Hatrack River Forum: Attn Hatrack Crafters - St Jude's Quilt of Dreams Project

This is topic Attn Hatrack Crafters - St Jude's Quilt of Dreams Project in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :

I want to encourage everyone to get involved in a worthy cause.

Even if you've never quilted before, this is something you can do. Yes, you can. If you own a sewing machine you can make a quilt. (well you can make one without a sewing machine too, but I don't think there is time enough for you to hand sew one by the deadline)

Here's the site with info:

http://www.hancockfabrics.com/stjude/

The basics are - make a quilt 45x60 out of new, prewashed, 100% cotton fabric. It can be traditionally quilted or tied. You must use at least one of the St Jude fabrics offered at Hancock's. This is a win-win - because Hancock donates 30 cents per yard sold of the St Jude fabrics. Thirty cents a yard doesn't sound like much, but it adds up - last year, Hancocks donated more than $1.1 million to St Judes!

The quilts are taken to your local Hancock's store when you finish them, and they send them to the hospital. Deadline for turning in your quilt is July 1st. Most are given to patients or families, some are auctioned off to raise money for the hospital.

Your quilt must be built around a theme - the theme is, appropriately, dreams. There are quotes from St Jude's patients about their dreams to inspire you at your local Hancock's.

I plan on doing two quilts - one for a girl and one for a boy.

Here is a listing of free quilt patterns - if you find something you like and the finished size is not correct, print the pattern out and take it to a local quilt shop, the people there can show you how to convert the measurements to make the quilt the right size. There are also sites on the internet that explain how to do it, or you can sit down with a ruler, paper and pencil and figure it out. Email me and I'll try to help you, if need be. My addy is waned511_AT_yahoo.com

http://www.freequiltpatterns.info/

If you're a brand spanking newbie to quilting, here are some super-duper easy patterns.

half square triangles

Follow the link to "quick piecing" for a directions on making half square triangles, I've used this technique before, it's very easy!

Even easier one

This one's very simple, pick out a fabric you really like for the center panel, adjust the size of the center panel and the length of the borders to get your desired finished size and that's it!

If you've ever thought about trying quilting, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for. The child that snuggles under your quilt in the hospital is not going to care if you did it perfectly or not. Many parents also keep the quilts as a momento of children they have lost and treasure them forever. It's a wonderful way to use some of your crafting skills and creativity for a great cause.

Posted by Mayfly (Member # 7870) on :

Cool. Looks like the deadline is July 1, 2005?

Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :

Belle, thank you for posting this!

I think I'm going to go by Hancocks tomorrow and see what the fabric looks like. I've been itching to design another quilt and this looks like the perfect reason.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Please also note that even if you don't quilt and don't want to and don't want the fabric for something else, their website has another way to donate. [Smile]

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

Thanks, Belle! I'll see what I can come up with. I've never quilted before, but maybe it's time to start.

Posted by whiskysunrise (Member # 6819) on :

I'll have to look into it. I've never quilted before. Thanks for the links.