Quilts for Philanthropy 02-15-25

 One activity that is quite common to quilt guilds across the country is making quilts to give away to people in need anywhere in the world.  Surfside Quilters Guild's about 100 members create four or five hundred quilts each year that are distributed to various organizations.  Colorful cotton pillowcases are also produced and given to children's hospitals, Meals-on-Wheels, veterans organizations, and others.  Here is a selection from those many donations showing the variety of designs selected. Some are made from orphan blocks, some are incompleted projects donated to the Philanthropic groups, some are purposely made by one maker and others by friendship groups or just friends.  I am constantly amazed by the variety of pattern and the generosity of the makers.

A special "I Spy" quilt with a different motif in every block.

This is a quilt displayed at Road to California that I think would be a good pattern to  make for a Philanthropy  quilt  -  very scrappy.

I am feeling much better tonight.   KoKo walked me around the loop this morning, about 2000 steps, a bit less  than a mile.  I was tired, but not exhausted as I feared.   Tomorrow we may try for the park. The sunshine feels so good and with the rain we had this last  week everything is greening up, flowers are blooming.

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Philanthropy Quilts 05-14-24

The largest continuing project of Surfside Quilters Guild is philanthropy quilts for various non-profit entities  in Orange County.  At our meetings we have a parade with members holding up donated quilts and walking around the room. I am always amazed at the number and quality of the quilts.  Some are made at home by  members and some are created in the monthly Philanthropy meetings. Some are elaborate, some are very basic.  Some are donated as a stack of blocks, some are "flimsies" (finished tops that need backing, batting, quilting, and binding).  All are examples of the giving  natures of quilters  everywhere.  These are the donations presented at today's Guild meeting. 

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Fabric Addiction 12-19-23

I grew up in a sewing family, so there was always fabric around.  My maternal Grandmother Marie lived through WWI, the flu epidemic, The Great Depression, WWII, five children, early widowhood, and a lifelong lack of money. She lived by "Use  it up, wear it out, make it do, or  do without." Her quilts were made from scraps and recycled fabric, even un-faded underside of pockets on aprons and skirts.  We saved every tiny scrap when sewing our clothing  and eventually they would go into a quilt.   Eventually we had enough money to go to Teeny's  Variety Store or even a department store, to buy yardage for clothing.  And for the scraps.  Anyway, I have always loved printed cottons  and cannot resist buying them, although I have a house full of fabric.   I try to avoid online fabric, but I enjoy eQuilter's owner Luana Rubin's posts about her quilting travels and excellent photos of quilt shows around the world.   And then I have to look at the sale fabric and try to just look.  Alas, I frequently breakdown and buy a few yards when they  are less than $10 yard.   Here are  some recent purchases.

Oranges for the orange quilt I will make someday.  Since I have collected orange prints for several decades I have enough to make about 20 orange quilts!  When I  need an orange fabric I try to cut very carefully lest I use up something I will need desperately later.

There are four fabrics here that I bought to make quilts or pillowcases for our Philanthropy group kids projects. The bottom two rows are  the same fabric which has horizontal rows depicting Noah's Ark. Above that is a barnyard of animals.  Then a spooky sort of lion print.  And at the top several yards of a bright print to use as the backs.  Whatever I make I will try to machine quilt myself as members who are willing to do the quilting are few and far between.    Long-armers are trying to make a  business with their work, they can't use their time for free very often.   

 

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Guild Meeting 04-11-23

The April meeting of Surfside Quilters Guild today - an easy hour drive to San Clemente in SUNSHINE with a little fog along the water.  And hillsides of flowers on backgrounds of bright spring greens.  There was good attendance with about 90 members and guests to enjoy the presentation by Lauretta Crites.   https://laurettacrites.com  Lots of Show and Tell and a number of donated Philanthropy quilts.   I am a little amazed at the hundreds of quilts made and donated by members to support non-profits in our area.  Not just quilts, but also pillowcases, placemats, and other items given freely and from the heart.  Today there were 17 donated quilts in the "quilt parade" that  were  walked a round  the perimeter of the room.  

Some are large and complex. 

Some were more organized.

And some were very basic, but will keep someone warm. 

A good resource if you need pattern  ideas for quilts,  especially scrap quilts, is on the website:   https://www.surfsidequiltersguild.org/philanthropy.html

Here is a photo going down the hill from the meeting place to get back on the I-5.  All the wild mustard turns the hills to gold.  

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