Donation Quilts: How To Avoid Winter Boredom

It is currently 27 degrees outside. As a former Floridian, I am horrified. But, after three years living in Portland, I guess I'm getting used it. The last few winters I've learned to get creative with my time. Now I crank the heater, throw on my slippers and look for a fun project that will blend well with binge watching Netflix and drinking cider.

February, 2014. My car is not used to snow.

The tradition kicked into high gear last February when we got three solid days of snow. Which means that Portland SHUTS DOWN.

Boy were my lawn flamingos chilly!

My husband waited out the storm with his buddies in Sisters, OR. I hardly heard from him he was having so much fun! So I was stuck with Pepper Cat and my sewing machine. 

To avoid cabin fever I decided to finish a donation quilt I had started a while back. I had a blast piecing it! The quilt was for Project Linus, a charity that distributes handmade blankets to kids in hospitals, shelters, and social service agencies. They have chapters all over the US.

My version of half square triangles.

To piece the top I cut a bunch of half-square triangles in green, blue, elephants and rhinos. I didn't really have a game plan, I just placed the pieces on the floor until I liked the pattern. 

This was my life B.D.W. or before design wall.

The top went together pretty well, though I found out later that I am doing half square triangles all wrong! I found a couple sources, but Amy at Diary of a Quilter has my favorite tutorial.

 

 Her blog is generally awesome and you should check it out!

Finished blocks.

Once I pieced all the blocks I twisted and turned them until the pattern looked OK, and then sewed all the blocks together. It was crib sized, maybe a bit bigger, at about 50" by 60". Project Linus is pretty flexible on size, which is nice.

Behold, the finished top.

Once the top was done I made a couple huge rookie mistakes. 

Mistake number 1: I pinned the top, batting, and back with straight pins. NEVER AGAIN. It was so dumb. I probably stuck myself a hundred times trying to quilt this baby.

Mistake number 2: I quilted the top with dark purple thread. This mistake I've unfortunately repeated. With my beginners sewing skills, the purple thread made every slip up and wavy stitch super obvious. 

I tried my very best to stitch in the ditch (or sew on top of the seams), but I was pretty sad about the results. After some quality time with my seam ripper and a couple hundred safety pins, I was back on track. Again, Amy has a great quilting 101 post. I wish I had seen it earlier!

Finished quilt, see how that thread screams, "HERE I AM!!!"

Pepper Cat is helping hide some of the imperfections.

This was my first finished quilt. It was really nice to think that this labor of love will warm a kiddo in need! 

If you want to get in the giving spirit this holiday season, check out these charities that accept handmade donations:

 

Project Linus: They take blankets and afghans that have been sewn, crocheted, or knitted. They just have to be washable and smoke/pet hair free. See your local chapter's website for more instructions.

Cards For Hospitalized Kids: Brighten a sick kid's day by hosting a card making party!

Quilts Of Valor: Make a quilt to honor a veteran! They take individual quilts or you can join a group. You can even volunteer your long-arm services. 

Quilts For Kids: This charity is a great place to start if you want to make a quilt but don't have the supplies kicking around. You sign up for a free quilt kit and they send you all the fabric you need to piece the top.

The Million Pillowcase Challenge: This is a fun and easy way to support a local charity. Find a store near you that is participating, download a simple pillowcase pattern, and shoot them an email so they can update the counter. You get to pick the charity that receives the pillowcase. Right now over 500,000 cases have been made and donated!

Snuggles Project: Knit, sew, or crochet blankets and toys for animals at participating shelters worldwide! The website lists free patterns to make something fun or snuggly for a dog or cat in need.

Please share any other great charities you support in the comments!