October 2026

What a beautiful weekend spent with quilting friends 

  We didn't do Show and Tell last month so our pile was quite large this time around.  But you gals really outdid yourself over the past couple months.  This month's donation included 78 quilts, 727 other items.  This included the fleece hats and woven hats that some focused on at last month's retreat as well as dresses, shorts, book pillows,  prayer squares and burp cloths. 

  Women's Christmas Brunch:  This year the committee for the Christmas Brunch wanted to highlight Hope talents and asked several for donations for the drawing they do.  We picked three lovely quilts for them to give away.  

    We talked about the potato chip block.  There were two potato chip quilts in Show and Tell.  So many options for doing this technique.  The left picture shows a totally scrappy block put together in a quilt using sashing.  The 2nd quilt used the technique but the big square used the technique and just kept adding rounds of the 2.5 x 4.5 pieces.  It was also somewhat of an ordered scrappy in that it used all 30's fabrics.  Several people were cutting out "chips" to start their own version.

August 2026 Work Day Recap

 Many highlights from our August Sew Days.  

• Show and Tell was great with 46 quilts and numerous other items for agencies in need!  Take a look at the blog in a few days!  Click here to see PHOTOS.
• Quilt Auction Results: Contributions submitted by Hope Quilters raised $3215.  Results attached.  All results are available on their respective websites if you're interested. 
• We had another bunch of quilts from The Iowa Quilt Block that needed binding.  Thanks to those who helped with this.  I think it was around 40 quilt so quite an accomplishment.  And Sleep in Heavenly Peace will be getting some fun quilts for new beds.  
• We are continuing to make wheelchair blankets and walker bags.  Care Ministry has full shelves at the moment so we are storing them for now.  They are a more popular item in the colder months though.
• Retreat is next month.  This means an additional day to sew as well as a focus on your personal project and fellowship rather than mission projects.

A reminder that our retreat is next month instead of our normal Sew Days.  This means September 10-12 will be a time for fellowship and working on your own projects.  Another outlet for sewing is the Dress a Girl organization.  They are much like Hope Quilters, in that they use their skills and donations to meet many needs as they come up.  A summary of their work, and the idea for our Community Service option at retreat:

Dresses for little girls, shorts for little boys, and hats, scarves, and mittens for children on those cold winter days.  These are all the things that Dress a Girl makes and donates locally in the community and around the world.  It takes many hands to fulfill their goals to keep children warm and secure and to bring a smile to their faces.  For our September Hope Quilters Retreat, let’s bring in donations of blanket fleece that can be used to make hats for children in our area.  These hats are donated to local schools to distribute in their classrooms and on their bus routes.  If a child doesn’t have a hat, they can’t go outside for recess and many a bus driver keeps a supply of hats on their buses to give to children who either don’t have one or forgot theirs at home.

An On With Life update:  We just used the Turning Twenty quilt pattern and a variety of greens, teals, yellows and oranges that go with their logo, and donated several quilts to them.  This note and picture are from a Thank You we received:  "They look so beautiful in the rooms and add so much color and warmth to the space.  I cannot thank you and your quilting group enough!"

Great to see so many Hope Quilters in attendance, laughing, sewing, planning, and oooo-ing and awwww-ing over the quilt show and tell.  Be thinking of retreat and planning on what you want to be working on.  We may have to share tables or bring some of our own...but you gals will do whatever it takes to sew together for three days!

Happy Sewing!

July 2026 Work Day Recap

Just a brief update this month, as many were gone enjoying summer fun.  Many quilts came in and were distributed to Agape, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, The Iowa Quilt Block for LSI, Hope Ministries and Child Serve.  A big thank you to those who helped out with delivering quilts! 

The Iowa Quilt Block has asked if we would partner with them in finishing quilts for Sleep in Heavenly Peace.  They have 20-30 shop samples that need binding.  We'll be working on helping out in this area, and there will be some at the August meeting to do some binding.

Even thought the number of members may be low, it's always astounding how the abundance of quilts never changes!  Keep up the good work!  Go look at the PHOTOS!

Until August, try to stay cool!   

June 2026 Work Day Recap

There is much thankfulness for everyone's participation this month!  It was a bit of a hectic weekend, as time was spent getting prepared for the new Hope Quilters space in a different and even better closet! 

Because of the move, the opportunity arose to clean out some old stuff, solve the mismatched bin/lid problem, look in all the bins, and do some sorting and purging.  During that time, many forgotten treasures and some old projects that just need to get finished were found.  (Remember the 500 donated quilt tops?!)

There were many who helped, others who offered and then were just happy to stay out of the way.  Everyone jumping in, so enthusiastically to help, no matter what is asked, is greatly appreciated.  Every one of you are all so valuable to this ministry and to each other.

Show and Tell was amazing as always.  There were 46 donations.  Be sure to take a look on the PHOTOS blog page.   Clearly, some of you are embracing the scrappy quilt challenge, by the looks of all the beautiful and unique scrappy quilts that came in!  Look for more focused projects to come. (We still have 3 bins of scraps to get through!!)

Let's all give thanks and praise to the Lord for our new space, and for being so blessed with every single one of these quilting sisters in Christ!  This ministry would not be the success that it is without all of you.

Happy stitching!

Extra Bonus!  Scrappy Quilt Pattern

2.5" squares for the 9 patch
1.5" black strips
1.5" white strips
3" triangle corner

May 2026 Work Day Recap

 Another great weekend quilting with friends!

This Recap will be short but oh, so sweet!  Donations were sorted through, ladies happily sewing away, joys and concerns were shared and support given to those experiencing some difficult life circumstances, and one unlucky, pesky fly was "uninvited" to the party.  😄

It's fun to look through donations.  Seems like several people were cleaning out and we benefited from some fabric, books, magazines, specialty rulers, etc.  

Show and Tell was fun.  Very exciting to see that scrappy blocks are turning up in finished quilts!  Hoping those creators loved their adventure into scrappiness!  There were 40 lovely quilts.  Photos of the quilts can be found here.  Big thanks for those delivering quilts to Agape, LSI, SHP, Child Serve and Hope Ministries.

Around seven ladies volunteered to package meals last week, for Meals from the Heartland!  Much fun was had and the total meal goal for the event surpassed expectations.  Many will be fed simply by giving a couple hours out of a week.  God is good.

Until next month, happy sewing!

April 2026 Work Day Recap

It was a very pleasant weekend of quilting with friends!  So inspiring to see the Word project hanging in the Atrium.  Thanks to Linda for coordinating this project and getting us all involved.  Make sure you get a chance to check this out in person.

Despite the small number of people, we still had an awesome Show and Tell.  Twenty-nine quilts were finished for groups including Child Serve, Agape, LSI and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.  We save out a couple of quilts for the upcoming bible camp auctions.

Check out the PHOTOS page for all the quilts turned in this month.

Several joys and concerns were shared.  This isn't just a quilting group, it is a safe place to share the blessings and the struggles that this gift of life produces.  Don't hesitate to reach out to your quilting sisters when you could use a little help of any kind.

RETREAT DETAILS

Date: April 23, 24 and 25.

Start times 8:30am on 23rd

                  9am on 24th

                  7:30 on 25th  

Location: Hope Waukee, Room 134

We need to get all supplies out of the closet in Room 130 before 9am when preschool starts so if you can help on Thursday AM it will be appreciated.

Remember:

• This is time for you to work on your own projects and fellowship with other quilters.  You are welcome to work on mission quilts if you choose.  All supplies will be available but we are not collecting finished quilts or doing any sort of meeting.
• Come and go as your schedule and interests allow.  End times are based on how long people want to stay so if you plan to come later in the afternoon check with someone to make sure they are still at the church.
• No meals are planned but there will be coffee available and feel free to bring snacks to share.  You can use the fridge to keep lunch cold and there are several places close by for takeout.
• Cleanup on Saturday takes a while due to everything we need to get back into the closet.  Irons need time to cool down and cutting boards are the first thing that go back against the wall so be considerate and don't plan on needing the cutting and ironing supplies late into the day on Saturday.  You don't need to be out of the church at any time but there needs to be 4 or 5 people to clean up so plan accordingly.    

All these April showers not only produce May flowers...but also many beautiful quilts as one is stuck inside!  😄  Enjoy your sewing days!

March 2026 Work Day Recap

Great weekend of sewing as always.  Abundant fellowship and laughter, as well. Donations always bring lots of smiles as the swarm of interested quilters glance through the pile for something they can snatch up to use in a new creation!

We had 29 quilts at Show and Tell.  PHOTO PAGE.  Linn Vande Berg was our guest speaker, sharing information about their chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.  We have partnered with this group since 2019, making quilts and book pillows to give to those receiving a new bed.  If you have not volunteered for a bed build day, don't hesitate to sign up and try it!  Minimal time commitment and a lot of fun if done with friends.  You can also check the website for other volunteer opportunities with this group and also, spread the word about this group.  They do so much good in our local community but they are not as well known. 

Just a reminder that we're still looking for help making scrappy fabric in order to use up our smaller scraps.  This endeavor started when our bins were quite low on yardage and we seem to have turned that situation around, or should we say, God has provided again!  However, using small scraps to make attractive quilt tops actually challenges you to work on several helpful skills.  It can be a lesson in design, color selection and even math.  Finding a way to use what you have is a great quilting life lesson. 

There's around 5 kits using scrappy blocks that have been put together.  More kits will be available next month from recent fabric contributions.  Keep those scrappy fabric contributions coming!  Whether you are using your own leftovers or pulling from the bins where collected scraps from our other bins have been sorted, it's always fun to be challenged on new ideas and skills.  There are a few scrappy patterns/ideas available if you want to give it a whirl.  And if sewing scraps isn't your thing, maybe you could take a kit and put together a quilt top.

Retreat is coming up!!!  Make sure you have it on your calendar for April 23, 24 and 25.  Hope to see many of you there!