Community Quilts from Jazz

I have a nice bunch of cute baby-friendly quilts from Jazz to share with you today.  She always amazes me with how organized she is and how she keeps track of all the things people have donated. If you didn’t know, before she retired, Jazz was a nurse.  I think it’s all the charting and accountability she practiced as a nurse that makes her so organized.  

Jazz writes:
“Howdy Sweet Friends! Each one of you are so dear to me, sending me fabrics, threads, kits, ideas and encouragement.

Bonny H. sent me this darling pastel jungle panel last month from that bragging town, Onawa, Iowa (home of the widest Main Street in the USA and of the Eskimo Pie! What a great place!) It was easy-peasy to outline the images in grey thread, stitch over the strips on each side with matching color thread (thank you, Lois H, Kathy S, and Linda R all of whom mailed me boxes of colorful threads when I really needed them from Kansas City, Missouri; Alexis, Illinois, and Choteau, Montana last February. Also, Dianne L, from Decatur, Arkansas). It’s batted with fluffy batting from Sarah W, of Houston, Texas to make the tracing puffy, and bound with a soft grey from Susan V, of Plainfield, Illinois. I bet Susan gave up on ever seeing it on a quilt – she sent it with other flannels over two years ago, but everything I receive from y’all is labeled and saved, waiting for the most perfect use.

Here’s a detail and the back, a sweet pink and white plaid that Jo donated. It finished at 34” x 40” and will wrap a new baby born at Ben Taub Hospital for its ride home.

The next one was made from this…

already embroidered center that Jo sent. It appears to have been professionally done, the back was as neat and orderly as the front.

I added 2 1/2” strips to the handwork to grow it to a 40” square and bound it with a coordinating blue-green print from an enormous donation from Becky M, who was in Houston over a year ago. She spends her time between Texas and Alaska.

As you can see, I’m still faking my free-motion quilting by doing straight lines and inviting y’all to imagine curls and swoops. (Try hard.)

The batting as well as the solid green back was sent by our fearless leader, Jo.

Beloved Jo, and Mari D. who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, provided the hearts and other blocks in this Valentine quilt. I arranged the pieces and filled in the spaces with white sashing. Batting came last fall from Melissa R. of Gainesville, Florida. Jan R. from Atascadero, California provided the perfect back, white dotted red cotton, and the red and white polka-dot binding came from Becky M, of Texas and Alaska. This quilt finished at 38” x 38”, and like almost all the quilts I make, it will go home with a new baby in the Ben Taub Hospital nursery in Houston, Texas.

Here’s an example of a quilt that might make its way to a hospitalized adult. The batiks were all from my collection, but the grey border is from Karen V. in St. George, Utah. She sent me a collection of beauties in 2020. The grey binding, and the bright, solid green border came from Jo. I used some of the feathery batting from Sarah W. of Houston, Texas to billow the squares. The softest lilac flannel back was part of a generous contribution of Mari D. from Little Rock, Arkansas, before last Christmas.

Knowing my devotion to embroidery, Nina H. has sent me several kits from Saint Louis, Missouri, including this recent cheery one of rag dolls in love. Not being able to leave well enough alone, I added the red ric-rak around them. The binding is from Becky M. The sweet, printed back is from Jan R.  It’s 42” x 60” which makes it a candidate for an older baby or small child patient. This was a particularly fun one to finish.

Jo provided the batting, and Nina, Jo,Nelle B, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Bonny H. from Onawa, Iowa, Holly M. of Brazil, Indiana, Anonymous in Idaho, and Karin in Florida all contributing to my DMC collection I thank you all. I am comforted by all your gifts, as I know all the final recipients are.”

WOW…Great quilts Jazz!!!  I hate to pick a favorite but oh my…I love the last quilt.  Jazz hit the ball out of the field with the idea of putting rick rack around the outside.  That totally made the quilt!!  I love the machine quilting on it too.  It’s perfect.  Many thanks to Jazz and all the good people who sent things Jazz’s way.  Please note that a thanks goes to anyone who donated to the charity quilt fund.  That money was used for postage on the things I sent to Jazz and any batting I provided.  THANKS to all!!