Dr. Feldman Univ of Michigan

Three Weeks Left in the 2014 Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS

24!

That's how many days remain in the 2014 Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS!  While this year's challenge ends July 31st, there is still plenty of time to send in a quilt and have a chance at winning some fabulous prizes from our wonderful Sponsors.

Presenting Sponsors ($2,500+)

[Click on each logo to visit their website]

Quilters Dream Batting
589 Central Drive
Virginia Beach, VA  23454
(888) 268-8664

J.N. Harpers is a fourth generation business in Canada that distributes fabrics ranging from fine apparel, exquisite Italian shirtings, a full range of interfacings, as well as a full compliment of products for the quilting industry - batiks, cotton prints, excellent basics and batting.

J.N. Harper Co.
8335 Devonshire Road
Town of Mount Royal, Quebec H4P 2L1
Canada

Grand Sponsors ($1,000+)

[Click on each logo to visit their webpage]

 

Dragon Threads
490 Tucker Drive
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 841-9388

Forever in Stitches
120 N. Main Street
Bluffton, OH 45817
(866) 434-7552

hang it dang it
Innovative Solutions
692 Roger Canyon Road
Laramie, WY 82072
(307) 760-5279

Judy Martin Books
Crosley-Griffith Publishing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 512
Grinnell, IA 50112
(641) 236-4854

Minick & Simpson
1528 Miller Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI  48103
(734) 665-8334

Mistyfuse
Attached, Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
(631) 750-8500

Quilters' Gift Shop
2506 Robinson Street
Colorado Springs, CO  80904
(719) 635-0968

Straight Stitch Society
35 Meadow Street, Studio 316
Brooklyn, NY  11206
(347) 422-0970

The Warm Company
5529 186th Place SW
Lynnwood, WA 98037
(800) 234-9276

The Wooden Bear
1685 McBride Ridge Court
Winterest, IA  50273
(866) 927-8458

Golden Ruler Sponsors($500)

[Click on each logo to visit their webpage]

Angela Walters
Quilting is my Therapy
AngelaWaltersquilting@gmail.com

Swirly Girls
info@swirlygirlsdesign.com

 

All generous quilters who donate a quilt will be entered into a general drawing to win great prizes, including Quilters Dream Batting, books, patterns, fabric, notions and more valued at $1,000.

All quilts must be postmarked by July 31, 2014. Quilts received after this date will automatically be entered into next years challenge.

THANK YOU!  For the gift of your time, talents and quilts that are helping us bring HOPE to our DREAMS of a CURE for ALS!

Splish Splash Quilt Bash Fun in Michigan

As we head into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, we wanted to give you an update on what is happening with our inaugural Splish Splash Quilt Bash Challenge between The Joyful Quilter in New York and Quilt-n-Bee in Michigan.

Sharon Kaiser and her daughter have really been busy promoting Hopes & Dreams.  The last count (and she says it's growing daily) was 51 quilts made and donated by her quilt shop patrons and friends.

Sharon took this picture of a couple of the quilts at the marina on Grand Traverse Bay to celebrate a little of the 'splish' in the 'splash' of helping to bring awareness to ALS in her community, as well as provide warmth, hope and love to PALS - people living with ALS - who will receive the quilts.

For Sharon the joy of the challenge is in honoring her neice Cheryl who died of ALS when she was 50. "Sharon was always willing to share her gifts with everyone else and she was an avid quilter," says Sharon. "The Splish Splish Quilt Bash and Hopes & Dreams are the perfect way to give life to her gifts and help someone else who is living with this devestating disease."

Sharon Kaiser of Quilt-n-Bee in Michigan participating
in the Splish Splash Quilt Bash to honor her neice Cheryl who died of ALS at the age of 50.

The fun 'banter' between the two shop owners continues. 

The Joyful Quilter Splish Splash Quilt Bash donation and prize pool.

Earlier this week, Susan at The Joyful Quilter posted this photo of her Splish Splash display on her Facebook Page.  Susan posted, "Our Splish-Splash pool is half full!  Donate a quilt or other project and be entered into our drawing for a prize valued at $500!  Now through July 31st!"

So Sharon at Quilt-n-Bee, in a good natured way, replies, "I've got to get a cool boat like that!  Only ours will have to be MUCH larger...lol."

To which Susan counters with, "Sorry Sharon, I forgot to mention the quilts in the in-ground pool in back..."

Provoking a big grin and belly laugh from Sharon who ended with, "Now that made me laugh out loud!!! Thank you, I certainly needed that."

Actually - if there are any THANK YOU's to pass out, it's from all of us here at Quilters Dream Batting and the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS.  Susan and Sharon - your participation not only honors but brings to life the joy and love of your family members and is bringing HOPE to our DREAMS of a CURE for ALS!

Mistyfuse - Sticking Together with Hopes & Dreams to Find a Cure for ALS

Many of you know Mistyfuse.  

Their line of lightweight fusible materials are great for applique and basting a quilt. Last year Mistyfuse joined our Hopes & Dreams team and have decided to stick with us again as a $1,000 Grand Sponsor for our 6th Annual Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS that begins August 1st.

Becky packing Mistyfuse.

When we asked Mistyfuse why they chose to be a Hopes & Dreams sponsor they wrote, "A handmade quilt can convey so much: love, warmth, creative expression, community, generosity, care...the list could go on...

Larisa packing Goddess Sheets.

...Sharing the work from one person's hands to warm and comfort another is so inspiring and this makes our job providing materials to make this possible easy...

Goddess Sheets are a perfect compliment to applying Mistyfuse to all your applique and craft projects.

...We are pleased to be a part of the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge to raise money and awareness to find a cure for ALS and hope that many, many quilts are shared to bring comfort to those struggling from this disease."

If you have a moment, please click here and tell Mistyfuse THANK YOU for continuing as a member of the Hopes & Dreams sponsorship team.  

And if you happen to have some prefused Mistyfuse fabric scraps hanging around, click here for a free pattern they offer for a free Mini Fabric Collage Journel designed for Mistyfuse by Sue Bleiweiss.

Canadian Quilt Shop Joins Hopes & Dreams as a Sponsor

Meet Kelsey and Joanie.

Kelsey Morrow (right) and Joanie Morrow (left) owners of The Stitchery Quilt Shop
in Alberta, Canada as well as owners of Patternworkz Design Studio.

We had the good fortune of meeting these two fabulous ladies at Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, PA in May. This mother and daughter team stopped by the Quilters Dream Batting booth to feel all the different types of batting Quilters Dream offers.  Before we knew it, we were in awe of their work!

"Double Vision" fabric line designed by Joanie and Kelsey Morrow for Andover Fabrics.

They were sharing with us a fabric bundle of their batiks (which many of you know I love!) and before we knew it - Joanie and Kelsey were off to see if Andover Fabrics would become a Grand Sponsor of the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS.  Well, a little bit later, Joanie and Kelsey returned and decided THEY were going to be a Grand Sponsor themselves!  

Joanie sent an email this morning that in part reads:

"Finally...your package of goodies is on it's way!!! Our hats off to you and Hopes & Dreams.  Extraordinary volunteers and organization that exemplify the spirit of helping others.  We get the easy part of making a donation."

They are sending 2 yards each of every fabric you see in the above photo of their Double Vision line - 22 batiks and 18 prints - PLUS patterns!

Joanie and Kelsey share your passion for helping others and have also given of their time, talents and treasures to support Hopes & Dreams.  If you have a moment, send a note of "THANKS" to Joanie and Kelsey by clicking here and check out their design company - Patternworkz - by clicking here.

Andover Fabrics shared a copy of Joanie's pattern "Between the Lines Quilt" in promoting the fabric line which you can access through the Double Vision Fabrics link below the picture of the quilt.

Double Vision Fabrics

If you are in or near Alberta stop by The Stitchery - RR#2 Site 1 Box 6 Olds, Alberta.  If you here in the U.S. and like their fabric and patterns, ask your local quilt shop to place an order through their Andover Fabrics rep.

Joanie and Kelsey - you truly are giving Hope to our Dreams of a Cure for ALS!

Your grateful Hopes & Dreams coordinator

Good Things Do Happen on Friday the 13th!

Hello friends.  It's been too long since we last spoke through the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS blog and today is a fabulous day to get back to you.

Yes, I know. It's...

And on top of that, there's also a...

But, all the negatives are cancelled out, because today is also...

That's right!  Happy Sewing Machine Day.  I didn't know until today that the first sewing machines were made in France in the 1830's and were made to help with clothing production.  It wasn't until 1846, that the sewing machine was were patented in the U.S.  Prior to it's creation, clothes items were sewn together by hand...stitch by stitch.

Much like quilting, it all started out by hand.  Today, quilters are not just using sewing machines, but they are using specially built longarm machines to make amazing quilts, like this one sent to Hopes & Dreams by Barbara Hutton of Carolina Shor, North Carolina.

Quilt made and donated to Hopes & Dreams by Barbara Hutton of Carolina Shor, NC
using the Eureka Pattern by Jackie Robinson.

This Friday the 13th has also brought many good conversations.  From Grand Sponsors like Dragon Threads calling to say they want to keep supporting the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS by continuing to give $1,000 in prizes for the challenge, to a call from Nancy Rosenberger in New York.  You don't necessarily see Nancy, but you know her work.  Nancy in the purchasing agent for Missouri Star Quilt Company.  Yep - the one where you see Jenny Doan "workin' it" in hundreds of videos teaching you step by step how to make quilt blocks - like this Update on Easy Pinwheels.

Well, Nancy heard about Hopes & Dreams and wants to be a part of the great work you are doing.  For Nancy, ALS has hit home too many times.  Her husbands mother, a dear friends in the textile industry - Doug Jenkins - and one of her neighbors have all passed from ALS.  This weekend, she's helping with the Westchester Walk to Defeat ALS.

If you live in the White Plains, Valhalla, Milwood, Chappaque and Westchester areas, consider taking a Walk to Defeat ALS - click here to learn more.  

And if a walk is not possible - rev up the sewing machine and enjoy some creative bliss!

Your grateful Hopes & Dreams Coordinator

Bluebird of Happiness Smile Upon You

What a happy mail week it has been.  Lots of packages filled with Hopes & Dreams quilts from all over the United States.  Each package containing one or more quilts to help us reach our goal of 1,000 quilts by July 31, 2014.

The envelopes addressed to Hopes & Dreams bring special messages of appreciation, like the card above from Darla and Denny Luper of Shermans Dale, Pennsylvania.  

The card reads, "Dear Ladies - Many thanks to you for your kindness. One of your beautiful quilts was given to my husband, who was diagnosed with ALS on August 22, 2013, at Hershey ALS Clinic. What a wonderful, wonderful gift of love.  May God Bless each and everyone of you.  Your quilt will be put to good use and we love sharing your story with family and friends as we show them the awesome quilt you made. With love and gratitude, Darla and Denny Lupfer."

 

Then we received an enveloped addressed to Hopes & Dreams that contained this little gem!

The address says SECOR of Saint Charles, Illinois and had this cute 5.5" unfinished quilt block inside. We asked quilters in honor of International Quilting Day to make any block of their choice with the only rule being that it be 5.5" unfinished.  And you are!

We received these 5.5" unfinished blocks earlier in the week from Bunny Filer of Mahomet, Illinois.  All the blocks will be sashed and quilted into a Hopes & Dreams Community Quilt and auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to ALS Research.

The next envelope of quilt goodness arrived in a much larger package filled with several goodies.

We included a new category in this years Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS - "Sew Creative" - because so many of you enjoy making small quilts and table runners, wall hangings, candle mats, etc.  This lovely 16.5" x 21" wall hanging was made by Sara McGinnis of Avon, Indiana.  Sara shared that she used Boldover Batiks to make the wallhanging based on Freida Anderson's pattern "Summer Afternoon." 

Sara sent a lovely note that reads:

"Thank you so much for providing a way for me to contribute to finding a cure for ALS and for your continuing advocacy and fundraising efforts.  My husband was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 and, as he jokingly says, he knows he is playing on house money.  He says the worst thing ALS has done to him is to take away his laugh, but it can't take away his sense of humor.  He is the 'Head Chieftain' of the Kilted Warriors ALS Walk Team in Indianapolis and our team won the National Spirit Award in 2012 due to his cheerleading and finding a way to make everyone at the walk laugh.  While he is dependent on caregiving he makes every effort to enjoy life and smack talk sports with his friends (and he is loving the NCAA right now).

When he saw I was making this wall hanging for Hopes & Dreams, he looked up your website and immediately said we need to send Josh a beer coozie and a pin and magnet for his Mom.  For the last several years at the Irish Fest, he has had to drink a Guinness through a straw but now he says he may be reduced to having a sip or two through the feeding tube.

I have also enclosed a 5.5" square with a spring theme.  I pinned a few music notes in case you'd like to sew the strip across the sashing.  I made a Bluebird because I decided everyone needs a Bluebird of happiness. Best Regards, Bob and Sara McGinnis."

Yes, Sara - everyone needs a Bluebird of happiness.  Ours arrived today in the form of a package from you!

If you are interested in making and donating a small quilted item (tablerunner, candle mat, placemats, wallhanging, quilted bag) to the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS, or even making a 5.5" unfinished quilt block for the Hopes & Dreams Community Quilt, you can send them to:

Hopes & Dreams

c/o Quilters Dream Batting

589 Central Drive

Virginia Beach, VA  23454

Your grateful Hopes & Dreams Coordinator