Hands 2 Help quilts finished

This week marks the end of the Hands 2 Help Charity Challenge.  Sarah has been herding cats for a couple weeks, keeping all us quilters on track to make and donate our quilts. Each year, she selects several charities to receive the bounty. I was so happy to see that Covered in Love was chosen as one of them, and my two quilts will be shipped off to Kat soon.

My two finished quilts are Bright Bento and Scrappy Chili Peppers. They are destined to be given to a person who is receiving end of life care in a hospital. I hope they brighten up the room a little bit during such a sad time.

Kat says the chaplains at the hospital help choose a quilt from their small supply. She has heard many stories of how a quilt can really resonate with the recipient and their family...perhaps because it is in a favorite color, or features fabrics that reflect of love of gardening or bird watching, etc. I'm honored to contribute to a pool of quilts as diverse as the families that will take them home.

The back of Bright Bento used up most of these sweet prints in soft baby blues and pinks. They coordinate surprisingly well with the vibrant Rowan fabrics on the front.

A close up to show some of the crinkly texture after washing. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get this one washed in time to meet the shipping deadline. Kat offered to wash it at her end if necessary. Using the washer and dryer on board the boat requires careful planning. The washer uses a large percentage of our available water, so it's best if we're at a dock where we can refill the tank from a spigot. Since we ended up spending one night in the water at the boatyard, I washed it quickly and then hung it to dry in the engine room. It's nice and toasty in there.

I didn't realize until I started taking photos of them together that they aren't the same size. No wonder it took so much longer to quilt Bright Bento. I also thought it would be calm this morning, but they flapped around so much even on the protected back deck that I was getting nervous they would take flight across the water. Quilts sinking slowly to the bottom of the Manatee River won't help anyone!

It was a real pleasure making these two quilts and I'll definitely participate in Hands2Help again next year. A big thank you to Sarah for coordinating the Challenge!