Sowing While You Sew--Week 6 Comfort

Blankets and quilts are one of the most widely requested and received items for charities, when it comes to sewing.  It's one of those projects that will be easy to find a place to donate.  I think that is because a blanket or quilt is a symbol of comfort and warmth and that is just the thing needed for someone that is either going through a difficult time or feeling a little lonely.  The other nice thing is that the degree of difficulty can vary greatly, allowing even the beginner to make a blanket to donate. 
Project Linus is an organization that helps you find a place to donate, if you need help.  I also know that you don't have to look very far to find a place to donate.  Nursing homes, hospitals (especially children's hospitals), and shelters are just a few of the places that take homemade blankets and quilts.  Just call and ask if they need some and which sizes they prefer.  That being said, you are sure to find someone close to you that might need a little warmth and comfort, so you could make it a gift to someone you love.
Here are just a couple of examples of blankets that I have either made or received.
Let's start with one's I've made:
This one is an example of a simple fleece blanket, which I gave to my daughter for Christmas a couple of years ago.  Each of my kids now has one.  It's just a big rectangle of the super soft fleece and then I hemmed each side.  That's it.  Perfect for the beginner.

This is just an example of a simple quilt that I pieced for one of my sons 10 years ago and it is still used by him on his bed.  Half of the squares are from jeans and the other half are of flannel.  For the back I used a sheet and then simply tied it with yarn.

This is just a fun little lap blanket made from outgrown flannel pajamas and flannel from other projects.  Each square is actually 3 squares sewn together with an 'X' and then pieced together.  I then snipped the raw edges and after going through the wash a bunch of times it starts to look nicely frayed and worn.

Now here are some blankets and quilts given to me:

This one is one that my mother-in-law knitted for me and gave to me one Christmas.  I love it because it's the perfect weight and while it keeps me warm, it isn't too bulky or heavy.  Many places take knitted and crocheted blankets as well.

This is an example of a blanket that does not require any sewing, so perfect for those younger siblings that have been wanting to do a project too.

My sister-in-law gave this one to us for Christmas this year.  It's 2 pieces of fleece laid together and then snipping the fringes and knotting them together.  This one has become one of the favorites with the kids to cuddle up with.

Here is a simple tied quilt that my mom made for me years and years ago.  I think I was 6 or 7 when she gave it to me.  She made one for each of the kids that year for Christmas in their favorite colors.  That was no small undertaking, seeing as there are 10 of us.  I think maybe just the girls got them, but I'm not sure.  Still that is 6 of them.  I'm glad I still have this symbol of comfort and warmth my mom made me all those years ago.

This quilt was another Christmas present, this time from my sister.  In our family we have a rotation going so we only give gifts to one sibling and their family each year.  She makes a quilt every year.  This one is very impressive and has over 4000 little strips and squares.  The time she put into this quilt makes me feel special that she gave it to me.

This is a baby quilt made for my youngest daughter by a very talented friend.  My daughter still sleeps with it on her bed.  Baby quilts and blankets are a great place to start, because the size is not too overwhelming for a beginner.

Another baby blanket made for my youngest.  This one my sister-in-law crocheted.  And yes my daughter still sleeps with this one on her bed too.

Finally, I wanted to share this little blanket with you to show how the gift of someone anonymous benefited me.  It is a simple crocheted blanket, no bigger than 2 feet and probably didn't take very much time to make.  But it symbolizes much more to me, as it swaddled our stillborn baby 6 years ago.  While it didn't actually give me warmth, it warmed my heart and gave me comfort to know that someone cared enough to take the time to make this little blanket and donate it to the hospital to then be given to a grieving mother to hold her little baby in it for a while.

So I share that story in the hopes that you are able to pass on to those you are teaching to sew that sometimes they might not see who will benefit from their donation, but they are always appreciated as they bring with them the warmth and comfort that is put into them by the hands that created the blanket or quilt.