Somehow another year has come and gone!! It is time to start planning for the 3rd annual Positivity Quilt Along. The Positivity Quilt Along was created by Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts to give the quilting community a fun, social way to make a new quilt for Mercyful Quilts. Each year Preeti designs a fun, easy to make, lap quilt. She shares the pattern for free and guides quilters through the process of making it. These QAL’s have been a huge help to Mercy Hospital’s palliative care program.
Just in case you are new to the Mercyful Quilts program, it all started back in November of 2018. A friend of mine is a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, CA. She explained that they gave quilts to the family of patients who were dying. The family chose a quilt to snuggle their family member under and after the person’s death, kept the quilt as a memory of this time in their life. Patty, my friend, explained how comforted the patient and family were by these quilts and I started to organize lap quilt donations for the hospital. There is much more information available if you click here.
Preeti became a loyal donor and would send me quilts whenever she could. Then during Covid, when we all desperately needed more positivity in our lives, she hosted the first QAL. I am so grateful to Preeti for her commitment to Mercyful Quilts. Because of her we have received so many stunning quilts for our families.
This is the first Positivity quilt I made. It took me a long time to finish it because we moved in the midst of everything. This event garnered well over twenty Mercyful quilts!!
This was the quilt I made for the second QAL. I loved the pattern and the ease with which it all came together. This QAL resulted in over a dozed quilts for Mercy’s palliative care program.
Here is a sneak peak at the block the next QAL is based on. I see lots of leafy vines coming my way! The block looks super easy to make which is a good thing for me. I am not one for fussy quilts with millions of pieces!! Also, Preeti mentioned it is jelly roll friendly and I happen to have two rolls of strips sitting on the shelf!! Of course cutting your own scrappy strips is a great idea as well.
As before, the Positivity QAL will have a super relaxed schedule allowing plenty of time to make the quilt. The kick off is at the end of May and the event concludes over Labor Day weekend in September which means you’ll have all summer to work on it. We have a selection of lovely prizes that might be won by those quilters who finish and share their quilt in September! There will be link parties along the way to share progress and cheer each other on.
You are all invited to join us as we make a lap quilt for Mercy Hospital. Let’s work together to fill their shelves with quilts for patients and families who are struggling with grief and loss. We all know how comforting it can be to know someone out there is thinking of you and trying to provide a bit of solace. I hope you will sew a quilt with us! If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.
(Also, if you are interested in Mercyful Quilts and want to donate a quilt but cannot commit to the QAL, that is fine too. We ALWAYS need lap size quilts. They can be scrappy, simple, complex, patriotic, or whatever you like. This particular hospital does not treat children so no juvenile themes or fabrics please.)
Looks like a fun block – a little different from other years! I’m glad you two are doing this once again!
Me too Wendy. Trying to picture how to use the block and what colors I want to use. Love starting something new!
My cousin and her group of quilters keep the palliative care unit here in Saskatoon supplied. It’s such a worthwhile cause. Good on you, Bernie for, sharing your time and talents.
Thank you! It is a worthwhile effort – Happy to hear about the group in Saskatoon! I know another quilter who works on the same project in Oregon and another in Texas. So important to support people during their end of life.
How wonderful that you are hosting this again Bernie! Good luck. 🙂
Thank you! I enjoy working with Preeti and love making Mercyful quilts so it is a win!!
I love that this is a tradition that continues. Some really lovely things came out of our lockdowns.
Bernie, I am so excited to do this once again with you. The responses are so heart-warming. Each “I am in” makes me dance. Sending big squishy hugs!
I feel the same way Preeti! Now just have to wait till end of May to get going on the quilt. 🙂
Sounds like a nother good Sew along!!!
Yes ma’am!! I am looking forward to getting started. 🙂
This is a wonderful tradition with a lovely new block! Hope to get something done during the QAL, its getting busier than it has been, but I love sending quilts to Mercyful, so I really hope to be quilting one for this soon.
Kathleen – thank you so much! We are very grateful for any and all donations, whether from the QAL pattern or something of your own. Hope all is well!
I’m excited! Count me in!!
Yahoo!! Happy to be sewing along with you Cathy. 🙂
Your post from yesterday had no comment button. Such cute leggings for the grandkids and an awesome job on both those quilts. I love the layout, simple but effective and you do great work. Bernie
Thank you! What a nice compliment. 🙂
I have recently become aware of your group that is donating quilts for palliative care. It sounds like a beautiful thing to donate to. I have several quilt tops that need to be quilted. I could send the top, the backing, and the binding, if you have someone who is willing to finish it. Can you give me the size you need the quilt to be? I think the one that is ready to go is twin bed size. I’m sorry the actual quilting is a challenge for me. I am a hand-quilter, and do all the quilts for my family very slowly. If you do not want this quilt immediately, I will see about someone here quilting it, and I’ll donate it next year. Bless you for all the work you are doing to provide this gentle touch.
Hi Deborah: Thank you so much for your generous offer. We only use lap size quilts. Hospital beds really aren’t that big and often times there is a lot of equipment near the person. So a twin size would be too big. If you have a lap size top, I could take one. I don’t often take unfinished quilts because I get stacked up. However, I would love to finish one of yours.
Compassion Quilts is a program that is very similar. It is located in Oregon and it is run by my friend Cynthia Brunz. She has a long arm so might be able to finish a top too. As with me, I think twin size would be too big. Her site is found here: https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/p/compassion-quilts.html
Let me know what you decide to do. You can email me directly at [email protected]