Piling Up Quilts for Tennessee

The Quiltsy Team has started shipping handmade quilts to Tennessee.  These quilts are headed to Jennifer, one of our team members who lives in the area (etsy.com/ca/shop/atthebrightspot) . Jennifer and her husband have offered to receive the quilts and then get them to the victims of the devastating forest fire that roared into Gaitlinburg on the night of November 28, 2016, as winds hit 80 mph

We know that receiving the gift of a cuddly quilt can mean a lot to people who have lost everything and we hope that the recipients will feel the warm hug that comes from those who made the quilts.  Some of the quilts are just the right size for babies and others are designed for teens and adults ... all made with love.

Charity Quilts by Lily Sweeney for Quilts of Valor

I would like to introduce you to today's Quiltsy Team member, Lily Sweeney, who volunteers with the Quilts of Valor to create handmade quilts for veterans.

This charity is important to Lily because her father in law served in WWII. He was a prisoner of war in Germany at that time and  Leo Sweeney's sacrifices and those made today are incredible in her eyes.  The currant statistics for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are 6,847 dead, many wounded, and many with ongoing emotional needs and suicides. Lily would like to think that the simple gift of a quilt will help them heal,  let them know that they are not alone in their struggles, and honor their efforts to maintain our safety.

 Lily's job for Quilts of Valor (QOV) is to receive quilt tops that are made around the country, provide the batting, and then long-arm quilt the backing, batting and quilt top together with decorative stitching.  The quilt is then sent on its way to be bound and labelled by other volunteers and then it is sent off to its recipient.  Lily says that it is always a special day when doing a QOV quilt in her studio; a time of gratitude and joy for the freedoms that she often takes for granted.

To learn more about Quilts of Valor, click on this link   http://www.qovf.org

Lily's passion for quilting started over 20 years ago and in the past 6 years became her business, The Batty Quilter.  Her studio is a renovated shed lovingly crafted by her husband, Sean, at their home in Bar Harbor, Maine.  "Gertie", my long arm quilting machine  waits there for her, and daily tthey create, imagine, and design quilt tops.  

We asked Lily about her favorite thing to make in her Etsy Shop ...  "My favorite thing in my Etsy shop is my Maize Marvel Corn Heating Bags.  They are my newest item and just plain fun, as well as snuggly on these cold winter days.  I truly love everything in my shop, so it is like choosing between your children but I am also quite fond of my seasonal baskets.  Easter Bunny baskets, Halloween totes, or Santa Pails, they all make me smile.  There is nothing more fun than seeing one of my very own Halloween totes showing up at my front door asking for a treat!"

Lily can be found online at:
www.thebattyquilter.com

www.etsy.com/shop/TheBattyQuilter

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Batty-Quilter/202159286622917?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Written by fibre artist Kathy Kinsella, a Quiltsy team member since 2010.
Kathy's Etsy shop 

Kathy Kinsella on Facebook

Kathy's Fibre Art Blog