Meeting in Bingham

A couple of weeks ago I had an email from Judy in Lincolnshire.  Here it is.

'I am a foster carer living in Lincoln but working for Nottinghmshire Social Services. I belong to a team of foster carers called Fostering Futures and we provide therapeutic homes for traumatised children of all ages from babies up to 18. Recently I was approached by the Lincoln coordinator for Project Linus, Lynn Fairhead, and asked if my children would like a quilt, which they accepted with great enthusiasm and pure enjoyment. Every weekend we settle to watch films together and have a family quilt night. I also use their own quilt in the therapuetic sessions we do as we often use cuddle and positive touch and the quilt is fast becoming a vital tool.

Last week we held our fostering team meeting and I relayed the news of the wonderful quilts my children have been given and the team have all wanted to get on board to enable their young people to also benefit from such a lovely donation. I collated a list of all the children we are currently fostering but then had problems sourcing a Nottinghamshire coordinator as there isnt one at present.'

 

Judy was resourceful enough to contact me in Leicestershire, and I was more than happy to pass on the quilts which I had.  We decided to meet halfway between our homes, and settled on Bingham (a delightful old-fashioned market town - would like to go there again when it's not raining!)

 

 

Here you can see us, with lots more quilts in my boot waiting to be transferred.  Then we went for a coffee and had the company of her lovely daughter, and two foster children who were absolutely delightful!  It's so good to know that these quilts are all going to be loved and used!  Now all I need are more, to replace the 53 quilts Judy took!

 

Linus sewing

There has been lots of activity on the Linus front over the last couple of days.  Yesterday I was invited by Sian to The Haberdasher's Hub in Nuneaton to give a talk on Linus and do some sewing with her group.  The group was welcoming and very interested in Linus, and all set to, making scrappy windmill blocks. 

 

 

I took the fabric ready cut and you can see it in the middle of the table.  They all enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with colour combinations, and were impressed with the results of this deceptively simple block.

 

Sian doesn't have a design wall in her classroom (note to Sian - get one!) but I managed to prop this fleece-backed quilt up and stick the completed blocks onto it.  Don't they look fabulous!

Then today it was Knit and Stitch and we had a bumper turnout! 

 

Bev came from Leicester last month, and enjoyed it so much, she persuaded two friends to come with her this time.  I think they had a good time - they certainly worked hard!  We made Delectable Mountains, and this was a block nobody had made before.  They made short work of mastering the technique, and here are the results!  I think there were a few more blocks added before we finished, and they will make a gorgeous quilt!

 

In an attempt to get some of the donated fabric out of its boxes and into some quilts, I brought a box of green fabric and a bag of purple.  No quilter can resist having a rootle, and Julie, Eileen, Bev and Sue are no exception! 

 

 

I hope they have fun with their finds.  I'll look forward to seeing what they make with it all!

Last week I had a visit from Trisha, who not only brought a pile of gorgeous fleece-backed quilts, but also lots of stuff.  Here she is, hiding behind one of her quilts.  Why are most quilters so shy?!

 

 

We had a lovely chat over a coffee and tried our best to put the world to rights!  Here is the stuff she brought.   She's decided that she no longer gets pleasure from cross stitch and has donated all of her threads, kits and frames to Linus!  That's so generous, and I'm saving most of it for the sales table at Rocheberie Quilters next month, as there's so much beautiful stuff.

 

Then I had a contact from Maggie from Sure Start and we met in our usual spot to hand over 27 quilts.  It was a bit wierd as although it was only 9.30 in the morning, there was music blaring out from Chiquitos and Frankie and Benny's!  Maggie said it made her think of the seaside, where the music seems non-stop!  What a super thought! 

Quilts have been flying out to hug children recently ('Thank goodness', says my husband!).  First I had Michela and Cheryl from Catch 22 who called round to pick up some quilts for vulnerable teenagers and teenage mums.  They particularly liked this strippy quilt which was made by Barwell U3A craft group.  Good choice! 

 

 

 Then it was off to meet Rosemary from the Diana Service for Children with Life-limiting Conditions at our usual spot outside Frankie and Benny's.  She had asked whether there was any chance of a Mickey Mouse quilt for a very poorly little boy who loves Mickey, and I was very happy to oblige!
   

 

Then some excitement, with quilting in a pub!  A new fringe theatre venue has opened in Leicester, at The Western pub, and when I saw a show called 'Patchwork Lives' was coming, I thought it could be a good opportunity to 'fly the flag'.  I asked the venue and company if they would allow it, and they were kind enough to not only allow it, but make us very welcome. 

 

We made ourselves at home and hung quilts from the picture rail (covering the pictures and signs!) and set to work.

 

Julie, Paula, Eileen and Maria made log cabin blocks (can you see the Blue Peter hanging over the dart board?!) Lesley was the ironer, and Muriel (only her left arm is in shot) made up our 'Easy Street' blocks. 

 

 

I just swanned about, played with the blocks and encouraged visitors and new quilters.  After a bite to eat, we stayed for the show.  We had a great time and are hoping to do it again sometime in the future. 

Busy time for Linus

At March's Knit and Stitch session we were joined by the lovely Sue from ADAPT, a charity which works with prem babies and their families, and here she is accepting a quilt.  She doesn't look particularly pleased there, but I can tell you, she certainly was!  Not only did she have that quilt, but 49 more (remember a lot of them were little prem quilts, so it was only three bags full!).  It was a good job she's got a big car, as there were lots of knitted items for her to take away too!

 

 

Look at all these knitted triangles, hats, cardigans, toys and gorgeous things to show people going through a tough time that they're not alone.  Fabulous!

 

We had a great turnout of quilters, who all beavered away.  No time for slacking when I'm in charge!

 

We even had to get out an extra table to accommodate Sue and Doreen - I love it!  Then three WI ladies arrived from Foxton, who were already knitting triangles, and wanted to set up a group like ours, where people can get together and make charity items.  They were very impressed at the variety and standard of the work, and were all fired up to get busy!  Sue and I agreed to go and talk to them about our group.  That should be fun.  Will we be eligible for a franchise fee?!

 

And this is what we've been working on for the last few months - Bonnie Hunter's 'Easy Street'.  Despite Maria's comment that she couldn't do it as it was too difficult for her (this was after she'd made all the components!) it went together like a dream.  We only need two more corners and a border and it's a finish!  Everyone loved the colours, and why wouldn't they when there's lime green involved!

 

We have more sewing days planned.  A new theatrical venue is opening in Leicester at The Western pub, and on 28th March there is a show called 'Patchwork Lives'.  We couldn't miss the opportunity to fly the flag, so will be sewing at the pub from 3.30, then having a bite to eat, then watching the show.  Please come and join us if you fancy it.  Look here for details.

Roundup of 2012

I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who have supported Project Linus during 2012 – a massive 354 quilts were donated for Leicestershire children ‘in need of a hug’!  They have been given to Looked After Children in Kettering and Leicester, ADAPT (a charity working with premature babies and their families), Surestart, the Paediatric Oncology Ward at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Nottingham University Hospital and the Diana Service for Children with Life-Limiting Conditions.  So whether you made quilts, made tops, finished quilts, donated UFOs, orphans, fabric or sewing related items, please pat yourself on the back, and remember that what goes around, comes around! 

And now for 2013! 

Here is the first Linus quilt of 2013, made by the indomitable Paula.  It's some Mile a Minute blocks she found in the Linus box, but that wide blue border and yellow binding really make it into a work of art!  Wonderful, Paula.
 

 

Forty-six!

I was invited back to 'Quilting Together' the very creative group in Shepshed, and they didn't disappoint.  Apart from lovely ladies, fresh cream cake and talk about sex (well, testicles counts as sex, don't they?!) there were 46 quilts for me to take away with me!  And these weren't just ordinary quilts, but really gorgeous, imaginatively designed ones.

I always take orphans, panels and fabric, and the ladies have great fun sorting through it and getting inspired!

 

Here are the quilts waiting for me to take away with me.

 

I haven't posted all the quilts, just a random sample.  (I've found I've used up my allotted amount of photos on Blogger, so have had to delete some.)  This is a particular favourite - you can't beat a string quilt!

 

'Just' squares, but so effective.

 

The perennial problem with donated blocks is that there are never enough!  This design solves that problem admirably, by alternating the transport blocks with cowboy fabric, and then adding a different border top and bottom.  Clever!

 

The fabric for the border is really cute, and I love the way that three different colourways of the same design have been used.  Way to go!

 

I think this tree of life was a panel, but it's been beautifully bordered by flying geese.

 

Another set of just four orphans, but they look perfect amongst these colourful nine-patches.

 

More orphans, some mile a minute, some stars and a few squares within a square but all unified by the delicate pink sashing.  The blue binding just pulls it all together. 

 

This was a choppy star quilt.  Looks good with the sashing and cornerstones.

 

A trip round the world in a controlled colour palette, made extra special with multiple borders.

 

Half square triangles with a few quarter square triangles, unified by all being blue!  No sashing, no borders, no nonsense, just lovely dark blue binding.  Perfect.

 

Another choppy star, this time with striking sashing and offcuts used as a border.  Waste not, want not!

 

More excellent use of scraps.  Strippy blocks alternated with framed motifs, then with a jazzy orange sashing.  Perfect child's quilt!

This quilt started life as a panel, but the pictures have been bigged up by side pieces and then sashed to make a bright and cheerful quilt.

Another set of strippy blocks and framed motifs, this time on point.  This setting always adds loads of movement and fun to a quilt.

 

Friendship stars floating in a blue sky.

 

More scrappy blocks and motifs, this time with a bright piano keys border.  What a fabulous use of scraps!

 

Here's a panel, just simply quilted in curves across the design.  Perfect.

 

Another panel, which will be treasured by a lucky child.

 

I'm sorry I can't remember precisely who made which quilt (although I know Anne, Helen and Jay made quite a few of them!) and if I haven't included your quilt, don't think it wasn't gorgeous, just that I made an arbitrary selection.  I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon, and wishing you all a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!