December FQC Winner

The lucky winner in the December drawing is Mary B. of Massachusetts. Mary will receive a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop. She was very excited to win. She said, ” I don’t believe it. I never win anything! This is marvelous. I love the Fat Quarter Shop!” She’s going to have fun shopping.

You, too, can win a shopping experience at Fat Quarter Shop. All you have to do is submit a quilt to the Fat Quarter Challenge. Use a fat quarter of your choice (or I can send you one), add other fabrics to it, and make a quilt to the QBB size specifications. Then send the completed quilt to my PO Box: Carol Egan, PO Box 50734, Mendota, MN 55150. Your name goes into the hat as soon as the quilt arrives, and stays there until the end of the challenge year (Oct. 15, 2020). You could win more than once!

QBB appreciates any and all quilt donations, and I especially love getting the FQC quilts so I can enjoy the beauty and love in your quilt before the quilt gets sent to a child. The children are the real winners!

Mary sent two beautiful quilts to me for the FQC. Here are pictures of her two quilts:

If you have questions about the FQC, please ask. Use the QBB email (quiltsbeyondborders@gmail.com) and we’ll answer ASAP. Thanks.

Carol Egan

FQC Coordinator, QBB

Fat Quarter Challenge Quilts Roll In

In recent weeks I have received three beautiful FQC quilts. Two were from Mary B. of Massachusetts and one was from Kathleen R. of North Carolina.

Thank you for the two beautiful quilts, Mary. They are of such different moods and both are so pretty. Two unique children will enjoy these cuddly quilts.

           

Another unique child will love this colorful quilt submitted by Kathleen R.  IRL these star centers just sparkle! Thank you, Kathleen.

Let’s keep those quilts rolling in! You might win a prize, but… it’s the kids who are the real winners.

Carol Egan

FQC Coordinator

Quilts for Christ Lutheran Church, Dayton, OH

You’ve heard the saying, it’s an oldie but goodie, well today I have quilts that were sent over the past year to children in need at Christ Lutheran Church in Dayton, OH.  Please enjoy the show and click on the photo for more info.

Dawn S.; St. James the Less/Vickie W; Marge K/Pat L

Dawn S; Doris M; Donna D

Cathy L; Beth H; Ann M

Vickie W

Sandra B/Vickie W; Donna S/Mary V; Vickie W

Donna S/Pat L; Sunnies; Geneal S/Pat L

Linda C/Pat L; Sunnies; St James the Less/Pat L

Linda C/Pat L; Donna S/Vickie W; Theola B/Pat L

Donna S/Pat L; Donna S/Mary V

Judy B; Linda D/Vickie W; Sunnies

Vickie W; Julie R/Vickie W

Cheers, Tina, Regional Coordinator VA

 

November FQC Winner

We received six beautiful quilts for the Fat Quarter Challenge during the month of November. Thank you Beth, Sue, Kathy, Cathy, Pat, and Louise! You can view all of these quilts in several recent blog posts.

A random winner was generated, and the lucky winner this month is: Beth Holland of Minnesota! Beth will win a $25 gift certificate from the online shop,  Fat Quarter Shop !  Thanks to the Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring our challenge. Beth will have a great time shopping.

This is the winning quilt submitted by Beth:

Thank you!

Carol Egan – FQC Coordinator

Quilter’s Circle Article

We already knew this, but we are officially an Amazing Place to donate your quilts…

The National Quilters Circle included Quilts Beyond Borders in a recent article detailing 10 Amazing Places to Donate your Quilts. We were happy to be featured!

The National Quilters Circle website is a fantastic online resource for new quilting instruction, ideas, and information. On the website you’ll find an entire library of quilting videos at your fingertips – both free and membership-based, plus brand new videos to enjoy throughout the month. You’ll also find interesting articles, project ideas, product reviews, Q&As with expert quilters, and lots more.

Check them out, and if you get inspired to start or finish a quilt project, you know who to send it to! Click Here for more info…

The Season of Quilts!

It’s the season of quilts! We had our first substantial snowfall here in Minnesota, and just in time these two cuddly quilts arrived for the Fat Quarter Challenge. With snow in the air and on the ground, quilts seem especially enticing.

This one is by Pat. P from Wisconsin. I’m including a close-up so you can see the cute fabric details.

This one is by Louise H. of Florida. There are some unique and interesting fabrics here that I have not seen before. Fun!

Thank you, Pat and Louise for these beautiful quilts. As I always say, the kids are the real winners! I know they’ll love these quilts. But maybe you might win, too.

I will be announcing the first drawing of this year’s FQC prize soon. Cross your fingers! We have 6 people in the running for a prize so far this month. Watch this blog for the announcement of the winner. Good luck!

Carol E.

FQC Coordinator, QBB

A Parade of Kathy and Cathy!

I knew being the Fat Quarter Challenge Coordinator was going to be fun! I get to receive all these beautiful quilts and enjoy them in person! You know how they are always better in person than even the best photograph can show. That’s what I get to enjoy.  Lovin’ it!  Please keep ’em coming!

This one was made by Kathy D. and quilted by Kathy L., both of Minnesota. The pattern is a Villa Rosa one called Gemini.

This one was made and quilted by Cathy L. of Iowa. She calls these “Happy Blocks.” I had seen a photo, but to see it in person was even a bigger joy.

It was a parade of C/Kathys this week!  Thanks Kathy, Kathy, and Cathy – you have been entered into the upcoming monthly drawing for the Fat Quarter Challenge. These are beautiful, and some lucky kids will love snuggling in them.

Carol E., FQC Coordinator

Quilter Spotlight: Nancy Sturgeon

Our Quilter Spotlight this time is on Nancy Sturgeon from Illinois – Nancy is a prolific long-time quilter for Quilts Beyond Borders and we are so happy to feature her story and SO thrilled that she has chosen to share her talents with us!

How did you learn to quilt? I have been sewing my entire life and started quilting in 2002 when I a took a sampler class at a local quilt shop.

Where do you get quilting inspiration? I am inspired by quilts that I see on the internet in various blogs, articles, Facebook groups, and Pinterest.

What is your favorite quilting style? Scrappy quilts are my favorite–in any pattern.

How did you learn about Quilts Beyond Borders? Why do you volunteer with Quilts Beyond Borders? I learned about QBB when I first met Carla after I joined the Northern Illinois LongArm Quilting Guild in early 2010. I had a new longarm and needed practice. I love to quilt for QBB because the quilts are just the right size for practice, and I love all the various fabrics and different top designs. When I see the tops kitted up, I can’t resist taking a lot home with me. They are like little presents to me, and they quilt up very fast.

What’s your favorite quilting tip or technique? My best quilt tip is to quilt a lot of philanthropy quilts to enable yourself to get comfortable with your machine and to learn to choose thread colors that work and to use different quilting designs. I have also become a “champion” machine binder using the #71 foot on my old Bernina!

What are your other hobbies and interests? Before quilting, I did a lot of needlepoint and cross stitch, and I had a business (Threads Through Time) where I reproduced antique samplers and designed tiny samplers to be stitched on 40 count silk gauze. Now I avoid handwork as much as I can! I love to read, go to yoga class, walk/exercise, go to my various guilds, learn new things about quilting, and socialize with my quilting friends.

Thank you again Nancy! Here are some photos showing off Nancy’s quilting talent..

Nancy Sturgeon (1 2 3) Nancy & Geneal Smith over the top

Nancy Sturgeon

Nancy Sturgeon

Nancy & SJL (1) & TX Quilters Holy Spirit Episcopal Church (2)

Nancy Sturgeon (1&2) Nancy Sturgeon & Terri K (3)

There are many more in our archives!  Nancy, thank you so much for beautifully quilting all these wonderful quilts!  There are happy children on several continents in many countries who are grateful for your wonderful work!

IQF Highlights

It was wonderful seeing so many old and new friends at our booth in Houston at the International Quilt Festival!  We can’t thank you enough for your support and smiling faces year after year!  Together we are making nights a little more warm and comfortable for needy children around the world!

We received more than 220 beautiful finished quilts and tops that you have been busily working on all year, (or maybe just since last month when you suddenly realized it was almost November again.!) and we handed out many kits while raising awareness for our cause.  We also collected much needed funds from your generous donations and purchases.  Thank you!

I would also like to express my great appreciation to all of the members of the Quilts Beyond Borders team who came to help us out in the booth!  In addition to the wonderful Regional Coordinators (Ann, Susan, Karen, Nancy, and Kim) and a couple of great and supportive significant others (Nick and Tim), it was also fun to have our second generation (Joanna, Madi and Karisa), and a special treat to have Fran and Roberta, two of our awesome volunteers.  Thank you all for everything you do!

Carla

Fat Quarter Challenge 2020

Hi! I’m Carol, the new Fat Quarter Challenge (FQC) quilt coordinator for Quilts Beyond Borders! I am not one of the regional coordinators. My only job is the FQC coordination. I am going to try to be very prompt with postings of the FQC quilts, their pictures, and any other information I can share with you about the quilts and where they go. I hope you keep me busy this year with lots of FQC quilts being sent in.

You can make a quilt using any FQ of your choice. Add other fabrics to complete a quilt that meets criteria listed on our website (https://quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/quilt-dimensions/) and submit using these instructions: https://quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/join-the-fat-quarter-challenge-and-win/ If you want me to send you a FQ, I would be happy to, or you can choose your own. If you were lucky to attend Festival in Houston, maybe you picked up a kit at the QBB Booth. I hope to be there next year!

Please ask me if you have questions about the challenge.. just address your questions to quiltsbeyondborders@gmail.com and put “FQC Coordinator” in the subject line.

As I said, my name is Carol, and I live in Minnesota. It gets cold here, so we really appreciate quilts in this neck of the woods. I have always loved quilts and decided to start making them back in 1999. My first project was a pot holder, but I couldn’t stop, so it turned into an actual quilt (log cabin). I was immediately hooked.

I love to make scrappy quilts, and I love to make up my own designs, but I’m starting to use patterns more and more. (I worked backwards.. most people do this in the opposite order.) The best of all is making quilts to give away, and what could be better than to give them to children who are cold, or scared, or just need a hug?? I love that QBB helps the under-served around the world.

I made a FQC quilt, and I am counting it in the FQC numbers, but as coordinator, I will not have my name in the drawing for prizes. Please send in a FQC quilt so you could possibly win. Your name stays in the “hat” all year, so you could even win more than once. It could pay off to get your quilt submitted early! The prize each month is a $25 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop (a great online store – please support them at FatQuarterShop.com). At the end of the year some lucky person wins $100 cash!

Here’s my 2020 FQC quilt:

It has been sent to an initiative for needy children in Virginia.

The next quilt was the first one submitted this fall for the 2019-20 year FQC. It was made by Sue T. of Washington. Sue was very diligent and made this quilt early, knowing she would be too busy for sewing in the next few months. We are so thankful that she took the time to prepare this nice quilt for QBB.

This quilt was received from Beth H. of Minnesota. Beth happens to be someone I know well (she is my cousin), so she was able to hand deliver the quilt to me. Beth was also johnny-on-the spot with her quilt. Beth’s quilt was sent along with mine to children in Virginia.

I am looking forward to receiving your Fat Quarter Challenge quilt soon. Send the completed quilt, along with your name, phone number, and e-mail address, to:

Carol Egan
PO Box 50734
Mendota, MN 55150

P.S. I have my own blog in which I post pictures of my quilts along with book reviews. Come on over and visit if you are interested: https://giraffedreams.blogspot.com