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!

 February 2026

It was a beautiful weekend, both outside and inside.  The room was buzzing with sewing machines and visiting.  Welcome to Jenny and Char, new quilters who stopped by and I think they'll be back. Thanks so much for making them feel welcome!

Our Sleep in Heavenly Peace speaker was not able to attend due to some family health issues.  So say a prayer for Jim!  Marty is still planning on a bed build session on March 28th.  Be sure to let her know if you are interested and she'll get you the details.

Our other speakers were Deb Carlson and Lisa Hansen.  Deb is the leader of the quilt group Hands of Hope Sewing Ministry at New Hope Church in Adel.  Lisa's husband works at Sheepgate and made them aware that the bed quilts at the men's facility in Colfax were aged and worn.  This quilt group has taken it upon themselves to find new bed quilts for each bed.  This is a new quilting group and rather small.  Some of you can remember the start of our quilt group where we operated with no money and not very many supplies.  But that desire to quilt and to serve others kept us working hard to help others.  Deb and Lisa are working with many local churches and quilt groups to find help with this project.  

Show and tell was fabulous as always.  39 quilts will be distributed to Waypoint Resources, SHP, LSI, Agape and Hope's Care Ministry.    Thanks for the extra hands and feet in showing, folding and bagging quilts and then delivering!  Check out the photo tab for pictures of them all.

January 2026 Work Day Recap

It was a wonderful spirit-filled weekend at Hope Quilters.  Two speakers inspired us with the work that they do and the faith journey that led them to cross our path.  Barbara, from LSI, told us about the programs at LSI and how our quilts are used in each one.  What a blessing it was to hear how our quilts provide a little bit of comfort and love in the work that LSI does.  And Kim Ogle's involvement with Will Keeps and the road she has traveled to help his organization with these bed quilts is a wonderful story of what happens when you let God lead you.  We are very thankful to be helping her in this mission.  For those coming to retreat, we will have one more bed quilt that we can work on if you haven't gotten involved yet.  We can share more of both of these stories for anyone who missed it.

We spent a little time talking about some scrappy block design options.  Examples were shown of some foundation piecing for a scrappy quilt.  Some quicks bags of scraps and some foundation pieces were put together so people could try this technique.  There were mixed opinions on how much "fun" this was.  We are going to continue to try different block techniques and talk about design options for these scrappy quilts.  We do have lots of scraps that we want to use.  While the bins have filled up more due to several donations in the past months, we still have a variety of fabrics rather than lots of yardage of a few fabrics which means scrappy quilt patterns will suit us better.   We'll keep up with design discussions on making patterns more scrappy.

Some topics worth mentioning:

• We have had several quilt tops donated.  That means they need backing and need to get on the list to be quilted.  We're looking for people to "Adopt a quilt top" which means taking on the task of finding and making a back and getting the name on the long arm list.  
• There are still a box full of those small donated quilt tops that we were using for the altar cloth project.  The remaining ones we're using kid prints so we can make them for many of our agencies.  And they are a good size to practice quilting on your domestic machine!  If you are interested in trying quilting let us know and we can buddy you up with someone to walk along side you as you learn.  
• The bins are very disorganized with all the new fabrics as well as the scrap projects.  There are LOTS of cool children's fabrics.  We have many children's' agencies needing twin, lap and baby quilts.  Let's dig into these fun fabrics!  Big pieces of lots of children's fabrics of the Turning Twenty quilt can be as neat as an I Spy quilt.  

The blog URL is hopequilters.blogspot.com.  For those who haven't checked it out yet, please do. This is becoming the best place to get information about our group.  If you search for it on your phone's internet, and after you click on the link for the blog, usually you click on the three dots at the top right, and in the drop down it should offer "Add to Home Screen", and then it will be right there on your phone!  We're working on putting an active calendar page on the website to help with all those questions like "are we meeting this weekend" or "are we going to cancel because of the snow", etc.  I really want to have a place to post our speakers and field trips too.  Possibly establishing a monthly design talk as well and get back to having topics of interest.  Having this readily available is easier in digital format than on paper.  So check it out and become familiar with the blog site.  There is a lot of old stuff there but the main page and the photo's page are the key tabs.  Ideas and suggestions on improving the blog site are always welcome.  We don't really intend it to be for blogging but it was established a long time ago and is free so we're making it work for us.

We welcomed a few new quilters to the group.  Make sure you introduce yourself to them when you see them!

Finally, January Retreat is coming up on the 22nd.  All the details will be sent in an email.  

Happy Sewing!

December 2025 Work Day Recap

Many were missed this weekend due to the weather.  Friday was a whirlwind of sorting fabric.  There were 10 or 12 people with their machines but most opted for the safe choice of staying home on Saturday!  Therefore, we did a quick share of Joys and Concerns on Friday and we distributed the finished quilts as well to take that off our plate for Saturday.  There is only a glimpse of the new quilts on the Photo's tab of the Blog but it doesn't really do them justice.  Most will be distributed for Christmas through Hope Ministries and LSI so it was good to get them what we could.

    

                                         

This message above was in one of the donations we received.   The three of us who sewed all day Saturday felt it was appropriate.  All the existing bins were sorted with little pieces taken out for our scraps project.  Amusingly enough, two whole tables were full of donations to sort through.  And some of you mentioned donations but were unable to make it in due to the snow.  God does answer prayers!  Can you believe it?  We ended up have many full bins on the shelves again.  They are not sorted and labeled as well as they previously were because we had to just make it all fit on Saturday when we were cleaning up.  There still is not a lot of companion yardage pieces to go with with 3 or 4 color quilts.  So scrappy designs may be the best option for us for a while.  But there are so many fun kids and teen fabrics that we should have lots of fun making quilts for that population.  Start looking for scrappy quilt patterns.  Even regular quilt patterns with big pieces will look good with a more scrappy mix of fabrics.  Let's use our imagination!

Scrappy blocks are still a good choice for using up the smaller stuff.  In January, a short design talk will be given to help you think about how to use these blocks in a quilt pattern.  The hope is that we can continue to work on these scrappy blocks and design talks to get everyone thinking creatively as well as utilizing small pieces.  Maybe we'll consider 2026 the "Year in Scraps".  We can add a blog page showing all that we made with the scraps.  What fun!   We'll talk more about it in January.

To the members of Hope Quilters, and to those who read our blog, may we all find peace during this hectic holiday season, and getting time to worship the birth of the Christ child.  

Until next year,

Merry Christmas

November 2025 Work Day Recap

November weather started to let us know on Saturday that it is actually supposed to get colder and whiter during this season.  Huge snowflakes came down, thankfully after the group had to head home earlier than expected due to water breaking through the ceiling and landing on a quilter's work table!  I think all sewing machines were spared any damage, but nothing like living in the olden days and scrambling for buckets to catch leaks in the roof!  The group did a fabulous job of adapting and getting everything put away.   

But before all that excitement, we got to have a lovely devotional that reminded us of the value of a quilt given in love at a time of need.  Then we watched the parade of so many beautiful quilts made with love that will completely fulfill the meaning of that devotional.  💖

The Friday before, we had another special guest join us!  Lesley Green from Hope Ministries, shared about the ministries that use our quilts.  The impact that having these speakers join us and share what they do and who these ministries impact, is not only broadening our awareness of the many needs in our communities, but even resulted in more offers to volunteer from our group.  

Grateful for another donation that helped create some kits and ideas for the next projects.

Next month will be our final meeting of the year.  Attendees can work on more HQ quilts, or finish up those last minute Christmas gifts. Because Christmas will be here before you know it! Until then, here is the quilt count and the PHOTOS link on the blog to see all the quilts turned in this month

Final count of quilts for November:

• LSI - 8 quilts 
• ChildServe -  5 quilts 
• Hope Ministries - 20 lap quilts
• Waypoint Resources - 3 kids lap quilts 
• Sleep In Heavenly Peace - 7 quilts 
• Hope Ministries - 2 full/queen quilts

October 2025 Work Day Recap

 WOW !!! 

October Sew Days were just great in so many ways!  Thank goodness for a very FULL flat of tables because we used every one of them!!  People with machines just kept pouring in.  20 people is not an unusual amount of people showing up, but 20 people actually bringing their machines to sew is another thing!  And there were at least 10 more people stopping by on Friday/Saturday to visit, pick up projects and to come hear Leanna Simpson talk about Agape Pregnancy Center,

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Whatever the reason, it was great to see so many!  

As mentioned, Leanna Simpson, Director of Agape, joined our meeting to speak with us.  This agency is one where we send lots of baby blankets.  The agency is amazing in its approach to helping the unborn child, leading with love, to provide so many things to those women/couples facing a new pregnancy during troubling times.  And thanks to all of you for the 26 quilts we were able to give to Leanna this month!

Leanna shared many stories to give us an idea how sharing love as Jesus would have us do is making such a big difference in people's lives.  Here is a YouTube video about the blankets to give you a sense of how our gifts are used by Agape.  Take a look at some of the other videos produced by the group to get a sense for this important ministry.  

Leanna left with a nice big pile of baby quilts!

It was great to learn about this agency and we plan to have regular speakers at Hope Quilter events so that we can understand more about other agencies that we support.  In November, Leslie Green from Hope Ministries is scheduled to speak on Friday, the 7th, at 10:30.

At our meeting, we discussed a new "objective" for the group:  We are going to work with more intentionality, have a more direct relationship with local agencies to help us make sure we're meeting specific needs in a timely manner.  Learning more about the community we serve is an added bonus.  Communication about needs will come via Facebook and email.  We have established some new relationships and are working out a way to store more of our quilts so that we have them available when a need arises.  A "need" such as "our closets are empty" is one thing.  But we also hope to be able to react to more specific events like a graduation from Hope Ministries 2-year program or having a housewarming gift for Habitat for Humanity recipients. Having lap quilts and walker bags available for prayer partners at each Hope church location is also a goal.  

While some agencies' storage closets are full, our inquiries have found several other groups anxious to receive the quilts that you are making.  Here is the spread of donations that were collected this weekend and where we've designated them to go:

• Agape: 26
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace: 8
• LSI: 5 (they are still working with a manufacturer to give beds away at Christmas.  Our quilts will go with them!)
• Habitat for Humanity housewarming:  6  (more to come on this project)
• Hope Ministries: 27 quilts here and you'll hear more about this need at the November talk with Leslie.
• Care Ministry: 10 lap quilts, 2 wheelchair quilts and 1 walker bag in storage. 
• ChildServe: 11 quilts  (these guys will hopefully speak at the January retreat.)
  
      And yes, that total (96) is AWESOME!  You gals ROCK!
  
  Check out the PHOTOS! 

Thanks to all those who donated fabrics for our 2026 Challenge.  We are looking for dark gray, red, black and yellow.  We've had further clarification on colors.  Having a little white in the mix is okay but the primary color should be one of the above.  And the red we are looking for is pure red.  So stay away from anything muted or in a pinkish tone.  You'll hear more about this project in January and will get a chance to help with the sewing.  We still need more fabric so you haven't missed out if you didn't get a chance to raid your stash yet.

Until November, Happy Sewing!

August 2025 Work Day Recap

Kind of a weird weekend.  Several regulars working at the fair.  Others working on special projects home with a summer cold.  Three new people (YEAH!!).  22 at the meeting but only 10 sewing machines all weekend.  But some things never change........we had 50 items to donate!!!  Mostly quilts and some dresses.  Check out the PHOTOS page!

Due to illness, the Special Work project scheduled for this month will be available in September and October to work on if you choose.  Easter is our deadline so we'll work on it as we have time.

A Sleep in Heavenly Peace build is set for this upcoming weekend, August 16th from 9 - 11.  Please reach out if you'd like to participate.

I have results from the Riverside auction.  Our quilt donations helped them raise $2005.  Still awaiting  results from Okoboji auction. Once that comes in, will share later. 

Some upcoming reminders......

1. In September we turn our regular monthly time into our retreat.  We get an extra day to sew (Thursday) and then we don't do the normal meeting and show and tell.  You can work on your own projects but all mission supplies are available.  We won't be turning any quilts in this month, hold them until October.  Details to come with the September reminder email but be sure and put September 11, 12 and 13 on your calendar.
   
   
2. In October we will have a representative from Agape Pregnancy speaking at our meeting.  She will tell us about the agency and how they use our quilts.  Hoping we can flood her with baby quilts in October!  A good baby size is around  40 x 50.  Can use regular yardage (~44 wide) for a back and then 50 inches gives them a good wrap.  We have plenty of fun baby prints in our bins if you want to pick something out in September.

And that's a wrap!  Enjoy the rest of your summer!  Volunteer with SHP if you can, on the 16th.  Get your retreat projects ready!