Sue's cards and Poem

Sue H isn't a sewer but is a competent crafter and she wanted to play a part in the LillyBo Quilt project. Here's what she so kindly made.......

these beautiful cards look just like patchwork and will be inside every quilt package when they are given to the children.... 

Along with this lovely little poem Sue found (copyright free) on the net.

Little scraps of fabric sewn together in a quilt

Make a warm and loving blanket

From which memories are built

And when you seek some comfort

In the quiet of the night

Your quilt will keep you warm and snug

Until the morning light

They will also have an insert telling all about the
 inspiration
 behind making LillyBo quilts.

Thanks so much Sue for all your time
 and creativity and for being so thoughtful. 
What a wonderful extra touch!

*********
If you have visited this blog and can sew,
 even quite simply, why not consider 
joining in and making 
a little quilt to donate. Take a look at the 
first posts to find out more.

Message from Luenetraum

                              

I thought you'd like to see the quilt made by Monika in Germany 

of Luenetraum blog which she so kindly gave to my grandee last year.

This was the inspiration for me to start LillyBo Quilts.

I contacted Monika to tell her all about LillyBo Quilts and here is the message she kindly sent in return, followed by the translation (courtesy of my family).

Es ist schön, wenn meine Aktion zur Nachahmung anregt.
Es macht sehr viel Freude, Kinderquilts zu nähen und an die besonderen oder kranken Kinder zu verschenken.
Ich wünsche Dir viel Erfolg und Freude mit Deinem Projekt LillyBo, herzliche Grüße.

lt's wonderful that my campaign has inspired you to do the same.

It is such a joy to sew these quilts and donate them to children with special needs or sick children.

I wish you much success and joy with your LillyBo project.

and here's our little fraulein making good use of her special Luenetraum quilt

Fanfare for the First LillyBo Quilt!

Fanfare for Annette who is the first person to complete a LillyBo Quilt and it will be in the post to reach it's new owner very soon. 

Amazingly, Annette made her quilt whilst home in Scotland, after living in Canada, and is packing to move to Australia, yet she still found time to sew this fabulous quilt towards our new project.

Thanks so much to you Annette....

Here's Annette's blog link.

She's never made one before and never even made a bag before, yet now.. first we have not only a super bag....

 ideal to store and carry the quilt and turn it into a cushion....

but there is also a cute little extra from Annette... a dolly in the pocket!!

 Annette's quilt is really creative with soft cuddly fuzzy frayed edges...

 It will be really cuddly and cosy

What a treasure this will be for a little one!

 The only part that daunted her was the idea of making a label and a couple of other people have asked for info about this so here's my solution....

  

First I tried dimensional fabric paint (bottom of pic) which is successful and looks better than an ordinary permanent marker. Then I remembered that my large 2nd computerised sewing machine embroiders, so I did the other label (top of pic) on that. I haven't used the embroidery function on that machine for years so I will play around with the choice of lettering, size etc., and perfect it.

The main thing...here's the deal, anyone who is sending a quilt to me, just let me know when it's ready and I will embroider the label and attach it to the quilt for you when it arrives.

 Here's a sneak peek at my first quilt, which is almost finished... just have to stitch in the soft fleece backing and finish off a few loose ends.

Coming up soon....

I've been up to Alder Hey Hospital to meet with Eddie of CHICs and I'll post a message from him in my next post.

I've also had a message from the lady in Germany who made my grandee's quilt and inspired me to start LillyBo Quilts Project. My family has translated her lovely message for you to share. 

SueH doesn't sew but she is so thoughtful and has already created some special little handmade cards to give with the quilts. A real treat to see...soon!

Keep stitching everyone and if you've not joined in yet... why not give it a go?

A Dream of an Idea

Welcome to the very first post for the LillyBo Quilts Project!

I had an idea, a little idea and that little idea has blossomed.

Let me briefly tell you the story.....
 a couple of years ago, Christmas was cancelled in our family as one of my little grandees, who should have come to stay for the holiday, instead spent Christmas in hospital. One trauma led to another and eventually she was diagnosed with leukaemia and has spent the last two difficult years on her journey back to health.

We are so grateful that, aged almost 3 years 6 months, she has now, after two years, almost finished her treatment and I had this little idea as a way to give thanks. Whilst she was undergoing the yucky processes, chemo, etc., we were all so very touched when she was given a small patchwork quilt, made by a lady in Germany where they live. It meant so much and was really appreciated. 
It was such a wonderful gesture by the lady who makes them, along with others in a group, who all make and donate handmade comfort quilts to special, precious, children who have to undergo such harsh treatments.

www.chicsonline.org

My little idea was to be able to do the same here in England so I contacted the local branch of CHICS, who give care and support in so many ways, and they were really pleased that this could also happen here and look forward to giving quilts to suitable recipients on behalf of 

LillyBo Quilts.

I posted over on my art blog JoZart to ask if anyone would like to be a part of all this and help to make my dream a reality, by making a quilt or two (or more) and Jan in Wiltshire (LLJ)of fabric frenzy, (who was already thinking of putting her sewing skills to charitable use this year), was the first to get on board. Methinks this little idea could get bigger, as already I have had offers from 14 + people willing to make at least one quilt and sewing machines are whizzing away as I type.

If your name isn't already here and you are willing to join in just send me a comment.
Ali TBC,.... Wipso...Lisa...Twiglet.....LLJ.... Sheilagh.... Redanne....Morti.... Charlene.... Hettie.... Tuire.... Tilly.....AnnB ...Annette... ME! 
Hope I haven't missed anyone who responded!

and a good few possibles are still wondering or hoping they will be able to participate.... no pressure, but Famfa... Elizabeth..... Sylvia.... MaryAnne... Charlie's friend.... Shaz SW....have all expressed interest if they can manage it.
Some of these lovely bloggers have come via Julia's WOYWW blog, the weekly view (What's On You Work-desk Wednesday) where we put our art spaces on view to the world and Queen Julia herself will be in cahoots with LLJ to help in some way.  
Some non sewers have even kindly offered to make gift cards and tags to give along with the quilts or to help in other ways.

Thanks to you all and we look forward to seeing the results of your endeavours!
GUIDELINES

Now we need a few guidelines to get the ball rolling so, after setting up this blog with a good bit of guesswork and some help from my lovely friend Janet of fairythoughts  (huge thanks Janet), the following ideas are just that, ideas, and not set in stone so please send your own suggestions to help this all run simply, happily and successfully.
Anything that will bring joy and comfort to the children and their families will be  most welcome.

Do enjoy making the quilts and make them with love and positive thoughts for those who receive them.
We will all be part of a wonderful collaborative piece of artwork which will be documented here as it progresses.

Some offers have come from abroad and, whilst it would be lovely to give the quilts to one area, you may not want to pay postage to send them here. I therefore think that, if preferred, they could be given to a similar group in your own locality but they would still be added to this blog, with pictures and a short write up, as part of the collective effort.
There is a postal business in UK which offers cheaper rates and collects from all over the country or items can be dropped off at local shops in your area. All items are signed for. Full details here at myhermes 

Size
Quilts for children should be approximately cot size, ie., 140 cms length but can be square or oblong. I am not giving any exact measurements as you may make one a bit smaller or a bit larger depending on what fabric you already have in stock.
You could make a smaller one for a baby.
You could make a slightly larger one for an older child.

It's up to you and almost anything goes as long as it is 
suitable and safe for a child to receive! 
Fabrics
It is essential that all fabrics should be washable.
 Wadding can be added but if you do so, make it quite a thin layer so the quilts are not too bulky.
It would be nice if, instead of adding wadding, the backing was made of brushed cotton or fleece to feel cosy and soft. Otherwise use plain cotton backing. 
Design
The design can be entirely up to you. Make it simple by just sewing together squares of 6 inches or so, or make it more complex if you are a competent quilter or sewer.
Here's the link to the Luenetraum blog where it all started and there is so much inspiration there from the German group. Some quilts are very impressive and skilled but don't be daunted as you can scroll through and see how some of the basic ones are really lovely in their simplicity and choice of colours.
There is so much information for beginners out on the net and we can all help each other.
Label
There should be a fabric label sewn to the back 
with the maker's name, location, and date, 
a space for the child's name to be added
and please add "A LillyBo Quilt". 
This can be written on the label in permanent pen, fabric marker or embroidered.
I will add a picture of my label when I have it ready.
Covers
It would be a lovely extra if you can make a simple bag or square cover in which the quilt can be stored for travel and this would also make it into a useful cushion. This can just be plain but here below is a picture of mine made from one of my mistakes. I sewed one of my basic "log cabin" blocks in the wrong order so I used it to make this cover. Almost finished my first quilt too.

Here's a special message from my daughter

When we received our quilt here in Germany last year, we were really thrilled and overwhelmed to be given such a beautiful and generous gift. Illness can be so isolating, and it was encouraging to know that there were people out there, even strangers, who cared so much to offer their time and support. Blessed with the crafty mother I have, I am fully aware and appreciative of the skill and time it takes to make such a work of art. It is not just a patchwork quilt: it’s a comforter and piece of home during the long stays in hospital, it’s a blanket to cosy under on the sofa when you’re not feeling so good, it’s a pillow, a play mat, a den cover, the list goes on...

Our precious little girl is nearing the end of her two-year treatment plan. It's been a tough time, but as a family we have somehow managed to get through it still smiling. She taught us that. And it's projects like the Luenetraum one here in Germany and the (worldwide!) LillyBo quilts one that help put a smile on your face and let you know you are not alone in such times of trouble. I am so touched and grateful to all the people who are joining in and 

helping out. Thank You!!

*****************
Soon I will tell you why we chose LillyBo as the name of the project!!
and we'll have a message from Eddie of CHICS,  so keep popping in.
 I can now look forward to seeing all your creations appearing one by one.

www.chicsonline.org