Wednesday, February 03, 2021

Create for a Cause - Guiding Star for the Boys and Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon

 For the February Island Batik Ambassador challenge, we were asked to make a quilt for donation to a charity of our choice.  Quilters are known for their generous and kind hearts, so this was a really great challenge and making more quilts to give away was one of my aspirations for this year!


Today is my day to show off  the lovely quilt I made using Island Batik's Citrus Sun collection designed by Kathy Engle!  This bundle as well as the other supplies I used to make this quilt were included in my first Island Batik Ambassador shipment for 2021.  I love the inspiration board for this collection, beautiful blues and greens with a touch of yellow!  I also saw a hint of Van Gogh in the swirling blues...so pretty!

The charity I chose to make my quilt for is the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Oregon.  I will hopefully be able to donate this quilt for their 2021 dinner and auction in November.  I wanted to support the Boys and Girls club because of the great work they do for children in my town, and because the Boys and Girls club is where my quilt guild has held our annual Quilt show for many years.  I have donated quilts in the past for their auctions, and I hope that this year they will be able to hold it once again.



With the fabric and charity chosen, it was time for the design.  I found the pattern for this quilt in the book that came with the Angles Companion Qube that I used for the placemat challenge (GO! Outside the box)  The pattern was called Guiding Star, which I thought was very appropriate for this quilt, since the Boys and Girls club is very much a guiding star for our local youth!

Since I was making 12 blocks, I decided to vary the fabrics in each block, and set to work cutting all the pieces.  When I figured out I needed 192 of the half rectangle units, I was sure happy that I was cutting all these with the GO! Cutter.  I cut five 5 inch strips from the rice fabric for these, and in just a few minutes had them all cut - such a time saver!

Not really much waste for all the triangles I cut!

Don't they go together nicely?  I love the accuracy, it makes the blocks come out so nice and flat!

It didn't take long to get all the blocks finished - love all those sharp points!  (Of course, a new Microtex Chrome needle from Schmetz was a great help!)  I used a spool of 50 wt. Aurifil thread (6724 - Moonshine) which I received in my ambassador box in January.  It was the perfect color for the piecing!


Sashing and borders were added and I was ready for the quilting!  I used Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 cotton for the batting.  This is a good all purpose batting, and washes well.  Since I don't know who will end up with this quilt, I thought an easy care batting would be a good choice.  Since my quilt top measured 48 x 60, I needed to expand the piece I chose to use for the backing.  I stitched up a line of scraps from making the top into a strip and inserted it into the backing.  I love doing this to add those few inches, and it always looks really great!

It was a little breezy while I was trying to get a picture!  But I am so glad that the sun came out because it really brings out the color in this quilt!




So pretty!  I used a medium green 50 wt from Aurifil for the quilting as well.  It really is my favorite weight of thread!  The binding is the same green as the narrow border.  

I thought it would be fun to quit it with swirls and I think it came out great!  I just love the contrasting texture.  Plus it echoes the swirls in the fabric, which I really love.


Would you like to have a sample of these lovely fabrics to play with?  I've cut a set of 40 five inch squares (two of each fabric) for someone to win!



And you can enter to win an entire bundle of fat quarters (which I know you will love!) directly from the Island Batik Giveaway!


Make sure you visit Jennifer Thomas of Curlicue Creations to see what she made using this gorgeous collection!  

Visit the Island Batik Blog to see the entire schedule and get a peek at all the new collections shipping to quilt shops!  Check out the Store Locator to see if your local shops are carrying Island Batik as well!


If you have a Boys and Girls club in your area, please consider a donation to help keep them going - they do great work in encouraging young people to become productive and happy members of society!





And as always, a big thank you to Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Accuquilt for supplying me with everything I needed to make this wonderful project!  

46 comments:

Preeti said...

Pamela, your quilt is beautiful, the points are sharp and the quilting is lovely. I am partial to pieced backs. It is like finding a second layer of chocolate after the top layer is gone. After one is done admiring the quilt, you can say - but wait there is more, on the back :-D Citrus Sun is a beautiful collection. Hope you will pick me :-)

Liz Horgan said...

Lovely quilt Pamela!!
I don't have and accuquilt cutter, but I could probably figure out how to make the blocks--or similar ones with my tri rec rulers!
Liz

Nancy L said...

I love your quilt, and you are right, your points are perfect. I just made two charity quilts, and love the gift of giving. I am intrigued with your pattern, and wishing I had an Accuquilt cutter!!

Julie said...

No charity quilts, but I have some fabric I want to donate to a group in my area that will use it to make charity quilts.

For the love of geese said...

Beautiful Pamela, I love that you chose the light background.

Joyce Carter said...

Beautiful quilt Pamela, and definitely going to a good cause.
I have made a lot of stuff for charities in my neighborhood, including quilts. It goes to girls/women who need a lot of help for their babies. Thank you for your giveaway.

Cindy Shelley said...

I have made Charity quilts in the past and our guild had sew days (before Covid) and would make quilts for foster kids. Also each year we raffle quilt with money to Food Pantry and to local cancer center for gas cards. Your quilt is gorgeous.

Babefearless on Instagram said...

Such a beautiful quilt design.

ShirleyC said...

Your quilt is so beautiful! I admire anyone that can make those corners perfect!
I bought an Accuquilt Go from a lady with 15 dies at a cheap price. She had bought it from someone else, and I don't think it had been used at all. It had the case and 2 mats. I bought the long mat online. I'm finishing some other stuff before I start cutting, but I have played with it.
It will save me a lot of time and pain in the hand.

Sewgirl said...

I make quilts regularly for my guild for charity. It is a nice break between other projects for me and gives me a chance to experiment with colors and deigns I might not otherwise use in one of my own quilts!

OhioLori said...

LOVE your quilt!! & thank you for chance to win your give-a-way too...the batiks are beautiful! :) I have not made a charity quilt this year..yet.. But have made a few in recent years.

Sharon Aurora said...

Your quilt is beautiful. I haven't yet made any quilts for charity as I'm still struggling to get a quilt made for each of my children and my brother. When I do begin making quilts for charity it will likely be for individual local families that I'm aware have a need.

Emily said...

So pretty! I love these blocks! Great choice. I make a lot of kids quilts to donate, I need to call the local children's hospital and arrange a drop off. I hope that by November we are having indoor group events again and the auction can happen!

Jayne said...

Thank you for sharing your quilt it is beautiful. I'm not sure my quilts would be good enough to give to a charity

Diantha said...

I have 2 finished quilts waiting to send to a local charity. I also recently sent 3 toddler/child size quilts to a friend's niece who is a foster parent, and wanted each child to have their own quilt.
Love the colors - and how the blocks varied whether the outer points were light or dark.

@lutzcats said...

Pretty, pretty, pretty! I did last year January. 24 of us made 130 lap sized for a local cancer center. Sooo...I better get busy...solo!

Anonymous said...

Kathleen,
Cute quilt. Anybody would be happy to win this one!
I have 2 charity quilts that I need to get moving on the quilting
petuniakr@aol.com

JANET said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
teachpany said...

This came out so pretty! I love the design, and colors, and the quilting is perfect for it.
I have to make my charity quilt now!! lol

Pamela said...

Your quilt is beautiful! Those wonderful angles make me want to get a fabric cutter. Thanks for sharing your beautiful quilt, for donating it for the Boys and Girls Club, and for your generous giveaway. I love this fabric! I haven't made a quilt for charity lately, but I usually do every summer to donate to our area first responders.

Cecilia said...

Cute quilt and I love the backing! It has been a while since I’ve donated any quilts, but I do have a stack of children’s quilts to donate soon.
cecilialyoung at gmail dot com

Connie Wolfe said...

Beautiful quilt and a good choice for the charity donation. Thanks for sharing.
Connie

JANET said...

I haven't donated lately. I am trying to get my quilting legs back. For some reason, I have been doing more looking than sewing.

Susan said...

Your quilt is beautiful I would love to have a AccuQuilt cutter, but they are too expensive for my budget. I have not made a quilt for charity lately.

Susan said...

I like batik fabrics because you can use either side.

tac73 said...

Beautiful quilt! I have helped with a quilt that was raffled for a charity. I do hope to use more of my stash for some charity projects.

Rochelle aka Bella Quilts said...

Beautiful quilt for a great cause. I donate to a local organization that provides services (and quilts) to underprivileged families locally. Thanks for showing the quilt and for the opportunity to win some of that lovely fabric.

Beth said...

I have made an orange peel quilt for our local Ronald McDonald House, but I haven't been able to deliver it because I am under strict lockdown rules due to an autoimmune disorder--I haven't been able to get to the Post Office, let alone visit RMH, since last March. Still, when life gets better, it's ready.

Carol Andrews said...

Beautiful quilt Pamela for a wonderful cause. I haven’t made any charity quilts since the spring when I made 3 for Victoria’s Quilts, but I did make 37 scrappy snappy bags and some runners for our local food bank’s Christmas Hampers. I’m working on a couple of quilts to send to Covid patients at our local hospital now. A friend who works at the hospital has permission to sterilize them before delivering to patients. I will prewash, dry and seal in plastic and then they can safely be sterilized.

GranChris said...

I love your quilt. Perfect color placement. I donated 50 last year and now my box is kind of empty. It only has 2 in it so I need to get to work.

Brenda said...

I haven't donated a quilt foe awhile.
I love the pattern you chose for that fabric. Very pretty!

Delaine said...

That is a beautiful quilt for a great cause! Unfortunately, I have not made a quilt for charity yet, but I will when I have more time to devote to quilting. Thanks!

Bonnie58 said...

Beautiful quilt! Thanks for sharing. 2020 was a great year for charity quilts.

Kathleen said...

I have one baby quilt that I am working on right now for charity. I love this quilt...perfect. I am sure it will do well at the auction! I love this blog hop idea.

QuiltGranma said...

What a lovely donation quilt! They will so appreciate it, I'm sure.

Jollygirl said...

Your quilt is lovely. I haven't made a charity quilt yet this year, but I am hoping to get several done soon.

Ellee said...

Haven't done any charity quilts lately due to other obligations. Hopefully soon. -- soparkaveataoldotcom

Elizabeth V Kelbaugh said...

Lovely quilt and the quilted swirl texture. The back is so interesting it could also be considered a 2 sided quilt.

Quilting Tangent said...

No haven't made a charity quilt.

Sally said...

Love the design Pamela. Your quilting is just exceptional on these beautiful fabrics!

Kelly Dee said...

Beautiful quilt and I've never meet a batik I didn't like.

Barb said...

Beautiful quilt and the quilting on it is lovely! I have not made a charity quilt recently but have enough fabric--I could!!
barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

Linda H. said...

Your sloth quilt is adorable and the backing is so perfect. Love reading your blog!

Linda H. said...

I have done blocks for Quilts of Valor and have also made small quilts for a children's charity.

Dawn F said...

I have not made a quilt for charity before, but am enjoying seeing the various groups you are donating to. Your quilt is beautiful!

Turid said...

Your quilt is just beautiful. I've made a quilt for children in hospital recently, but can't send it yet because of covid.