I have quilts from Jazz to share with you today. You all might remember that Jazz is the gal from Texas that loves making baby quilts for the hospital in Houston that cares for uninsured and underinsured people. It’s such an awesome cause!!
Well hello, Jo, et al! I have a few freshly completed projects for the newborn nursery at Ben Taub Hospital to show you. The first one is a made-up scrap quilt, my favorite kind because it’s pieces of so many donations from our friends. All the squares are donated flannel or minky from bigger quilts you’ve already seen. The welcome idea of incorporating sheets in my quilts came from Jo. I used a white one for the long strips.
I stitched the colorful squares to the strips of sheeting and straight-line quilted it all into a 36” square to cuddle a new baby in for its ride home from the Ben Taub Hospital nursery in Houston, Texas.
The very soft light green flannel backing and batting came from Jo, too. The pink binding came from my pal Jeanne M, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, but no telling where she is now. She travels in an RV with her sewing machine and her husband to so many fun destinations! Jeanne sent me quite a bit of this beautiful fabric about a year ago, but I’ve been reserving it for the best use.
Last September Nina H. sent me this little fishing boy quilt kit and some DMC embroidery threads in a box full of fun.
This is how I made it with the fishing motif sashing from Dianne L. of Decatur, Arkansas, and blue dotted flannel back from Becky M. who lives in Texas and Alaska, depending on the weather. Some of the DMC I used was donated by Jo, and the corners were tied with crochet thread from Pamela Z. from Omaha, Nebraska over a year ago. The quilt finished at 46” x 60” and is at Ben Taub Hospital waiting to go home with a new baby boy.
Karin, the quilt finisher from Florida sent a Sunbonnet Sue embroidery kit, DMC, and an embroidery hoop to Jo for me. I stitched it with additional DMC donated by Jo and Nelle Briggs from Stillwater, Oklahoma. It’s tied with more crochet thread from Pamela Z, and sashed with a sweet pink print from Becky M. The delicate and soft pink flannel back and binding was generously sent by Jo. Not being able to resist, I added some lace to her cuffs and other parts of the little girl’s dresses. Its dimensions are the same as the fisher boys.
Y’all know how I cherish embroidery, especially stamped cross-stitch. Recently Louise G, of Ridgeway, South Carolina sent me some, and so did Nina H from St. Louis, Missouri. And I’m still working on the embroidery race cars you sent, Jo. I just love ‘em all.
Thank you so, so much to all who donated to these and all the other quilts I have been able to make for the new babies born at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston. Every time I drop them off I think of the exuberant joy of the proud new parents and their treasures, and I hope they will enjoy the quilts made with love from all of us.
These were so pretty. Great work Jazz. I am always in awe of how many quilts you finish…and do the embroidery on top of that. AMAZING!! The little lace on the girls’ dresses was a genius idea. So cute!! Please note that often times the things that Jazz credits me for sending are really stuff that you all sent to me first. I just pass it to whoever could use it. I do stay on the lookout for embroidery from the thrift store that Jazz might be able to use. Many-Many thanks to everyone who donated items to Jazz so she could make these wonderful quilts!!
I love seeing the quilts from Jazz, they’re so different with the embroidery. Beautiful work.
Those baby quilts are super. The patience it takes to embroider and fix on the right laces
Is worth the effort. I made one boy embroidered boy’s quilt 30+ years ago. It was fun but oh the time it took a long with everyday living. It was worth it though for my 1st. great nephew.
Jazz does such adorable work! What patience and creativity goes into each one of these works of art!
These baby quilts are beyond adorable. I know that the parents will cherish the gifts for their precious wee ones. Your work is such a blessing.
Such lovely quilts for new babies. Wonderful efforts Jo from your spearheading and directing the flow of fabric and stitching goodies to quilters able and willing to do such wonderful work. Stars to you and your stitchers for their lovely efforts.
Regarding the first quilt mention by Jazz. She says. ‘I stitched the colorful squares to the strips of sheeting”. What does this mean. How do you stitch the squares to the strips of sheeting?
thanks for any info.
diana
this is my question as well. it looks so cheerful and maybe a bit random. As though it would be fun to create without too much tedium. or eye strain for senior eyes. Really like it.
Diana and Brendalynne, Jo had the good idea to use sheets as quilt backs. I developed her inspiration further by stitching the random, colored squares of the first quilt shown to 2 1/2″ strips cut from a white sheet (as opposed to white yardage) to make the bands that I then sewed together to make the quilt top. Sorry I was unclear.
Thank you to everyone who so generously sends me fabrics and supplies, and gratitude to all who leave such encouraging comments. I adore creating these little pieces of art for the new babies born at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston; I hope their parents enjoy the quilts for their practical use and as a keepsake of their fortune in having such a wonderful baby. It’s a collective offering from us all.
I absolutely love the embroidery work!
Jazz, sorry to be so dense, but do you have a 2 1/2 inch strip of sheeting and then top stitch the colored squares on top of them or do you take the colored square (2 1/2″) and add it to the sheeting strip.
thanks again.
diana
Oh, Diana! You’re forcing me to expose my all-over-the-place haphazard way of quilting. In this case I cut some 2 ½” strips from a white sheet. I can’t tell you how many or what length; usually I do “a bunch” or “a little” and continue on until I have “enough.”
Then I cut up some colorful 2 ½” squares, stitched them end-to-end into a strip and added that onto one of the white strips. It didn’t occur to me to sew the squares directly onto the white strips, but that would probably make a sturdier piece.
I pressed each piece and attached them at intervals to each other until the quilt top was about the right size.
Sorry I can’t be more precise. I’ve never taken a quilting lesson, I pretty much make up my plans as I go.
I wish you lived in Southwest Houston; I could learn a lot from you, and we could have fun sewing together.
If my explanation remains indecipherable, email me at jazzpaz@gmail.com and I’ll send you some pictures of my process.
Thanks.
Beautiful, fabulous quilts for an awesome group, Jazz! It inspires me to get those stamped cross stitch Sunbonnet Sue blocks I’ve been eyeing & whip them up for you. Thank you for all your efforts & for sharing these gems with us! ❤️