Project Linus

ABOUT PROJECT LINUS

Project Linus is a non-profit organization, dedicated to "Providing Security Through Blankets," for ill or traumatized children and teens. Inspired by a picture of a three-year-old cancer patient holding her security blanket, Project Linus was begun in 1995 by Karen Loucks. Nationally, Project Linus has donated more than 3,800,296 handmade blankets to help comfort children in need in hospitals, shelters, and hospices. Project Linus has 371 chapters in the United States. Project Linus was named after the adorable security blanket toting character from the Peanuts comic strip.

The Project Linus national website lists chapters in your area and has a great listing of patterns for you to use.

Project Linus Challenge

Well, I'm ahead on my goal of 1 quilt a month this year.  This quilt makes 2 quilts in January and 2 in February.  We'll see how March turns out.  This one I finished quilting so it can be turned in at the March meeting of the NLCQG.

Since not too many from The Quilting Bee follow my blog, I feel safe in posting a picture of my Project Linus Challenge.  You saw the fabrics I worked with in the last post.  I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself on this one.

I've seen many Sunbonnet Sue's and the scrappier the better, so this seemed a great choice to get these fabrics to play together nicely.  It's another challenge for me because I don't "do" applique.  I love it and the different things you can do with applique, but I always saw it as too time consuming.  But I figured that there are only 12 block with 4 pieces here -- I CAN do this!!  I used Heat and Bond to glue the pieces in place and the EuroPro sewing machine that my daughter Beth got for me at an auction for the blanket stitch around the Sues.

 

 

 I've always wanted to do a Sunbonnet Sue and actually had fun with this one! 

Has this changed my mind about applique?  Not really.  Will I try applique again?  Probably, if the right project comes up.

Project Linus Challange

My online quilting forum, The Quilting Bee (http://forums.delphiforums.com/QuiltPox), is having a Project Linus challenge.  Each participant was given  one yard of fabric, in two or three pieces, and asked to make a charity quilt for Project Linus.  Here is what I was sent:

We can add from our stash and the quilt should be in the 40" X 50" range.  Hmmmm... these fabrics don't play very well together and it really was a challenge for me to find a pattern that would make them play.  I've got an idea of what I want to do.  I'm going to be taking on another challenge (for me) in the quilt, because I am going to (gasp) applique!! 

I'm really stretching myself this year in my quilting.  I like my quilting fast and easy, and rarely do I take on projects that will take time.  I just don't have the patience.  I shortened up the applique process by using Heat and Bond to put the pieces on the background fabric, and now I'm going to try and machine quilt a blanket stitch  around the edges of the pieces, another first for me!  We'll see how my vision turns out, and how my patience lasts!  I don't want to post before the Challenge is done so I dont' give anything away, so stayed tuned for the results in a few days (weeks?).

Easiest Quilt Ever

You've probably seen this one all over the internet.  I know I've seen You Tube videos of how it's done and even races to see how fast someone an do one.  This one is a Jelly Roll quilt!

The basic instructions for this easy quilt are:

Take one Jelly Roll.  Or two if you want a bigger quilt.  I happen to have one I bought last year from JoAnn's on sale.  Join all the strips so you have one very long strip of fabric.  I think it looks much more appealing when you join them on the diagonal.  Then, cut about 16 -18 inches from one end of the strip.  Fold the strips in half - meeting the ends - and sew a quarter inch along one side.  It's so long, this can be a bit difficult to make sure you don't twist the strip, but pretty soon you wont' have to worry about that.  Where the fabric folds, cut along the fold.  Press seam to one side. 

Now, meet the ends of this strip together again and sew along one side.  At the fold, cut again.  Repeat again and again.  Put borders on.  One jelly roll makes a good size crib/lap quilt. 

To add interest, I added applique flowers in one corner...  yes, you heard me right... I did the dreaded "A" word...  I free drew 5 petal flowers on Heat and Bond and cut them out.  I ironed them on and used a zig zag stitch around the raw edges...  It adds just a bit of interest don't you think?

This quilt was fast and fun.  I did it in two evenings, but probably could have finished it in one.   If you need a fast baby gift, this is a great one!!

And I did it from stash!!  Another one done!



BOM sampler

So, how are you all doing with the blocks??  I've made the blocks for the guild, but also as I'm working out the pattern, I make the blocks out of the fabric for MY star sampler quilt.  Here is what I have so far (and a sneak peek at March's block!)

I've been busy writing up the March block... That stinker just wouldn't work easily... but I finally got it!!  I'm letting it rest before I go back and try it again.  I test my patterns repeatedly before I post them.  I just HATE it when there are errors in the...

And now for the jacket

Using the zipper I bought on my excursion in Racine and a regular sewing pattern (no pattern creation here), I made a fleece jacket for the grandson.  I bought this fabric a few years ago when the Hancock Fabric store in my mom's town went out of business.  Of course I had to get it with the young lord in mind....  after all, it has dinosaurs!

It's going to be great for the spring and fall when he goes to school!

More sewing for the boy...

Mommy is buying my grandson a Leappad tablet for his birthday.  She could have bought him the case to go with, but thought I'd enjoy the challenge of making one.  I have to say, it allowed me the chance to stretch my tote making skills.  I've always wanted to put a zipper in a tote and this one did it. 

It wasn't easy and it's even harder to explain how I did it.  I guess I'll have to try again and take how to pics.  It came out cute tho!!  I found some whale fabric that he's going to love.

 I put pockets in so he can store his cartridges and ear plugs, and there's a divider down the middle to keep things separate.

And I used iron on fleece to keep things from bumping and ruining the screen.

The hardest part was sewing the lining to the top.  I'll have to try this again!



Step Away From the Fabric

I don't usually go into Racine too often and when I do it's usually to go to either the fabric shop, Joann's - or both - and it usually involves buying sale fabric.   Since I had a non-fabric appointment in Racine today, I decided it was time to pick up a zipper I needed for a jacket I'm making for my grandson.  Being that my goal for the year was not to buy any fabric and to work exclusively from stash, this was like waving an ice cream cone under my nose (I'm on a diet too!).  My willpower was wavering...

I found my zipper,  and since they had a sale on thread, I pickedup a couple of spools of white for my serger (I ran out).  I checked out the batting (no sale there) and "had" to pass the discount area.  Nothing caught my eye (whew).  But wait!!!  They had flannel on sale - $2.50 (regular $6.99) a yard!!  Glancing at the bolts, my eye was drawn to -- gasp -- a colorful collection of lizards!  My grandson has finally diversified his obsession with dinosaur and has moved on to lizards.  This means Amma has to make pajama bottoms in various lizard fabric.  I just couldn't pass it up at that price.   I mean, it was almost as cheap as the Black Friday sales - and no one was beating down the door to get it....  that bolt was all mine!! 

So I bought 2 yards....  It really doesn't count does it??  I mean, it wasn't adding to my quilting stash, and my goal was to make QUILTS from stash....  Besides, his 5th birthday is in a few weeks and he needs more pj bottoms...

Cute fabric huh?  I can't wait until he sees them. 

Besides.... they kept me away from my real passion -- quilting fabric, altho I had a moment of weakness at the cutting table....  But, I persevered!!