Update! –
If you are finding this post in January 2019,
please click on
2019 Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project
for the latest information on the 2019 Project.

The support for this quilt drive continues, and it seems to be building.  Even if you do not sew or quilt, there is a way for you to contribute, and I’ll get to that in a minute.  Just to define the scope of our efforts, the latest reports are that over 4500 homes have been totally destroyed and more than 700,000 homes have sustained damage mainly by flooding.  So, as you might guess, we need a lot of quilts.

I finished quilting the first full size flimsy that I was sent using my own backing and batting. So this is an extra one from the original goal I had of five queen size.

I used Glide thread in the top, Bottom Line in the bobbin, and a pantograph called Fascination that I use a lot.  The gentle curves soften the hard edges.

The mail this week has been fun, with lots of packages!

In the boxes were two complete flimsy tops in full size!!  This one from Kris B…

and this one from Annie M, Thank you both!!

If you are working on a flimsy (or you have one in your stash to donate), please don’t ship it to me, just email me that you have one as I now have a list of longarm quilters all over the United States willing to quilt, bind and ship finished quilts to Wilmington!!  All I need are groups willing to provide sewn tops in any design, full size or larger and the backing. Just let me know you have a top and backing to send, and I’ll match you up to a longarm quilter to finish and ship it. I’ve already matched up Julia with Sylvia, a longarmer in Mississippi!  Thank you to the ladies of the White family who are also sending me a queen size flimsy already assembled.  For those quilts, I am looking for a few donations to cover the cost of buying additional batting and sending it where it is needed. You can send money via Paypal using the ‘send money to a friend’ option to frommycarolinahome (at) gmail (.) com.  If you want to mail a check, that is fine, just make it out to me as I don’t have an account in the name of this drive. Now, non-quilters can get in on the project now too!

Blocks were received this week from Patti R, Robin B, Rita C, Susan M, Janet G, Judy B, Linda B, Lousie S, Rhonda S, Karen M, Danice G, Amy L, Lisa C, Susan B, and Cindy B.  Thank you all!!  And, a special thank you to Janet for your donation with your blocks!

I began sorting the blocks into piles of mostly white backgrounds, and mostly cream backgrounds. There are enough so far for two queen size quilts, plus more.  A few friends will be coming over today to get started on assembly.  I hope more of both background colors will be arriving.  Update – I have more than enough blocks now, see this update post HERE.

I want to thank Darlene at Quilt Shop Gal for her multiple posts for promoting the project, and Tracy at It’s A T-Sweets Day! for helping spread the word as well.  If you have a blog, please help spread the word by posting about the quilt drive.

Earlier this week, I got this wonderful email from Liz – “Hello Carole, I had a very nice response from the Sandhill’s Quilters today when I spoke about this program. In fact I was handed a new quilt at the meeting!  I asked the guild to bring a quilt to the Holiday luncheon if they wished to contribute to this excellent cause.  At least a dozen hands went up when I asked if anyone thought there might be a quilt in their homes they could part with!!!  So I will be back in touch in December after our luncheon on the 13th.  Then we can look at the delivery situation. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Liz Stern”  What a great idea!!  Sandhill’s Quilters are in Pinehurst NC, the second guild to officially take up the challenge.  Thank you!!

Please add this button to your sidebar with the URL of the kickoff post or this post, share it on social media, tell your local guild members, put it in your guild newsletters, post about this project on your blog, and let’s get as many as we can out of closets and off the UFO piles.  The director of the Catholic Charities organization (coordinating all the efforts with the Red Cross and other organizations) says the need is now, but will extend well into next year so you have plenty of time.  Together we can help cover the Carolina coast with quilted hugs.

Note- If you added the button to your blog before, the link was not correct as I updated the date of the post.  Please use the one below and check your button to be sure it is working correctly.

https://frommycarolinahome.com/2018/11/02/carolina-hurricane-quilt-project/

Whether you are making a quilt specifically for this drive, or you have one finished and sitting on a shelf in your home, all quilts welcome.  I’ll be pulling three quilts from my shelves for this project. Do you have a quilt just sitting that you could part with for someone who lost everything?  Flat rate boxes are not too terribly expensive for shipping.  Shipping Address for Completed Quilts Only!

Carolina Hurricane Quilts Project
c/o Catholic Charities
20 N. 4th Street, Suite 300
Wilmington, NC 28401

If you are within driving distance of Hendersonville, North Carolina, you may leave finished quilts at the local drop off location –

Beginnings Quilt Shop
1038C Greenville Hwy
Hendersonville, NC 28792

I have had several emails this week with notes on what is on the way, and it seems like I’ll have all the blocks I need to complete the five queens I have committed to do.  So at this point, I am only looking for finished quilts to be dropped off or sent to Wilmington.

I am joining the Hobbs Batting Charity program, and I need all the Hobbs batting labels I can get.  This will get us a discount on batting for use with these quilts, so please save your Hobbs label upc codes and mail them to me.  You can get Hobbs Batting at Fat Quarter Shop, including all the Tuscany line.

How can you contribute to the Carolina Hurricane Quilts Project?  See the next update on this project HERE.