Moore Love Quilt Project: Wrap-Up

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who donated to our Moore Love Quilt Project. The outpouring of support and quilts has simply been amazing and we can't thank you enough.

 To date, we have collected over 400 quilts!

I happened to pick out one of the quilts that a guild member gave a co-worker who lost everything in the tornado. A couple of days later, I just happened to be at the business the night she received them.  With tears in her eyes, she thanked me for the quilts. She was so grateful as they reminded her of the trunk of quilts her grandmother made that she'd just lost. The workmanship on the quilts she received were beautiful, "just like my grandmother's workmanship", she said. I felt completely unworthy, and yet so fortunate, to be the one accepting the gratitude that was really meant for the generous quilt maker.

A thank you note from a quilt recipient.

Where the quilts came from:

• From independent quilters and quilt guilds around the nation (including Hawaii), and as far away as Australia!
• A group of 3 and 4 years olds from New York. Their artwork was transferred to fabric and used as blocks.
• From a daughter who finished and donated a quilt in honor of her mother, who started the quilt but was then affected by Alzheimer's Disease.
• From a woman who had a family member who survived the devastation at Plaza Towers Elementary.
• From a woman who saw one of the teachers talking about protecting the children on T.V. and thought, "I'd love for her to have a quilt", and then made one.
• From quilters in Florida who lost their own homes in Hurricane Charley and gave as a way of saying "thank you" to those who so generously gave to them.

Personal notes accompanied many of the quilts.

Where a few of the quilts went:

• A sweet boy who lost his mother and home. Weeks later, when he received a quilt, he was still in the hospital recovering from his own injuries.
• A woman who lost her home and a trunk that held quilts made by her grandmother. The chest is still unaccounted for.
• A woman who stayed at one of the schools until all the kids were reunited with their parents.
• A Moore music teacher with two small children who lost her home and car. Quilts passed down in her family were lost, so receiving quilts had special meaning.
• A man (see photo below) injured in the tornado because he was still recovering from knee surgery and was unable to climb into shelter.

While collecting all these beautiful quilts, I learned a few things:

1. Be prepared. As quilters, we should always have a quilt or two on hand that can be given away. The day after the Moore tornado, while we were in the middle of a meeting discussing what we should do to help, I received a notification text from our Facebook page from quilters in Birmingham, Alabama that said: "We have 40 quilts! Where can we send them?" Just like that, before we even knew what we were doing!
2. Create the best you can. I was constantly amazed by the workmanship of the quilts we received. Several times I found myself saying, "I can't believe someone would put that much work into a quilt and then give it away to a stranger!"
3. Give generously. Not only were the quilts beautiful and well constructed, they were also numerous. People didn't just send one quilt (which is wonderful enough) but often two or more quilts were in each box or box-es, plural. I received three boxes from one woman and one 43 pound box from another that contained 13 quilts!

Label on one of the quilts.

Once again, thank you so much for donating your quilts. I know the recipients are all feeling the love and support that each quilt represents.

We've tried our best to photograph each and every quilt received and invite you to peruse our Moore Love flickr page.

Thanks Again!

OKCMQG

July Block-of-the-Month: 2 for 1

In the hopes of having a completed quilt by the end of the year, we have 2 blocks for you this month!

First up is a block from Ann.

This is the Modern Movement Block by Letty at Happy Dance Quilting, which was offered as a free download from Craftsy.

July Block of the Month #1:

This is a straight-forward Half-Square Triangle (HST) pattern.

For easy to print instructions: CLICK HERE

CUTTING IT OUT:

Start out with four main colors (which comprise 3/4 of the pattern) and then choose a lighter (or darker) tone in the same color range. The designer specifies 1/8 yard of each color and one Fat Quarter (FQ) for the background. Because I would only need a maximum of two 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares from the colors, I used scraps from previously cut on FQs.

On the heels of our 'Moore Love' raffle quilt that used our logo colors, I carried that scheme into this month's BOM. This included using low volume prints for the background. 

After the fact, I realized it would have been much simpler using ONE pattern/solid for the entire background, and highly recommend it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Cut out all 3-7/8" x 3/7/8" squares:

     (a) 2 from each color.

     (b) 1 from each color variation.

     (c) 8 from your background fabric.

I used my adjustable Westalee ruler to cut my 3-7/8" squares. It's one of my favorite tools.

2.  Cut each of the squares in half, diagonally.

Wrong side of each of the four backgrounds shown with each set of colors.

3.  Arrange the triangles following the original pattern. Here are some background options I played with using the four patterns, and also, white. 

The lower left one is the one described here.

4.  The HSTs are sewn together and then into four rows.  Following the layout and working with 2 HSTs at a time, sew two HSTs RIGHT sides together along that long diagonal edge you cut. 

5.  Press open units. I did so in a manner that let me nest the seams once they were assembled.

(Frixion pens are now available as re-tractables!) 

6.  Sew four rows of units together to make completed block.

You will use all of the background pieces have eight HSTs [one light and one medium of each color] left over.

July Block-of-the-Month #2:

Our second block is presented by Mandi.

Modern Alphabet "J"

For easy to print instructions: CLICK HERE

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Pick three colors.

2.  Cut the following:

       (a) 6.5" x 12.5" (in this case striped fabric)

       (b) 6.5" x 6.5" (blue starred fabric)

       (c) Background 6.5" X 12.5" (red fabric)

3.  Place 6.5" x 6.5" color (b) with RIGHT sides together on lower edge of background color. 

4.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of color (c) and stitch on line.

5.  Trim seam to 1/4 inch and press to side.  

6.  With RIGHT sides together sew color (a) lengthwise to color (b) and (c) with seam on short side of HST created above.

Done!

Thanks for joining us! Don't forget to click on BOM on the top menu you catch up on blocks from the previous months and get a peak at how our quilt is shaping up!