Comforting Quilters

2011-09-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I've "pinned" myself to pinterest.com, and I must say there are some very interesting things there! People can be so creative!

Here's one I REALLY like:

Source: youaremyfave.com via Julie on Pinterest

Silent Auction!

2011-09-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Remember to get your bid in now for these quilts! No need to be present if you win! Thiese are one a kind quilts that you will not find in any store!

We now have two beautiful quilts up for Silent Auction. Don't miss your chance to bid on these one-of-a kind quilts. The UGA Quilt is currently sitting at $30 and the Golf Quilt is sitting at $25.

Visit our blog and click on the Silent Auction tab for view a slideshow of each one of these beautiful quilts. The floral quilt will be complete soon and we'll post it as soon as we sew the last stitch!

Bidding has Started!

2011-09-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

The bidding has begun and we have received a bid of $30 on the UGA Quilt. If you would like to bid, you now must bid $35.

Happy Bidding!

Comforting Quilters Silent Auction!

2011-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, it is time to raise a few funds to help cover costs of fabric, batting, rotary cutting blades and other items. This year, along with our annual signature Christmas Tree ornament, we will be conducting a Silent Auction for three quilts. The auction will start upon the first bid and will continue through October 22, 2011 at 3 PM at the Battle of Byron Chili Fest. The bidding will start at $25.00 and can be raised in $5.00 increments. Please place your bid by emailing Comforting Quilters at comfortingquilters@gmail.com with your name, amount of your bid and phone number. We will contact you when you have been outbid via email or phone whichever you prefer.

Be sure not to miss with this One of a Kind Golf quilt created with vintage golf fabric for that golf enthusiast with an estimated value of $125!

With that said, please welcome the first of three quilts to be auctioned! You will be able to view all three quilts on the CQ Silent Auction tab as they become available!

Comforting Quilters Silent Auction!

2011-09-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Once again, it is time to raise a few funds to help cover costs of fabric, batting, rotary cutting blades and other items. This year, along with our annual signature Christmas Tree ornament, we will be conducting a Silent Auction for three quilts. The auction will start upon the first bid and will continue through October 22, 2011 at 3 PM at the Battle of Byron Chili Fest. The bidding will start at $25.00 and can be raised in $5.00 increments. Please place your bid by emailing Comforting Quilters at comfortingquilters@gmail.com with your name, amount of your bid and phone number. We will contact you when you have been outbid via email or phone whichever you prefer.

Be sure not to miss with this One of a Kind quilt honoring Georgia's own UGA Bulldogs. Perfect for the football season with an estimated value of $125!

With that said, please welcome the first of three quilts to be auctioned! You will be able to view all three quilts on the CQ Silent Auction tab as they become available!

We're Roaring!!

2011-08-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well, much has occurred since last we met. Karla has learned to cut, Lindsey has learned to cut and sew and Comforting Quilters purchased it's first asset. We are now the proud owners of our own sewing machine!

We have made several deliveries this month. A dear Uncle in ICU, a woman suffering with pancreatic cancer, a mother who lost her son in a car accident, and a family who's children survived the same accident. We also delivered a wonderful patriotic quilt to Judy Sellier, the widow of our beloved Tony is passed a few months back.

Be sure to come visit us this month as you never know what we'll be up to next!

Big thank you's go out to all who have put their heart and soul into making these quilts truly a message of comfort. Our goal is being met with Love in Each Stitch!

See you in August!

We've been Busy!!

2011-07-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of my bloggers! We have been incognito the past few months as the demand for our quilts has spanned three States. This month we have 5 Quilts that need completion, so any of you quilters out there who would like to share in our comforting group of gals is welcome!

We meet the third Saturday of each month from 9 - 3 at my house. Please email us at comfortingquilters@gmail.com for directions.

This coming Friday, is Girl's Night Out! Join us the 15th of July as we celebrate the joy we have brought to so many this past year. We will be meeting at my place where you can drop of you goodies, and then we'll be off to Passions Nails for Mani/Pedi's. When we finish up with the girly stuff, we'll head back to my place for snacks and "Steel Magnolias".

Hope to see some new faces!

10 Bad Skin Habits that can Damage Skin

2011-05-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

10 Bad Skin Habits that can Damage Skin: "Every person wants to have beautiful and glowing skin. They must be spending too much money and time on it. In order to have a smooth skin people are required to take care of the skin or otherwise they will have to say goodbye to their beautiful skin. Here are few skin bad habits that [...]"

The ABC's of Fertilizing Containers

2011-05-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

The ABC's of Fertilizing Containers: "

A continuous supply of nutrients and fertilizer is an absolute for lush container bouquets and productive edibles, I learned the hard way as a novice gardener.

My containers filled with petunias, salvia, lettuces and tomatoes looked awful, especially when compared to those I planted in the ground later. I was starving the container plants, because I didn’t replace nutrients that were leached out of the potting mix every time I watered.

Now I use this three-step fertilizer program, and my container gardens flourish.

A. Incorporate timed or slow-release fertilizer into potting mix when filling containers. (If the potting mix contains fertilizer, skip this step.) Fertilizer pellets are coated with a polymer that let them dissolve at varied rates; the thicker the coating, the long it takes for the fertilizer in pellets to be released into the potting mix. Most brands feed plants for at least 60 days, and some supply a steady stream of nutrients for up to 120 days. Check the label on any product you buy for this information.

Slow-release food is also available in organic form. Fish meal pellets are formulated similarly to synthetic fertilizers. Cotton seed meal, feather meal and alfalfa pellets are other slow-release organic choices. All feed plants for about 60 days. The alfalfa also contains a hormone, triacontanol, which promotes plant growth.

B. Apply water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks to supplement the slow-release fertilizer. Water-soluble ones deliver nutrients directly to plant roots and are easy to apply. Just dissolve them in water and pour the liquid into the container for a nutritional boost. Follow package directions for dilution rates and the amount of fertilizer to use on each container.

Organic choices such as fish meal emulsion and liquid kelp work well, too. In fact, some plants like ferns and lettuce respond better to organic products than to synthetic fertilizers.

C. If plants need a quick pick-me-up due to stress or heavy production of flowers or fruit, feed plant leaves directly. Deadhead old blooms, cut back damaged foliage and then spray water-soluble fertilizer on leaf tops and undersides. The spray delivers nutrients directly to where photosynthesis takes place. Results are dramatic—you’ll see growth or renewal almost overnight.

Use any spray bottle or garden sprayer and follow dilution rates given on the fertilizer package. A word of caution about foliar feeding. Don’t do it when temperatures are above 90ºF or when the sun is beating of plants directly. The fertilizer will burn leaves. The best time to foliar feed is in the morning or early evening.

Plant critter-proof plants and flowers!

2011-05-19T08:37:00.001-07:00

Plant critter-proof plants and flowers!: "

For the last ten days, spring has played tag with winter here, and it’s snowed four times, between 70-degree days. Yet, garden centers are brimming with bedding plants, and the calendar says I should be planting. Hopefully, next week I can load up the cart at the nursery and get into the garden. Meanwhile, I’m evaluating the plants available and drawing a planting map.

I have critter problems. Deer, rabbits, chipmunks and wild turkeys roam free, as I’m out in the country. They do damage to everything green. The trick is finding plants they avoid. I like flowers that I don’t have to deadhead, too. A confession: I’m really a lazy gardener!

Below is my list of perennials and annuals that solve my problems—ones that I hope to be planting in a week or two.

Critter-Proof Plants List

Most munchers usually avoid plants with thorny or fuzzy foliage and those with strong aromas like lavender. To save your most valued flowers, situate them in the center of beds closest to the house or against the house. Why? Deer and rabbits nibble on the outside edges of plantings furthest away from buildings.

Rabbits avoid calendulas, chrysanthemums, columbines, four o’clocks, foxglove, gladiolas, hollyhocks, impatiens, iris, larkspur, morning glories, nicotiana, snapdragons, sweet peas and verbena.

Deer steer clear of ageratum, begonias, chrysanthemums, columbines, coreopsis, cosmos, foxglove, iris, lavender, monarda, purple coneflower, rudbeckia, salvia, Shasta daisies, verbena, vinca, yarrow, zinnias.

Surround your favorite blooms with ones deer and rabbits hate to protect them. Photo courtesy of the National Garden Bureau.

No or Low Maintenance Plants

Begonia, ageratum, lobelia, coleus and alyssum need no deadheading. Neither do Flower Carpet and Knock-Out roses.

"Pow Wow" echinacea or coneflower is a tough, reliable bloomer in almost every climate. Photo courtesty of Ball Seed Co.

Plants That Grow in Any Climate

Cleome, impatiens, petunias, marigolds and zinnias are annuals that perform well everywhere. Perennials that are guaranteed to bloom all over the country include ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum, coneflowers, coreopsis, rudbeckia and yarrow.

Two of my favorite flowers also grow everywhere and are tough. ‘Silver Tidal Wave’ petunia is one of the first in the Tidal Waves series. Its lavender-white flowers deadhead themselves, they need no pinching to grow lushly and the plants spread or more. Stems grow a couple of inches each day, creating three-foot-tall hedges ablaze with blooms.

My favorite perennial is ‘Mardi Gras’ helenium, a plant-and-forget perennial covered with orange flowers from July until frost. Hummingbirds, butterflies and yellow finch love this punch of powerful color.

I’m on my way to my favorite garden center to buy. Tell me what you are planting this spring.

Seven savvy ways to get the most out of container gardens

2011-05-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Seven savvy ways to get the most out of container gardens: "

Did you get a container garden or potted plants for Mother’s Day? I did. The hydrangea my son gave me needs repotting.

It’s way too big for the tiny 6-inch pot and not hardy enough to survive in the ground in my Zone 4b climate. But, it will be a gorgeous anchor for a large container, under-planted with trailing purple verbena.

Enhance the entry to your home and welcome visitors with a collection of containers.

Garden centers are full of annuals and tropicals this time of year, perfect for creating stunning containers. However, little things can doom them, but attention to details will guarantee perfection. From a red-leafed banana paired with chartreuse helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’ in a tub to hanging baskets full of ‘Snow Princess’ alyssum and red begonias, all container plants benefit from the tips below.

Grouping containers filled with similar colors adds impact to your display. Bring in the banana container before the first freeze and put it in a sunny window for Winter.

Smart Container Garden Tips

1. Clean old containers thoroughly before using them for a second season. Add bleach to the wash water and use a scrub bush to get into cracks and crannies. A clean pot won’t transmit diseases to new plants.

2. Lighten the load by filling the bottom quarter of huge pots with recycled foam peanuts that come in shipping cartons. Then fill with potting mix. The peanuts create big air pockets and increase drainage, both things that encourage strong root development.

3. Mulch container surfaces to prevent soil compaction or root damage. Heavy rains and high-pressure hose blasts can dislodge potting mix and damage roots or pound the surface creating a hard crust through which water has a difficult time penetrating. Sphagnum moss, aquarium gravel, pebbles and shredded cedar bark are all attractive barriers that thwart these problems. Cedar bark has an added advantage. It contains a resin, which gives it a pleasant aroma that repels many insects. So does cocoa bean mulch.

4. Pinch annuals when you plant to force branching. Impatiens and begonias especially benefit from an early pinch. Plants grow bushier and produce more flowers of better quality. Pinch again about six weeks later, after the first heavy flush of blooms is spent for another spectacular show.

5. Deadhead old flowers to promote new flower formation and to prevent seeds from forming which stops the bloom cycle. Geraniums (Pelargonium), dahlias, nicotiana, verbena and osteospermum, particularly, need deadheading.

6. Be a neat housekeeper and remove plant debris from containers. If left, decaying leaves and blooms often foster diseases and invite insects.

7. Keep trailing and climbing plants in check by occasionally trimming them. Otherwise ramblers like dichondra, ivy, helichrysum petiolare and even petunias will climb over and smother their neighbors.

Comforting Quilters Meet Again!

2011-05-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

It seems like we were together just a few weeks ago! Which we were due to the rescheduling of our normal gathering.

We are back on track, however and I hope to see as many of you as we can. We have several quilts needing to be completed and we NEED YOUR HELP!

Stop by Julie Love's House from 9 AM to 3 PM. Bring your machine if you have one and let's have another great day of quilting!

See you all Saturday morning!

87-year-old makes hundreds of quilts for charity - Local & State - Macon.com

2011-05-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

87-year-old makes hundreds of quilts for charity - Local & State - Macon.com

2011-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

CQ Quilting. What a Team!

What a great day for Comforting Quilters! Thanks to everyone who attended. We made some real progress on our new technique "Quilt as You Go" . The excitement on the ease of creating these beautiful quilts, and the camaraderie of preparing them made for a fabulous day. It went by too fast!

We missed several of our regulars this month. Kathy G, Barbara D and Para V, we missed you and hope to see you next month. In addition, we have a new member Kathy P. Welcome to our group! We hope you enjoy creating a little Love as much as we do!

Next meeting will be on February 18th, so be sure to mark our calendars!

CQ Meeting!

2011-01-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are behind us and hopefully everyone has tucked Christmas away and placed their houses back in order. What a wonderful Season it was and Happy New Year to you all!

Our inventory of quilts was severely depleted in Christmas, and we need to get cracking on quilts!

We will be meeting at my house this month to quilt so mark your calendars for:

January 15, 2011

9 AM to 3 PM

200 E Heritage Blvd

You need to bring what sewing supplies you have and get ready to put some lap quilts together by day's end. Bring a couple of bucks for lunch as well!

Following our scheduled sewing time, we will be going on a field trip as well! Join us afterward for a trip to a local Byron woman who will be demonstrating her longarm quilting machine. This promises to be a wonderful experience for everyone.

Please let me know if you plan on attending either of these events as a head count is helpful in organizing the work.

Call me at 478.978.0842 or email comfortingquilters@gmail.com to confirm!

See you all there!

Here Comes the "Snow"! Ha!

2011-01-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

Paypal!

2010-11-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

The Donation button on our blog is now set up and ready! We currently accept credit card donations through PayPal.

If you would like to purchase a Cardinal Ornament, please select the Donate button and send a $5 donation to us. We will receive your email and contact you for delivery.

If you would like to place an order for a quilt, please contact us immediately to discuss your request by selecting the contact us button!

The Holidays are almost upon us, and Comforting Quilters would like to thank all of those who have graciously given of their time to provide a quilt of comfort for those in need. This truly is a labor of love.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and may you find yourselves with many thankful memories!

Blessings

Gingerbread House Market

2010-10-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Comforting Quilters is preparing the fundraiser for the Gingerbread House to be held on November 27, 2010. It was decided to create a signature ornament to sell at our table. This promises to be a fun and enjoyable day of crafting, conversation and fellowship while creating our ornament.

Be sure to join us on November 20, 2010 at Julie Love's home. We will be there from 9 AM to 3 PM. The coffee pot and muffins will be out!

We need supplies to keep our expense down. If you have any of these items, please call or email Comforting Quilters and let us know. If you are unable to make it that day, but still want to donate supplies, we will be glad to pick it up before hand.

List of Needs:

Red Felt
White Felt
Tracing Paper
Red Thread
Sharp Embroidery Scissors that cut to a point
Pinking Shears
Red or White Braid (this will be use for the ornament loop)
Dark Burgundy Fabric
Red or Ivory Embossed Paper
Double Stick Fusible Web
Small Black beads for our Cardinal's eyes
Glue Guns
Hotmelt Adhesive

Vintage Quilt Show

2010-10-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

At the Battle of Byron last Spring, 2009, Comforting Quilters sponsored a Vintage Quilt Show in the museum section of the Byron Depot. These quilts were so beautiful and carry a great deal of history for many families here in Georgia.

Do you see a family quilt? Leave me a comment and let me know! I'll mark the quilt with your name.

Enjoy the show!

The Winners Have Been Announced!

2010-10-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Comforting Quilters recently submitted a photo of the Raffle Quilt to The Pocket Testament League for the new cover of their pocket bibles. While we did not place among the top twenty finalists, they have posted all of the entries and their stories on their Website.

Take a moment and view all 130 entries, and have fun viewing our submission as well! CQ's entry is number 41.

Have a Great Day and Thanks to Para Vinson for the photo! It's absolutely stunning!

Don't forget that we will be at the Byron Chili Fest this Saturday, October 23, 2010 selling our Raffle Tickets for this quilt!

Stop by our booth, buy a ticket and watch us quilt!

Tickets are on sale now!

$1.00 Each
$5.00 for Six
$10.00 for Twelve

Email us to order your tickets now!

comfortingquilters@gmail.com

Comforting Quilters is Saturday!

2010-10-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Come Learn a New Technique!

September has flown by too fast! I took a great trip to visit my Dad for his 80th Birthday the first of the month, and the remaining 15 days or so have simply breezed on through!

Mike and I spent the day at the Georgia National Fair this past Sunday. What a great day of fun and excitement. I actually had my first funnel cake and it tasted pretty good! Of course, my favorite adventure is browsing the art, photography, and quilts! What beautiful works of art! If you get the chance, you simply must put in at least an hour to do nothing to gaze to the heavens and see what creative minds these women have. Truly an inspiration!

While visiting a booth sponsored by a quilt guild in Perry, I learned a new technique for making quilts. It is the most excited I have been in a very long time, and realized that this was the ticket for comfort quilts.

This weekend, I will be showing you all how to make these fabulous, beautiful and quick quilts that pull the art of quilting together for all to enjoy!

Be sure not miss this! It will be a great day of sewing quilts for everyone!

Remember, we will not be meeting Friday night. Our scheduled business meeting will be at 9:00 AM Saturday morning, October 16th at the Byron Depot. We'll have the coffee on and provide a breakfast snack, so come prepared to learn, cut, sew and quilt!

Again, it is always nice to know who will be in attendance. Please take a moment and let me know if you will be there so we can plan our day!

Blessings,

Julie
Comforting Quilters

Tagging Bears in Canada

2010-10-04T18:29:00.001-07:00

This film was too cute and funny not to post. What a comfort!

The Pocket Testament League Submission

2010-09-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks goes out to our own Para Vinson for her stunning photo of our Raffle Quilt! The photo has been submitted to the The Pocket Testament League's Contest for their new cover's on their bibles. Please visit their website and make a donation or a sponsor a group needing bibles. Comforting Quilters has received sponsors from this group in order to provide the Book of John with our quilts.

The God of all Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (New International Version)

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

In February 2010, a prayer was answered with the establishment of Comforting Quilters in Byron, GA.

What a comfort to me, to have been given the opportunity to give to those in need, while at the same time, feed my love of quilting. It is through this medium, that the Lord has nourished and comforted my soul with His Spirit of giving.

One early Saturday morning, a few gracious women gathered at a dining room table for brunch to discuss the goals and dreams of a group that would sew quilts to comfort those needing a hug, something to keep them warm when life seems cold and daunting or something soft to cry a tear of joy.

Comforting Quilters was born that morning, with great expectations, fantastic dreams and not a penny to our name. A fundraiser was needed right away! What better way to raise capital than to have a Quilt Raffle. Unsure of how we would accomplish the task of a raffle, how we would sell tickets or even when we would meet again, each woman ventured out to contemplate the morning’s events.

God works in mysterious ways, for soon we were asked to provide a General Store at the Byron Depot for the Battle of Byron in May. We only had 6 weeks to pull this group together, create a quilt and build a General Store!

After many late nights stitching the quilt top and a flurry of activity building store props, gathering antiques, ordering penny candy and designing our store, the Lord provided us with another blessing that we had yet to see.

It was during our planning meeting one evening that the yet unfinished quilt top was brought to show the group the progress. The quilt was taken outside to hold up and view. Para Vinson pulled out her camera phone to snap a photo or two and everyone was mesmerized by what they witnessed.

There on the deck of the Byron Depot, with the sun just beginning to set, the quilt top was displayed with the sun coming through the top. Our quilt, that we had meticulously stitched shown with the Love of Christ by displaying a beautiful stain-glassed window effect and the cross shining through! It was at that moment, we realized that indeed, the Spirit of the Lord was working through our quilts to provide comfort to those in need.

This picture has made the rounds to family and friends around the country having an effect of awe and wonder at the might and glory that only He can provide.

Sewing Class!

2010-08-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

Comforting Quilters had a great time with the kids on July 31st at the Byron Depot. Each child brought four bandanas and made the cutest bags! In addition, all 13 raised their hands to do this again. By the end of the session, they were all sewing comfortably with the machine and ready to rock! Great day and fun times!

Quilting History

2010-08-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

More History for your to enjoy:

Georgia Encylopedia

The Nineteenth Century

During the first half of the nineteenth century, distinctly American styles of patchwork quilts developed in the Delaware Valley. Combining British needlework techniques with German decorative traditions, these quilts featured bold geometric designs in contrasting colors. Quilt makers typically constructed their quilts with repeating blocks rather than in the older framed-center style. The new styles entered Georgia through coastal cities and inland routes into the backcountry, largely replacing older styles by about 1850.

Bible Quilt

Harriet Powers finished her Bible Quilt around 1886 in Athens.

The third panel in the second row depicts the story of Jacob's dream,

when "he lay on the ground."

Enslaved blacks identified with Jacob,

for he was homeless, hunted, and

weary of his journey.

Courtesy of National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

African Americans, both enslaved and free, made quilts. Slave owners
typically either supplied families

with purchased blankets or directed the production of thick whole-cloth comforters on the plantation. Some skillful seamstresses made fine quilts for their owners or clients, while others acquired fabrics to make quilts for their own use. Although most surviving nineteenth-century quilts made by African Americans resemble those made by European Americans, there is some evidence of the survival of African design elements. Harriet Powers of Athens, the most famous African American quilt maker of the nineteenth century, made quilts depicting historical events and Bible stories. Her pictorial motifs resemble West African ceremonial textiles.

The Civil War (1861-65) and Reconstruction affected all aspects of everyday life, including quilt making. The families of Confederate soldiers were required to supply their clothing and bedding. Many women returned to spinning and weaving when manufactured fabrics became unavailable. Shortages of sewing-machine needles, manufactured thread, cards, and other textile tools limited production. When Northern armies invaded, some families hid fine quilts and other valuables to save them from theft or destruction.

Ladies Aid Society, 1904

Members of the Ladies Aid Society

of Marietta at a First Baptist Church quilting in 1904.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection

During the mid-nineteenth century, New England textile mills produced affordable fabrics, replacing imports for everyday clothing and household needs. As the southern economy improved after the war, quilt making became popular among middle-class women. Sewing machines enabled women to make family clothing more quickly, allowing more time for decorative sewing, including quilt making. Georgia quilts made in the second half of the nineteenth century display a wide variety of techniques, patterns, and color combinations.

"Whig's Defeat"

This pieced and appliqued quilt, entitled "Whig's Defeat,"

was made in 1856 by Susan Lloyd, a resident of Rome.

Courtesy of John Burrison

Between 1880 and 1900 Georgia quilt makers took part in a popular internat
ional phenomenon of making what are known as crazy quilts. Women assembled irregularly shaped pieces of satin and velvet into random arrangements, then embellished them with embroidery. Too fragile for actual use as bedcovers, crazy quilts reflected the ornate decorative styles of the late Victorian era.

Popular periodicals, which circulated widely throughout the country in the 1890s, published quilt-pattern diagrams. As a result, regional patterns became distributed nationally, many new patterns emerged, and some old patterns were given names for the first time. The development of textile mills in southern states near the end of the century made fabric less expensive, and even poor families could afford fabric for quilts.