Quiltsy Cares- Featuring Barb Neiwert from Mountainquiltworks

I'd like you to meet Barb Neiwert from Mountainquiltworks. Barb has been a member of Quiltsy Team for 3 years and her charity is Camp Rainbow Gold

Camp Rainbow Gold is for Idaho children diagnosed with cancer and their families. When asked why this charity is special to her, Barb replied, "A primary event for the Camp Rainbow Gold crew is to host week-long summer camps near our mountain town. To participate, campers are children or teens fighting cancer.  Cancers touches so many lives, especially in my family, and this camp gives kids a chance to be kids!"

Each year Barb's quilt guild has organizational and sewing parties to sew up more than 225 pillowcases for the campers.  When each child arrives at their cabin, they find a handmade pillowcase waiting for them on their bed.  Barb said "We hear they love these pillowcases and they take them home as a reminder of their week at camp.  It takes a concerted effort to amass 300 yards of cheerful, kid-friendly fabric to complete the project. But we all donate our time and resources into making this project work." 

Barb has been quilting for about five years. "I started with patchwork picnic quilts made of old Levis", she said, "but tied them because they were so heavy. Then I discovered the gorgeous modern fabrics of Amy Butler, became smitten with them and decided to try to make a "real" quilt. The rest is history. I jumped in with both feet and soon had too many quilt tops to keep up with, so I purchased a longarm quilting machine and now I quilt for others as my primary business." Barb said, "My favorite thing to make for Mountain Quiltworks is baby quilts." She also has custom bedding quilts, lap quilts, table runners,  snack mats/mug rugs, and microwave hot packs filled with rice or flax and lavender. The hot packs are very helpful for pain relief of many kinds. They can be microwaved for heat or frozen for use as an ice pack.

Barb would like people to understand that 
"quilts are not merely blankets. They are a piece of a quilter's soul created from a thousand little stitches to help make a memory. Either through a visual delight, or a reminder of the love that went into making the quilt, or from the experiences associated with using them, quilts are special. The intrinsic value of a quilt is immeasurable and lasts for years."

Barb lives in the Wood River Valley of south central Idaho near the ski resort of Sun Valley. She said,"I'm a Mountain Girl from the get-go and love all the opportunities afforded by living here. We spend a great deal of time outdoors, and I am thankful every day for the blessing of living where I do!"

Social Media Links:
Camp Rainbow Gold

Barb's:
Etsy Shop

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Posted by Barbara Wood of DownHome Designs, a Quiltsy member since 2008