Whew!

Okay things are busy here.... I have plenty to quilt, plenty quilted and I need to post something...
Its coming....
and I will update the numbers ...

Thanks!

Big Thank You!

Whew! has it really been 2 weeks since my last post? I guess it has. Well, the holidays are over and its back to business. I managed to get a large quilt back in flannel loaded up and am back to quilting. I expect to have at least 6 quilts quilted in the next couple days.

Since the last post I have received these great finished quilts. Thank goodness! I feel sometimes a bit overwhelmed and over committed, to tell the truth I have been feeling like the days are whipping past with very little result. Getting quilts in the mail gives me a boost and has really helped me get the work flowing again. I'm really grateful for your efforts and the support.
Thank You!
Watching the news this week has been tough for us all I know. Hearing about the depth and breadth of the poverty in Haiti and now an Earthquake on top of it ... well, its just all so sad.
Here in America one in eight is below the poverty line. In Haiti it's estimated that 8 of 10 are below the poverty line, not that they do a census.
Food and water are still not widely available in Haiti. Here on MLK day, hundreds turned out to help sort food at the Oregon Food Bank.
We may have some of the highest unemployment in the nation, but hey, at least we have an economy, right?
Please support the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti!
My favorite is the internationally effective and yet local Mercy Corps!

Happy New Year!

I had so much strips left over from a finished project that I am making Denyse Schmidt style free pieced blocks with all my extras. This is a blue one. I hope to finish the gray one I am working on and then crank out a green one, and an orange one. The sashing and and border is a solid that I purchased over the internet and didn't like. Looks fine here, so it just goes to show that every fabric can find a purpose. I have a bunch of stuff left over from this project, all of it will get sewn up into GAKAQ. I made many blocks and then abandoned a plan for a quilt and started over.

I took a break over Christmas. I did some personal quilting and then I didn't quilt or sew for 2 weeks. Tuesday before New Years we had some surprise snow that clogged up the roads and made driving all but impossible.

I took this photo as I sat in traffic less than a mile from my home. I thought this shot was so pretty. Then it dawned on me. "Hey, we aren't moving and that bus and fed ex guy are stuck! When was the last time this lane moved more than a few feet?" I sat here a few more minutes thinking a variety of stuff:
"good thing I got gas yesterday!" I tend to go smug early... don't hold it against me.
"crap, how am I going to pick my beloved at the airport"
"how pretty is this?!"
"I shoulda peed at the last place I was at"... seriously it only takes me 5 minutes to get home
"This isn't so bad"
"this sucks"
and on and on I went ... until it dawned on me "Go around!" I turned around, went back the way I came and went around this mess. I was home 10 minutes later. Go figure.
I walked into my warm, safe home with its wonderful luxuries and it dawned on me that some folks were spending the night in that snow. Some folks were not going to be warm tonight... they not get warm, really warm for several days.
Its time for me to get back to warming those kiddos with a quilt!

So, its a new Year and I'm back at it!
Thanks so much for wishing us well, sending us tops and keeping us in your thoughts.
Rachel

Whew! Its Cold!

It has been in the teens here and right now its 11 degrees Fahrenheit. That is super cold. This last week we got a load of flannel, which I immediately loaded on the long arm.
I managed to get 5 quilts on this one long piece of backing. Thank You! Thank you!
These 2 were whole cloth and will get a bright binding to make them pop. but I also use the same back to quilt this cute girly quilt:

Its adorable! Thank you!
We also got 2 finished quilts

Thank you!
I am so grateful to everyone who have sent fabric, tops, finished quilts Thank you thank you!
Every bit helps!

Here is the cookie monster getting quilted. Thanks Marsie and Sue! When I took it in, Lisa said "Oh, some one is gonna love this!" I bet they will.

I know its beeen awhile since I posted, besides doing this I'm trying to get my Xmas presents made. I know everyone is busy with Xmas and family so taking time and money to give some strangers some help this season is really generous and I can tell you every bit will get used.
Some quilts are being set aside to be used as Xmas gifts in the family shelter. Some will go straight to the warming shelter, some will be held for new clients.
I'm trying to get as many as I can done for Xmas giving. For the next 15 days or so I will post as many as I can to Flickr.com even if I don't get them all posted here.
Thanks for sending them and keep them coming!

I am Thankful!

I have been hearing from so many of you regarding donations and sending things in. . Im actually tracking quilts and tops coming to us from across the country as well as local folks getting involved.
Thank you so much!
Part of me is getting a little scared that it's too much and another part of me knows that if we need local help it's out there for the asking. Knowing that we have the support of locals and friends means so much.
So here's a little update of whats finished:

This is a completely experimental piece made from leftovers and waste. . I used left over binding as the stright bits and LUSH paint dot fabric as the dots. On the one hand it's a finished quilt, that can stand regular wash and wear, on the other hand it's not a finished idea. I will be doing a series of these probably till I grow the idea into a finished quilt that is more to my liking. Stay tuned.

A whole cloth piece It turned out great. So fresh and feminine. Me likey.

Another whole cloth in a really girly version.

A baby quilt made from an experimental block I found in a drawer, just waiting for a border or just a smidge of attention from me to make it into something a child could live and hold close.
It finished about 30" square. Maybe you have a partially finished top laying around? A few left over blocks? throw a border on it, sew those few blocks together... do as much work on it as your able/willing to do and pass it along for finishing.. .. OR finish it up and we will see it gets to someone who really NEEDS it.


I have a few more in various states of unfinished.

Have a great Holiday
Rachel

Thank You Westminster Fabrics

  
A big thank you to Westminster Fabrics for sending a box of fabric for the Give a Kid a Quilt project.  I sent out an email a few weeks ago to the fabric companies for their help and Westminster not only responded right away, but sent a box FULL of their beautiful fabrics.  I asked for fabrics specifically for boys and girls quilts – and that is just what they did!  There are so many lovely fabrics from the Freespirit and Rowan lines and I can’t wait to share all of the quilts that are made from them and donated to the cause.  I hope that you will consider sending in a quilt to help a child have some warmth and security in their life.  …and support such a great company for their dedication to helping others.

A few posts back Rachel blogged about an article in the Portland Tribune, about a family that had been living in their car because of the lack of shelters in our area for families (article here].  Something that really spoke to me, and why this cause is so important was this line from the article:

"Then it was back to the car, where there were piles of blankets. Blankets would become among the family’s most treasured possessions in the months to come."

We are starting to get very cold here.  I open the door in the mornings and Brice tells me “Cold!”.  I can’t even imagine having to try and keep him warm if we didn’t have a place to stay as our temperatures drop below freezing at night.  Homelessness has always been a big issue in the Portland-area (as I'm sure it is in other places) – but never have I heard more about families being displaced.  If you have never experienced hard times, you can’t fully appreciate how frustrating it is to try and get back on your feet.  I know the general thought is that “They should just get a job” or “Isn’t that what churches are for?” or “They should go to a homeless shelter.”  Unfortunately that isn’t always an option – while there is help out there, it is often times hard to find the help.  If my family was displaced today, I wouldn’t know where to go for help. 

I wish there was more that I could do, but I have to start somewhere.  This is that place to start.  I’ve spoken before of having a security blanket of my own over the years.  The second one I acquired (after the first fell apart – literally from too much love) is sitting in the bottom of my hope[less] chest still.  I still sometimes dream of having my security blanket with me while I sleep, so obviously it was a big part of my childhood, and I am happy to be able to provide that for a child.  I hope you will consider donating - finished quilt, quilt top only, quilts ready for binding – we’ll take them all! 

First Mail In my Box!

I went to mail my international customs form required etsy orders and check my PO box and found a package! I have recieved several wonderful emails from quilters requesting more info and telling me they are sending something. This is my first box. Thanks Audrey in Hawaii!

With plenty of time before Xmas I can quilt this up and get this country beauty done in time. Looks like it was hand appliqued and I am sure some baby out there will love it.
Keep them coming folks!
I snipped off the return address label from the box ad put it in a container... in case we need it for drawings or prizes ... stuff in the works... details coming..
Stay tuned for that!
Thank you so much!