scrap basket quilt along: Introduction

It has been a LONG time since I've done a quilt along. I just looked back...it's been 4 years. (What?!? That can't be!) This one is going to be short and sweet and for a good cause! If you have overflowing scrap baskets or a robust stash, then this quilt along is for you!

Over the next 4 weeks I'm going to be hosting a quilt along to make quilts for Margaret's Hope Chest. (You can read more about their organization here.) I love them and their heart to share HOPE with people that are hurting. I've worked with MHC in the past and I'm happy to be teaming up with them again and all of you are invited to help! As of last August, MHC has given away over 1800 quilts!

This will be our project for the quilt along....a simple rail fence quilt that measures about 52" x 65". Along the way I'll be sharing ideas for color schemes (my favorite part), block construction in 2 or 3 ways (I still have some testing to do!), assembly and some easy quilting ideas. I think it's going to be a lot of FUN!

The schedule:

June 2: Introduction
June 9: Color Inspiration
June 16: Block Construction
June 23: Quilt top assembly and Quilting Ideas
June 30: Link up to show your progress

The specifics:

I will be sharing how to make a rail fence quilt during the quilt along, but quilts made in any pattern will be happily accepted. The ideal size is about 50" x 60", which will work for all the programs that MHC is currently running. (See below.)
BOY quilts for ages 4-16 are especially needed!!!

The deadline:

Our target date for the quilts to be finished and delivered to MHC is August 1, 2014.

Prizes!:

For every quilt you send to MHC by August 1, 2014, your name will be entered into a drawing for prizes. We will pick a winner for every 20 quilts donated. If you make a boy quilt, you will get your name thrown in the hat twice! As if you couldn't tell, we would really like to encourage you to make boy quilts!

The Programs:

Carin, the director of Margaret's Hope Chest, wrote up a little bit about the programs that they are running at this time.

Prison Giveaway:  For the past 5 years Margaret's Hope Chest has been joining Forgiven Ministries as they minister to children of incarcerated parents. God has made a way for us to actually go into Michigan prisons and see children reunited with their parent for one special day.  We provide a quilt for each child as a gift that from their parent and it becomes a symbol of love and HOPE.  Over the years, we have shared over 600 quilts with these families.  I am also able to give my testimony of forgiveness and HOPE to these fathers and mothers.  I believe this is some of the most important and life changing work that we do.  We are always in need of boy's quilts for this program-we can never enough sport-themed quilts!

A Mother's Hope: We are in the middle of our second year sharing quilts with mothers who are experiencing postpartum depression. The Mother and Baby Program is a Partial Hospitalization Program. It is a short-term, intensive treatment program for women experiencing significant symptoms of postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders. Each participant in the program is invited to pick a quilt to use during and after her time in the program.  Each quilt maker provides includes a hand written note to the mother--we have learned that these notes along with the quilts are a TREASURE to these ladies.

Guatemala's Village of Hope:  Margaret's Hope Chest has a relationship with the Village of Hope in Guatemala which is a unique family-like orphanage for children with special needs (mostly HIV+).  My daughter Anne and I will be traveling to Guatemala for a week in November and we will be able to hand deliver the next group of quilts for the new set of residents! 

If you would like your quilt to go specifically to one of these programs, let us (MHC) know. If a program isn't specified, it will go to the one who has the most need at the time.

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If you would like to join me for this quilt along, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

I'll be honest, I'm a little bit nervous to be jumping into this while the kids are just getting out of school, but I plan to enlist their help!

I'm sure I forgot something. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will answer them in the comments and update the post if necessary.

Happy, HAPPY Monday to you!