Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? The Helping Hands Quilt is done!

Hi, all!

It's Friday again!!  Are you ready to get your whoop whoop on???  I know I am!  I've got something special to share today - I guess you could call it OUR quilt!  Because lots of you had a part in it...

Many of you responded when I asked you to contribute to something called the Helping Hands Project - a way to honor the people who have participated in some way in our quilt ministry, which was nearing completion of its 500th quilt.  The blocks we received were amazing!  It was so much fun to see the variety, each giving a hint of what the maker was like.  And now I'd like to share with you pictures of the finished quilt!  Be warned - there are LOTS of pics in this post!!

First of all, here's a picture of the whole quilt...

Do you know how hard it is to get a full shot of a quilt this big?  I had to lay it on the floor next to a stairwell at church, then go up the stairs and lean out to get the shot!

And here are some shots of the blocks and quilting.  I had a lot of fun with the quilting on this one - I used lots of different stitches and tried out a lot of new things....

I'd love to know how Diane made her hand!

Clamshell quilting is pretty, isn't it?

I love this block - hands threading a needle!

Tried something a little different on this block -

creating my own negative space is new to me!

Feathers are still a bit wonky...

Don't you love this?  She put a tiny quilt on her block!

For people who didn't have a chance to send in a block, I made a lot of small hand blocks and put names on them for all the donors I could remember or find records of...

P.'s block.  I know I want to meet her in person some day!  We have the same taste in fabric and colors!

Some more new quilting techniques...

See the logo my niece (the artist, not the math geek/quilter) created for us?  I just had to add it in to the quilt!

And here are some shots of the back - it's fun to see all the quilting without the distraction of the colors!

And finally, one more shot of the finished quilt...

Many many thanks to all of you who helped with this project, and to those of you who have donated to the quilt ministry!  It's been an amazing ride so far - 535 quilts in three and a half years and hopefully many more to come!  Started by accident, this ministry could not have succeeded without the helping hands that have touched so many lives with quilt-y hugs and goodness!  

This quilt will hang in my church to commemorate those helping hands and the 500+ quilts they have shared with those in need.

"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."

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn!!

What are you whooping about this week?

Finished or not, please share!!

We want to whoop with you!!

The party will remain open until Sunday at midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah