Monday, April 22, 2013

Quilts for Boston

Quilts for Boston

One week ago today, the usual flurry of activity in our city came to a halt and we watched with sadness and disbelief as people who came to celebrate the 117th running of the Boston marathon were injured and killed by bombs set off near the race finish line. In response to the events of the past week, the Boston Modern Quilt Guild wants to find a way to help those in our community that have been directly affected by the bombing and subsequent events.
Quilts for Boston Color Scheme


As a guild we plan to make and distribute quilts to those who would benefit from a show of support, and we need your help.  We are asking the modern quilt community to support our efforts by sending us blocks for these quilts. Additionally, we will accept donations of fabric to be used for binding, sashing, and quilt backs. We would like to have the quilts ready to deliver to those in need as soon as possible, so we ask that you send your blocks to us within a month, by May 24th, 2013.

Blocks sent to the Boston Modern Quilt Guild should be blue, yellow, gray, and white. All blocks should be 12½” tall x the width of your choice. That could mean 12½” x 7”, 12½” x 12½”, or anything wider, more narrow, or in between. Please machine piece your blocks in any style you would like. Please use only “quilt shop quality” 100% cotton or cotton/linen fabrics. Both print and solid fabrics are welcome. Our preference is white or light gray 100% cotton thread, but any coordinating thread of good quality will do.

Quilts for Boston Color Scheme

Please consider adding photos of the blocks to our flickr group. This is not required, but it will be wonderful to share the blocks as we are making them and to see what people are working on.

Our goal is to make bright and modern quilts that will bring cheer to those who need it most! We chose this color scheme as these are the colors of the Boston Marathon, and have become the colors representing the One Fund, an organization formed to accept monetary donations for the victims, as well as the tribute tees sold to benefit the One Fund. Be creative with your blocks, and make any pattern or design that inspires you!

Please mail all blocks and fabric to:
Quilts for Boston
P. O. Box 79225
Belmont, MA 02479

Grab our button and help spread the word!
Quilts for Boston
A big thanks to the very talented Dorie, who created our logo and button!

If you have any questions, please contact: bostonmqg@gmail.com

Thank you all so much for your support!
The Boston Modern Quilt Guild

31 comments:

  1. Thank You. I will be making and sending blocks and reposting this on my blog and spreading the word wherever I can to reach as many quilters that I know. Again ... thank you for doing this ... <3 Pat

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  2. I just passed it on to the Seattle MQG. I look forward to helping!

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  3. CincinnatiMQG is going to help too!

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  4. Do the blocks have to have all those colors in them or can they be say all blue or all yellow, etc?

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    1. Good question! The blocks do not have to use all of the colors, and it would be fine to have an all blue or all yellow block (or a block that is blue and gray, or yellow and white, or any combination of our colors). Thanks for asking!

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    2. Thank you so much for the reply, Natalie! xoxo

      kimberlee

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  5. Great idea! I am going to make some blocks and have invited my fellow Santa Barbara Modern Quilt Guild members to join me. Thanks for giving us a way to help!

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  6. Thanks for the invitation to be involved...I will definitely be contributing. I will spread the word among my quilting friends.

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  7. thanks for letting me know - I'm on it :)

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  8. I have never made a quilt but I love this idea! We have a quilting shop on Cape Cod. Would they sell me the right size blocks? And what does it mean to "machine piece" them?

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  9. Ah, I just looked at the flickr page and I think I see what "machine piece" means. Beautiful patterns! Mine won't be as fancy ;)

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  10. I've never done a charity quilt before and am excited I can finish a few quilt blocks in time, whereas a whole quilt would probably get half done and lead to major guilt. Great idea - can't wait to get started! I'll also reblog soon!

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  11. Central Texas MQG has it's very first guild meeting on May 7th...I will present the idea and we will make some blocks to send your way!

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  12. I just posted a link on my blog for you! I may try to make a block or two, but I will definitely pull and send some fabric from my stash for this very worthwhile and heartfelt project.
    http://thehouseofkent.blogspot.com

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  13. I can't wait to get started... I can donate fabrics and blocks.

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  14. I am sending you a whole quilt. Hope that is OK!

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  15. Blogged about the opportunity to help and plan on making a block or two. Thank you to BMQG for doing this.

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  16. I know you all mean well, but I think you should reconsider.

    Two reasons:
    My grandchildren attend the same school as little Martin Richard did, and my daughter and her family know all the Richard family. Martin was a friend of our little Max. They have been INNUNDATED with STUFF and cannot even get through it all. They do NOT want any more, cannot handle it and have NO ROOM to keep it. A quilt will not make up for their loss and makes healing even more difficult. I know, I know, quilters are incredibly kind and generous, and I asked Megan early on if I could make and send to them, via my daughter(Megan) their friend. She said all of the above. The flag idea is good....quilts...NO.
    Second: We also know the sister of a teacher in New Town CN. Without asking, I made and sent her (the teacher) a quilt through our friend. They very sweetly thanked me, BUT, gently let me know that ALL they want is to get back to "Normal' and as long as well meaning people keep sending stuff, they cannot. Their pain and sense of loss is as great as it ever was. They have been running on adrenelin and now that is gone and they are all exhausted. The teacher is also full of raw hate, which is a typical reaction to tragedy.

    Please, please, do not add to the survivors problems. I know you all have the purest of intentions, as I did, but it is not the helpful thing to do. They need prayers. God alone can even begin to help them heal.

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    1. I so respect what you are saying. I can't imagine that a quilt will fill that void, but perhaps this is a constructive way for people that want to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to express their sense of helplessness and grief at what has transpired, a way to bond together as brothers and sisters in the creative realm and pay honor and respect to those that have suffered. The quilts don't need to go to those that were directly impacted if they don't need or want them, but it's an awesome way for the quilting community to express our solidarity and support for our country and to show the world that we will not be stopped in our tracks by such a heinous example of humanity. The quilts could be provided to those in need in the community, I don't really care, it's more about directing that energy to something constructive and I applaud those that are willing to participate. Give them to hospitals, BETTER yet, donate them to Orphanages in the homelands of those that did this...let's make a global impact, a global statement. There are so many good things that could come from this, let's not toss a wet blanket over the top right out the gate. Everyone should step back, take a breath and sew on!!! My blocks will be in the mail today. I love you all for all that you are doing and I send my heartfelt prayers out to those that are suffering, I know that God will lift you up.

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    2. I, too, respect what you are saying and believe you have accurately conveyed your experiences with those two particular survivors. In the case of Boston's tragedy, I can imagine that there are a few families who have been inundated with kindness, but there are sooo many injured victims and I'm guessing many of them would welcome a quilt stitched with love by people who care. So yes, not everyone may wish to accept a quilt, but I believe there will be others whose hearts will be touched by such a gift. And as someone else said, there will always be someone to give them to.

      I have made 5 blocks so far, and have offered to collect others from my fellow guild members in early May, then will send them on to you. Thanks again for this opportunity to DO SOMETHING!

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    3. So well said Liz and SisteroftheDivide. I do not care who receives quilts my blocks are in and have faith those in charge will do nothing to cause more pain to those who have suffered so much. Those impacted is such a wide group of people from those physically harmed to those who helped to those who live in area. And the hospitals oh my....so I am confident good will come from this effort.

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  17. Reposted at http://sisterofthedivide.blogspot.com/2013/04/quilts-for-boston.html Starting on my blocks today!

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  18. A couple more blocks headed your way. They're supposed to get there Friday. I hope they won't be late!

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