What's on the line?

This weekend my grandson has been here visiting. We have been very busy and I knew that would be the case so I took these photos last Monday. This may look like just a totebag hanging on my clothesline..........
but it's a totebag that holds this quilt that I made and sent off to "Quilts*for*Kids" last Tuesday.

I loved the bright fabrics that were provided in the kit that I received. It went together very quickly! Believe it or not, this is only the second quilt of this size that I have ever quilted on my sewing machine. I tend to make smaller projects and the few larger quilts that I have made have either been tied or machine quilted by friends who have longarm quilting businesses. My walking foot wasn't walking right (still "clomping" after that project I did at Christmas), so I just pinned carefully and did a wavy stitch across the blocks and it worked! I had quite a few scraps left and I thought it would be fun to make a bag for the quilt. I love to just take scraps/fabric bits and see what I can make. :-) It was necessary to go to my stash for fabric to line the inside of the bag but I found a black and white polka dot that I found was close enough to call it a "match". There are two pockets inside the bag. I was going to take a photo of the inside and forgot. Typical of me. :-) I even made a little covered notebook and with the last teeny scraps I made a patchwork decoration for a matching pencil. :-)

Each side of the bag is slightly different.

The final detail was naming the quilt and adding the label.........

I called the quilt "Jungle Dreams" and in the note I sent along I said that was because "so many kids dream of a visit to the jungle, or to the next best thing.....the Zoo!......and I hope some child enjoys the quilt and bag. " And for an extra touch, I tucked in a storybook. :-)

With the quilt in the bag, I took it off to the post office last Tuesday to mail and forgot all about it. My mind was on Jacob's upcoming visit! On Friday morning, the phone rang and I did not recognize the name or number. When I answered I was surprised to find the caller was Linda, the founder of "Quilts*for*Kids" . She had received the package with the bag and quilt and she was very excited. She loved the quilt and the bag and the notebook and the pencil! She said it made her smile big and she knew that it will do the same for some child. I know it will, too. When my son was just seven, he was hospitalized twice in one year and the littlest things can make a child smile during tough times. I know. Been there, seen that. :-)

Linda and I had a nice chat and one of the things she mentioned was a need for "Fairy Princess" quilts. She said it seems almost every little girl wants a Fairy Princess quilt. So, if you have some fabrics on hand that would make a good "Fairy Princess" quilt, go to the "Quilts*for*Kids" website and you can get a free pattern so you can make one that will provide sweet dreams for some special little girl. Linda also shared a bit of news and told me that I can share with all of you......there is new fabric coming out for the "Quilts*for*Kids" projects............. "Animal Party Too" by Robert Kaufman will be available soon. If you want more info on this project, please click on the links I've provided. I know that many of my blogging friends have made one or more quilts for this project and congrats to you if you are one of them. I'm planning to make another one and, of course, it will be a "Fairy Princess" quilt!

Have a great Monday! It's a busy one for me. Grandson Jacob will be going home today and then I'll come back and take a nap. LOL! Tomorrow, I'll share some of what we did while he was here visiting. See you then.....

Sandi