this past weekend i was talking to my mom about wanting a summer quilt. a cheery quilt of soft cotton squares full of bright patches of polka dots and gingham.
this thought came to me from this recent post (and this one) over at posie gets cozy. this woman is a constant inspiration to me. her pictures – always beautiful. her home – amazingly sweet. her talent – jaw dropping. and her life – inspired. i actually entered the blog world by reading an article about her in Hallmark magazine a couple years ago. in fact, i think i still have the article.
anyway, the idea of this summer quilt got me thinking.instead of giving my mom that task of making it herself, maybe i could learn to do it. or we could do it together. (shh, don’t say anything because i haven’t ran this by her yet.)
then, i was thinking even more (this is where the trouble begins), about how amazing it would be to have your help. That’s right, your help.
so, here’s my thought (crazy as it may seem). what i’m asking (very kindly with lots of pleases and thank yous), is that you, my lovely readers, mail me a square of fabric. something you have laying around, an extra piece from a past project perhaps? then, once i have enough squares, i will make my first quilt from these squares … inspired by you … inspired by charm. what do you think?
i honestly hate asking for help and feel some-what guilty asking you to send me something, but i’m going to put my hand, and heart, out there and hope for the best. if it doesn’t work… or only works a little … maybe i can quilt a napkin or something.
so, here are the details and rundown on how things are going to work…
i’m making a quilt similiar to this. all squares. i don’t know exactly what size my squares will be yet (i’m thinking 4.5×4.5), so i’m requesting pieces of material that are a 6×6 square (it can be bigger too…maybe i can even use it to make two squares!).
this will be a summer quilt, so basic quilters cotton is the desired material. easy breezey. no silks, flannels, etc. i’m looking for cheery, bright, fun colors. Lime green, oranges, pinks, yellows, aquas, etc. in patterns of polka dots, florals, ginghams, plaids, etc.
all squares can be mailed to the address below. i’m assuming that you can just put your square in a regular envelope with one stamp.
if your fabric has a story, feel free to include that too. if you are crafty and want to personalize your square – you can do that too!
so … what do you get in return?
i will post my progress here at inspiredbycharm. photos of fabric squares recieved … stories recieved … i’ll be sure to mention your blog if you’d like … photos of my progess, lessons learned, tips, etc.
when it’s all finished (which may take me some time as this is my first quilt), i will display the quilt somewhere at the b&b or gift shoppe and, of course, share its story.
i also promise i will figure out a way to thank each and every one of you for your contribution. i thought about getting mugs made with a photo of the quilt. or greeting cards. aomething like that. and i will mail it to you … cross my heart.
does that sound okay? will you help?
all fabric can be mailed to:
Old Charm
Attn: A Quilt {inspired by charm}
444 Brusselles Street
Saint Marys, PA 15857
please included a return address (if you like) so that i can thank you when the project is complete. aAlso any other information you’d like to share… blog address, story, etc.
you are welcome to mail as many squares as you’d like. when i have received enough squares to make a quilt, i will let you know.
i have also created a button for your site. i would greatly appreciate any mention of this project on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc. (even if it’s just a teeny tiny blurb). anything and everything is appreciated. please link it to this site or this post.
i can’t thank you enough for all your help in advance – both for your squares and for spreading the word! i’m so excited to share this adventure for you as it’s stitched together.
Hi again Michael,
I just went to the Tallgrass site and left Heather a message [and] will visit her site regularly.Thanks for posting the info about it!
I am sending out fabric today for the quilt they are making for the children.
Marsha from Eau Claire, PA
Hi Michael,
First, what do you mean by posting a ‘button’ on our FB page? [Still learning here after all these years! LOL].
Second, yesterday I mailed out a packet of two fabric swatches ‘bundles’ [each separately pinned together] listing on them why they are special fabrics.
Be sure to post your finished quilt photos!! :0)
Marsha from Eau Claire, PA
Just sent out 2 squares. I love making quilts—but I usually stick to throw size or baby size.. Good luck with it!! Patience is key!(which is why I make them far apart)
What a great idea. After the quilt is together and you don’t want to quilt by hand, let me know. I can take you to my mom’s who has a quilt machine. (She lives in St. Marys.) I will also look to see what extra fabric she may have and drop it off at the inn if that is ok. Best of luck!
I saw this on Kim @Newlywoodwards blog…. what a great idea! I’m going to dig around my scraps and see what I have that I can send you!! I have a lot of love for quilts and I can’t wait to see how your first quilt turns out!! 🙂