Monday, April 07, 2008

the charity quilt


Heather and I finished the charity quilt in 11 days (one day to spare!). She will be dropping it off tomorrow morning. I feel like it's the perfect mix of our styles. Again, this quilt is a tough one to let go, but we are hoping that it brings in (at least some) money at the silent auction to help out the young mother that is battling cancer.

Heather made 6 blocks and I made 6. We got together a few mornings last week, figured out a layout and sewed it all together.

We basted it together, I quilted it, she did the binding and she will add the label. It was a fun project to work on together.

We used the same backing and binding combination that I used for my grandmother's quilt, because when you find something that works, why mess with it?

Heather and I are both very very pleased with how it turned out.

For those of you that are still working on the quilt-a-long, this is another (and much easier) way to put your blocks together. The sashing is 4.5" (cut) x the length of your block (12.5") and the white square is 4.5"(cut). The stars that are in this quilt will be all making an appearance in the star quilt along, which should start up in a few weeks. I want to get the top pieced before we begin. This is for two reasons: 1. so you know what you are getting yourself into and 2. so I am sure that I am happy with it and am not leading you all astray. ;)

In other news, Amy Jo and her boys are here and we are having a blast. She is working in my sweatshop so I have time to blog. Isn't that nice of her? We are working on a very fun project (squeal) that will be posted later. And I was on a fabric diet...until today. I fell off the wagon and boy was it fun!

Happy Monday to you!

44 comments:

Anina said...

It's lovely! I hope it raises a bunch of money. A really UGLY quilt raised a good amount of money at an auction I attended recently, so this one should bring a fortune!

jacquie said...

Oh my, it's beautiful. It will do well I'm sure. 11 days..wow. I'm still working on the quilt-a-long quilt. I think I have to revise my goal...it just has to be finished before the star quilt-a-long begins. I'm working on it every day.

Mary Sarah said...

The quilt is beautiful! Really! Love it! I hope it brings in lots of money!

Anonymous said...

Probably a dumb question... but what type of thread are you using to quilt it? Looking at the picture I cannot tell what color it is, and it doesn't seem to stand out against any of the fabrics...

Beautiful, beautiful work!

(BTW, I did the quilt along and enjoyed it a lot! Here is my finished quilt, now given to my best friend's parents on their 40th anniversary: http://www.photogrove.com/gallery/album740/S1051360 )

Liz said...

11 days - that's impressive. I'll keep my fingers crossed for lots of zeros!

Robin said...

The quilt is wonderful! Y'all did some amazing work in such a short amount of time. I hope it brings in the big bucks! :)

Mama Urchin said...

Such a bright and pretty quilt. I hope it raises a bunch of money too!

lera said...

Absolutely beautiful. I hope the auction is a huge success.

Amanda Jean said...

jen,

I used serger thread in cream to quilt this one. it is thinner than the cotton quilting thread that I usually use. it barely shows up, so it blends with all the colors nicely.

your quilt along quilt is lovely, by the way!

amandajean

Lina said...

Looks fabulous, well done. I love the fabric diet comment..!!!

Philigry said...

beautiful! the quilt is amazing! it sounds like you and amy jo are having so much fun! can't wait to see what you are up to!

Peg - Happy In Quilting said...

Wow...you have both done a fantastic job, you must be very pleased...

Jeanne said...

Congrats to you both for a great finish. The quilt is beautiful and will make someone very happy.

Unknown said...

Wonderful finish!! I hope you raise gads of money. It's really great to work on something like that with a friend and see it doing some good in the end. Congrats!!

sulu-design said...

This quilt is gorgeous for so many reasons. I love that you and Heather were able to work on it in such equal parts (group projects have always been tough for me, the control freak). I love that you're donating it to such a worthy cause. And I love how each square is uniquely its own, but that they all work so beautifully together. Just lovely.

Amanda said...

What a donation. Really. Nice work ladies!

Anonymous said...

Another stunning quilt, although we've come to anticipate stunning quilts, and what a wonderful purpose for stitching. I too hope and pray that it reaches a huge price at auction.

*~hj~* said...

Wow! Looks Great! Have fun with Amy Jo. Can't wait to see what you two have up your sleeve! :)

Roxanne said...

It is just beautiful! I'm sure it will raise a ton of money. You're going to the auction to bid it up, right? :)

Aunt "B's" Backyard said...

I love it!! It is just beautiful!! I check out your blog all of the time for ideas. You help me so much, thanks!

Marcia said...

Your quilt is wonderful. It sounds like you and Amy Jo are having a great time. Can't wait to see what you two are making.

Anonymous said...

Dear Amanda,

this is a very cheerful and laconic quilt! And your cause is noble. I love visiting your blog.

Your Russian friend.

Days and colors said...

What a beautiful quilt!And a very noble cause, I hope the auction brings a lot of money!

Anonymous said...

It looks beautiful girls. Good luck with the auction.

dutchcomfort said...

You and Heather did a wonderful job. The quilt is so cheerful and makes me feel happy looking at it! I hope it will raise a fortune indeed and I hope the young mama will be cured from cancer.
Thanks for the sashing tip! It looks great!

tess said...

it's lovely, and I love the layout, I might be able to manage this one if I ever get my blocks finished.......

Oiyi said...

What a great collaboration!! Great choice of colors.

Kris said...

Ha! Nice to see someone else buying fabric! Sounds like you are having fun!

* elizabeth * said...

I would bid if I were closer because I LOVE it! It's so bright and fun! I can't wait for the next a-long to start. I've been buying fabric to try and start on my own, but eh, I'll have to wait for expert advice, haha.

Dawn N. said...

Beautiful!! Great job!

Linda said...

Such a pretty quilt! I hope that it raises lots of money for this family in need!
Say "HI" to Amy Jo. Glad you are having a good time.

Anonymous said...

This is just gorgeous!

Michelle Payne said...

What a beautiful quilt. I hope it does well at the auction. I know I would love to bid on it. I hope you post the patterns for the blocks because I would to try and make this quilt.

Rebekah said...

crafting together for a cause...what a great thing to do with your friend! I love the finished product! It's so pretty. I'm sure it will fetch a good price in the auction.

a friend to knit with said...

it is such a gorgeous quilt! and it must feel so good to have done this!!! and i love the fact that you did it with someone else.
your work amazes me every time!

Anonymous said...

Well, at least one of us is able to stay on their diet!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I am inloved with your blog and every one of your jobs!
Sorry, but my English is not very good!

Sherry said...

It is just gorgeous! Congrats to you & Heather on completing it in just 11 days. I hope it brings lots of $$$.

Elizabeth said...

Oh happy quilt!! You two are fantastic! It looks just lovely! I know you will raise some serious cash with it! Congrats to you!!

Denise said...

Hi Amanda. I hope that you and Amy Jo had a great time together!
I love the charity quilt -- what a great cause! Well done!

Katherine said...

Such a beautiful quilt! I hope it raises lots of money to help the mom with cancer.

Thanks for the extra option for the quilt along quilt. I will be finishing mine as soon as I find the right fabric for my sashing strips.

OH! You must post what you and Amy Jo have been working on. Sounds intriguing...

Kate said...

Beautiful quilt!!

Clair said...

Your charity quilt is pretty.

Sunny said...

WOW! I adore this quilt. It is beautiful and so cheery. It has a retro vibe. Reminds me of my childhood. I had a toy box that had this look and feel to it. I love it.