From the heart ~

One of the things I brought back with me from the Houston International Quilt Show was a couple of the quilt tops that needed quilting. There were a number of charity organizations represented at the show that were looking for help and support. The one I chose to participate in had pieced tops that needed quilting and binding.

I've chosen not to include the name of the organization because there are many out there looking for help, and one isn't any better than the other. The one I chose had sewing machines at the show and if you wanted to, or had the time, (or your feet needed a rest!), you could sit down and work on a quilt. These quilts are given to orphans in a third world nation. It may be the only thing that ever belongs just to them. When I spoke to folks at the show, they had been responsible for providing several hundred quilts to these children. They have specific size guidelines, but other than that, they are happy with any design or fabric. They will accept just pieced tops, or they will send tops to you for quilting if that's what you do. I picked up two; one that was ready to quilt and the other needed a little more border to meet the size requirement. I chose backing fabric (on sale) and did a simple quilting pattern on each, bound them, and mailed them back. As you can see from the pictures below, these are not intricate quilts.

This is something I wanted to share with you because we all have scraps that we don't have a use for. They sit in a cupboard, a drawer, or a box, and are long forgotten. Though we're busy, I wanted to pass the information along, that if you ever get a little time and want to put that forgotten resource to a really good cause, put together a scrappy quilt top and share your talent with some little human in the world. To find such organizations in need, just Google "quilts for donation" or "charity". You can use other keywords like "orphans" or "terminally ill patients". Decide who you are doing it for and make sure you meet their guidelines. You won't get paid, but you will be appreciated - it's just good chicken soup for your soul.

Until next time, happy quilting ~ lj