Purple Purses {Quilts For Kids}

 

Have you heard of Quilts For Kids? I first heard about it here from Ashley at Make It and Love It. It's a program that gathers quilts and gets them to kids in hospitals. Many times, these kid's aren't allowed to bring something personal with them. Not to mention that a cheery quilt can do a lot to brighten up a drab hospital room, so these quilt are a comfort  and may even feel a little like a piece of home.

You don't even have to purchase the fabric. You can request a kit (with fabric already cut even) here. You can purchase your own fabric and cut it if you'd like. Just make sure to follow their guidelines:

• The quilt should measure approximately 38"- 40" x 45"- 46" when finished.
• Please use LOW LOFT 1/8 to 1/4 inch batting. Cotton or poly or a combination of the two is acceptable.
• Due to immunity issues that the children may have, only NEW 100% cotton fabric is allowed.
• All quilts have to be machine quilted. No hand tied or hand quilted quilts. 
• Check their FAQ for more information.

I requested one of their kits, so I could get a better idea of what they're looking for, and here's a full view of my completed quilt!

Quilts I've made in the past were very simple. They were just  rows of squares and were hand tied with yarn. It was fun to learn how to make this type of quilt.

When sewing the top of the quilt, I just followed the instructions that came with the kit. Ashley's instructions are also very helpful though. Her kit was a different pattern than mine, but she always has such good advice about sewing.

I wasn't really sure where to start when it came to machine quilting. Luckily, I didn't have to figure it out, because Ashley shared another post detailing machine quilting and binding. She even shows us a little trick for folding the fabric on the corners when doing the binding.

When you order a kit, you even get a tag for your name and the name of the quilt.

It was so worth all the time and effort. We're sending it off in the mail today. I hope it's enjoyed and loved. I loved making it and plan to make some with my own fabric now that I have a little experience making one!

Have you ever made a quilt for Quilts For Kids? Do you plan to now? I'd love to hear from you. :-)

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Pillow By Day...Blanket By Night

Pillow By Day...

...Blanket By Night

My sister recently got married and my little guy was the ring bearer. My sister made him what we call a "quillow" for a thank you gift. Our "Bama" made these for all the grandkids when we were little. These nifty little blankets fold up into a pillow. They're simple but lovely.

On one side of the blanket has a pocket that is approximately 1/3 the width of the blanket.

To turn the blanket into the pillow, fold the blanket lengthwise in thirds with the folds behind the pocket.

Flip the blanket so the pocket is face  down and fold in half upward.

Fold in half again, so that the blanket is folded to the same size as the pocket.

Turn the pocket inside out so that the blanket is inside the pocket, and now you have a pillow!