One Million Pillowcases

I have an awesome quilting friend, Peggy, who has been sewing up a storm lately (you should go check her blog, Stitchin With Peg).  Not only has she finished a couple quilts already, but has sewn up over a dozen, I think actually two dozen pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer.  They are an organization that donates colorful pillowcases to children undergoing treatment for cancer or other childhood diseases.

I have donated a few pillowcases in the past, but decided to follow Peggy's lead and do a fabric clean out and find fabrics that would make perfect pillowcases.  I pulled fabrics that had large prints or ones I can't see using in a quilt anytime soon.

So far I have 11 pillowcases to drop off at my local quilt shop, Quilting Possibilities, on the 31.  There is a pillowcase sew in that day, info on their events page.  QP took the challenge in 2010 when American Patchwork and Quilting magazine challenged the quilting community to make and donate one million pillowcases to charity.  I know the local group has sewn thousands of pillowcases and I am glad that I can help them out.

I have to say, I love the fabrics that I used.  I mean, those dogs are too cute and the monsters are super fun.  Stars are always a good bet and why not some hot air balloons.  And a few elephants are always up for a good time.

This was such a fun quick project that I might need to do another fabrics clean out for their next sew in date.

Project Quilting Season 6 Challenge 1

Ahh it is here again!  Another season of Project Quilting hosted by Kim at Persimon Dreams.  I am not sure if you all know how much I love Project Quilting.  It is a one week challenge where we are inspired by a topic posted by Kim.  We can make any quilted item for the challenge as long at it is completed in the week and posted to her blog by 12 noon the following Sunday after it is announced.  I've made all sizes of quilts for Project Quilting, 2 have been in multiple quilt shows and one of the ones I designed has the pattern is in American Quilter!  So I really love Project Quilting!

Challenge 1 was trees.  I had to think about it for a couple days before I came up with my plan, improv whimsical trees.

I reverse appliqued the colorful tops then fused and zigzag stitched the trunks.  The white fabrics are all different white on whites.

After I made a number of trees I decided my whimsical forest needed some birds so I drew up a little curving flying geese pattern and sprinkled them through.  My mom says they remind her of kites flying.  Then came time to piece it all together.  Oh the fun of inset seams, next time I shouldn't have so many in the quilt.

I decided on some swirly free motion quilting around the trees and geese.  It gives movement to the little quilt.  

I just love the little geese.  

The back is a sketch fabric in a light blue.  I have a lot of it since it makes great backings.

It is machine bound in a fun orange that frames the little quilt nicely.  This was a fun quilt to start the year off with.  My first finish for 2015.  It had reverse applique, regular applique, and paper piecing.  Definitely a great way to start a year of quilting!

Whimsical Trees Baby Quilt
28.5" x 31.5"
Assorted cotton fabrics
Pellon 100% cotton batting
quilted with Coats and Clark machine quilting thread