The Joy of Quilting

Sometimes we get an opportunity to do something that is just plain fun. 

This was the case last month when I had the privilege to custom quilt a t-shirt quilt to honor a special person who has been instrumental in providing a sense of 'community' to our small town of Hailey and the Wood River Valley in southern Idaho for more than three decades.

Collage of the Northern Rockies Fold Festival Quilt 2014

For the past 32 years, Pete Kramer, a.k.a. PK, has served as the volunteer coordinator to bring the Northern Rockies Folk Festival to town. And the best part? It has always been at an affordable price so locals can bring their kids and families, coolers and picnic baskets, lawn chairs and smiles, to the city park to listen to two days' worth of down-home, foot-stompin' good music under the stars.

We've lived in the valley for 31 years, and haven't missed too many of these summer outdoor concerts. But, being about the same age as I am, PK had gotten tired of  this exhausting volunteer effort, and so decided to step down as director.  When PK's wife, Cheryl (a quilty friend I've gotten to know through our quilt guild), asked me if I'd be interested in quilting up this t-shirt quilt which she was making for PK to commemorate his many years of service, I was tickled to help out!

Unveiling of the NRFF Quilt

An emotional presentation of the quilt by PK's son.

Aside from the great sense of community that I received from playing a small part in this 'thank you,' I just had a great time doing custom quilt work in each of the t-shirt blocks.

I tried to match the quilting with the theme of the t-shirt logo. Each year had a different logo, so each block is different.

With all these different quilt blocks, I ended up changing thread colors about six or seven times - whew!

This is a shot of my free-hand quilting of a treble clef and a musical note. I added these all around the outside border.

PK took to his quilt right away!

Anyway, I was pleased that he and Cheryl liked the quilt. Life throws you a few curve balls now and again. So it's especially nice to be able to celebrate the good things that make us smile.

Barb
Remembering to always quilt with a BIG smile!

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday,  Thursday Favorite Things by Katherine's Corner, Let's Be Social, Linky Tuesday

Quilt Block Finished for Charity Fundraiser

Our community has recently revived the local quilting guild - yes!  Even after the old guild disbanded, a group of dedicated quilters continued to put together a queen-sized quilt to raffle off, with a winner's name drawn at the annual Northern Rockies Folk Festival. What a better venue to raffle off a hand-made quilt made entirely from volunteers than at a folk festival, right?

Well, this year I've made a quilt block to include for the quilt top. The theme this year is "Flowers of the Mountains".  With that theme I simply had to make a block!

So here it is:

 It's a radiant sunflower made out of batiks. And it was such to make it. I got the pattern from Castilleja Cotton. Diane was great to work with - I needed the pattern in a hurry, and she obliged and sent me the pattern as a download. Isn't technology wonderful!

I can't wait to see the completed quilt. There will be 20 flower blocks, with proceeds going to support a local women's charity. Such a worthy cause, and such fun to be a part of it this year!

Have you been involved in any charity projects this year?