Amy Butler Weekender Reveal and Modifications.

Amy Butler Weekender Bag @ QuiltCon!

Here's the pinterest board where I gathered all my inspiration and tips.

These are the changes I made to my weekender.

• I used Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial for "Quilt As You Go" style outside panels. I used cotton duck from Joann's. This was time consuming but worth it.
• I used Pellon Shape Flex SF101 to interface all the lining pieces, and all the interior pocket pieces. 
• I used Wonder Under tape to make my piping (5/8" wide tape). Here's a tutorial for that.
• I prepped the piping and made the handles first - it makes the actual assembly go quicker once you're to that step.
• I lengthened my straps to 57" each, and used a strip of duck cloth inside them for sturdiness. After using the bag at QuiltCon I'll say that I should have used a layer of Shape Flex (Pellon SF101) inside those handles too - and I should have added two strips of Duck (or a wider strip folded in half). My handles warped a little teensy bit. The added interfacing should help prevent that.
• I used a shorter zipper 24" I think? I'll have to check back on that one. I just centered it on the top panel and sewed/basted accordingly. 

• I added on pocket to the lining just like the outer pocket. (I literally traced the pocket piece twice and interfaced with SF 101, and sewed the pocket to the one side of the lining.

• I added a zippered pocket to the interior - the lining of that pocket was 12" x 9" using this tutorial.

• I added 6 feet to the bottom - found at Joann's.

Last minute addition - a cute pull tab for the zipper!

I used the red Clover Wonder Clips during assembly. I couldn't imagine making the bag without them. Buy those suckers on amazon.com you can find some good deals on them there.

I even remembered to add my little prairie points in there in the lining.

I can honestly say that this bag wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I really was expecting something crazy. It was challenging, and it took a long time, but it wasn't hard.

My best advice to anyone starting this project would be to take it one step at a time. Cut and prepare your pieces first, go slow. Set small goals each day and you'll be done in no time. The quilt as you go panels took the most time, and wore me out - but they're completely worth it!!

Julie and I with our AMH Weekenders!

Sew Thinky Thursday: Week 5

Wow is it really Thursday already? Last week flew by.

Here's our question for this week:

Tell us about your sewing friends. Have your fabric tastes changed by having friends who like to sew? Do you like the same things or are you completely opposite?

I had intended to plan this out better - I just rambled about friends on my last blog post....

Emily and I with our {Modern} Robin quilts. 

For the most part my sewing friends and I share similar likes. However one friend, Emily, has a more refined palate. lol. She was an art student and I can only imagine that she sees fabrics a bit more intensely than I do. For instance for the longest time I didn't know what the difference was between blue purple and red purple... seriously. She would say "I don't like purples that are more blue" and I would not be able to tell the difference. I think I finally have it figured out. These sort of things make sewing things for Emily a little harder than normal. I'm always worried I'll use the wrong shade of this or that. I worried so much with the last swap we did that I made her list out all her favorite (or "acceptable") Kona colors, that way I could cross check the prints with her favorite solids. I hope I did good with it.  I've found myself being more open to Other Emily's colors recently - coral-y pinks and orange. I'm typically drawn to cooler colors.

Now it's your chance to link up. Don't forget to read and comment on some of the other linkups!

QuiltCon: People

When I sat down to think about the highlights of QuiltCon I came up with four main topics: friends, classes, quilt show, and community. I'm going to blog about each subject to try to keep myself from rambling aimlessly about the weekend.

First up: Friends

Throughout the years of blogging and swapping some great friendships have emerged. I can say that a couple of my very best friends are people I've met through sewing, and it's not always possible to see them in real life. Before the trip I compiled a list of people who were coming to the convention that I wanted to meet up with. I think my list consisted of about 15 people (not counting the awesome Chicago Modern Quilt Guild ladies).

I didn't have much hope to meet them all (especially since I had no idea what half of them looked like! But somehow it all worked out and over the course of a few days I met and chatted with nearly everyone on that list (with the exception of one or two notable people - I missed meeting Rossie! I'm sad about that).

Much of this weekend for me was about close friends. Of course I was rooming with the bestest quit buddy I could ask for (Emily), and we spent most of the weekend with Elaine who was once in our guild, but has since moved out of state. Emily, Elaine, and I even did a swap this weekend. We'd been working on our swap gifts for a long time, and this was the perfect time to swap them (more on that another day). It was so great to hang out with Emily and Elaine in person - we really had only met Elaine a couple times before she moved, but since then we've been chatting on facebook several times a week, encouraging each other in our sewing projects, and listening to the venting that goes on when one of our kids refuses to sleep.

Hanging out with Emily and Elaine this weekend felt like we'd spent every day for months together - easy friendship and hilarious conversations. It was so nice to be able to spend time together and chat about life.

I also had the opportunity to meet some people who I've gotten to know through blogging and swapping. Specifically Charlotte (another of our roomies!). Charlotte had come all the way from London and I'm glad she did. We'd known each other on blogs for so long, and that friendship translated perfectly to sharing a room and hanging out at the conference together. I learned some English things - like how to say "Orange"... Charlotte is pretty awesome. 

I also had the chance to meet so many people I'd known for ages online - Julie (who sent me a swap for Urban Home Goods Swap ages ago), Jen (who helps run the Doll Quilt Swap with me), Mona (who recieved my Doll Quilt Swap 12 quilt), Amanda & Alex (the Threadbias people, so unexpected to meet them!)... the list of people goes on and on (as you could probably tell by that picture mosaic up there. Incredible.

Then there are the famous friends - some of which I'd known online prior to the trip, others I met for the first time. Anna Maria Horner was sweet and gracious, exactly as you would imagine after reading her blog for years (I'm still freaking out over meeting her). Thomas Knauer was witty and thought provoking and an all around awesome person. Angela Walters was a spectacular teacher, and all around inspiring - I took so much away from her class, I hope she knows that. 

I also had some surreal moments - while I have met and chatted with Mary Fons (Quilty!), I introduced myself to her mom, Marianne Fons (of Fons and Porter!), thinking that I'd shake her hand and try not to geek out too much. In turn she ended up engaging me in conversation for a good 15-20 minutes, stopping for a picture of us, and then she even friended me on Facebook! Surreal. She really was the sweetest. Another surreal moment? Having lunch with the Denyse Schmidt. Yes, that happened. Sitting across a picnic table from her chatting away. Wow. That was just beyond crazy. She's very down to earth and it was nice to meet her. (insert lots of geeking out here... seriously I can't believe that happened).

I guess there isn't an easy way to say it, this trip was spectacular on so many levels, and a major part of that was being able to meet and connect with so many people. It was a long enough trip that I was able to meet and converse, and visit with many people. Meals were as much a chance to nourish our bodies as they were a chance to facilitate friendships. I'm so lucky to have these people in my life - even if we don't get to chat in person very often, it's good to know that these online friendships carry over into reality sometimes. I almost wish I could give a shout out to every person I met this weekend - they all made such a difference in my QuiltCon experience. 

QuiltCon: Saturday

Again, so much happened today, again. 

It's impossible to  put all this into words.

And I met Thomas Knauer too. 

And Hugged AMH again...

My hexie from the Robert Kaufman booth. A little Chicago Modern Quit Guild love. 

And the sweetest thing happened. Emily and I were looking at the quilts in the quilts show when a member of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild came up to us all excited to meet us. She really loved Emily and I's {Modern} Robin quilts and reads this blog. :) It was pretty surreal for me, I mean I love meeting other bloggers and I know how much I gush about things that I love on their blogs. But my blog is still so little and it really meant a lot for someone to read the blog, love the quilt, and recognize me! Thanks for making my day Mitzi! 

Unfortunately this is not my arm... it's my new friend Nicole's! 

More to come. There's so much to think about after another full day of lectures, visiting with friends, and looking at fabulous fabulous show quilts. I wish you could all be here with me. 

Quiltcon: Friday

No time for a real or even semi-coherent post today. But I wanted to share with you guys ....

I finally met Mona, the recipient of my Doll Quilt Swap 12  quilt. She's even sweeter in person and we really had a fantastic talk over lunch today. I'm so glad to have finally met her in person!

Dessert with Rachael, Elaine, Emily, and Bianca 

I also shared some AMAZING conversations with these ladies we talked throughout much of dinner (a meetup with tons of people), and then walked to another place to have desert. In all I think we were chatting for the better part of 4+ hours. Intense and varied conversation. Fabulous.

I feel like today packed in enough excitement and greatness that it must have really been two days. I kept having to check my phone to be sure that it was still Friday. I'm really lucky to be here. 

QuiltCon: Friday.

Whew! What a day! Quilt people really are the best! I'm here at QuiltCon and I'll give you some highlights. I'm not exactly sure how I'll format the posts throughout the weekend, but tonight we'll do it pretty quick. I have already taken 30 pictures... head over to Flickr where you can see a few more than I'm sharing here.

Weekender in action!

My plane was delayed so I got to take the bus into town with Elaine (her flight got in just before mine did). It was really great to talk again in person! And we got to do our EEE swapping too. More on that another day.

Charlotte with her Fractured quilt! 

I met Charlotte! Ahhh! She's really great and says "orange" in a very English way. Seriously I've lucked out in the roommate department! (Mimi is our roomie too, but she was busy in the afternoon). We've had such a good time together. Emily, Charlotte and I wandered around the convention center. Flitting from one booth to the next, and pausing to see certain quilts along the way. I'll have to make a proper tour of the booths at another day, but we had fun rambling around.

I met some pretty awesome people today. I met Alex Veronelli (from Aurifil!) - I got a great picture with him in the Moda photo-booth (if the internet weren't so slow I'd upload the picture - you'll have to wait to see that one). I also met the Threadbias team, Amanda and Alex - both of whom I've chatted with on threadbias. It was cool to see them there! 

I met Pinkbrain! 

I also briefly met Jen / Pinkbrain -who's one of the swap mama's for Doll Quilt Swap. We were supposed to meet for lunch but my flight came in too late for that. Hopefully we'll get together on Saturday for lunch. 

Yes, I did indeed meet my quilting idol Anna Maria Horner. She was just as lovely in real life as you would imagine. And, she did remember my quilt from last week that she'd commented on on Flickr. So sweet.

I got to hang out with a lot of great ladies (and Mark) at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meetup. We ate at Moonshine Grill which was delicious. It was fun to really get to chat about our experiences so far etc. Also, Mark told us a bit about some color theory stuff that I need to hear again. It was great conversation there tonight. Elaine joined us too since she's technically still a guild member even though she moved.

We had a great time so far. The experience so far has been very social, which has been great. I'm looking forward to sitting in on some lectures tomorrow and trying my hand at long arm quilting with Angela Walters! 

Sew Thinky Thursday: Week 4

Welcome to week four of the Sew Thinky Thursday party! As I'm writing this it's only Tuesday... That's the beauty of scheduled posts. I promise I'll check out what you guys have to say on Thursday from my lovely hotel room at QuiltCon! :) 

I'm beyond excited about this trip. So much so that it has inspired this weeks thinky question:

What is one regular thing you do for yourself to keep up your creative mind? Do you go to a guild, out for coffee with a friend? Are there people / activities you do regularly or as needed? 

Personally I would say that I attend the monthly meetings of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild to keep me going. These meetings and the sweet ladies (and one man - HI Mark!) really inspire me. I know that each month I'll go and for one whole afternoon I won't have to worry about anything else. 

CMQG - Fabric swap at retreat.

It took me a while to finally make it to a CMQG meeting... and I'm glad I took the plunge and did it. I think I've missed only one or two meetings in the two years since. Regardless of the meeting topic, it's always refreshing to the spirit to be with likeminded people.

Also - I love going on our guild retreats. I signed up late for our spring retreat and I'm ninth on the wait list... maybe several people will have to cancel!?

I guess I could go on and on about things I do, but for the most part it boils down to CMQG. I've built many great friendships at those meetings, and it's changed my personal sewing experience. 

***

Now it's your turn! Answer the question in a blog post and link up below so we can read all about it! 

QuiltCon Prep = Sewing for Myself.

For some reason going on a sewing related getaway means that I should sew a zillion things for myself including but not limited to:

Quilted Amy Butler Weekender - it's done!!!

Weekender (such a big project it will get it's own blog post)

Various zip pouches: Boxed pouches with real oilcloth laminate fabric this time. I made a couple of these, one for me and one for my new guild friend Judy - she's going to QuiltCon too. It just goes to show that if I write about sewing something on Facebook you should comment saying how useful that item is... I just might make one for you!

The blue and red polka dot oilcloth laminate fabric is available at The Needle Shop - I've been eyeing it and broke down and bought a quarter yard - since they cut their fabric wide there (my quarter yard was a smidge wider than 11"), I was able to get 4, nearly 5 pouches from the one cut. Not bad... it works out to be about $1 per pouch!

Voile Pillowcase: duh this is totally necessary  lol. I crack myself up. I made this with some of the AMH Voile that Shruti sent to me - it's luxurious. I can't wait to use it! Extra bonus, I won't have to worry about my hands / face breaking out from the hotel laundry detergents. :)

Pillowcase closeup - yes that is a precious bit of Sweetwater in there.for the accent.

I've considered making a case for my workshop necessities  but I just can't decide on a design. I guess it's better off since I'm not planning on checking luggage, I won't be able to carry my scissors or rotary cutter with me on the plane!

I had a lot of fun preparing for this trip, and I'm so excited to leave - I suppose I should just go to bed - my flight leaves in just a few hours!

WIP Wednesday!

Weekender finished!! (full reveal soon!)

Doll Quit Swap 13 Finished! (should be arriving today!!)

Doll Quilt Swap 13  - before quilting. 

Recently added to the to-do list:

• Bunting for Lucy (commissioned by my awesome college friend Theresa - who thought to ask before buying one on etsy). Theresa has impeccable taste too - She picked an example that was Joel Dewberry Heirloom (pinks and purples)... I'm going to shop for some FQ's at Quiltcon for this.
• Two flannel blankies for Chloe and her new friend (Commissioned by my cousin for her daughter and friend's son). We're looking for one with owls and one with trucks.
• Two (maybe three) awesome projects to finish up for Pellon. I'm ready for the good lighting that spring will bring!

Still on the list / no change:

{Modern} Robin (Emily L's quilt, picture taken by Emily B)

• {Modern} Robin - no progress. 
• Bubble Quilt - no progress.
• Sabrina's Quilt - no progress.
• Harry Potter Patronus/Dementor Mini - no progress.

I'm hoping to tackle the little projects right away when I get back next week, then on to the planning of my {Modern} Robin... FMQ class with Angela Walters might inspire some cool quilting for it. 

***

Finally - stop by tomorrow for another Sew Thinky Thursday - it's an easy one this time (with so many going to quiltcon). Here's the question: 

What is one regular thing you do for yourself to keep up your creative mind? Do you go to a guild, out for coffee with a friend? Are there people / activities you do regularly or as needed? 

Stop by tomorrow to link up your post!

Linked up with WIP Wednesday!

Doll Quilt Swap 13 Received!

Fractured Quilt Doll Quilt Swap 13 Received from Silort

I'm so excited about the quilt I received this time around for the Doll Quilt Swap! This is by far my favorite swap, and I'm one of the head swap mamas for it... which meant I split up the bebe's for the other mama's to pair up.... I tried not to remember or even to think about what group I was in... (since partners are paired up within that group. Sneaky Jen, worked with another mama to pair me up so I wouldn't have a clue! It's a good thing too, because I had my eye on this beauty throughout the whole swap!

Doll Quilt Swap 13 Label, Received from Silort

I recieved this fabulous quilt made by Silvana / Silort. Silvana was inspired to try one right off my inspiration mosaic! The pattern for this little one is based off of Charlotte's Pervalong / Fractured quiltalong. Silvana did a great job executing this - the colors are perfect and bold and fun! I love the quilting, which really carries your eye across the piece. 

I'm so excited to get this hung up on my wall! It is perfection!! I'm so lucky to have received such a beauty!! Thanks Silvana!!

Giveaway Winner!

Our winner for the Riley Blake Cotton Shuffle is comment #87:

Krista @ Sewwhatscooking.comFebruary 15, 2013 at 9:59 AM

Thanks for the giveaway!

Thanks everyone for joining! Krista, you'll be getting an email from Samantha shortly! 

For the rest of you who were really hoping to win some of this awesome fabric now's your chance! For the rest of the weekend Samantha at Pattern Crush is offering free shipping on any order that conains Riley Blake Cotton Shuffle in any quantity, domestic shipping only. The code is "RBShuffle." Hurry, the discount expires 2/17 at midnight.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Hey guys, just one more day to enter my giveaway! Entries will close at midnight on Friday.

Head on over here to enter!!

Sponsored by Pattern Crush!

Sew Thinky Thursday: Week 3

Welcome to week three of Sew Thinky Thursday! I am working down to the line on some pre- QuiltCon projects, so I'll get right to the question today. Here it is! 

Describe your quilting style. Who or what influences you? How do you see your style changing over time?

***

What's my style? Could I have picked a harder question? lol. 

I just posted the question on my facebook and got the best answer from my guild friend Sue, "Passionate and Prolific." Thanks Sue!! That's a good start - I'm definitely passionate, and maybe working toward being prolific. 

I'm a modern quilter who is a touch contemporary. I love tiny piecing with a mix of everything from intricate paper pieced blocks, to free improvisational blocks. Sometimes I want crazy intricate, sometimes simple minimalism. I'm not afraid of anything (except for the fabled rotary cutter injuries).

I am inspired by blogs, books, and my guild. 

Blogs: When I started quilting and blogging years ago the question of inspiration would be really easy to answer. I had a list of core bloggers who regularly inspired me. Now that list has grown wildly. It's hard to even keep up with blogs anymore. The people I really know are listed over there on the sidebar. But more than anything I'm inspired by the openness and willingness to share that I've found across the blogging world. I'm grateful to say that I've got quite a few incredibly inspirational quilt friends. Blogs, flickr, and facebook have helped me to get to know them and fuel friendships that inspire so much of my quilting.

Books - ok ok. I work at a used bookstore, and I run the arts and crafts section. I see tons and tons of books every day. Many of them are old and ugly, but there's still so much to learn from these. I don't like following patterns, but I love reading them. My style is influenced by the broad spectrum of quilt books we see at work - really, anything is possible.

My guild / the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild: we're such an eclectic group of experienced quilters and newbies. Serious and hobbiest. (we even have several published authors!) I see the things our guild members bring to show and tell and it's astounding. Creative thinking flows after a guild meeting. I am inspired to try new things and play with color. My style has grown from being around these ladies... nothing is out of bounds for them. 

How do I think my quilting style will grow or change? I've already seen it change a bit. I have gone through some phases already, the grey phase, the wonky star phase, the paper piecing phase... lol. Ok I'm not done with any of those. Although sometimes I wonder if I'll look back and think of this as my "modern" phase - will this movement stick? Or will this be my "Anna Maria Horner" phase (lol as if I'd stop loving her designs!). Maybe this is the crazy phase where I'm so thirsty to try everything all at once?

Now it's your chance! Tell us about your quilting style and link up below! Don't forget to check back to read the other posts! Don't be afraid to say hi in the comments - everyone loves comment love! :) 

Sponsor Giveaway: Riley Blake Cotton Shuffle!

I'm excited to announce a giveaway today! My sponsor, Pattern Crush is offering a half yard bundle of four of the fabulous new Riley Blake fabrics!

Win a half yard of each!

You can win half yard of each, Hot Pink, Navy, Black, and Grey - all in the Cotton Shuffle print.

Leave a comment here to enter. For bonus entries, follow Pattern Crush on twitter (@patterncrush), facebook. or on their blog (leave a comment below for each one).

The giveaway will be open until Friday at midnight.
US only, sorry international friends.

As always, check out Pattern Crush for some great fabrics and excellent prices!

Michelle's Celebration Quit

My friend Michelle has been in town all week. She's decided to take up quilting, and wanted to learn some basics. I'll share that part of the story another day, but for now I'll share the quilt I just finished for her!

I've known Michelle for years, we met at Mass in college, and became instant friends. 

About a year ago Michelle asked me if I'd consider making her a quilt to celebrate 10 years since she quit a bad habit (one that she quit just before we met). I won't go into what that habit was, but quitting was a pretty big milestone in her life. So, we agreed to decide on a direction for the quilt, and she'd buy the materials. 

We had chosen Anna Maria Horner's Love Emblem quilt pattern. I decided that I wouldn't mind following the pattern, but it became a bit of a chore - I hate following patterns. I pushed through though, and the pattern came together really easily. The only real annoyance was having to enlarge all those pattern pieces - we took them to Fed Ex and printed them ourselves on a large size paper. 

I of course put off finishing the quilt - it wasn't exciting. Following a pattern is so different then creating it yourself. I'm not used to it. I knew it was worth it to finish... but it took a lot for me to come around to it. Finally this week I basted the quilt before Michelle came to visit, with the intention of getting it quilted before she got here.... That didn't happen. I did manage to quilt it up in the morning this week, while Allie was at school and Michelle was sleeping off our long night of sewing (apparently I don't require much sleep). 

It's completely finished now, prayers in the binding, pictures taken, and Michelle took it home with her! 

In the end I'm glad I pushed through and finished it. It feels good to make something for a friend, and it's nice to have it finished! :) 

Next time maybe Michelle can make me a quilt - she's well on her way!

A Bonus Quilt: A Surprise Finish!

We all have those neglected work in progresses lurking don't we?

About a week ago (It's embarrassing to say that it was about a month ago... I just now got around to taking pictures!) I posted a comprehensive list of my WIP's, and I actually included this neglected quilt on the list. 

Let me explain. A few years ago I was new to quilting, I had not yet solidified my own personal style, and I didn't know how to pick fabrics that I would like. It seems like these would be easy things to know, but it's a process. In the beginning I bought fabric because it was cheap, and because it coordinated - thankfully I didn't buy a lot of fabric this way!

I ended up starting some projects that got left behind, never finished. I started this "Yellow Quilt" way back in February of 2010! I had recently learned how to chain piece log cabin blocks, exciting I know! I was really excited, until I realized that all of the blocks would be exactly the same (I was starting to see my personal style, not loving blatant repetition). I managed to piece the blocks into a non-traditional setting using a super soft thrift store sheet, but lost interest.

Fast forward to the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild spring retreat, March 2012. I had brought the pieced quilt top and the leftover sheet - ad I basted the quilt together and sped through the quilting (I'd just gotten my Juki and was reveling in her speed!) I even quilted Allie's name into it - so cute!

When I returned home from the retreat Allie excitedly took the quilt to bed (without binding...do you see were this is going?). After some time it got dirty, and the edges got a bit stringy... I folded it up and threw it in the closet since I couldn't wash it without first attaching the binding! 

Fast forward again. Last week A while ago, after binding my Bella Quilt I was on such a high from finishing it, that I cut and prepared the binding for this yellow quilt. Just like that the quilt was finished! Of course I bound it by machine, and it's not the prettiest thing - but it's super soft and cozy and that's what really matters. 

Sew Thinky Thursday: Week 2

Welcome to week two of Sew Thinky Thursday! Each week I'll be sharing a sewing related question and you can think about it, blog about it, and link it up here. I'll keep the linky tool open until the following Wednesday, so be sure to stop back throughout the week to read other responses and share in the conversation! Let's get the conversation going!

The button up there is free to be added to your blog however you'd like - just link it back here (let me know if you need help figuring that out - it's not too hard). 

If you notice the button on my sidebar, I'l be adding the next week's question above the Sew Thinky Thursday button, so you can write your blog post anytime you want. 

Finally this week's question is:

What is the most meaningful thing you've ever made?

The most meaningful project I have made is the pair of quilts I made for my nieces Katee and Rosemarie. My niece Rosemarie is 6 and has been battling cancer for five years. About three years ago I decided I wanted to make a quilt for Rosemarie - to take with her to her doctors appointments (which were a 5 hour drive from home). I knew that I couldn't make a quilt for Rosemarie without making one for Katee, but it was a daunting task as a new quilter to try to make two quilts at once. 

So, I called upon my online quilting community. I asked people on my blog, swaps, and flickr to make a block for Rosemarie and Katee's quilts. I have never seen such a caring community before. So many people sent me blocks - 33 people from 7 countries! One block even had prayers written into the seam allowances (you might notice that I do that on my bindings now)! These sweet friends stepped up and helped. I managed to piece and quilt those two quilts in just a couple months! 

It is such a sight to see when the girls come to visit. They both bring their quilts and it's so sweet to see them sleeping under them. It's definitely a comfort to know all the love that was put into them. I still get emails and notes from online friends asking how Rosemarie is doing. It always makes me smile. Rosemarie is doing well, there is no cure for neuroblastoma, but she's been stable and is off treatment for the time being. She's sweet and spunky, and acts wise beyond her age. And she loves chicken nuggets. 

It means a lot to me that I was able to make something for these girls that brings them comfort. Rosemarie has had a hard life - in and out of hospitals for so long, and as a result Katee's life is effected by it all too - having her family away from her, staying with her grandparents. I like to think that somehow all the love and caring that came from those quilting ladies across the world will continue to be showered on the girls. 

Read the whole story here, and the condensed version here.

Now it's your turn! Write a blog post and link it up. Then read and comment on the other post! :)