A Quilt for Japan....

    Our guild is promoting the Quilt for Japan project being sponsored by Quilter's Newsletter.  They have arranged for shipping of any quilt sent to them by April 31st.

     Here is a link to a request for baby quilts..... http://www.electricquilt.com/Users/News/current.asp
and here is the link to the Quilter's newsletter blog....  http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/blogs/insideqn/2011/03/18/call-for-quilts-for-japan/

     Since I don't have to pay for any shipping at all if I can get a quilt to our chairperson by the 20th of April.... I decided I could help out.

     A couple of years ago, in an effort to move some fabric along from my stash,  I cut some "kits" for charity type quilts.... a couple of baby quilts... and some large lap sizes.  These were EZ patterns... a few "yellow brick roads".... and some "one block wonders"...

     Having these pre-cut kits means that if I'm heading out to a sewing day,  or need a quick project,  the cutting and planning part are already done.  I can grab a packet and go!  Plus, the patterns don't require a lot of fussy piecing.  Both patterns are great for beginners,  because the individual block components never have to meet another seam.  Once all the blocks are squared to the same size, they hide a lot of errors.

     So,  back to my quilt for Japan.   I had a kit for a baby/toddler quilt still in the drawer.  So last night after the dinner dishes were done,  I started piecing.   This is what I came up with in just a couple hours of piecing.  

     This  cute little purple with yellow duck print has been hanging around at my house since my 15 year old granddaughter was a baby.     I cut out a sundress and bonnet, and never got it made before she outgrew the pattern I had cut out .... so I re-purposed the fabric into 2.5 x 4.5 rectangles.  This is the "one block wonder" pattern.   I've also made larger blocks with 3.5 x 6.5 rectangles.   Oh, and the yellow pin- dot fabric?  I can't remember when I purchased that, but it is probably the same vintage as the ducks. 

     So, today I need to go buy some  cuddly flannel backing.  JoAnn's has their flannel on sale for 60% off.      Since I have another identical kit in my drawer,  I'll go ahead and buy enough backing for both.   Who knows... maybe I'll get both finished before the April 20th deadline????  

     I plan on doing a very simple machine quilting design.... nothing too fussy.   And a label is definite must!