed

I quilted it last week.  I even managed to dive into free motion feathers.  I love the look of them but was always intimated by the process.  I persevered and dove in to get them done. Once I got the rhythm of the motion they weren’t too bad after all. I do need to practice some more but I now look forward to doing more.   I don’t know where this quilt will end up, but I hope it brightens someone’s life.

The rest of the little 9 patches went into this preemie quilt for the neo natal unit our hospitals.

I feel good about contributing to those in need or who just need comfort. Have you done any charity stitching lately?

Happy stitching

Lee

Meals on Wheels

These placemats will be going, via our Guild, to the "Meals on Wheels" program here in Calgary. We make one side for everyday use and the otherside for Christmas. The top two fronts were blocks leftover from my friends test blocks. I couldn't just let them sit any longer and made them into placemats. The third one's front is left over from some potholders I made.

These are fun to make and going to a great cause. I hope they lift the spirits of someone this holiday season.

Happy stitching everyone!

Lee

Quilters are so kind

About a month and a half ago I blogged about a lady here in Calgary that was gathering quilts to send to the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

I donated the first quilt.  I hope it goes to a young girl and brighten her days and keep her warm at night.

 To date, if you can believe,  Quilts for Japan has gathered over 500 quilts and more are on their way!!!  They are coming in from all over North America.    Deadline for donations is May 30th.

You can hear more about this endeavour be following this link:  http://www.quiltsforjapan.ca/News/quiltsforjapaninthelocalnews

Quilters are truly amazing and generous people and I am proud to be one.   Hats off to Bev Rogan for her time, energy, resourcefulness and love. The recepients of these quilts will be truly blessed!

Finish #6

Whew I have been busy!

Back on March 26th, Katie and I went to visit Lakeside Quilters in Chestermere, AB.  They were having a community sew day.  Members of their guild and the public were getting together to sew rag quilts for charity.   I think in all they made 7 in one day.  Katie and I managed to finish this small girl’s rag quilt.  One side is denim and the other a whimsical fabric.  This is sure to keep a little one warm in a stroller!

Finish #4

Aren’t these adorable?

It was announced at Guild the other night that one of the hospitals is looking for quilts for the Neonatal unit.  These will be used to cover the isolettes in NICU. They help to keep the light out and can be used to warm the babies too.  I used up some orphan blocks to make these.  There is certain criteria we had to follow to make them.
 

I hope these will warm the hearts of the families and help the babies grow.