Quilt donation opportunity

Hello friends. You know how I like the idea of paying it forward. A quilt donation is a great opportunity to do that. Often the question is asked, where can I donate a quilt? Today I am honored to introduce you to a family that has come up with a plan to raise money for charity one quilt at a time.

The Arnold family created The Sandpiper Project, an online silent auction via Facebook to raise money for Make-A-Wish Oregon. After their daughter, Elizabeth (Liz), was declared cancer-free, the Arnolds were so full of gratitude that they wanted to find a way to give back to their community and to bring comfort to children diagnosed with critical diseases. Liz is now a Make-A-Wish Ambassador and The Sandpiper Project has raised over $5,000 so far!

Quilt donation opportunity at THe Sandpiper Project. Read all about it at The Crafty Quilter.

You can feel their excitement and joy by reading their own words below:

“With the excitement of celebrating Liz’s two years being cancer free and reaching her goal of raising $2500, we decided to go further and raise money for Make-A-Wish Oregon by starting the silent auctions.

We couldn’t have done it without all of you!!! With your donations of fabrics, supplies, and the love of the project, children across Oregon will have wishes granted and dreams come true – giving families a break from the present stresses and current and future new normals. We know the importance of this program; because Liz was granted a wish, our hearts are full each and every day! Thank you for bringing joy well after the wish was granted!!!

We will be making more items in the coming days, weeks, months to raise even more for Make-A-Wish Oregon. Please join us… Stay tuned… AND thank you for everything!!! Thank you all for your contributions (Fabric, supplies, bidding, and winning!!) You all made a difference in the life of a child.”

Monique (Liz’s mom) reached out to me with details of how it works…. you send a finished quilt (along with a story about your quilt) and a little information about you. They will take pictures of your quilt and put them up for silent auction for 2 to 5 days. They send the quilt to the winner (free of charge because they have a partnership with FedEx.) The winner donates directly to Make-A-Wish Oregon; the money never touches the Arnold’s hands.

If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Monique Arnold at moakey2 at icloud dot com. You can also see an interview with Elizabeth Arnold here.

If you are interested in contributing a quilt, you can send it to: Sandpiper Project, 3650 NW Witham Hill Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330

I have only one quilt left in my “inventory” that is suitable for donation, but it’s perfect for this charity. I made a super cute version of my Ombre Love pattern using a layer cake of Olive’s Flower Market by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics. I decided to take out the sashing which makes it a little smaller and gives it a whole different look. Hearts are perfect for this time of year and for this type of charity.

Ombre Love Quilt made and designed by Julie Cefalu of The Crafty Quilter. Quilt Donation for the Sandpiper Project.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about The Sandpiper Project. It’s another great way for quilters to spread love and make a difference in someone’s life. Thanks for being a part of that!

Free Valentine’s Day Sewing Projects

Can you believe February 14 is one month away? Today, I’m sharing 14 FREE Valentine’s Day Sewing Projects with you that range in size from small to large. By next month, you’ll be ready to spread some handmade love to all of your friends and family!

Check out these 14 FREE Valentine's Day Sewing Projects compiled by The Crafty Quilter

This Mini Heart Quilt Tutorial from Shelly at Coral & Co. really speaks to me. I love the soft colors and sweet appeal of this one!

Quilts can be a beautiful expression of love, especially when they include hearts like this Chains of Love Quilt Pattern from Amanda at Jedi Craft Girl and Amber at Gigi’s Thimble. It takes just five fat quarters plus background fabric to make this 50″ square quilt.

Whip up this Sweetheart Zip Pouch from Melissa at Polka Dot Chair and you’ll make any girl’s heart sing. Fill it with something sweet and you’re all set!

I love to decorate for every holiday and this Quilted Heart Tutorial (by me) makes it so much fun. These stuffed hearts can be filled with lavender, too, and look great gathered in a basket.

I think it’s great when we can include children in our creativity. This Valentine’s Day Embroidery Hoop Art Tutorial from Ruth at Living Well Spending Less is perfect for getting the kids involved. Hoop art makes great decorations too!

This Valentine’s Day Mini Treat Bag Tutorial from Peta at She Quilts A Lot would make a great start to some sweet gifts. Anything small would fit perfectly into these gift bags.

If you’re looking for a gift with no calories, then check out these Felt and Fabric Heart Sachet Valentines from Beverly at Flamingo Toes. Add a touch of lavender to make them as sweet as can be!

For a little family fun, make these Valentine Tic Tac Toe Game Hearts by Crystal for Make It Love It. I know some grandkids that would love this gift!

Always a favorite of mine is this Simple Hearts Quilt Tutorial from Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew. It’s not only great for Valentine’s Day, it makes a perfect baby quilt too. You can see my version of it here.

This Baby Heart Log Cabin Quilt Tutorial by Caroline at Sew Can She is a fun variation of the traditional log cabin quilt. I can picture a scrappy version for myself!

I think this Heart Table Runner Tutorial from Connie at Free Motion by the River would be a great way to decorate for the month of February. It looks fast and easy to make which is a big bonus!

Pillows are always great to accent a room for any holiday. I love this Heart Pennant Pillow Tutorial from Amy at Diary of a Quilter. It’s simple and sweet and has a Scandinavian charm to it.

I’ll end with one of my own favorites, my Ombre Heart Quilt Block Tutorial. This block is really fun and easy to make with lots of options for various size quilt projects. Plus it’s great for using up scraps!

Last year, I made Ombre Heart Coasters using the same quilt block, but a little smaller. These are really fast to make and could be included in a gift ensemble with tea/coffee and chocolates.

With these 14 free Valentine’s Day Sewing Projects, you should feel ready to make something special. I love being able to create gifts and decorations from my sewing room, and I might need a little chocolate to keep up my strength! I hope you feel inspired with these fun Valentine sewing ideas!

2022 project ideas and updates

Yesterday, I put all of the Christmas decorations away and now I feel like I’m ready for the New Year. I love fresh starts and new projects! Today, I have some 2022 project ideas to share with you, but first I’ll tell you about all the things happening in my small world.

I took a break from my sewing room during the holidays to spend time with my family. We had all four children, a spouse, and three grand children home for six days and some in and out for two weeks. It was so much fun, lots of high energy, runny noses and general chaos the whole time! Our kitchen was the center of activity – I spent a lot of time there making sure there was always food on hand. And I’m so thankful for dishwashers (human and automatic)!

We took advantage of one warm day and ventured to the beach (Natural Bridges in Northern California). We found a spot where the water from a creek flows to the ocean which was perfect for the kids to get their feet wet.

One thing I did before Christmas, was to make scarves for the adult family members. They were super simple with just one seam (which I could have avoided if I had bought the right amount of fabric) and stay stitching around the edges (which I frayed first). I used Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman which is a beautiful, soft flannel that comes in a large assortment of colors.

Back row: Nicole, Sara, Jon and Kelly; Front row: Amelia and Clara

I’m not making any big resolutions this year, but I always start off with the notion that I’ll be more organized. I’m trying out a new planner this year from Plum Paper (no affiliation). Their planners are fully customizable and you can personalize the front cover, too. I created a 2-page weekly layout that includes sections for “important this week”, “work to do”, “general to do”, “weekly menu”, “grateful for” and “notes”. I also added a section for blogging, fitness and reflection. You can choose the month you want to start with, the size of the planner, and a variety of layouts for the inside. They’re also fast – I ordered mine late in November and received it two weeks later.

I hope to keep Sundays as my main planning day for the week and fill in the major “to do” items then. It’s nice to have everything in one place for work, household, and personal stuff. Next on my list is a good book on organizational life habits, so if you have any recommendations please share in the comments.

My new pattern, Arrowstone, will release at the end of this month. I’ve been working on the cover quilt and it’s coming together nicely. There’s a lot of piecing for this, but it makes a beautiful quilt! I can’t wait to show you all of the beautiful versions made by my pattern testers.

2022 Project Ideas

Many people look for new projects to start at the beginning of the year. I have some ideas for you! I’ve come across several free block of the month programs that have just started. Maybe one of them will be just right for you.

Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life has just started her A Quilting Life 2022 BOM with January’s free block. Sherri includes an instructional video, pdf pattern and two size options for the blocks. Patterns release on the first Thursday of the month.

Image Source: A Quilting Life

Pat Sloan is hosting a weekly mystery sew along called Sweet Dreams. It runs from January 5, 2022 through May 11, 2022 and features all pieced blocks in a variety of sizes. Quilt size is 60 1/2″ x 72 1/2″.

Image Source: Pat Sloan’s I Love to Make Quilts

If you have an abundant supply of scraps, you might consider this Scrappy Pineapple Sew Along at Gigi’s Thimble. Amber uses her paper-piecing papers to make each block, and it’s a great opportunity to learn a new skill. This quilt along starts on January 31, 2022, with one block per week for 36 weeks.

Image Source: Gigi’s Thimble

Riley Blake Designs is hosting a 2022 Block Challenge and this week kicks off with a Daisy Chain Block by Lori Holt. Each week a different Riley Blake designer will create a 10″ block pattern for a total of 16 blocks. This sew along will run through May of 2022.

Image Source: Riley Blake Designs

That’s just a few of the many quilt alongs, sew alongs, and block of the month programs that are happening now. If you’re like me, you’ve got enough unfinished projects to keep you busy all year. If that’s the case, check out the 2022 UFO Challenge from All People Quilt. It’s a fun way to keep those UFO’s moving forward!

Happy quilting!

Favorite blog posts from 2021

Happy New Year everyone! I am really excited for 2022 – I think it’s going to be a good one. The first of the year is also a great time to reflect on the past year. I was inspired by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs Best of 2021 Linky Party to share a few favorites from 2021.

Here are my top five blog posts from last year (in chronological order):

  1. These Ombre Heart Coasters are definitely a top favorite and very timely for the upcoming month of February.

  1. Next is my Spring Bunny Table Runner Tutorial. This is such a cute accent for Spring!

Spring Bunny Table Runner Tutorial @ The Crafty Quilter
  1. One of my favorite quilt finishes of 2021 is my version of the Moda Stitch Pink Quilt. I loved making each block!
Moda Stitch Pink Quilt, 2020, made by Julie Cefalu. This is a free pattern from Moda Fabrics and designed to raise awareness of breast cancer.
  1. In May of 2021, I shared Two Methods for Oversized Flying Geese that included a downloadable cutting chart. Oversizing units is my favorite way to go!
  1. I released a free pattern, Season Reflections, in December to kick off my first newsletter. This pattern was the culmination of a wonderful pattern writing class that I completed that same month.

A few honorable mention blog posts from last year: my free Nordic Star Table Runner Tutorial, 8 Tips for Better Quilt Photography, a Great Tip for Using Diagonal Seam Tape and 8 Resources for Free Quilt Block Patterns.

2021 was definitely a year to remember, especially with a global pandemic still shifting and shaking things up. I’m so grateful to have a hobby that gives me joy and comfort, and a quilting community to share it with. In the past, I’ve done a Sew Thankful Sunday blog post on the first Sunday of every month. I’m moving this to my newsletter, so make sure to subscribe (below) to get all of the latest news in the quilt world. I promise not to clog up your inbox too much!

Newsletter Sign Up

Make sure to visit Meadow Mist Designs to see all of the other “Best of 2021” blog posts so far. Thanks Cheryl for hosting the party!

Thanks for reading, and I hope the New Year brings you good health, joy and lots of creativity!

Holidays and last finished quilt for 2021

Hi everyone! I don’t know where the time has gone, but Christmas is two days away! I’m the lady you see in the movies running around like a crazy person trying to get everything just right for the big day (and week). This will be a quick blog post, but I’ll be back to a normal schedule after the first of the year.

We have had a steady stream of children arriving home for the holidays, and by December 26, we’ll have the whole gang home. That’s seven adults and three small children in a 3 bedroom house. Our two granddaughters will sleep in a tent in our bedroom, Ben the youngest grandchild will be in a Pack’n Play in my sewing room, and the other kids will have to fight for a bed (someone has to sleep on the couch). This usually makes for the best memories, and hopefully we all still get along by the end of it all!

You know I hate to waste an opportunity to share pics of my grandchildren. We were in Austin three weeks ago to babysit, and I took this photo of the three of them on their back fence. Mr. Crafty Quilter was telling them a grand story and had their attention for a while. Ben will be two next week, Clara is 3 and Amelia is 6.

And I had their attention while we made yummy treats in the kitchen.

My last quilt finish for 2021 is my Red at Night 2 Block of the Month quilt. I absolutely love how this quilt turned out! I used Kismet Fabric by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics and the dark background (also AGF) makes everything pop. The pattern design is by Bound to be Quilting and it’s really striking.

I hope your holidays are going smooth and stress free. I’m looking forward to spending lots of time with my family in the next week and a half. That’s what it’s all about – relationships, love, compassion and forgiveness; showing others we care and giving to those who are less fortunate.

I’ll be making some hot chocolate in a little bit to end the evening with. It’s from my recipe, Spicy Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and it’s perfect for the holidays. Merry Christmas to you and all the best for a wonderful New Year!