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.

It is getting really exciting to see this project start to build momentum.  Get ready for an information packed and picture heavy post.  The first quilt has arrived at the Catholic Charities office!!  Thank you to Shirley Graff of Milwaukee, WI!! Disaster Case Worker Leslie Ann Andreson on the left and Regional Director Emilie Hart on the right were thrilled to receive it.

Here is the quilt with Office Manager Jo-El Sidbury Smith on the left, then Disaster Case Worker Leslie Ann Andreson, Intern M.S.W. Lena Thomas, and Regional Director Emilie Hart.  I love that they sent pictures.  Thank you Jo-El!

Quilt tops made by Sandy Cole are on their way to longarmers Brenda Alburl at Songbird Designs  in Alabaster, Alabama and Sally Fitzgerald of Sally’s Quilting Studio in Big Bend, Wisconsin for quilting and finishing.  I still have a dozen or so longarmers ready to help, and if you can provide top and backing, I’ll match you to someone for finishing.  Donations are still needed to buy batting and send to some of the longarmers that do not have the ability to purchase wholesale.

One of the packages arriving recently had a finished quilt inside, along with a lot of blocks. The fully finished quilt is from Carol of Yorktown, VA, and was in the box with blocks made by a group led by Linda M.

Before the holiday, I planned a sew day with a few friends.  Bonnie, Bridget and Sam helped form an assembly line.  We sewed blocks into doubles forming peaks, then assembled peaks into rows.   They were using my machines, as all of them needed a workout to keep them sewing well.  Every one was loaded with my favorite Aurifil thread.

I was on my workhorse Kenmore, assembling the rows into the top.  My Aurifil thread is on a thread stand behind the machine so it feeds properly for a crosswound spool in case you are wondering, LOL!

Midway through the day, the first top was assembled, and I loaded it on the longarm with a wide back from Backside Fabrics, and that marvelous Hobbs batting.

At the end of the day, a second queen size topper was done, too.

This top was delivered to longarmer friend, Chryste at Quilts on the Ridge, who is going to use the wonderful donated wide back from Backside Fabrics, along with a donation from Quilter’s Dream of a Dream Poly queen size batt.  I’ll also be delivering one of the completed tops sent by readers to Rachel at Little Bird Quilting next week, as she has agreed to donate batting and quilt one as well.  Thank you all!!

I want to give special thanks to Kris B for her donation to help with batting, thank you so much!!  Blocks were received from Melanie T and Carole L, Tracy, Karen D, Sue B, Carol H, Brenda B, Erin H, Faye B, Kathie L, Janet T, Diane H (from Canada!), Pat E, and two with just last names from Hazel Green, Alabama and Rochester NY.  I also received two packages with blocks without any return address and no notes inside, so I don’t know who to thank.  In the last package received yesterday, there were a stack of blocks made by a bee in Los Altos, California including Ann D, Martha H, Frances M, Susan S, Marcelle R, Angie P, Mary W, Susie L, Sandi A Phyllis B, and Eileen W.

At this point I do not need any more blocks.  I have enough now to do more than eight queen size quilts!  I packaged up the extra blocks to ask more friends for their help, making up kits with setting ideas.  Local quilting couple Claire and Mac are going to assemble this one.  I took advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to get really deep discounted Hobbs batting and more wide backings for the extra blocks.

Here are some of those ideas for your tops, different than the ones I have shown so far. Download a PDF of the block and several setting ideas – Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project.

 

I got to the quilting this week of the first top we put together.  I decided to use a rounded pantograph that looks a bit like clouds.  The top is layered with fabulous Hobbs 80/20 batting donated by Hobbs.  The backing is visible at the top of the picture, and is another Backside Fabrics donation.

I’m using Glide thread in the top, with Aurifil in the bobbin.  I like the color, it lets the piecework colors shine and adds some wonderful pattern to the background whites.

I have the Sandhill Quilters in Pinehurst NC matched up with Sallie in Wilmington who is willing to meet them in Fayetteville to transport their quilts to the distribution office. The Sandhill Quilters are having their members bring quilts to their December 11 luncheon, what a great idea!!  I can’t wait to see how many quilts are collected, and pictures of that exchange!!

The Ashe County Quilters have engaged me as their program speaker for March 14, 2019, and I’ll be picking up their quilts for our project.  I cannot wait to see how many they have!  I’ll present my Decisions, Decisions program to them in West Jefferson, NC.  What a great idea, a win-win for all of us!!

Once again, if you have a blog, here is a button for your sidebar if you’d like to help spread the word on our project.  The URL of the first post is underneath, and has been updated this week.

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 two or 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?  If you use a tyvek envelope for shipping, it greatly reduces the weight, and most quilts will ship for under $20, or maybe even less at both UPS and the post office.  I save the tyveks that I get from ordering clothes online.  One caveat, don’t put ‘quilt’ on the label anywhere, call it a blanket. (update – sharp eyes Barbara spotted the discrepancy for the label, so we’ll take the word ‘quilt’ out to reduce the chance of theft.  Thanks, Barbara!)   Shipping Address for Completed Quilts Only!

Carolina Hurricane Q 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

Then, I got another message from Jo-El, three more quilts have arrived!  This one is from Fran Miller in Virginia.

Two beautiful quilts arrived from the Eager BEEvers of the Shennandoah Valley Quilter’s Guild, this gorgeous snowball quilt…

and this stunningly beautiful Trip Around the World in purples and blues with a snowball border. Thank you ladies!!

Hearts with Hands will be taking the first shipment when we get a carload full.  A truck load would be even better!  So, do you have a quilt just sitting on your shelf you can donate?  Can you drop one off at Beginnings?  Can you make one and send it?  Do you need a longarmer to help you finish a quilt?  Has your guild taken up the challenge?