What's Cookin' At The Sweatshop?

Hi, all!

Well, as predicted, things have started getting a bit busier around the quilt ministry - but fortunately we have a new member who is also a long-armer, so an extra quilter is on hand to help with the finishing up!  Woohoo!!  Hopefully we can get a bit ahead of the needs - always a good thing!

So let's see what we worked on this week...

This beautiful quilt was made from donated blocks (I'm sorry I don't remember who donated them - the info is on my worktable at home, and I'm in Virginia - too far away to locate them!  If you sent them, please 'fess up - I'd love to give credit where credit is due!)  Joanna pieced them together and put a beautiful green border on it.  This quilt has found a new home with a young woman who will be undergoing her third open heart surgery later this month.

And this pretty strip quilt, made with some lovely funky prints, is going to a woman who was just re-diagnosed with breast cancer after thirteen cancer-free years.  Her sister described her as artsy and the kind of person who will be wearing red and purple when she's eighty - so I think this quilt will be perfect for her!  She's a quilter, but doesn't hang out with other quilters - so we're hoping she'll come join in our group and share her knowledge some day.  

Rita and Pam put this lovely warm flannel quilt together from donated blocks and a great Alexander Henry flannel tree print.  It's also got a plaid flannel backing, so it's another soft, warm quilt.  This quilt is going to Sevierville, TN to a gentleman who is battling Stage 4 lung cancer.  Pam was in Sevierville for the quilt show a few weeks ago, and while in the Cracker Barrel, overheard her server talking to some regulars at a nearby table.  The regulars were asking about her husband, and that's how Pam found out that he was battling cancer.  She decided to see that he got a quilt, and this is the result!  A good example of never missing an opportunity to help others....

We've had a couple of other quilts this week, but I don't have pictures of them yet - so we'll save them for next week!

And in the spirit of never missing an opportunity to help others, let me remind you....

It's time to sign up for the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge!  This year we'll be quilting for Happy Chemo and for Quilts Beyond Borders - two great charities to choose from!  Or you can make one (or more!) for each and spread the love....  You can read more about the Challenge here (the 3/24/13 post) and sign up at the same time.  There will be a giveaway for folks who sign up by this Saturday night (3/30/13) and lots of giveaways at the end of the Challenge for those who participate!!  So come join us!!

And please remember my friend Pam's quilt raffle to benefit Blood:Water Mission!  There's only a few more days to make a donation and enter the raffle - she will be drawing a winner this Sunday, March 31st.  You can read more about the raffle here or just click the "Donate Now" button on the right side bar. She's so close to her goal of $7,000 - less than $2,000 to go!  Let's help put her over the top and build a well in an African village!

Hugs!

Sarah