Little Fishy Prayer Quilt

I'm working on finishing some quilt tops.  I made this blue and yellow-orange quilt top in 2004, and it's sat unquilted, and languishing in my cupboard. 

 

It has flying geese interspersed with fussy cut fish.   I've decided to call it Little Fishy.  It will be donated to the church where our quilting group meets to be used as a prayer quilt.  It's tied and the strings are left long enough that they can say prayers while tying the final knot.  I'm so happy to have it finished!

 

The other day my husband asked me what I was going to do with all of my quilts.  He suggested I try to find homes for some of them now, rather than wait for someone else to decide what to do with them when I pass on.  That was an idea I could get behind, and it's motivating me to finish some of them, and find good homes for them.  Our quilting group donates to both the church and a battered women's shelter.  I've gone through my tops to see what needs to be done to finish a bunch of them and donate them to one of these worthy causes. 

 

The backing is manatees. 

 

This is a quilt label I found on the internet.  I really like it and may use something similar.

 

This is the label I made to use for the prayer quilts - it's adapted from the above.

 

We hope this quilt comforts you, both spiritually and physically. The knots were tied while saying prayers to God.  Any loose knots can be tightened before washing to prevent them from coming out. Even if a knot comes out the prayer will last forever. Lovingly, Spirit of Hope UMC

 

Comfort Quilt

Here is a comfort quilt I just completed:

 

If you read my blog, you've probably read where I mention little Zahn.  It's a long story which I'll just abbreviate here.  Zahn is my granddaughter's baby - 2 1/2 years old now - who was being raised by his other grandmother (who adopted him).  Unfortunately that grandmother has been fighting cancer and lost that battle last month.  Her partner, who also adopted him, is now raising Zahn.  This quilt is a comfort quilt for the partner, Bobbie.  She's a lovely person and we care about her so much.  She's doing a wonderful job raising Zahn and is very dear to us.  She just loved the quilt - she cried and cried when I gave it to her, especially when she read the label.  It reads:

 

When a loved one becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

 

 

I started this quilt in 2010 but didn't have anyone in mind for it then.  After Pattie lost her battle with cancer, I added the hearts on the front, and the back art heart bouquet, thinking I wanted to give it as a comfort quilt for Bobbie.



Quilts for the Church

We support two places at our quilting group, the church where we meet (we donate quilts to them) and a battered women's shelter (we donate quilts and pillowcases to them).  Here are two quilts I made to donate to the church.  The church use them as fund raisers, or to give as comfort quilts to the sick or needy, or to go to homeless senior citizens.  This year we hope to donate at least 10 quilts to the church.

 

These quilts were quilts I made previously just waiting for the right place for them.  I started the blue and yellow one in 2006 and the peach and green one in 2012 .  I'm so glad to finally have a home for them.  Now I need to get busy working on the two quilts I have in process for the battered women's shelter.  I need to put on borders and then quilt them.  I need more quilting time!  Sound familiar? 

Heart Quilt

At the guild chapter I attend, Foothills Quilters, we've been making heart quilts to give to those who have a serious illness or have lost a close loved one.  Here is the one I made and donated to give love and comfort to one of our ladies.  It's hand appliques using batik fabric on a black background.  I call it Framed Hearts:

 

I started it in 2005.  I love that it will one day give comfort to someone when they are sad.