Hashtag Quilt

 I decided to call this quilt Hashtag because...well, I think that's what it looks like: a set of colorful hashtags. The pattern from Gudrun Erla's book, "Strip Your Stash" , is actually called Pixie Stix. That's cute too. This is a great book, by the way! I borrowed it from my local library, but may need a copy of my own.

 Don't be fooled by the simple design, thinking it is a "no brainer" to put together. I was at a quilting retreat when I attempted to piece the first block for the quilt and those around me will agree that I was pulling out my hair for a bit. I found that there is a method to the madness and, once I got going, it was a fun quilt to make.
Simple wavy lines for the quilting make it have a soft hand:  perfect for a child's cozy quilt. The background fabric is by Paintbrush Studio. The solids are mostly from my stash, although I did buy a few colors while on retreat at Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Lauren chose Hashtag for Kopila, a thirteen year old girl with cerebral palsy. She and some of the other children are receiving art therapy for the trama they endured during the 2015 earthquake.

My hope is that Hashtag will bring Kopila comfort and joy!

Plane Ride

Sixteen comfort quilts for the children's home in Kathmandu, Nepal flew out early this morning with a team of seven, including my husband and my son. Thank you Susan, Lisa, Sue, Janette, and Patty for helping me achieve my goal of one quilt for each child! And special thank you to Sharon Brandli's family for the beautiful blocks that were given to me after her death. I was able to use them to create the three quilts in the center of this photo above. More about that later.

 I found some quilt labels among my stash and used them to identify a recipient for each quilt. The labels were machine stitched on, as was the binding, for sturdiness.

 On a sunny day I attached many of the quilts along my deck fence for some beauty shots. I'll be posting about each one in the days to come.

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One evening, at my modern quilt guild meeting, Lisa surprised me by handing me these three beauties!  Their additions became the final pieces of the puzzle of securing quilts for everyone! The star quilt on the right is made with hand-dyed fabrics. I am humbled.

Bright Checkerboard

Here's another scrappy quilt made entirely of two and a half inch squares from the basket of squares that I always have on hand. It is definitely a favorite of mine. 

The quilts going to Nepal are all around 60" x 80". Big enough to fit atop the cots that the children sleep on. An eleven year old little girl named Nisha will get to cuddle with this colorful checkerboard soon.

This is actually the second Bright Checkerboard quilt I have made in the last year. In April, I made one for my granddaughter, Pearl, to celebrate turning five! 

Both of these quilts, as well as the previous two going to the Nepali children, were made as leader/ender projects while I created other quilts. If you are wondering what leader/enders are, check the tutorials on the sidebar of this blog for instructions. You will be glad you did!

Dotty Squares

 Sometimes, simple patchwork is my favorite kind of quilt.

 This one went together so quickly! Three and a half inch squares were picked from my scrap basket of squares. I pre-cut them from leftovers as I create other projects. The grey dot is even leftover from another quilt as is the red binding.

 If you are wanting to create a quilt quickly, like I did, consider a simple patchwork design from your scrap basket.  It's so satisfying to see it come together almost effortlessly!

Raj will be receiving his quilt before the week is over. I'm hoping to see a photo of him holding the quilt. Are you reading this, Mr. Lollyquiltz?!

Comfort Quilts

 You may recall that my son, Drew, and his family were in Nepal in April 2015 when a devastating category 7.8 earthquake rocked that region of our world. Nearly 9,000  were killed and almost 22,000 people injured. Over three years later, the effects are still evident and injured children living in remote villages find it difficult to receive medical treatment and care for their handicaps. 

A special home houses fifteen handicapped boys and girls under the age of 18 where they have found refuge and care. Drew and my daugher-in-law, Lauren, are invested in seeing that the The P.G. Home be a successful sanctuary and home for them. Next week, Drew will be traveling with a team of doctors and nurses to Nepal where they will not only visit the Children's Home but also travel into remote areas offering free medical care to those who have none.  

 My husband, Fred, is excited to be accompanying Drew and the medical team, helping out where ever he can. The patchwork quilt that you see here, with the ombre blue sashing, will be packed into a suitcase and given as a gift to a boy named Sanu to brighten his bed. There is a quilt for each child, handpicked by Lauren, from the ones made by loving hands here in Kansas City. I enjoyed seeing Lauren ponder over the quilts as she made choices to match each child's personality and tastes. Lauren has just returned from her own trip to Nepal, accompanied by two of my grandchildren, Ezra and Lois. Here's Lois with the quilt...

There is a lot of love wrapped up in this project and my prayer is that these kiddos feel that love every night when they lay down and tug their quilt up around their shoulders to sleep. I'll be showing you more of the colorful quilts in the days to come.
Thank you for stopping by after my long absence! You guys are the best!
Fondly,
Carla 

Hello! Anybody there?

Yes, it has been awhile. Like three years! But, I've been thinking about brushing off the cobwebs and blogging about my quilting again. It's such a great way to document what I make, so even if no one reads blogs anymore, it might be fun! 
I've been busy, as you can see by this stack of quilts that will soon be flying to Nepal with my husband and son. They will brighten the beds of 15 handicapped children living together in a children's home. I'm pretty excited to have been a part of making it happen!