Hello, Creators!

On my previous blog, where I wrote about handmade “Mother’s Day gifts,” it was easy to get into the gifting mood. Handmade gifts are amazing but what’s better is making one for a good cause. I wanted to shine a light on all of those who take the time to make a handmade quilt for those who could really benefit from it. I can deeply relate to this topic because I had some family members that were affected by “Hurricane Irma!” Just seeing everyone in my community get together and help one another was very inspiring and humbling.

In the midst of researching, I came across an article on an 88-year old woman who sewed 1,000 quilts for charity. I couldn’t believe what I was reading! In the article, she explains her love of sewing since she was 9 years old and how she worked with a charity called “Project Linus.” Her next goal? 2,000 quilts! It’s crazy to think that one person can make such a big difference.

Having that in mind, I wanted to recognize all the charity work that Art Gallery Fabrics has been a part of especially with recent, catastrophic events that people today are still experiencing to this day. “Hurricane Harvey” was of those tragic cases that led to billions of dollars in damages and Art Gallery Fabrics partnered with “Quilts of Compassion” where we collected over 100 quilts! You can read more about our journey and how Quilts of Compassion made it happen.

Quilting has become an escape route to many, it's a time to sit down and let out your own creative energy. In the news, a woman named Tonry overcame her three year battle with leukemia with the help of her creative outlet— quilting! Tonry took one class on quilting and was instantly hooked. She dedicated her time sewing for “Quilts for Comfort” and delivered 60 quilts to the hospital. She promised to make 40 quilts before she turned age 40 and no one thought it would be possible, but boy did she prove them wrong!

Reading these wonderful women’s stories was very inspiring, and serves as a reminder that it’s never a bad time to make an extra gift for those in need. If you have extra quilts that you don’t need or use that often, I encourage you to check your local charity to see if they are accepting any donations!

Keep quilting,

– Jannelle