Gifts for 'Chernobyl' children 2017 ...

Please see these two posts from last year for the tutorials for a patchwork tote bag and table mat. The ladies who volunteered to help me make each of the 17 children visiting North Wales from Belarus / Ukraine a bag and mat were very kind and very talented.

Here are the lovely children (and helpers) with their bags last Summer:

They absolutely loved their gift bags - each contained a table mat to take home to their Mother / Grandmother, a patchwork bag, some sweets and either a tissue holder or wallet.

They were such a hit, Gerrie (chair of the North Wales Chernobyl Children's Lifeline), asked me if we could do it again this year. Of course we can - as soon as I put the request out on my Instagram for this year's group of children, I had a host of wonderful quilters ready to sign up again. 

The requirements are the same as last year - if you can make a bag and mat - great - if you can only make one - that's also fantastic. We have 22 volunteers this year and 14 children (aged between 9 and 11: 12 girls and 1 boy - and an older boy who is 14) so any extras will be gifted to the helpers and / or given to the children with siblings back home.

A nice size finish for a tote bag is 14" long by 12" wide with nice long handles (27") and a table mat 16" square or bigger would be lovely.

This year, I have varied my makes and I used a Moda Charm Pack (generously gifted by one of my dear IG friends, Katrina) to make two tote bags - one for one of the children and one for one of the helpers:

I have made a slightly larger table mat - 20'5" x 20.5" - which I quilted with Aurifil Rainbow thread (it's my new favourite now):

Nothing will go to waste - everything we make will be so gratefully received, I promise you.

Thank you all so very much - I will tag all my helpers for 2017 on Instagram  - please use the hashtag #ccllnorthwalesquiltbee - and I have created a link up so the bloggers can share their makes here:

An InLinkz Link-up

Great tutorials :)

I have a few little finishes to share with you this week; a patchwork tote bag, a small table mat, a one-hour basket and a simple zipper bag. The first two I made are for a charity I have recently got involved with - Chernobyl Children's Lifeline (CCLL North Wales) - and I put together a tutorial for the bag here and the mat here.

A little reminder of the work CCLL North Wales do: they are part of a national charity that helps children living in Belarus and Northern Ukraine who still suffer the effects of low level radiation some 30 years after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. They are bringing 17 children (12 girls and 5 boys) to North Wales this July to stay with Host Families - whilst here, the combination of uncontaminated food, fresh air and sunshine, exciting trips out and lots of exercise does the children a power of good. 

I met the local chair recently (Gerrie) at a talk she was giving  - she was incredibly inspiring and passionate about her work - this drew me to her and so I introduced myself. I told her I was a hobby quilter and asked what could I do to help. We agreed a tote bag and a small table mat would be perfect gifts for the children and their families. Knowing I couldn't possibly make all of this by myself (as fast as I am!), I put out a request on Instagram and got 16+ volunteers within hours - I was thrilled at the wonderful response. 

Please do search the tag #ccllnorthwalesquiltbee on Instagram to see what 'my gals' have been making. 

Then yesterday, I made my sister a one-hour basket using Kelly @ Kelby Sews' tutorial:

And I got swept up by all the recent #simplezipperbag posts on Instagram, and made this cute bag following (with just a little variation) the YouTube tutorial from Fat Quarter Shop:

All these projects are great to make (including mine!); even better to give away and also are wonderful form of therapy when you just want / need to sew little things quickly. Thank you to all the quilters who share their time and creativity in whatever way to make life just a little bit easier for someone else - someone they've never even met but share this passion with.

Linking up with Amanda Jean @crazymomquilts and Sarah @confessionsofafabricaddict.

Happy weekend :)

Chernobyl Children's Quilt Bee ...

I've said it before - the generosity of quilters never ceases to amaze me. I also think when you are generous of heart, you recognise that quality in others and are drawn towards them. That is true of my Quilty Friends both in Blogland and Instagramland - several of whom I have met in real life - others I have corresponded with, have exchanged gifts with and would love to meet up with one day.

So when I asked for some help on Thursday to make some gifts for a charity I have just got involved with - Chernobyl Children's Life Line (CCLL) - lots of special people put their hands up and said, "Yes, I'll help!" and I am so thankful. 

Just a little background: at the beginning of May, I went to a meeting with my Aunty G where Gerrie Bayley (Chair of the North Wales CCLL) was giving a talk about the charity and what they do. They are part of a national charity that helps children living in Belarus and Northern Ukraine who still suffer the effects of low level radiation some 30 years after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. 

They are bringing 17 children (12 girls and 5 boys) to North Wales this July to stay with Host Families - whilst here, the combination of uncontaminated food, fresh air and sunshine, exciting trips out and lots of exercise does the children a power of good. 

I was drawn to Gerrie - she devotes so much time to these children and their plight - so we spoke after the talk, I explained I was a hobby quilter and asked how I could help. We spoke again on Thursday morning and have agreed each child will go home with a patchwork tote bag (Pants Bag for the boys?) and a quilted table mat for their Mum / Dad / family at home. Gerrie explained their families really don't have much at all and a little table mat would brighten up their homes.

For all my helpers (our hashtag on IG - #ccllnorthwalesquiltbee), here is my tutorial for a quilted table mat finishing at 16" x 16":

1) Choose any colour palette you want

2) You don't have to follow my pattern - you don't even have to go with 16 patch block (but 16" x16" is a nice sized finish)

3) You can machine stitch the binding if you want (I just prefer to hand sew)

4) I press my seams open but do as you prefer

5) Please add your label if you have one (if not, am thinking of getting some made)

Requirements:

• Good quality 100% cotton fabric  
• 16 x 4.5" squares
• Backing fabric
• Batting / wadding
• About 70" of binding

For my design, I chose 4 different fabrics and cut accordingly. I chose the fabric for the 8 squares first because I had 1/2 yard of it so I could use on the back as well - the backing will need to be about 19" x 19" so you could just use a different Fat Quarter for the back if you didn't have 1/2 a yard to use. 

Then, I pulled the other 3 fabrics to co-ordinate ... but again, please use what you have / what you fancy.

I make my half square triangles (HSTs) like this:

and trim them down to 4 1/2":

then I decide on the layout and start sewing the pairs together; I always pin:

because I like points like this:

Once all 16 have been sewn together, make the quilt sandwich using batting / wadding and backing fabric (as you would for a quilt - I spray baste but pin if you think it needs it):

Then quilt as desired - I did some echo straight line quilting:

And I looked at the fabrics I had used and cut 4 strips of the darker orange at 2 1/4" for the binding. This is how I start and finish mine but, again, please do as suits you:

An 'arty' shot from husband:

And one from me:

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart to all my Quilty Friends for volunteering their time and fabric to help me make these gifts for the 17 children and their families and I will be back tomorrow with the Bag Tutorial.

I will try and add a link-up tool here (anyone suggest an easy one?!) but have run out of time today (got a birthday party to go to!)

Update -  I think I've managed to add a link up party!

An InLinkz Link-up

Am still here :)

I have not been sewing ... I have not been blogging ... I have not been following blogs - for 3 weeks! 

A combination of life's distractions and poor wi-fi service in the new house have come between me and my favourite things. But I have been enjoying my new early morning walk to work:

And my walk back to the hotel at night via Parliament Square:

London is beautiful in the Summer. I'm working long days and living there in the week so that I get to come home to our lovely new home in Wales on a Thursday afternoon:

But it does mean I'm not spending much time in here:

It's certainly a change in the pace of life and we're spending lots more time with family ... it's been a while since she was lit up:

This weekend, I have continued making some table mats from Cath Kidston fabric, which I will finish off on the train this week or in my hotel room:

Quilted with wiggly lines:

And I have made a start on the million yards of bunting (maybe not quite that much!) for dear niece's wedding which is next September ... so plenty of time, hey?!

I still can't baste and quilt anything sizeable but I resumed physiotherapy today after a 4-week break so that's good.

I'll pop around and see what you've all been up to - lots I bet :)

Table runner WIP ...

I am slowly getting back into being uber-productive! Within obvious limitations. Remember the Cath Kidston bundle I bought a few weeks back?

 

I started cutting it up at the weekend: 

 

And then made the table runner and  place mats:

 

Nothing fancy - just 10 1/2" squares bordered by the 2" red polka dot. But what to back it with? DH's suggestion was, 'big green spots'!

OK! Ordered some linen-type fabric online, it arrived today and is perfect:

Thanks hubby  - fancy some basting??

I've also made drinks' coasters from the leftovers:

 

 

I have a few little finishes which I'll save until Friday but here is a sneak preview of a carrier bag holder in progress for dear niece made out of leftover fabrics from her mats and table runner:

Linking up - this week's WIP Wednesday is being hosted by Lucy @ Charm About You:

and with the ever-lovely Lorna:

Gifts for dear niece for her new home :)

We live in London and our family live in Chester (a 4 hours drive) and North Wales (a 6 hours drive) so when I have gifts for family that need finishing, and I run out of time in the week, I know I have a good few hours on the car journey to get them done! (Thanks DH for driving!) Which was just as well as we were driving to Chester today and I still hadn't finished the binding on the table runner and 4 table mats I was making for dear niece.

Forgive the leg shot but I was trying to find a comfortable position! I'm sure every bump in the road made me miss a stitch:

I had finished her cushions at home during the week:

We were expected for pre-dinner drinks at 6pm and I was still stitching at 5.50pm! But I did it and 'girly' (dear niece) was over the moon! She had chosen the fabric herself the last time we were home but was still so very surprised and pleased when I took her gifts out of the bag and instructed her to 'close her eyes and open her hands'. She 'whooped' and did a happy dance :) Doesn't that make it all the more worthwhile?

Here are the cushions in situ in her bedroom:

One of the table mats - front and back:

The back of the runner and mats:

And the table runner and mats in their full glory:

Have said it before and will say it again; you can buy stuff in the shops that is cheaper and (perhaps?) better made but there really is no substitute for hand-made, unique, time-donated, lovingly-made gifts ... and her face was a picture (though she wouldn't let me take it!) Worth every minute that went into making these special things for her :)

Linking up with Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict: