Quilt Love for Washington, IL.

Hi Lovelies. Some of you may know that I live in the midwest, and recently, over 80 tornadoes hit the area. I'm okay, and my family is okay. Our house suffered no damage. In fact, the storm system that caused the tornadoes slid right past us, leaving us with rain, severe winds, and loss of power in some areas, but my community is fortunate to have our homes and our lives. (Thank God.)

I know that the holidays are a really busy time when it comes to sewing, preparation, Thanksgiving meals, and everything else that is on our plates, but every time I see footage of the shoot, I'm devastated by the fact that 1) these people's lives will never be the same again, and 2) their holidays definitely won't look the way they'd expected.

This morning, Faith of Fresh Lemons Quilts posted about a way to help that she heard about from Quilt Crazie. There is a local quilt shop in Washington, IL called Peddler's Way that will be taking quilt, pillowcase, and finished pillow donations. They've also included a list of other donations that would be helpful. (I started crying when I saw underwear and socks, I can't even IMAGINE not having those.)

I'm not sure I can put together an entire quilt from scratch, and at first I figured I would just make a couple of pillowcases, but *then* I had this thought that if I made a few blocks, and a handful of you all sent me a block or two, I could get a top pieced and a quilt put together quickly. I'd put a label on the back including everyone's names and where they're from so that the recipient knows that people are thinking about them from all over. Would y'all let me know in the comments if you're interested in sending a block or two my way? Be sure to leave your email address if you're a no-reply blogger. I would like them ideally by December 9th, with the hope that I can get the top pieced and in the mail by the following Monday. (Ambitious? Yes. But this cause is kind of worth it.) As for block details, I'm leaning towards a churn dash because who doesn't love a churn dash? If I can get 16 blocks, we'll do a 15" version. If I can get 25 blocks, we'll do a 12" version. I'd like a finished quilt of 60" x 60". (Or dare I say, even bigger than that? Or enough blocks for two? EEP! I'm getting ahead of myself.)

If you know of anyone else who might like to jump on board, please pass on the information from Quilt Crazie. You all are fabulous, and I'm so grateful to be a part of such a giving online community. Oh! And thank you!