 (SewFest 2008 - Making Quils For Charity) |  |
(AKA: "Quilters For Charity")
(UPDATE: SEPT 2008)
Some of you I have emailed this to.. some of you I do not have email address's and I thought you may all be interested in whats happening
First a very big and heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you for what ever you
have done to help. Assembling, quilting or making blocks and filler blocks
everything helps and everyone's contribution is needed!
Here's what we did
in 2008!
January Texas Children's Hospital 22 completed
Dog / Cat baby
quilts 6 still needs quilted
February Victory Junction Kids Camp 6 completed
Camp/ Outdoor twin size 3
still needs quilted
March/ April All crib size
New Born In Need, IL Chapter 20 completed
Project Linus IL Chapter 19 completed
NICU Hurley Hospital Flint
Michigan 23 completed
May/ June Real Life Pregnancy and Crisis Center
Flowers twin size 9
completed 2 still out
Kids theme lap size 10 completed 2 still out
July
Patriotic
52 completed at Sew Fest 2008 32 distributed to Veterans
10
Germany Airlift Hospital
10 Wounded Warriors North Carolina
23 Went home with SF Attendees to be completed by November 1st
This is 161 Completed quilts and 36 yet to be finished. As best my records
are.
We are currently working on Christmas Stockings for the troops with
some really great rewards for making your age in stockings…by November 1st. If
you need a pattern please email Monica J, or myself. We will get you a pattern
ASAP.
The first charity on our list for 2009 is the Athena Shelter in Tampa
Florida. This is a shelter and placement center for former military women,
homeless women, women in need. It's starting as a 16-bed facility. We want to
get them started with 16 twin size quilts for the first group of females to get
placed. We are seeking individuals to make a whole quilt on their own, any
color, any style, as long as its at least 50x 70. Any one interested please
email me.
As we move closer to January you will be hearing more about this.
We are
also trying to do another Alphabet and Animal Appliqué quilt. If you are
interested in doing a block or fillers email me and I will put you on the list.
We are always looking for new charities to make quilts for. If you have one you would like us to consider, please send the info the Beth S (czgrad).
As always expenses are a very big concern for those who do the assembling and the quilting, We are looking for suggestions to help differ some of the expense, of finishing the quilt, the batting and backings can add up when you are doing month after month of quilts. We really can't do a raffle or any real fundraising, we are to wide spread. A nice fairy godmother would be great!
We take the fall off so everyone can get caught up, some with other projects and some with seeing that the charity quilts get completed.
Also we are working on plans for SEW FEST 2009.. we will keep you posted.
Well here are all the emails you may need to send your responses to:
Cathy B (me) cabmarshall@yahoo.com
Monica Johnson monicalj49@comcast.net
Beth Schmidt schmidtbeth@comcast.net
Also all of our projects are volunteer basis, you do what you can if you can.
Thank you All
Cathy B.
"Quilters For Charity" are a group of dedicated, giving quilters that make quilts to give to women and children in shelters across America.
When these gentle souls arrive at shelters they often have nothing more with them than the clothes on their backs. Each time one receives a quilt, they have something they can call their own. Something comforting in it's warmth and at the same time carrying a message of hope that someone cares about them.
The idea to work together in this project came from Mrs. Cathryn Butkovich of North Huntingdon, PA. The folks making these quilts had orignally met online at www.ArtisticThreadWorks.com where they share a common interest in machine embroidery. When they heard about the need for quilts, they volunteered to work together making these gifts. They started with five quilts in the last quarter of 2006. Their group has grown and they have produced 30 quilts in the first three months of 2007.
In the old days a group of quilters would gather at one person's house and quilt together completing several quilts for the beneficiary - usually a bride-to-be or expectant mother. But this group makes their quilts in a more high-tech "Round Robin" system where each member makes a square or several squares then sends them on to one member that finishes the quilt by putting the pieces together and adding the trim.
Here's more about the quilters from Cathy Marshall-Butkovic...
Many Parts make the whole, Quilters for Charity is made up of many parts.
Countless creative hands go into the making of the Charity Quilts. We are an
open group of Embroiders who happen to make quilts and donate them to
charities.
Choosing a monthly theme and color scheme starts the process. A filler quilt
block is designed so the entire quilt isn't embroidered blocks. Also decided are
what charity (s) will receive this months Quilts, this sometimes determines the
size.
All this is discussed with everyone in a chat room on ATW. Everyone's
opinions are heard and valued. During these discussions volunteers are asked for
to be the months assemblers and quilters.
As a group we generally divide our quilts into two age groups. Juvenile age 3
to 10 cutesy and cartoon type designs, Junior Age 10 to 17 more realistic and
mature designs. This gives the block makers a chance to use what designs they
have.
As a member of the group you are sent a questionnaire asking you what you can
help with this month. You reply with what ever you are comfortable with. Blocks
for one of the age groups, or both, or just filler blocks your reply is entirely
your decision, you can even reply you can't help this month.
After the replies are gathered and the assemblers and quilters are confirmed,
all volunteer block makers are then notified the final particulars to make the
blocks. This notice includes the address of the assemblers to send your blocks
to, and when they need to be mailed by.
We also ask each block maker to send a $1.00 along with the blocks to help
the assembler with the cost of batting and backing. This is totally volunteered,
not required.
The assembler then waits for all the beautifully created blocks to come in the mail. Once all have arrived, the blocks are cut to the correct size and attached to one another in a quilt top. From there the top is sandwiched with batting and backing then quilted and bound. Once finished the quilt is donated to the designated charity.
Along with the block quilts the same group usually makes two row quilts to go with the months theme. 6 volunteers for each quilt, who make and sew an entire row, attach it and send it on until it reaches the 6th person, who then finishes the row quilt. The two row quilts are also donated to charity.
With every ones help, and sharing the work, we get a beautiful quilt made to give to someone less fortunate then us.
Please join us and see how much fun we have, and how good it feels to be so creative and giving.
Cathy Marshall-Butkovich
To date this group whose dynamics change constantly, according with who volunteers have created over 30 quilts.
June -- Nov 2006
2 Alphabet and
Animals
1 Bug and Insect
1 Lil' Boy
Stuff
1 Dog/cat Row Quilt
January 2007
2 Juvenile Girly
Stuff
2 Junior Girly Stuff
2 Girly
Row Quilts
February 2007
2 Juvenile Sea-Creatures
2
Junior Sea-Creatures
2 Sea-Creatures Row quilts
March 2007
2 Juvenile Bears quilt
3 Junior
Bears and Wildlife
2 Bears Row quilt
April 2007
Flower
quilts
2
roses
1
tulip
2
daisy/sunflower
3 wildflower/any
flower
1 flower row quilt
May 2007
Theme dragons, fairies and
mythical things
June 2007
Hot Air
Balloons
July, August, September, October, and November all still are up for discussion and final confirmation.
All of 2006 quilts were donated to Kids In Distress in Boca
Raton Florida.
Four (4) of the January 2007 quilts have gone
to Project Linus.
February and March have been marked to go
to the Kids In Distress.
April Flower quilts have been
designated to go to several Woman Shelters.
If you're interested in helping out - contact Cathy Butkovich via email at cabmarshall@yahoo.com
In the photo gallery below are picture of the quilts in various stages of being made. Each quilt has a theme. We hope you enjoy the photos...
