Charity Quilt Finish from Barb and Cheryl

Another Charity Quilt Finish!

This quilt top was made by Barb in Michigan.  I sent this top to Cheryl in Dallas for quilting and binding.  Let’s see what those ladies did.  Barb’s quilt includes a variety of olive green, blue, gold, and tan fabrics.  What a delight for the eyes.  Look at this little bitty center, less than one square inch!

The quilt measures 75″ x 94″, and even after washing, that is a generous twin size quilt.  It is loaded onto the quilt frame for the first step in the finishing process.  The excess portion of the quilt top and batting hangs down to the floor and gets kicked under the frame when the quilting first begins.

Cheryl is using a computer on her longarm to do the quilting.  This screen shows the quilt pattern for one row.  It is called Feather Meander, designed by Jessica Schick, available at www.DigitechPatterns.com.

The needle is doing about 12 stitches to the inch on this pattern.

While the longarm does its thing, the binding is cut and then marked for those diagonal seams.

Only a few seams on this batch because the binding strips were so long.  Someone sews over pins — living dangerously!

A few hours later, the quilt comes off the machine, and the binding is sewn down on the front side first.

The finished product!  Barb’s quilt hangs from a backyard fence on a cloudy Dallas day.  The beautiful display was admired by the locals:   3 squirrels, 2 dogs (chasing the squirrels), one hummingbird and a pair of cardinals who stopped by the feeders for a snack.

The backing fabric is the same as the outer border and sashings.

Barb made 12 different blocks in this quilt, each one worthy of its own frame.  Here are close-ups of some of the blocks.

Two shades of olive green and three different blue fabrics in this one block.

Gold fabric joins the party here with four different blue shades.

Look at the border details marking the separation of each block.

Quilter Assistant Libe had a part in the process, too.  She chewed and chewed and chewed on the excess batting bits!  Get out the vacuum cleaner.

This quilt will go to the House of Hope for women in Gainesville, Florida, in the next Federal Express shipment.  What a generous group you are to share your talents and LOVE.

Several quilt tops were sent on to Cheryl for quilting.  She was a God-send to me…truly she was.  She contacted just when I thought I would never get caught up with the charity quilts.  She generously offered to quilt and bind the quilts.  It was EXACTLY what I needed.  From Cheryl I heard that your quilt tops were exactly what SHE needed.

Cheryl writes:  “I am a bit ahead on the quilts I “need” for the House of Hope.  (The folks at the House are so gracious that they would say they need anything.)  On the average, one new gal arrives every three weeks, and I like to send quilts as soon as they join the program.  This is a VERY small facility; the gals come out of jail with only what they are wearing, so these new quilts are a big deal to the residents.  Because of the generosity of your blog readers and your thoughtfulness in sending quilt tops to me, I am ready for the gals who arrive during June and July.  I am working on some quilts now using a very simple pattern for the future.”

Cheryl will happily take more quilt tops should anyone have some and want to join in on helping her support these ladies who are being released from jail into the House of Hope.  Cheryl is a “one man show” trying to provide for the women who come to the house.  Imagine the task of having to make one quilt every three weeks-that’s what Cheryl is doing.  WOW!!  If this is a project you would like to support you can contact Cheryl about a donating a quilt top.  Here is her email….
cheryl@hewittfamily.org.

Again…this is a place and time where many hands truly do make light work!  THANKS to everyone who donated tops that helped Cheryl and the House of Hope.