Project Linus

When one of my grandaughters (age 4) wound up in the Emergency Room early last year, the experience was frightening for everyone, and most especially for the youngster being poked and prodded by strangers in medical garb.

During one of the lulls between taking samples and waiting for test results, a hospital aide brought in a colorful child's blanket and handed it to my tearful granddaughter. She explained that it had been made especially for her by someone who just knew she might need it, and yes, she could take it home and keep it.

My daughter described the experience to me and my first thought was that I'd like to contribute a few blankets to the cause myself. Most of us have the creative urge to make "a little something" but put it off because we don't have a receiver in mind. From now on I'll know exactly who to give them to. Better still, I now have an incentive to get busy and make some more. There are little children out there waiting for someone like me to just know they'll need it one of these days.

How about you? Check out the Project Linus Organization website and put them on your Christmas list from now on.

Memory Quilts

The variety of family traditions among quilters and the new suggestions I'm finding in my email box are intriguing. Not the least among them is recycling fabric from the closet of a deceased loved one.

Join the "We Love To Quilt" Group Forum and share YOUR family's memory quilt ideas.
and bookmark this page to return often. We'll build a feature column around what we're learning about family memories and traditions.

Lemonade Quilts

"Don't cry when life gives you lemons, make Lemonade!"

Sometimes life gives us a challenge that requires an attitude adjustment. Like when I thought I could "learn" to make those beautiful quilts I see winning blue ribbons and accolades, and discovered a side-effect from the macular problem I've had for years has an odd effect on my quilting projects.

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Podcasts -- Video Instruction on the Internet!

When I'm lucky enough to be in a location with cable internet access, watching instruction podcasts is almost as good as watching the instruction on TV. There is some degradation of picture quality, but usually not enough to deter me from learning something new.

Some shows download better than others -- that's to be expected. Also, when my internet source is particularly busy I find getting them to download is troublesome. In that case, I wait an hour or so and try again.

Of course when I'm visiting the woods in rural Georgia and have to rely on satellite internet which is slower than cable and at the mercy of weather, the podcasts are less likely to be a source of information than a source of frustration.

For that reason, I've begun collecting DVD's that I can watch when I'm ready, and also share with a few friends with similar interests. Most of my favorite instruction shows have been on PBS television, and some of the DVD's are available through the PBS store. But many of my favorite shows are available now by podcast and DVD only through the specific creator. I'll gather those links and add them to the Podcasts Resource.

Beginner's Diary - LLoni learns quilting one piece at a time

Check out the Feature Series that takes the wonderful art of quilting one step at a time so "new student" LLoni can understand.

We began by visiting a "Quilt Show" that left my mouth watering to learn more. I'm sure that's what Sue had in mind when she made that my first assignment.

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Happy Quilting!