A First Top for Our Quilt Ministry

Yesterday we held our second "work session" which for us means a very small group of those gals who are either retired or have a flexible weekday schedule.  We spent a couple hours cutting lots of strips for the entire group to make string blocks at our next big Saturday session in a couple weeks, and while we were doing that one of our retired members finished stitching up our first comfort quilt top.  

Everyone was so excited to have reached this first milestone that several were heading out to the nearest JA fabric store some 25 miles away later in the day to pick up more personal supplies, rotary cutters, mats, rulers and such.   I am so amazed and humbled at the level of enthusiasm and support these gals have for quilting and for each other.  They are so eager for the next meeting, the next step in the process, you name it.

With the exception of the dark blue border, all of the fabrics came from our donated scraps!

Before our next meeting I will do some ditch quilting to stabilize the quilt as much as possible since it will be going through a commercial washing machine at the rehab center, and then everyone will take part in tying the blocks and signing the label, since this quilt will be going to someone we all know.   And joy of joys, we have someone who will hand stitch the binding down - yay!!    I hope I'll remember to take the camera so we can get a group photo with our first quilt before it is gifted.  

Our scraps are already diminishing as we plan our second quilt - for a new baby expected in late May or early June.   And since a large portion of my scrap heap has already diminished ... umm ... moved to a new location several miles away, I'm linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict who has done some pretty amazing things with her own big tote of green scraps this month. 

Before signing off I want to thank all my blogging friends who sent along best wishes and tips for starting a quilt ministry and working with a group of newbie quilters!  Your encouragement, prayers and tips are so greatly appreciated.  And a special thank you to Janet at Rogue Quilter who gifted us with an extra rotary cutter, which has already been put to use several times cutting strips and squares for our next projects.  Quilters are pretty amazing people!  But then, you already knew that.