Quilt Blocks for Calgary...

LADIES:  I just found out about this project tonight. I have re-posted below the entire post that Cheryl put on her blog. This is a call for quilt blocks only. Not entire quilts. Just 15.5" blocks. I bet there are very few in our Guild who don't know someone in Calgary or other affected areas in Alberta. And whether that person or family you know was affected by the recent flooding or not, wouldn't you like to do something quick and easy to help out with the recovery efforts? If so, please read on and consider making one or more blocks to send off soon to help this great project...

If you are interested in making a block or two.. or three...  and you can get them to me (Linda Hubbard) by noon next Wednesday July 17th, I will mail them all together. Seems silly for each person to mail their own. I'm imposing the noon Wednesday deadline as I am leaving Thursday to be away for 2 weeks so I would have to have them by then. If that's too soon for you, you'll have to mail your own. Please note she does want all blocks in by July 30th - you can read that post on Cheryl's blog here.   The clock's a-tickin'...  I'd love to hear from you, by phone or email, if you are participating and intend to drop your blocks off to me. Please read the "directions" below- I have added Cheryl's suggestion of "stay-stitching" around your finished block, about 1/8" from edge...
I now have Cheryl's mailing address if anyone wants it to mail your own block(s)... Please attach your name to your block if you are dropping it off to me, as Cheryl wants to put all names on the quilt labels.

Just One Slab

Just a slab. One slab. Grab some scraps of fabric and sew them together.

I'm putting out a call to all my quilty friends out there. Maybe you can't spare the fabric or time or postage to send a whole quilt as we try to recover in Calgary and Southern Alberta. That's okay. But I bet you can make just one block. And the more of you that can make and send just one block, the more quilts we'll be able to donate. I will put all the blocks I get together into quilts. With an army of local long armers lined up to donate their time we will get some beds and hearts covered in no time.

Here are the basics:

Make a slab 15.5'' square. You can insert the white bit or not, that's your choice. Just aim to make your block in a single colour. Make as many as you like.

Our inspiration for these quilts is The Missing U quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts.

How do you make a slab? If you have the book, refer to the directions on pages 48-49. If you don't have the book let me summarize how to make a slab:

Take two pieces of fabric and sew them together. Do that a few more times. Then start sewing more pieces to those first pairs. Sew groups together. Add additional pieces of fabric as necessary to get up to your finished size. Start with small bits or big ones, it doesn't matter. Raid your scrap bins and go with what you've got. Once you've squared up your block it is helpful to sew a stay stitch around the edge of the block. Just a regular stitch, about 1/8'' of an inch from the edge of the block. It helps prevent seams splitting when the block is going to get handled repeatedly before final assembly.


Feel free to grab that top image and share it on your blogs/web-sites. Tell the world about how you made your slab. Link back to this post if you do.

When your block is done and you're ready to post it, send me a note and I will gladly send you my snail mail.

Thank-you so much for continuing to think of us here in Southern Alberta. Now that the emergency situation is behind us it is time to think about recovery. Quilts go a long way towards that.

*If you are interested in donating complete quilts or tops, make sure you check out this information.*

Thanks so much to Bea Long (Monica W's sister) of Grand Falls who sent me this info. Below is one of the blocks Bea has made to send. Thanks Bea for sharing the news of this worthwhile project with us!