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Focus your quilt giving | Win Making A World of Difference

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Book Giveaway Making a World of DifferenceEver wonder where to begin to do good stitches? You pick up a copy of Ruth McHaney Danner’s book, Making a World of Difference One Quilt at a Time. There, she shares fifty-four stories of quilters who engage in community quilt giving activities.

As promised here, I’m giving away a copy of this inspirational title to a lucky Craft Gossip reader. Here’s how to enter: Leave a comment on this post, and name one charity in your community where a quilt could comfort someone or something.

Contest ends Nov 28, 2015 at 10 PM CST.

Sorry, but this contest is open to U.S. entries only.

Good luck everyone!

{Image credit: uploaded by Editor}

Comments

  1. I like the idea of giving quilts to people in hospice. I have cancer and was given a quilt recently for my recovery from major surgery. It is such a comfort. I can only imagine what it would do for someone facing the end of their life (as well as the comfort it would give their loved ones, as mine has).

  2. I would love to win this book. I would give quilts to Seattle Children’s hospital. I have taken my own daughter there 4-5 times throughout her childhood (thankfully for non-life-threatening issues) and I can only imagine the comfort a quilt would bring to the many children there. Seattle Children’s is the premier medical center for trauma and advanced medical care for children serving a 7 state region.

  4. I worked in a pediatric ER and was fortunate enough to have donated quilts to give to children/ teens. Many came unprepared to spend the night at the hospital and it was always appreciated when I could provide a quilt to help normalize the environment and provide comfort. My goal is to build my quilting skills and donate to other pediatric hospitals. Homeless shelters are also always in need and would be a great place to donate as well!

  5. I am making a quilt for Next Move Sacramento. They have a shelter for homeless families, and also help provide housewares and bedding to those re-establishing housekeeping. Their clients can really use the quilts!

  9. I belong to a Project Linus Guild that serves our local community with mainly quilts but a few of the members crochet hats, socks and mittens also. This month our group of 20 members created 70 quilts to be shared with our community! I would love to win this book and share it with our members! Thank You for the opportunity to win this great prize and have a wonderful creative day!

  10. This looks like a great book! I enjoy making baby quilts for Birthright here in my hometown because I believe every baby deserves a quilt. When we take the quilts from our quilt guild members, the ladies at Birthright get so excited!

  11. I would love to win this book. My husband and I are starting to put together packs for foster kids – one of the components is a quilt!

  12. There is a Frederic Ozanam Transitional Shelter in my time that helps the homeless become less dependent on public assistance and become more self-sufficient and quilts would definitely be useful in our midwest winters.

  14. My niece works for a private adoption agency. Every child who is adopted out gets their own quilt. My sister has been donating to them for a few years now and since I have just begun to quilt, my first quilt went there also!

  15. The Challis Community Church/United Church of Christ could really use help creating four new quilts for the four households/people we’ve adopted for Christmas. The first household is that of a single man in his nineties who is doing great and just needs to keep warm and comfy during the winter. The second quilt will go to an older woman with cancer who needs a very washable large lap robe to help her keep warm. The third woman lives by herself in an old drafty mobile home. She needs a single bed quilt to keep her warm when she sleeps in her recliner. The last quilt is needed for a teenager and her boyfriend who are about to become parents. The young woman was raised by her grandmother, now gone, because the girl’s mother was using drugs. Unfortunately, the drug problem has followed the girl but she is trying to clean up so she can keep her child. As she says, with her grandmother gone and her mother still using, who will adopt her baby if she doesn’t get straight. A baby quilt is greatly needed. We understand what you mean about helping one quilt at a time. Keep up the good work.

  16. i love to quilt ! i love to give quilts to people in rest homes . but if i win the give away i would like to start a drive to give small quilts to the police to give to children who are scared cause the police have been called to their house for what ever reason domestic abuse or parents that have gone down the wrong path . every child needs a special quilt to have to make them feel safe !

Have you read?

Cat-O-Lantern Quilt Pattern Review: A Cute Halloween Quilt for Cat Lovers

Some Halloween quilt patterns make me want to decorate the whole house. Others make me want to quietly add another project to the sewing pile and pretend it was always part of the plan. The Cat-O-Lantern quilt pattern from Fat Quarter Shop falls very comfortably into that second category.

A kitty hugging a jack-o’-lantern? That is a fairly effective way to get my attention. It brings together two Halloween favourites in a design that feels cheerful and playful, with plenty of appeal for anyone who prefers their seasonal decorating cute rather than creepy.

If you’re looking for a small Halloween quilt pattern for a cat lover, this one is worth a closer look. My review is based on the published design and product details; I haven’t sewn the pattern myself.

What Is the Cat-O-Lantern Quilt Pattern?

Cat-O-Lantern is a downloadable PDF quilt pattern exclusive to Fat Quarter Shop. The finished quilt measures 30½ × 34 inches, and the PDF contains 11 pages.

Fat Quarter Shop lists the difficulty as beginner. Its description calls for four fat quarters plus binding, but check the full pattern requirements before shopping so you can also plan for backing, batting and any additional supplies.

This is a paid digital pattern, so you’re purchasing the instructions rather than a finished quilt or fabric kit.

What I Like About This Halloween Quilt Design

The biggest attraction for me is the combination of a recognisable seasonal theme and a little personality. A pumpkin quilt is lovely, but adding a cat gives the project a playful focal point.

It also offers a nice alternative to Halloween sewing projects covered in elaborate motifs. Sometimes one strong design is all a room needs, especially when the shelves already contain enough pumpkins to suggest you’ve started a small farm.

The finished size is another selling point. I would think of Cat-O-Lantern primarily as a Halloween wall quilt or decorative accent quilt. At 30½ × 34 inches, it is compact enough to plan a display around, although I would measure the intended space before buying.

We’ve previously included it in our collection of lap blanket quilt patterns, but do pay attention to those dimensions if you’re hoping for generous sofa coverage.

Is Cat-O-Lantern Suitable for Beginner Quilters?

The retailer’s beginner rating is encouraging, particularly if you want a seasonal project without committing to a large quilt.

However, I haven’t reviewed the purchased instructions, so I can’t assess the cutting directions, construction steps or how much guidance they provide for a first-time quilter.

My practical advice is to read the entire PDF before cutting. Label your pieces, keep the fabrics organised and take your time with seam allowances. Those habits are helpful on any quilt, and they’re especially useful when the finished design depends on shapes landing where they should.

If you’d like another feline project to compare, our free Halloween cats table runner feature is another place to find seasonal sewing inspiration.

Fabric Choices I Would Consider

For my version, I’d start by thinking about contrast. Choose fabrics that let the cat and pumpkin stand out clearly from their surroundings, rather than selecting every favourite Halloween print and hoping they all get along.

Small prints, solids and subtle tonal fabrics would be my starting point. A busy novelty print can be wonderful, but it may compete with the main design when used in the wrong spot.

Before cutting, lay your proposed fabrics together and take a photograph. Look at it as a small thumbnail. If everything blends into one patch of colour, you may need a lighter or darker fabric to give the design definition.

And if choosing the pumpkin fabric sends you down an autumn sewing rabbit hole, our scrap fabric pumpkin quilt block and table runner feature has another project to add to the list.

Who Would Enjoy This Pattern?

I’d put Cat-O-Lantern on the shortlist for quilters who enjoy cute Halloween décor, cat-themed projects and smaller quilts made for display.

It could also make a thoughtful handmade gift for someone who brings out their Halloween decorations at the first possible opportunity. You know the person. Their pumpkins appear before the supermarket has finished clearing the previous holiday.

The main limitation is the size if you want a substantial throw. For a seasonal wall display, though, that smaller footprint is part of the appeal.

Would I Add It to My Sewing List?

On design appeal, yes. Cat-O-Lantern has a charming theme, a compact finished size and a beginner rating that makes it worth investigating for a manageable Halloween project.

I would still read the full instructions before deciding how quickly it might come together. A cute cover is an invitation to sew, but it isn’t a promise of an afternoon finish.

You can find the Cat-O-Lantern PDF quilt pattern at Fat Quarter Shop. If your Halloween decorating style involves friendly pumpkins, handmade touches and a cat who probably thinks the sewing table belongs to them, this little quilt could fit right in.