If you have been a follower of my primary blog With Heart and Hands then you know that I have been making my own "healing hearts" or comfort quilts, for community and charitable giving since I first learned to quilt. And above all else, I seek to be of service..both in my real life, and virtually through my blog.
Martin Luther King was born on my father's birthday, January 15th, so in honor of both of these fine men, both pioneers in their own lives and in their own ways, I always quilt and sew for charitable causes on this day.....always!
Today, I am working on 6 charitable quilting projects at once. I already began them last week, all made from donated scraps and blocks from my local quilt guild's 'free table'. But in honor of today and MLK's "Be of Service" day..usually celebrated by groups on the weekend either before or after the 15th, I have updated my most popular give aways...wayyyyy over 2,500 free quilt patterns, tutorials and links.
Here's a few fun photos of my past projects and things that I have done as I have been of service to my community..whether I have been in my childhood home on Douglas Island, Alaska or my current home in Salem, Oregon!Just to give you an idea of the kinds of things that are near and dear to my heart....
Links to Making Kuspuks in 2008:
How to make a kuspuk
Kuspuks Make Front Page News
Juneau Empire Photos: Parka party 01/18/08 video
Links to Making Kuspuks in 2009
Sewing Kuspuks Again!
Kuspuks
Links to Making Kuspuks in 2010:
Kuspuks Go to the Capitol
Kuspuk Fridays, KTUU, Anchorage News...our classroom featured as State Legislators wear their own kuspuks on Fridays!
Just a few of my own links and free tutorials, patterns and links that can be used to create items for charitable giving and donation!
2,500 Free Quilt Patterns...patterns for quilts to make and give...anytime to anyone
Free Babies, Childrens Quilt Patterns for children in need or in hospitals
Angel Wraps and Preemie Blankets for those born or lost too soon
Free Breast Cancer (and other cancers) Awareness Quilt Patterns
Free Heart Themed Quilt ...and many other small items...Patterns
Making a Heart Shaped Pillow for cardiac patients, mastectomy patients and others
String Pieced Prayer Pocket Pillow for any one in need of comfort
Quilted Book or Journal Cover...for someone in the hospital or on any healing journey
Making an Adult Bib
How To Make A Fabric Postcard...send a postcard to those who are ill or in need of comfort, anytime!
Make a Magic 'Burrito' Pillowcase..foster child programs, care homes etc.
How To Make A Quillow..great for foster children programs
Free Patriotic Quilt Patterns for veterans and their families
Blue or Gold Star Banner for Military Families
Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey from Alaska to Oregon with thousands of free Quilting, Sewing, and Crafting Patterns and Tutorials. Help change the world, one little quilt, art quilt, and prayer flag at a time!
9 comments:
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I was able to read your comment! The service you do for others is amazing.... and you must feel so good about the giving you do. I want to follow your footsteps. I used to belong to a quilt guild in Vancouver, WA and we did charity quilts and I also taught teenagers for awhile as a part of their community service program. I loved it and know I made a difference in a few "kids'" lives. I've moved and want to do more where I am... you always inspire me.
A girl after my own heart. I can't imagine quilting and not sharing them with charities to warm the hearts of others. In a week I will begin teaching a class, giving women a lifetime gift (no charge). Giving of ourselves...it's just part of who we are. Hugs
I could comment and it didn't ask me if I was a robot which also cracks me up!
I loved this post and all of these great photos and links. Thanks you Michele.
I am just in awe of the amount of things you have created for others, especially when you put those pictures all in one place like this. Wow. I'm sure every one of those people appreciate it.
We have somewhat of a connection with that date of January 15th. That date is a very memorable day for me as well. I won't go into the long story as to why it was so memorable, but in the end the best part on that day back in 1986, I had twin boys born. It was a very long and scary day for me which included 2 surgical teams, 3 teams of peds doctors (1 regular peds dr, and 2 high risk peds dr) and 4 teams of nurses (1 for c-section, 1 for each of my babies, and the last for the gall bladder surgery also done once the c-section was completed) It looked like a party in my operating room with all those people standing waiting their turn to take over. VERY memorable day for me. But, as I said, in the end I had two amazing little boys who just turned 29 yrs old yesterday.WOW! 29 yrs old? That really makes me feel old to think my babies are 29 already. And while in major pain at the end of that day, I made it through both surgeries, so that was a good thing too. lol
Thank you for all of your comments! And Vicki T...this is the kind of comment that creates and reminds us of connections and the wonderfulness of how blogging and leaving comments works with that. I am so touched by your comment and so glad that day turned out well. Happy Birthday to your wonderful and miraculous sons!!!
What an extraordinary amount of gorgeous quilts! I also sew on MLK weekend to make quilts for donation. It is such a labor of love. Fun to see your pictures of events, people, love. And I am not a robot (it didn't ask me, so I am reporting that I am not...) :)
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