Through our new permanent sewing location, The Sewing Space at 600 Deerfield Road in Deerfield, IL, we have added some new opportunities:
Port Pillows which are donated to Lemons of Love in Mount Prospect, Il to serve patients and families of patients with all kinds of cancer. The pillows attach with velcro to seatbelts and are moveable, so medical ports can stay protected from the pressure of a seatbelt. The pattern can be found here: https://lemonsoflove.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/36-Pillow-Port-Directions.pdf. We also have kits at The Sewing Space.
Cat Kickers and Dogs Beds for local shelters…mostly donated to Riverwoods and Wheeling shelters…
Fidget Mats for dementia patients, made by combining lots of textures and colors perfect for curious hands to explore….no pattern necessary, but we start with 6 inch blocks and put 6 of them together to make a placemat sized quilt, with fusible fleece and a backing.
Lap-robes for senior living centers with folks in wheelchairs…
Scent Hearts for a local hospital brought to us by one of our members…they are used by NICU’s to promote a bond between parents and newborns who can’t come home right away. The parents wear the flannel hearts next to their skin long enough to transfer their “scent” to the heart which is then used as a small blanket for the baby in the hospital.
We are still making pillowcases and small quilts for lots of spaces that are in need of them. We donate to Evanston Women’s shelter, WINGS, Lutheran Family Services, and the Salvation Army.
Quilts of Valor is an international organization which awards quilts to Service Members and Veterans who have been touched by war. It says, “thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.” The organization was started by Catherine Richards while her son was serving in the US Army. To date Quilts for Valor has awarded over 403,000 quilts to Service Members and Veterans
You are invited to participate in Quilts of Valor by making the QOV 2025 Block of the Year, the Log Cabin. The pattern is available on the Quilts of Valor (https://www.qovf.org/) web site. Send your completed blocks directly to Quilts of Valor where they will be put together into tops and then long arm quilted. (The blocks will fit into an envelope for easy mailing.)
Choose good quality 100% cotton fabric appropriate for adults. A Quilt of Valor does not have to be red, white and blue, but patriotic colors are very popular with recipients. Patterns can be of any design suitable for a patriotic theme. Avoid juvenile, gender or branch specific fabrics.
Thank you for supporting our Veterans and Service Members. Please keep a tally of the blocks you make and send your number to Gretchen Alexander (gretchen.alexander@sbcglobal.net) for a Guild total count.
Link to the pattern…https://www.qovf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-National-Block-Log-Cabin.pdf. There are also 12 other blocks on the National Block Drive page, for variety to complete quilts if that is your intention.
Days for Girls continues….
Days for Girls is a Global program providing sanitary protection to women and girls. This enables them to conduct their normal daily routine . NSNG earmarks their contribution to friends in Madagascar. At the end of May we will ship them 1,400 kits.
For more information on Days for Girls click here and for additional pictures see below.
