Quiltsy's Pillowcase Challenge/Haiti Connecton!

The Haitian earthquake hit close to home in Quiltsyland. Just a couple days before the earthquake, Quiltsy member Ellen of bearcreekcreations had seen her daughter Joanna off at the airport. Joanna returned from Christmas break to her job in Port au Prince, Haiti where she works as a mid-wife in a charitable women’s clinic. After receiving word of Joanna’s safety, Ellen swung into action to help. She quickly set up a Facebook group to support the Haitian group’s efforts and facilitate crucial information exchange.

Quiltsy members who joined Ellen’s Facebook group were able to follow the day-to-day trials and successes as the woman’s clinic became more of a MASH unit. Flights of doctors and supplies arrived to treat scores of wounded Haitians, while families of patients and workers camped around outside. The accounts, photos and uploaded video gave a better idea of the real story than any television news report.

About the same time, Quiltsy members discussed participating in the National Million Pillowcase Challenge. The year-long challenge to quilters and sewers is to make and donate one million pillowcases to local charities.Since the Quiltsy Team is an international and online group, there was a problem participating as a group in the challenge. Where would the pillowcases be sent? What is a local charity when your members are flung all over the globe?

*lightbulb moment* Joanna’s group in Haiti needs pillowcases for all the patients and people living with them! Many emails later, arrangements have been made to get the pillowcases to the group in Haiti and Quiltsy members are busy busting their fabric stashes to make pillowcases.

Quiltsy would like to open up this project to anyone else desiring to send a pillowcase along with theirs. Ask your friends, family, customers or guild members to join in!

There are many easy (and free) pillowcase patterns available on the internet. As expected, AllPeopleQuilt.com has several available to download: http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/index.html

There are no requirements other than standard size and cotton fabric.

Deadline to get your pillowcase included in this dispatch to Haiti is March 9th. That is about 3 weeks in which to make some pillowcases. Please contact whimbrella for mailing details if you want to participate.