Community Quilts from Jazz

I’m so happy to have quilts from Jazz to share with you today.

Jazz writes:
“Howdy, Jo! Take a look at this cute ‘50s style cowboy quilt. You sent me the top to finish a long, long time ago and it rested in a box with all the others until I bought some red bandana print cotton to bind it with. The soft blue and red plaid flannel back came in a box full of beautiful flannels with an unsigned note that said “Jo said to send you this”. (I love that memo so much that I’ve filed it in a binder with my favorite quilt patterns and articles.) 

All the batting for all the quilts in this email is all from you, Jo, and the crochet thread I tied them with was the gift of Carlena D. She sent me an enormous collection of every color last February.  I’ve been enjoying it ever since. This wrap finished at 44” x 48” and will go home with a newborn buckaroo born at Ben Taub Hospital here in Houston.

  Here’s a better-lit detail of the cowboy quilt.

You included this cute …Teddy Bear top with the cowboys. I used the rich brown and red flannel from Becky M. Binding is from Missy M. of Gainesville, Florida who sent me the red with black dot piece in May. I stitched around the bear’s bandana in red and all around the body in black thread, as well as over each straight line. Finished at 38” square.

You also forwarded these great baby quilts to be donated to some lucky new babies born at Ben Taub Hospital. 

I love this sampler quilt! All the squares are made in the same size united by neutral sashing. The swirly design used to quilt it is just perfect for the festive mood of the piece. And look how the artist bound it, the backing was folded over to the front instead of being a separate piece attached to the front and sewn to the back. Clever! This little gem is 34” x 35”.

Here’s another beautiful quilt from you. The joyful and colorful dinosaurs are frolicking in the light blue squares that are highlighted by the bright oranges of the three borders. I just love the ideas I get from other people’s work! This one, at 29” x 31” will go home with a very happy new baby.

This is the third quilt you sent to me to donate. It’s a vibrant assembly of colors, stitched in a balloon motif and backed with rainbow stripes that gives it an exuberant feel. It’s a 40” x 40” square of merriment to thrill an infant and new parent.

   

Do you ever get an incomplete mental image of a quilt and just have to make it? I have been obsessed by red lately. I am lusting for a red car, red clothes, red fabrics, red quilts … I received some relief from this passion somewhat by stitching up this 45” x 45” sampler with different patterns of scarlet-red fabrics. It’s all stitched in the ditch and bound in the same fabric as the back. It will likely be given as a lap quilt to a patient.

     

Jo, I love being part of your community of charity quilters. So many of your readers have blessed me so richly with their scraps, yardage, supplies and love. Every portion of what I’m given goes directly into quilts for the patients of Ben Taub Hospital, and when I only have inches left I make quilts out of 2 ½” squares. When I have  scraps smaller than that I make 2 ½” squares from the crumbs.

Here are two examples of the bounty of our friends. I believe every person who has shared with me can find at least one  representation of their gift on the top of one of these. Here’s one that finished at 50” x 50”. The blue floral binding came from Sue R, from Pearland, Texas. The back was the bequest of Becky M. who lives all over, but mostly Alaska. DMC tying threads from Californian Carlena D. 

  

The back of this one came from you, Jo.  The DMC tying threads again came from Carlena D. This quilt finished at 44” square.

These are all truly community quilts, with the fabrics, threads, and DMC trying threads donated by your readers to create comfort for patients and to delight the proud parents of new babies. 

These patients and I are very appreciative of all your generosity. Thank you.”

Thanks so much for sharing this Jazz.  So often there just isn’t a lot of good in the world that we can see.  Community quilts are a gentle reminder that there really is good happening every day.  It just isn’t in the headlines.  Thanks to Jazz and all the donors for the great reminder.