Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Our group donated quilts to Sleep in Heavenly Peace a non-profit group that builds and delivers bunk beds to children and families in need. The new Durham chapter was featured on WTVD. and included quilts that we donated.
Category: Community
DOQ Community activities
Durham-Orange Quilters Guild 40th Anniversary Quilt Exhibit
March 16 & 17 Chapel Hill Public Library – 100 Library Drive Explore and appreciate more than 50 quilts made by local crafters in recognition of their 40th anniversary. A special section of red and white quilts will mark the Ruby anniversary. All ages can learn the history of the craft and enjoy hands-on opportunities to learn conventional and novel quilting techniques.
UNC Hospital NICU Visit
Outreach co-chairs, Carol Holleman and Ruth Brenner, were given a tour of the UNC-Chapel Hill NICU by fellow guild member, Vicki Childers, in December 2017. Bead Bags of Courage were on many of the babies’ metal stands. Upon meeting other NICU staff members, they expressed parents’ feelings of appreciation that someone created these special bags for their babies. In addition, the staff was excited to provide the NICU smocks to the families. It was an amazing visit. If you would like to help, see the Instructions for Bead Bags and pattern for NICU smocks.
Smocks for UNC Hospital NICU Patients
Introducing a New Project! Guild members, Vicki Childers and Gail Kleimnan, brought this wee little project idea to the Outreach Committee. The UNC Hospital NICU needs smocks for neonatal babies. Since clothing for the smallest ones are virtually nonexistent, we hope our members will make tiny and preemie smocks. The pattern comes in 4 sizes…micro (1-3 lbs), tiny (3-5 lbs), preemie (5-8 lbs) and newborn (8-11lbs). The smocks require minimal fabric and are quick to make. We will have samples at the Outreach table and a limited number of paper patterns. The free pattern can be ordered from the website Everything Your Momma Made and More www.eymm.com/product/free-nicu-friendly-smocks or you can get the pattern here. NOTE: Pattern piece C is flipped backwards on this file, they are working on updating it ASAP as well as updating some of the directions from when it was originally designed 8 years ago. So either cut 2 mirror image for piece B or flip the pattern piece C over before tracing/cutting. PRINTING: If you have trouble printing the correct size please check out this blog post to make sure you are using the correct settings www.eymm.com/2013/08/27/printing-pdf-patterns-in-windows-8/ FABRICS: Use 100% Cotton Flannel or 100% Cotton Knit. You can use Cotton/Lycra Knits if they are soft. Holiday or …
Beads of Courage – Bead Bags
Beads of Courage is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path. Making a Bead Bag You will need: Two – 9” x 12” pieces of focus fabric Two – 9” x 12” pieces of lining fabric Two – 26” long pieces of thin cording or ribbon One – Beads of Courage label Instructions: If available, sew label in middle or lower right corner to RS of one piece of focus fabric. Focus Fabric – with RS together sew 1/2″ seam on both long sides making a tube. Press seams open. Lining Fabric – repeat Step 2. Turn lining right side out and place inside focus fabric (RS together). Line up seams and sew a 1/4″ seam around top of tube. Turn right side out. Press seam towards lining. (You now have 1 long tube.) Tuck lining back inside and press top seam flat. Sew a seam 2″ from top. When you get to each side seam, back tack 1/4″ across seam. Sew another seam 2 ¾” from top, …
Stitching North Carolina: The One Hundred County Quilt Project
Update! Our guild had been making some blocks for the 100 count NC quilt. As of July 1st, we are only missing 13 counties. The coordinators have contacted guilds and shops in those counties to help us, so we don’t need any others from our guild. During World War II, more young men from North Carolina were rejected from serving in the military because of health reasons than any other state. Not surprisingly, the state’s number of doctors and hospitals ranked near the bottom. North Carolina needed a state hospital! Centralized Chapel Hill, where a two-year medical school, opened in 1879, was expanding to a four-year program, and was seen as the logical setting for the state hospital which would serve all of its people regardless of ability to pay. North Carolina Memorial Hospital opened for business on September 2, 1952, and has grown into five hospitals in the years since. Before celebrating the opening of the N.C. Women’s and N.C. Children’s Hospitals on September 8, 2001, Joy Javits was tapped to lead a project that would represent all 100 counties served by the Hospitals. The response was enthusiastic and along with drawings of their county flag by children, and writings by …
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Quilts for Independent Animal Rescue
At the June 19 Guild Meeting, the Outreach Committee presented quilts and quilted items to Independent Animal Rescue for their Painted Chair Fundraiser. Included among the creations donated were: appliqué and pieced quilts, a quilt painting, and a purse. Thank you to all who participated. Submitted by: Ruth Brenner Outreach Committee
Blue Line Kids HALOS Program
At the May 15, 2017 DOQ Guild meeting, the Outreach Committee presented Krystal Paylor, the North Carolina Assistant Director and East Coast Quilt Distributor of the National Alliance for Law Enforcement Support, with a collection of quilts made for the BLUE LINE KIDS HALOS Program. This program supports children and teens that have lost a parent in the line of duty. The quilt designs were chosen by the quilters who created them with sizes ranging from large lap quilts to twin size quilts. Specials thanks to the Donation committee and Tuesday Morning Quilters at the Senior Center in Hillsborough. Submitted by: Ruth Brenner Outreach Committee
Fidget Quilts
Frequently, patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia get fidgety hands. Fidget quilts are a soothing thing to those patients because the quilt gives their hands something to do. DOQ will be donating our quilts to Memory Care Units in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. Guidelines Finished quilts should be lap size, either square or rectangular. Approximately 20×20 or place-mat size. Exact size does not matter. Quilts must be durable and washable by hand. The front may be patchwork pieced with a variety of sensory fabrics. Suggested fabrics include velvet, corduroy, silk, tulle, fake fur, suede, wool, knits, chenille, tapestry, fleece, blue jeans, terry cloth and many others! It can also be a solid fabric or a cloth place-mat with lots of other fabrics and embellishments appliquéd to it. Any items appliquéd to the surface must be very securely attached. Items may be topstitched on or can be encased in a seam. Double or triple stitch all attachments. Allow part of the attachment to be free, such as loops of ribbons, etc. Use a fabric that is not slippery for the back such as flannel, fleece, minky, or corduroy. Hem tape, fabric, or ribbons can be sewn to edges to …
Therapy Dolls and Snoedels
DOQ has two ongoing projects to support the families of infants who are hospitalized. Links to the patterns and directions can be found below. Please bring completed dolls to the regular DOQ guild meetings. The first project is making small therapy dolls to give to children whose baby brother or sister is in the hospital. The simple stuffed dolls can be used to explain what is happening to the baby, and be held and cuddled by the older brother or sister. Therapy Doll Pattern The second project is making snoedels for premature infants. The first Snoedel was created by a Dutch woman inspired by the birth of a friend’s premature infant. The Dutch word “snoedel” means “snuggle”. The mother (or father) keeps the snoedel close to there skin where they absorb and retain their scent. Then when held or placed near a newborn or infant the scent is slowly released to comfort the baby. Snoedels are used in the NICU to minimize infant stress, comfort parents, and to continue the baby/parent bonding process when babies are separated from their mothers following birth and placed in incubators. Snoedel Directions
Love Quilts Project
Members of DOQ participated in the St. Peter’s Love Quilt Project last year. The St. Peter’s Love Quilt Project was developed to give quilts to orphan children in South Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS. Art squares are created by children in schools, church groups, scout troops, etc., to depict their messages of love to the orphan children. Quilts using these squares are made by volunteers in the local area and beyond. The completed quilts are collected and sent to orphaned children in South Africa by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia. See more pictures of the quilts in our online gallery.