“What does love look like?
It has the hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like.”
Hi, all!
It's time to start thinking about Hands2Help again! If you aren't familiar with Hands2Help, this will be the second year for this charity quilt challenge. Last year, 47 quilters made 61 quilts that were sent to Judi of Green Fairy Quilts. Judi and her husband Clint took those quilts to Romania to be distributed to orphans there, along with school supplies and food.
Judi tells me that they still have enough quilts left over from last year (because they are limited on how many they can take over with them) that she doesn't need any more this year. So that means that we will have a new charity to donate our quilts to this year. I'm still working out the details but I believe we will have two charity choices this year, giving us more options for variety in our quilts.
Because I'm trying to make Hands2Help better this year than it was last year, I need some feedback from you! If you could answer a few questions for me in your comment, it can go a long way to making this a great experience for everyone.
1. Would you rather work out of your own stash, or swap fabric like we did last year?
2. If you are an international (non-US) blogger, would you be more likely to participate if you could ship your flimsy and backing only (I would see that it gets quilted here in the States) to save on postage?
3. Would you be interested in seeing guest bloggers featuring simple designs that can be used for your quilt(s)?
4. What suggestions do you have to make the experience better? (Remember, there are no crazy ideas - just crazy quilters!)
I'm so looking forward to this, and hope we'll have lots of participants again this year! Sundays on my blog will be dedicated to the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge from now until it's over, and I'm hoping to have the timeline, guidelines, and sponsor list up in the next couple of weeks.
By the way, the beautiful quilts pictured above are just a few of the quilts that were donated as part of the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge 2011, along with many others you can see here on Flickr.
So please take a few minutes, leave a comment with some answers to help me plan a great challenge, and let me know if you plan to participate this year, too! You don't have to have a blog to participate, but it is important that I be able to reach you - so if you don't have a blog, leave your e-mail address in your comment or e-mail me directly at salliesue@clearwire.net if you don't like leaving your e-mail out in public. Just FYI - if you don't hear back from me when you comment, you are a no-reply blogger and I don't have a way to reach you!
I hope you're as excited as I am!!
Hugs!
Sarah
PS: If you are interested in sponsoring this challenge,
or in being a guest blogger,
please e-mail me at salliesue@clearwire.net!!
Oh yeah - you can pick up the button for your blog
up there in the upper right sidebar!!
Help spread the word!!
As much as I like swapping - it would take up less time if we work from our own stash (and help you out in organizing). And that would help our international participants, also. Like the idea of our over-sea quilters able to send flimsies - super. I would love to sponsor a give away again for this - a Jelly Roll is waiting for you.
ReplyDelete1. Like Sharon, I do enjoy swapping, though, being the only outside US/Canada participant from last year, it took almost 3/4 weeks for my fabric to arrive from my partner (certainly not her fault, just the postage system!) ... working from our stash, or getting our own fabric would help me in this immensely ... also, when I was working out my pattern, I had calculated the square sizes (nine patch sudoku quilt) for an Australian (metre) FQ rather than an American (yard) FQ ... this meant that some of my squares were too small, which subsequently frustrated this (then) newbie quilter!!! Using our own fabrics would certainly help this better ... plus, we all do have our own colour/fabric preferences and niches that we are comfortable working with, and this could also help those who are more comfortable using particular colour ways, etc ... but then again, swapping makes it more interesting and challenging ... lol!
ReplyDelete2. [International Quilter's perspective] ... I personally love the idea of being able to just send through the flimsy and backing to be quilted in the states ... it's not hugely more in postage cost, but it does add that little extra that can't always be found easily on a tight budget ... Maybe those who did this could contribute to the cost of the batting if they did this too?! ... It could also be an option for those who don't feel confident in their quilting abilities, and would rather someone else do this? ... I would personally be more happy to do it this way, including a little money to cover costs, and reckon I would be more likely to do more than one if this was an option ...
3. Guest bloggers, or links to sites where relatively easy designs can be found would be great! ... I personally am loving the Moda Bakeshop site, and have built up a wider pattern 'stash' over the last year, though I had no idea where to go last year when I joined ...
... Oh, and I decided late last year that I would get the one from last year sent with this years' contribution ... I just have to pull what I have together apart, adjust square sizes, and add extra borders, lol!!
Looking forward to this years' Challenge!!!
Hey Sarah
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of working from our own stash - no postage and no waiting for fabric.
I also like the idea of seeing a guest blogger with their ideas.
Right now I don't have any suggestions on how to improve it. I had a lot of fun last year and I am looking forward to it again this year.
Ann
I'll be happy to participate again this year. I would like to use fabric from my own stash. Guest speakers would be great. I'd like to see a charity for kids be one of the two. I would be able to make more than one quilt as I would be able to machine quilt it if they were smaller. Thanks for putting this on again Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI was just blog hopping on Sunday morning and came across your blog - I'm just learning how to quilt but my passion is making and giving away American Girl doll clothing ... please visit me at -
ReplyDeletewww.westiejulep.blogspot.com
(here you'll find a little of everything)
and
www.katiesews4fun.blogspot.com
(all the AG doll clothing I've made)
All the best and happy quilting!
Katie
I am in for another year of H2H. I enjoyed the challenge of working from someone elses stash, but I think I would rather work from my own stash this year. Having guest bloggers would be fun. If you need another one, I could share my pattern that I used last year. I thiink keeping the size under 72" square is important to me. I would like to be a sponsor this year. I will let you know what I will have for a prize. I am pretty excited about doing this again this year.
ReplyDeleteI wail be joining H2H again. I really want to use my stash. I like the idea of guest bloggers so we can make some very simple pattern quilts. I would the charities to be both adults and children. I have both kinds of stash.
ReplyDeleteWhat a worthy charity! I am unable to participate this year, but think this project is absolutely magnificent.
ReplyDeleteWell, my first comment disappeared into cyberspace. I would like to participate but I don't machine quilt. Is it allowable to send the flimsy, backing, binding and money toward batting?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the size requirements? Does it have to be 72" square or is that just the biggest size preferred? Also, I don't really like square quilts and usually make rectangular ones. Is that OK? As usual, I have tons of questions :D
Guest bloggers and their patterns would be fun to see.
Thanks for sponsoring H2H, Sarah!
I'm up for whatever! I'd love to do some stash busting:)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to participate, depending on the guidelines. And I'd prefer to use my stash :)
ReplyDeleteCould we do quilts to go along with your youth groups work trip to New Orleans? Just a thought....
Great quilt pictures, thanks for sharing them!
Have a great wek!
I wasn't in H2H last year but will be an active participant this year. I have more than enough stash to use but will gladly swap if that's the way the group chooses to go. I can also be a sponsor, I'll send you an email. It's great of you to take this on again this year.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd do it again!! I'd like to use some of my stash if possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm a US blogger, so I'll mail a completed quilt.
It would be cool to have guest quilters, perhaps with blocks that could be inspirations for whole quilts.
Hope that helps!
Do you have to have a blog to participate? I love using my stash to make quilts for charity and can always add another one!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely ready to participate again this year and offer a giveaway. I do like the idea posed by another commentor who suggested you might want to use the quilts for your Church trip to New Orleans. One of the things I liked about participating in the 100 Quilts for Kids is that the quilts could be donated to any charity you chose. That would definitely help international quilters to save on mailing fees because they could donate them to charities in their own country.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you decide is fine with me.
Yeah, it's back again this year. I think I'm one of the few that actually like the swap. So what if we had partners and rather than swapping fabrics, the partner gets to choose say 3 colors that you have to use in your color scheme. I really liked that I had to do something different, it made me stretch a little bit. I do love guest bloggers :) What could make it better? If it started today :) I had a great time last year and looking forward to making a couple quilts this year as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah-- I'll definitely be a sponsor and make some. I've already collected some goodies with some new ones on order. I'm fine with my own stash (time to downsize that bad boy). I'd like to try a jelly roll race quilt--have you done that? I also have tons of FQ to strip down and play with my serger. I've been dying to try that. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this last year and I'm happy to do it again. I actually enjoyed swapping fabric because it added an extra challenge element, and it was fun to see someone else come up with a use for the fabric that I never got around to using myself. Also, it seemed to add up to a more interesting quilt sometimes, so it's not a total beauty contest, if you know what I mean. That said, I will participate on whatever level, my stash or otherwise, it's fine with me.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time last year! I'm a bit conflicted - I enjoyed getting to know someone else via swapping fabric last year, but I'd also love to put some of my own fabric to work for this challenge. Maybe instead of swapping fabric, we could swap encouragement? Each person would have another participant to encourage, send comment luv to, etc. I also really like Sue's idea, where partners assign each other colors, instead of sending fabric. Good luck organizing! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.
ReplyDeleteI'd be honored and excited to do anything you ask...I would LUV to join the H2H this year!!
ReplyDelete...it might be easier for me to work with my own fabrics. But, I'd be happy to send some to others if they need some =)
hugZ,
annie
anniesrubyslipperz.com
Whatever the rules, I'm in! I already have my pattern ready.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to join in! I am a relatively new quilter--at least stash wise!LOL So I am not sure how much fabric I have to swap. But I would love to make a quilt! I agree sites with easy patterns would be wonderful. I love finding new inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWhen does it start this year? I think I am in better shape. I kind of enjoyed the challenge of the swapped fabric but within our own is easier.
ReplyDeleteI really liked swapping fabrics last year, but will go with whatever you want to do. Heaven knows I have lots of stash to use :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to do this again. It was nice to help out! as far as you questions. 1. It is fun to swap matterial. It is to see how to make others choices work into a quilt. But I also see how using my own fabric would be cheaper on postage. 2. I live in the USA 3. Yes it would be great to get new ideas for quilt patterns. 4. No new ideas. I believe you ran a great challenge last year. Thank you for heading this up again. And how cool is it that Green Fairy Quilts still has lots of quilts left over!
ReplyDeleteI'm late posting (surprised?) but I would like to join in again this year. I like the idea of using our own stash, even though I enjoy swapping. I would be glad to help quilt flimsies for anyone that either lives out of the US or does not quilt on their own. Thanks for putting this together again this year. I agree, I think it is wonderful that Judi at Green Fairy has enought quilts for this year. Maybe this is what I need to get going, I've been very lazy this year and need some MOJO. I like the idea of these quilts going to your Church ministry in New Orleans.
ReplyDeleteI would love to participate again! The swapping was fun, but I would prefer to work from my own stash if we can. Can't wait to hear from the guest bloggers too!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to participate, Sarah... from my stash, and without a partner... I've never been good as a team player. (Some of us are an Army of One.) What are the dimensions... any color restrictions? I'm chomping at the bit.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
I would like to join you this year. It sounds like a very worthy project.
ReplyDeleteI'll wait to hear more
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