"Quiltsy Cares" Charity Quilts: 3-22-15

Good Sunday Morning!  Today's Quiltsy Team Blog features the charity donations of Cheryl and Cindy of Twin Sis Creations Etsy shop.  Cheryl and Cindy live far apart - Cindy is in Sibley, MO and Cheryl is in Austin, TX - but still manage to work together to make beautiful quilts and other creations for their shop. 

Their supported charities are the Pajama Program, which provides new pajamas and new books to children in need on a nationwide basis, and has a local Austin chapter, and Safe Place in Austin, Texas, whose mission is to provide a place for ending sexual and domestic violence through safety, healing, prevention and social change.  Here are some of the donated pajamas:

The Pajama Program charity is important to them because Cheryl was a Kindergarten teacher and has always had some type of job or volunteer position that benefitted or helped children. 
She believes that every child should be able to snuggle in their own pajamas and curl up with a good book to read at the end of the day, and to feel loved.  Most people readily donate baby or young children pajamas, but Cheryl thought it would be important to donate/sew pajama pants for the older tweens and teens who also are in shelters with little or no belongings.  To take it one step further, Cheryl also thought it would be good to encourage other tweens and teens to learn how to sew pajama pants and to donate them to the shelters, so she started free classes to help kids learn how to sew and donate to these two charities.

Although Cindy and Cheryl live in separate states, they are able to showcase their creative talents in one Etsy shop.  Cindy is an artist and Cheryl is the seamstress and quilter.  Cheryl has been sewing since she was five years old and hasn't stopped since.  She started quilting after taking some quilting classes while in college, and has now been quilting for over 35 years.  Cheryl has also been teaching sewing/quilting for over 10 years.  Cheryl enjoys sewing anything from quilts and table runners, to pillow cases, bags and toys.  After participating in the February Quiltsy Mug-Rug swap, and having alot of fun with it, she may start adding them to her shop!  Although Cheryl and Cindy have different creative outlets, they each create with love and joy - and they learned that from their mom!

Here are a couple here are a couple beauties from Cheryl and Cindy's shop:

 

Cheers! - - Jennifer

My mother and I make up the Olive Street Studio design and sewing team.  I cannot remember my mom NOT sewing or quilting.  Since 2003, we've made chenille and cotton baby quilts, baby gift sets, little girls dresses and skirts.  In 2013, we expanded into Home Decor quilts and after getting requests for even bigger quilts, we're working on larger quilts too.  Then, with extra time, because we all have extra time, ha ha, we also make reversible tote bags, smaller handbags, and zipper pouches.  I joined the Quiltsy Team on Etsy in 2010.  

Etsy Shop: Olive Street Studio
Website: Olive Street Studio
Blog: Olive Street Studio on Blogger

Quiltsy Cares ... Ilse Daehler

Detail of Rag Quilt

Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Quiltsy Team member, Ilse Daehler whose chosen charity is the Betty Anne Krahnke Centre, an emergency domestic violence shelter for women and children. Ilse has made a beautiful Rag Quilt with purple bellflowers. Purple was chosen because it is the colour for domestic violence awareness. (photo on right is a detail picture of the quilt)

Ilse explains why this charity is important to her. “A few years ago I volunteered for the Abused Persons Program, to help women who are in abusive and often violent relationships to file for peace or protective orders against their spouses or partners. Not only are they afraid of retribution by their abusers but they also feel ashamed and believe that they are to blame for their situation. These women often have low self esteem and are very intimidated by the filing process in court.”

With the help of her granddaughter Annie she started her first shop in October 2009 www.etsy.com/shop/ISewTotes and then added a second shop 2 years later to create a place for her orchid themed items which she originally started as a fundraising project for a local garden club www.etsy.com/shop/OrchidFabricDecor.

Ilse is originally from Germany but has lived in Maryland for the last 50 years and now lives in Silver Spring, MD. She has been sewing pretty much since she was old enough to hold a needle, maybe at the age of 8 or 9. She learned machine sewing on an old treadle machine that had belonged to her grandfather, a professional tailor. She started working professionally as a seamstress after being trained in drapery making, first working for a local store and later opening her own business. She had always promised herself that she would learn how to quilt when she retired and about 8 or 9 years ago she decided it was time! Ilse is mostly self-taught but has taken one or two classes.


Ilse joined the Quiltsy Team about two years ago. At the moment, her favourite thing to make is the attic window design which she has incorporated into various quilts and wall hangings. You can see this design (at left) used in her latest “I Spy Cat Quilt”. She is always looking for ideas, designs and processes.

Find Ilse on Facebook
Find Ilse on Pinterest


Thanks so much for being a caring Quiltsy Team member, Ilse!

This post was written by fibre artist Kathy Kinsella
Etsy shop
Facebook
Fibre Art Blog

Another Quiltsy who Cares, meet Vivian Perry of EggMoneyQuilts!

Grandma always said, 'Every girl needs a little "Egg Money"'.

I'm pleased to be able to introduce you to the featured Quiltsy Team member for today, the talent behind EggMoneyQuilts, Vivian Perry. To celebrate March, International Quilting Month, we are highlighting team members who donate their work to charities.

Vivian describes herself as a quilter, fabric lover, dog lover, hopeless romantic, and optimist.

My birthday is in March. I realized many years ago that the best present is waking up healthy and happy! I like to celebrate by "Paying it Forward". I donated two quilts to the Killingsworth Home, a charity residence home in Columbia, South Carolina, whose mission is "to support, to empower, and advocate for women in various life crisis within a safe, nurturing, Christian environment . You can visit their site at http://killingsworth.org/ for more information on their work.

I donated the quilts through the Greater Columbia Quilters Guild. They call their donation quilts Comfort Quilts because the quilts bring comfort and encouragement to women going through a rough time in their lives.

I have enjoyed every minute of being a Quiltsy Team member! The team is so supportive of each other and of the art of quilting.

I make a lot of patchwork quilts from fabric that I have collected over the years. I also like to be creative. Recently, I designed and constructed a couple bicycle quilts and the child version has been featured in the magazine "Fresh Quilts". The pictures of the quilt take up two pages in the middle of the magazine. My husband (Tommy) tells his friends that his wife finally made the centerfold!

eggmoneyquilts.com

etsy.com/eggmoneyquilts

facbook.com/eggmoneyquilts 

Posted by Carol Ann Johnston, MooseCarolQuilts, Boise, Idaho

 

moosecarolquilts.etsy.com 

www.facebook.com/pages/MooseCarolQuilts 

Meet Jennifer Norman of Forget Me Not Quilteds

This bright and cheery baby quilt was made by Quiltsy Team member Jennifer Norman of Forget Me Not Quilteds from Washington. She is donating this quilt to Seattle's New Beginnings which seeks to end domestic violence by empowering survivors and mobilizing community action. 

Jennifer was inspired to quilt in 2005 by her mom Shirley Ann, a quilter for 45 years. She loves 1930's fabrics, Aunt Grace style, and cottage florals. Her home is filled with vintage and collectible items that she likes to display on her table runners. Jennifer's Etsy shop is filled with over 200 items! These include: lap quilts, table runners, wall hangings, pillows, mug rugs, and so much more. I love her style and chose the photo below as an example...appropriately featuring forget-me-nots!

Say hi to Jennifer and her mom Shirley Ann. I wish they were my neighbors.

  

This post was prepared by Quiltsy team member Karen Griska of KarenGriskaQuilts in Connecticut, offering quilts and instant download quilt patterns.

"Quiltsy Cares" Charity Quilts: 3-1-2015

The Quiltsy Team is doing a month of charity quilts!  Team members signed up to showcase the charity work many of the Quiltsy members do.  And donating to charity is not only in March - it goes on year-round.  In recognition of charity, this month will feature members and their charity.

First up is Vivian of Egg Money Quilts.  Vivian supports Hannah House, which is a Christ Central Ministry.  More information can be found on its website - Hannah House. Through the Greater Columbia, SC Quilters Guild, Vivian donated several baby, kids, and lap quilts.  The Guild gives lots of quilts to this charity.  This charity is special because they serve battered women and children and help them to become productive members of society.  These are the quilts Vivian donated:

Vivian lives in Easley, SC and her beautiful work can be found in her Etsy store is Egg Money Quilts.  Vivian's favorite quilt to make is patchwork.  She shares her studio with a rescue schnauzer and a Chihuahua mix.  When she is not sewing, Vivian spends time walking, riding bikes, and babysitting her granddaughter.

Here are a couple beauties from her shop:

 

 Cheers! - - Jennifer

My mother and I make up the Olive Street Studio design and sewing team.  I cannot remember my mom NOT sewing or quilting.  Since 2003, we've made chenille and cotton baby quilts, baby gift sets, little girls dresses and skirts.  In 2013, we expanded into Home Decor quilts and after getting requests for even bigger quilts, we're working on larger quilts too.  Then, with extra time, because we all have extra time, ha ha, we also make reversible tote bags, smaller handbags, and zipper pouches.  I joined the Quiltsy Team on Etsy in 2010.  

Etsy Shop: Olive Street Studio
Website: Olive Street Studio
Blog: Olive Street Studio on Blogger