oops.
I had a scheduling error.  There are two blog posts up this morning.  This in my mail post and a post about my Stove Top Griddle that I’ve had so many questions about.  HERE is the link to that post.

Now on to the mail post…

My mail box was overflowing with Halloween fabric but I also got a whole bunch of other boxes too.  Many sent goodies along with their Halloween fabric too.   Grab a drink…this is a LONG post.

Ellie sent Rosie a new toy.
Rosie has been loving this toy.  She previously has been super aggressive with toys with squeakers but she’s doing great with this one.  It’s still in tack and that is a record for her.  THANKS from us both Ellie.

The next package came from Joyce.

There were all sorts of goodies inside.

There was a started project and fabric…

There were TONS of leftover quilt pieses that are so fun.  All are organized so nicely.

The next box came from Jill in MN.  She had goodies inside of her box…can you guess?? Continue reading →

I’ve had lots of packages come my way lately.  Some have come via the mail, some to my door.

Laura in VA sent the first box.  It was filled with great goodies.

These looked to be like backing leftovers.  I love getting them.  I often add them to another piece of backing to make it big enough.  I didn’t keep these though.  I’m pretty set for the backing. I know others are always in need of big pieces for the backing so I passed them on.

These were fun blocks that are going to make a great quilt.

There were a couple of quilt tops in the box too.  This was all batiks.

Check out this one.  It was a variation of a double wedding ring.  How pretty.

Here’s a close up picture.  Impressive, right?

I was so happy this box came.  Becky a kind blog reader sent it with three other packages at the beginning of the month.  I wrote that three boxes came anonymously but was wondering if there might be another box in the mix.  I got an email after I wrote the blog post.  It was from Becky.  She said she was the donor.  She said the note explaining everything was in box #2 and that was the missing box.  Several days later this box came.  It was over a week from when the first box arrived until this one arrived.  Oh my!!

Becky had quilt tops to share!!  How cute is this??

She is a very nice piecer.  These were sent on to Ray and I know he going to love working on these.

Here’s another…what a fun way to use up miscellaneous scraps of solid fabric.  This one had backing fabric with it.  All of the fabric is princess themed.

I like this one…so fun and a great way to use charm blocks.

This one was all gingham fabrics.  I have always loved gingham.

This one was pretty big.  The colors went together nicely on this one.

The next set of goodies came from a neighbor a block or so over from me right in my town.  How fun is that?

Everything was scrappy.  These were all flannels.  I personally never sew with flannels so I passed these on to one of the charity sewing groups.

Hello scrap explosion!!  Both of the boxes were filled with scraps.

I contacted a group out of Decorah Iowa.  She said they would love to have these.  They make scrap quilts all the time for charity.

These are pretty big “scraps” so they should be able to do a lot with these.  I just love that someone else’s discards can become wonderful quilts!!

When they dropped them off the daughter who is in 7th grade I think, gave me a little Christmas package.  Their family has been so kind to me and I really appreciate it.  This same little girl sometimes rides her bike near Rosie and me so I’ve gotten a chance to know her a bit.  She’s a kind soul.  I just love small-town living for this very reason.

My mail hasn’t only boxes.  I’ve gotten letters too..and cards.  I so appreciate all the thoughtful things sent my way.  I’m so blessed to have good people close and good people from afar.

Speaking of people from afar, Jazz sent me a note that said, “One of your extremely generous followers, Karen V, just sent me a box of gorgeous, beautiful fabric to make charity quilts with! She sent a variety of all-new yardage in different colors and prints.  I’ve thanked her and labeled each piece as donated by her, but wanted you to know that the readers of your site are the most lovely, giving people! (They follow your example!)”

Thanks so much, Karen.  That was so sweet of you.  You made our day!!

I always tell anyone who starts working with the charity quilting project that if you have a need, it will be provided…Karen, you proved that!

We’re always looking for more helpers.  So if you want to join in on finishing projects, drop me a note.   If you’ve got quilts from me before and need more, let me know.  I’m always looking for more help!!

Here is what happens when I get a new quilt finisher.  All of you find out about them and are awesome and support them.  Then pretty soon, you all send so many tops to them, that they don’t need tops from me anymore!!  So I have to look for another quilt finisher.  That has happened several times!!

I got THREE boxes from Nancy.  She did a bit of cleaning and plans to send more in the new year!  That is awesome.  I had so much fun sorting and organizing all the goodies.  This was a big fabric petting session!

This was box #1…

Box #2….

There was another box that I forgot to take a picture of.  I ended up sorting out the three boxes and then I put all the like things together from the three different boxes.

This was a set of nice fat quarters. I smiled when I saw these.  Kelli and I did a Moda Bake Shop project with this line.

I saved this fabric out to make a couple of masks for Carver.  He will love all the tools references.

Here I have sorted greens, fall colors, and then solids.

I put these fabrics in their respective piles…Looking now I think some of the ones on the right should have been with that other set of fat quarters.

This is pinks, neutrals, a panel, and black and whites.

Browns, reds, purples, and yellow.

Blues of all kinds.  See the scraps on the lower right? Continue reading →

I’m working hard to catch up on all of the mail.  I know it will be fleeting and that’s okay but I did want to make an effort to catch up.

The first letter I got anonymously.  It contained a sweet note along with a little cash to help out the postage fund for charity quilts.  I’m guessing the reader who sent it is from the San Diego way according to the stamp.  THANKS!!

Lisa in Indiana also sent a lovely card and a check that I am depositing into the postage fund.  This was so sweet.
Thanks a million.  I so appreciate it.  We’ve had in a little extra in the postage fund so I took the liberty of buying a small roll of batting for one of the people who regularly finish quilts.  She’s on a fixed income and getting the batting was a blessing for her and is allowing her to finish and donate more quilts.  I so appreciate the support and vote of confidence you all give to me get the items, being quilt tops, fabric, or batting to the people who need it.

If you’d like to finish tops but need help to provide batting or backing fabric, please don’t let that stop you from volunteering.  I will do what I can to get you what you need.

I got a nice card and note from Jazz, one of the longarm quilters.  That was so kind.  She’s a sweetheart.

A friend stopped by and had a bag of sheets that she wanted to donate.  I’ll be passing these along to quilt finishers.  Many quilt finishers are not afraid to use sheets that are 100% cotton and in good condition.

She stopped by a few days later and brought monster cookie bars…YUM!!  Thanks so much, Barb!!  You are so sweet.

I had a few boxes come too.

This was from Ila.  I just love the pears that she sends.  She’s the sweetest to me and I so appreciate her thoughtfulness.  She has been so kind to our entire family.

More boxes…goodies from an anonymous blog reader.

I had to laugh when I read this note that greeted me when I opened the box.  “Block Exchange Gone BAD!”

I think we all can relate to that, right??

There were other goodies in the box too.

Here are the “gone bad” blocks.  There is enough for a quilt top there.

This would make a nice pillow if finished.

There were lots of blocks.  I had a reader comment that they would like to work with blocks so I put some in the pile for one reader and some in a pile for a local group.

There was a piece big enough for backing along with some calicos.  I took the calicos.  I have enough to get a quilt or two made but I’ve not found the focus for it yet.  Right now I’m on a roll to tackle the UFO projects and a few other things that have worked their way into my life…so the calicos wait.  After all, they’ve waited all these years, I’m sure another year more won’t be devastating for them to wait.

This fun strippy top was also in the mix.

I got a note from a blog reader that had sent four packages.  One is still “in the wind” and we don’t know where it is.  I’ll be watching for to arrive, hopefully, this week.  It’s so weird as the four boxes were sent at the same time.  Two arrived first, then a couple of days later another and the last is yet to arrive.  I’ve checked the outside of the house.  I didn’t expect it to be there as the mail deliverers are always the same here and they always put my packages inside.

I also had a big delivery of quilts and quilt tops from the Cresco ladies.  Many were finished already.
I took pictures of them and then Kalissa helped me package them up and deliver some of them to the needy in the Cedar Rapids area.  The small ones that were around 40″ x 40″ I packaged up and sent to Celesta for the Tanzania project.

I’m so sorry the pictures ended up a little blurry.  Rosie was jumping around trying to pose on the quilts and I was trying to get her to stay away so I’d quickly snap a photo…and apparently a few were blurry.

I feel so bad as this was a really cute quilt.  It was Irish and St. Patrick’s Day themed.

This was a cute panel style quilt.

Darn.  Another blurry one.  This was so cute made with sampler blocks.

The colors on this were so pleasing.

Donna does the quilting for them and does a nice job.

I think this design makes a great donation quilt.

How fun was this one.  I love the colors!

This was ocean themed.

This is a four patch with alternate blocks.

This was a panel quilt…

I loved the prints of this Raggedy Ann and Andy.

This was also a panel quilt.  I love the light-colored binding for this.

The ladies also brought bags of quilt tops.  I decided that I would try to shoot a video with all the quilt tops.  I set up the camera.  I had it all going great and shot the video.  I packaged up all of the quilts and got them ready to mail out.

A couple of days later I came to the computer to write this blog post only to find that the program that I write the blog posts with won’t let me upload a video that was that big.  UGH.  I had no idea….and the quilt tops are already making their way to quilt top finishers.  OH, MY WORD.  I feel really bad that I don’t have pictures of all of the tops…but, I tried.  I really did.

I’ve been working to find a different way to show you all what the ladies bring as taking pictures, loading them, and then editing the photos really takes a long time and I don’t think it’s the best use of my time.  Seriously, it will take me two hours to write one blog post.  Editing pictures just stinks.  Anyway…I thought doing the video was the perfect option, but, it didn’t work.  I’ll keep thinking about this.  Maybe Kalissa or Kayla will have an idea…or maybe one of you will.

The quilts are shown as they are finished…so, they are still seen.  Hmm.  I’ll keep thinking about it but for now, all I can do is apologize and I didn’t get pictures of any of the quilt tops.

All I can say is stay tuned.  They were sent to finishers and the way they’ve been finishing quilts lately, you’ll see the quilts soon.

I’m trying something new with my mail.  I’m not opening it.  Well, I’m opening it but not right away when it comes.  I stack it up until there is enough there to write a blog post.  Do you know how hard it is not to open it?

I’m doing it because I am trying to limit mail posts to one per week and I’m doing it because too often I misplace the note that went with a box and people aren’t properly credited.

Before I get to the mail, I want to send a huge shout out to the many of you who have started mailing things directly to the charity quilters.  That has been awesome.  I’ve had several people on the list let me know that you all have been sending quilt tops or scraps their way.  HERE is the list if you are looking for that.  I also have had people who have contacted me saying they have a twin-sized top and asking me who they could send it directly to.  I give them the info and the top gets sent right to the finisher.  It’s been awesome.  I thank those of you who have suggested this as it’s working wonderfully.

If you or your group volunteer quilts and want to be added to the list of people who are open to having things sent to you, please let me know and I will add you to the list.  This is my email…rogjok@iowatelecom.net

So…here is the pile I opened on this day…

Can you believe some of them sat there for a week before I opened them?  Kramer always said I have great will power!  I think this proves it!

There were three boxes from the same address…no name though.  I didn’t find a note so thank you to the anonymous gifter from Iowa.

I am a little curious if one more box might be coming my way.  Look it says “1 of 4”.  I only have two boxes here.  Two came on a Friday and one on a Saturday.  I’m thinking the #2 box might come on Monday.  Who knows??

The boxes were filled with bags.

Opening them was a little like Christmas.  There were lots of bigger cuts of fabric.

Even more….

There were lots of calicos.

There were was a few leftover blocks and some half-square triangles.

Check out this quilt top that was included!!  I debated and finally decided that I will keep this one and finish it myself.  There is a benefit that happens every year in my area.  The money raised goes to families in need due to things beyond their control…house fires, medical expenses…that sort of thing.  Our family is friends with the families that get together and organize the benefit so I know the money is appropriated fairly and honestly.  I feel great about giving to that fundraiser…plus quilts I take there actually bring a good dollar amount.  I’m sure this will bring over $500.  That’s AWESOME and will be so helpful to a family in need.

That benefit isn’t until August so I have a little time before I have to finish it.

The next box of goodies came from Donna…
Continue reading →