Send a Message to Boku Haram

I'm sure you have all heard the news about the 300 girls who were kidnapped by Boku Haram.   They were taken from their school.   They have been forced to convert to Islam, marry members of Boku Haram and be housewives.   You see, that is all Boku Haram believes women should do.   They are against girls being educated.

Quilting has a long history of sending messages through quilts.   There is the legend of the Underground Railroad quilts (not substantiated but lets not ruin a good story).   The AIDS quilt to remember those lost to the disease and to show how prevalent it is.   Many others that I can't think of right now.  

Let's do the same.   Let's send a message to Boku Haram.   Let's say SCREW YOU (this is a family blog) Boku Haram.   We believe in girls' education.  

For the next 30 days, ANY amount donated to Mercy Corps or Room to Read will merit a block.  The finished quilt(s) will then be auctioned off on Ebay to raise more money for girls' education.   More blocks = more quilts = more money.

Both Room to Read and Mercy Corps have programs focusing on educating girls.   For the month of May, Mercy Corps will match all donations.  

As always share your thoughts below and share this post far and wide.

Quilt Idea

Just picked up this pattern yesterday in a cute little quilt shop near my friend's law office.  Doesn't it look like stacks of books to you?  (yes, I know it is crooked, I put it in the scanner that way and didn't feel like redoing it).

I can see doing this one in blacks, browns, dark reds and blues like old time book covers.   G Street has some nice book fabric that I can get a 1/4 yard of when it goes on sale.  Scatter that throughout the blocks just to set the theme.  

This would be a great quilt to make and donate to a literacy organization for an auction or raffle.   Anyone know of one?

Inspiration Has Struck

While quilting tonight I had a brilliant idea what to do with my Constitution fabric.

I don't have a lot of it, so I have to use it wisely.    Then it hit me.   I always wanted to do a Courthouse Steps quilt.   It's a nice simple pattern.   I decided I can use the Constitution fabric as a center medallion solid block then put Courthouse Steps blocks around it.   The dark part of the steps will be red on one side and blue on the other.   The light part of the steps will be white as will the center piece of each block.   I think this will turn out quite nice.

I have some red fabric and I think enough white.   I have to get some blue.   If you want to help with the fabric of this quilt, you can use the donate button on the right below the notification form.   If you want to commission this whole quilt through a donation to an organization on the right, just make your $200 donation and let me know.

When I finish it, I will donate it to Blankets of Hope. They donate quilts to wounded soldiers.   Hopefully, I will finish this quilt by Veterans' Day.

Let me know in the comments (I know by the stats page I have readers, I want to hear from you), what you think of this quilt.

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Reminder1:  August is still Back to School Month.   1 donation to Room to Read gets you 2 quilts block in your name.

Reminder 2:  If you make a donation to one of the organizations on the right, you have to send me proof of your donation so I know to make your quilt block.

Finished -- Binky Patrol Blanky

I finished the quilt for Binky Patrol.    Here is the completed quilt.   It is finished with fleur-de-lys quilting using light yellow thread..   Not sure you can see the quilting even the back photo, but trust me it is there.   The good folks at Binky Patrol will add the labels.

It will be shipped off this weekend (day job for the next couple of days).

I want to do more of these.   Remember the more donations, the more quilts.   And August is back to school month with Room to Read.   Two quilt blocks for every $10 donation.

Back to School with Room to Read

It's August.   Schools will be getting back in session soon.   Here in Montgomery County, they start the end of August.   Parents are in that back to school mode, getting new clothes, buying supplies from the extensive and detailed list put out by the school, threatening their children that they must go back to school so Mommy and Daddy can get a break.  

In honor of Back to School, this month's featured charity is Room to Read.   Room to Read establishes libraries and literacy programs around the world.   Give a kid a book and he/she is transported to another world.  Everything is possible if you can read.  

For every $10 donated to Room to Read this month, I will make two quilt blocks.   Yep, a 2 for 1 back to school sale.   You make 1 donation, I make 2 quilt blocks.   More quilt blocks means more quilts for special people.   Make your donation by clicking the Room to Read Link on the right.   Then send me proof of the donation and I will get quilting.  

Update -- Room to Read

Tune in to Girl Rising on CNN June 16-23 to learn more about the efforts to educate girls worldwide by organizations like Room to Red..   Hear some amazing success stories.  Then donate to the Freedom to Dream Campaign.  Donations made to this campaign through June 23 will be matched.   So you can triple your impact (your donation, the match and then the quilt block).