June 2nd Work Day - Cancelled

The June 2nd work day is being cancelled.  We will resume our work on July 14th, focusing on the altar cloths for the new Churches in Ghana.  During the month of June, 50 quilts for Mercy Hospital Pediatric ICU along with the Riverside and Okoboji Bible Camp Auctions will be on display outside the Worship Center.

May Meeting Day

We had a small turnout today, but accomplished quite a bit.  Regarding the Ghana Altar Cloths, we haven’t confirmed the size of the cloths to be made, however, many of the Ghana fabrics have been paired with fabric backing.  And depending on the size and orientation of the altars, we’ll be ready to quickly do the cutting and sewing.

Ghana fabrics set out and in the lower picture paired with backings

On Friday during set-up, two members, Jodi and Sandy brought in quilts they’re donating to the Riverside Auction.  The quilts are beautiful and included two antique quilts that are hand pieced, hand quilted.

On Saturday we received donations of fabrics from two LCOH members.  Laura dropped by with a bin of fabrics.  And Deb emptied her quilting stash with her large donation of fabrics, notions, books, patterns.  Several Hope Quilters sorted through all of the things by colors and sizes.

Erika sorting some of the donated fabrics 

Books that were in the donation from Deb

Other Hope Quilters finished up a few of the quilts for the Mercy Pediatric ICU project.  We now have 50 of these quilts ready to be hung on display in June.  The Riverside Bible Camp Auction quilts will be on display at the same time.

Lorena quilting a Mercy quilt

More sorting by Rachel and Julie.  On the tables are the quilts for Mercy and Riverside

May 5th Meeting

We're going to begin working on the altar cloths for the 115 new churches in Ghana.  Below are several pictures of just a few of the beautiful Ghana fabrics we'll be working with.  Everyone should come see all of the fabrics and help design the altar cloths.  We need all kinds of ideas - embroidery, applique, quilted, non-quilted . . . anything else that comes to mind.  The first church builds are beginning this month, and we want to send the first altar cloths in August with the crosses and Meals From the Heartland.

April Meeting Day

Fourteen Hope Quilters met for a lively day of working on the Mercy Hospital Pediatric ICU quilt project. Bindings were sewn down, backings were prepared for some and batting cut for others. We now have close to 50 quilts which are either fully completed or in progress.

These quilts will be on display in the Lutheran Church of Hope (LCOH) Express Your Faith gallery in June, along with the quilts for the Riverside and Okoboji Bible Camp summer quilt auctions. Several additional quilts have been completed in the past month by Hope Quilters members and they will also be donated to the Bible Camp auctions.

A donation of quilt tops were given to Hope Quilters by Dena D. who attends Hope Ankeny Campus. She has offered to continue to make quilt tops for our mission projects. Thank you Dena, for your generous gift of these quilts.

During the Lenten Season, LCOH's theme of "40 Churches in 40 Days" for Ghana was surpassed. Praise God! There will be 115 churches built in Ghana! Hope Quilters has been asked to make altar cloths for these churches. We will use the fabrics that were brought back from Ghana from a mission trip. The first group of altar cloths will be sent to Ghana in late summer when other mission items are shipped over.

One of the founders of Hope Quilters, and certainly one of our most dedicated quilters is leaving Iowa. We offer Linda H. and her husband best wishes as they embark on their new adventure. Her dedication, teaching and devotion to Hope Quilters and to Lutheran Church of Hope will be greatly missed. Many of us have also been privileged to be a part of "Stitchin' Mission" which has been Linda's mission and passion.

March Sewing Saturday

More than 25 people attended Hope Quilters on Saturday, March 3. Several were returnees from our February Quilt-a-Thon, and several came as a result of Pastor Mike's February 19 sermon - "When Your Spirit Runs Dry" - based on Ezekiel 37 and the "Ezekiel Blocks" Hope Quilters' is sewing to make quilts for Mercy Children's Center, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

We're so very happy to have new quilters join our group!

A surprise came from Carol who, though she's unable to attend our Sewing Saturdays, continues to make quilts at home. Carol delivered to Hope Quilters 11 quilts, 36" X 48" to pass along! Thank you very much for your generosity!

During the "business" portion of our sewing day, we looked at finished quilts and determined where they're being donated. Hope Quilters will:

• give three quilts to Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp (Story City, Iowa) for the camp's annual quilt auction: Saturday, August 4, 9-3 p.m.
• give two quilts to Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp (Okoboji, Iowa) for the camp's annual quilt auction: Saturday, August 4 beginning at 1 p.m.
• make two baby quilts for infant boys at Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage, Nigeria

Discussion also centered around Hope's Lenten Outreach Project to build 40 new churches in Ghana. Hope Quilters plan to make wall hangings for each church, using fabric from Ghana that was brought back to Hope Quilters by our missionaries.

Our quilters stay busy!

Three young girls have recently joined our group...

...and one of them finished her very first quilt while at Hope Quilters. Great job, Jasmine!

Our newer quilters learned how to sew Ezekiel blocks, and then sew them into a quilt top.

As always, our most dedicated Hope Quilters kept their hands busy making sure we're on track with our Mercy quilts. 

Norma, cutting Ezekiel blocks.

Rachel and Michelle sewed quilt backings and cut batting.

One of our newer members, Jody, even recruited a friend who was walking down the hall past our room!

We're glad Sandy has decided to join Hope Quilters too!

These few pictures don't begin to capture all the people whose hands were busy all day Saturday. Everyone's involvement is appreciated! Thank you!

Please note that beginning at the Saturday, April 14 Hope Quilters Sewing Saturday, we'll meet in room 212. Room 212 is across the hall to the south of room 214 where we've been meeting. Because our supplies will remain in the 214 closet, Hope Quilters will obtain rolling racks for mobilizing our supplies.

We anticipate seeing the same, and more new quilters at our April meeting. Please join us!

March 3, 2012

Saturday March 3rd is the next Hope Quilters meeting - 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Room 214.

The agenda includes: the Mercy Hospital Pediatric ICU quilts (we'll continue to sew blocks and construct quilt tops); batting purchase; quilt tops to be quilted and finished; Riverside and Okoboji Bible Camp annual quilt auctions; Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage quilts. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy the fellowship. You do not need to be a member of Hope to participate in Hope Quilters. Just a love of quilting or a desire to learn how to make a quilt that will give warmth and comfort to those in need.

Quilt-a-Thon Results

Between Friday and Saturday, 35 people participated in our Quilt-a-Thon to make Ezekiel quilt blocks from scraps. Blocks are being used to make quilts that will be given to Mercy Children's Center, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

While Mother Nature didn't cooperate with our event - she decided Saturday should be a snow day with six inches of heavy, wet snowfall all afternoon - we're grateful for the 10 hearty Iowa souls who didn't let Mother Nature deter them from joining 12 Hope Quilters for sewing!

Here are a few glimpses of our Friday and Saturday sewers and fabric-cutters with the piles of strips and scraps they turned into 6-1/2" X 6-1/2" Ezekiel blocks.

On Saturday afternoon, we were fortunate to have Jan, from Mercy Children's Center, stop in to see what we were doing. She stayed long enough to learn a little bit about the quiltmaking process, and tell all the quilters, on behalf of Mercy Children's Center, how much they appreciate what we're doing.

Left, in red top: Jan from Mercy Children's Center

Here's how the weekend tallied up.

Between the efforts of 35 guests, and 16 Hope Quilters, 396 Ezekiel blocks were created from small scraps and fabric pieces. Well done! And an extra, special thanks to our visitors who helped!

Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NCV)

Eleven kits were assembled. Each includes: 36 Ezekiel blocks, 60 sashing rectangles and 25 cornerstones. By Saturday, March 3 they'll be returned to Hope Quilters, hopefully as quilt tops.

Many stacks of scraps and partially-sewn "chunks" of fabric remain to be sewn to make more Ezekiel blocks. How do these scraps manage to multiply!? Everyone is invited to return to the next Hope Quilter's Sewing Saturday, March 3, to continue sewing blocks.