March 2020 PL Newsletter

  HI BLANKETEERS     

     February 3^rd we woke up to amazing crippling snow.  We followed the lead of all the schools in the valley and we called a “snow day” time out from blanket day.   I was able to send a notice via email to everyone in our google group that morning.  If we ever have to cancel a blanket day I will always send a notice thru google groups. 

    Though we missed our time together, we were able to get in touch with almost everyone individually during the next few days after the snow.  The blankets came in and the blankets went out as usual.  We delivered 217 blankets.  

  Blanket Making Days for March 

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church – Monday March 2^nd – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Riverton Senior Center – Friday March 27^th – 9:30 to noon

   Of course, everyone is invited to join us on either or both days.  Please come and enjoy.

             The Circle of Helping and Generous Hands

      Blanketeer, Jackie Cohen, pointed out an interesting sequence of events that started with an “in kind” donation and then passed thru several sets of hands. Finally ended up as blankets for children. Here is how it happened:

      Bernadette Turner, who belongs to an active local quilting group , Quilts for Kids ,found that she had excess flannel fabric.  Since she only uses quilt cotton, she offered the flannel to Jackie who picked up a carload of fabric.  Pictured here. 

Jackie then sorted the fabric and matched a dozen or so flannel pieces together to be used for the fronts and backs of receiving blankets. 

    Then the fabric was taken to JoAnn Hurst who happened recently to offer free of charge hem stitching service to our chapter.  Now the edges of the matched pieces were ready to be crocheted.   

     From there the crochet work was done by other blanketeers and the fabric became beautiful artful receiving blankets such as the one pictured here.  Unique and lovingly made gifts for babies in the NICU are the outcome of this chain of generosity.

                   “Knit and Crochet Along”

Again this year PL Headquarters is sponsoring this event.   You can participate and receive the info by going to projectlinus.org and clicking on the event link.  You will receive the pattern for the quilt and the steps to completion monthly.  Register before March 7^th.   Your registration fee of $15.00 for the project will be credited to our chapter if you identify us as the recipient.   Have fun!  

Thanks for all you do and best wishes for a Happy Spring,    

Millie and Patsy

February 2020 PL Newsletter 

Hello Blanketers,

Our year 2020 is off to a great start.  We have already had two successful blanket making days. The depleted shelves from the Christmas rush are beginning to fill up again.  

Blanket making days for February:

February 3^rd – Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (or as long as you want to stay)

February 28^th – Riverton Senior Center – 9:30 am to noon

SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

A volunteer – JoAnn Hurst - has agreed to do hemstitching for us free of charge!   So now the people who have been paying $4.00 for every receiving blanket to be stitched will be able to experience some financial relief.  Thanks so very much JoAnn.  

A volunteer, Dani Vaughn, has donated more yarn.  I do have quite a bit and you are welcome to come and shop at my house if you would like to choose some yarn.

JoAnn Fabric stores have agreed with PL Headquarters to place a drop box for our donations near their front door.  This will be very convenient for people dropping off finished blankets and for us to pick them up. Remember we only drop to JoAnns on 33^rd South and the one on Redwood Road.

Recently one of our regular blanketeers, Karen Langley, has been doing extra duty and assisting Patsy and me with the labeling process.  Thank you so much Karen.

Every blanket submitted to our chapter is inspected for quality, condition, and appropriateness for children.  Then it receives our label and is packaged with a card to identify the creator of it.  Granted, it’s a lot of work.  But….then the rewarding thing about this is that we get to see – up close and personal – all of your amazing and creative blankets.  

Why we do what we do:

When Liam broke his arm, the only thing he wanted with him at the hospital (where he had to stay all night) was his Bronco’s blanket!

Thanks to all blanketeers, whether you label, sew, package, deliver, shop, fringe, crochet, quilt, donate, or just smile at us as we work. 

Millie and Patsy

January 2020 – Project Linus Newsletter   

New year wishes for all you wonderful Blanketeers

       BLANKET MAKING DAYS

We will start our new year with blanket making days at OSLC on Monday January 6^th and will work from 10:00 to 2:00.

Riverton group will make blankets on Friday, January 24th from 9:30 to noon at Riverton Senior Center.

Join us for either, both, for whatever amount of time you can spend with us.  It’s happy work and rewarding to see the lovely blankets produced.   

        SALT LAKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL

This year we will be picking up a new NICU to include in our deliveries.  Salt Lake Regional Hospital, downtown Salt Lake, will be needing about 30 baby blankets (either fleece or receiving blankets) each month.  We are so pleased to present their moms with a gift of a Linus blanket as they take their new babies home. 

      PAY IT FORWARD – SLC UNIFIED POLICE 

We participated in the Christmas Pay It Forward event sponsored by the Unified Police Department.  Officer Dustin Parks picked up 75 blankets to give to children at their event on December 7^th.  

The event is planned each year for children who have experienced law enforcement crises in their lives.  Officers befriend them one-to-one, drive them in police cars (complete with sirens and flashing lights) and take them shopping for Christmas gifts at Walmart.  In addition to picking out gifts they choose, each child may pick a Linus security blanket as well as a new back- pack. 

A THANK YOU RECEIVED
Children’s thank you notes are received often.
Thought I would try to put one here for you all to see one:

     MAKING QUALITY BLANKETS

We always encourage local groups to participate by hosting their own blanket making day.  However, making fringe fleece blankets seems to have “gone viral.”  It’s great that people want to make them, but we need to explain that they cannot be made properly in an hour by a group of untrained participants who have not the proper equipment and directions. 

 Sadly, we have been overwhelmed recently with poorly made fleece, fleece tied in knots, etc. and have had to recut them and start over to make a proper blanket.  

This problem can be solved by checking with our chapter to determine the needs, the patterns, the quality of work, and the numbers of fleece blankets that we can accept. 

            What’s Next?

 I am happily looking forward to another year as coordinator of the SLC chapter of Project Linus.  This will be my 5^th.  Patsy has been assisting officially for 2 years.  We are also happy to announce that we have finished our year end reports and realized that your combined efforts added to an amazing total of 2744! delivered security blankets. 

     Happy Linus New Year,  Millie and Patsy

 

Newsletter – December 2019

Hi Blanketeers,

                                    Blanket Making Days

       We realize that you have not had your Thanksgiving Dinner yet – but wanted to make sure you remembered that one week from tomorrow – December 2^nd is scheduled as our blanket making day at OSLC.  We have lots of blankets to get to kids in December before Christmas so we hope you will plan to join us.    

     We will make blankets from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and then will have our Christmas social and luncheon.  Hope everyone can join us on that day for work, food, and fun.  

    

    Riverton blanket makers, coordinated by Jackie Cohen, are taking the month of December off for the holidays and will resume their work in January.     

                         Santa Clarita Disaster Relief

      In November we have tried to help out by sending some comfort blankets to the kids who have survived the terrible violent shooting event at Saugus High School.  They have also recently been threatened by destructive wild-fires in their area.  P L Chapters around the country are also participating in this project and hopefully our security blankets will offer some comfort.

                        Mountain Vista Church

      Patsy and I were guests of the Mountain Vista Church Women’s association this month.   We were invited to tell them about Project Linus – its beginnings, its goals, its successes, and who we deliver blankets to.  The quilt group at this church has been an active participant in PL for many years.   

     After our presentation they contributed a stack of blankets that they have been working on for weeks.   Karen Richins and Patty Schaeffer are the coordinators of the quilt project.  We appreciate their work and were happy to have a chance to thank them as they met with the women’s association at MVMC.   

                       OSLC Boutique and Rummage Sale

   This event was very successful!  We thank you all for attending and shopping.  It was a fun day that offered crafts, jewelry, bake sales, soup lunches, rummage sale, and many vendors to browse and shop.  The church will donate a portion of the money from this event to buy supplies and fabric for blanket making days.  

     We also send thanks to OSLC for the use of their space for our once a month blanket making day.  It allows us a regular time to meet and the necessary space with tables large enough to work on blankets.  It is also a convenient location for people to drop off blankets that they have been working on and are ready to donate. 

Thanks for all your volunteer service and for helping us get ready for Christmas blanket distribution.  

Millie and Patsy,

       

  

November Newsletter 2019

Hello Blanketeers,         

Blanket making days this month:

   Monday Nov 4th -10:00 to 2:00- Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church

   Friday, November 15^th – 9:30 – noon – Riverton Senior Center

You are welcome to attend either one or both.  Come and enjoy working with friends and creating beautiful fleece security blankets. 

OSLC Boutique –Benefit for Project Linus 
November 9, 2500 E. 3900 So -9:am to 5:pm

           It’s that time of year – between holidays - when Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church sponsors the annual sale of practically everything.  Well, for sure there will be a wide variety of items.  There will be a bake sale, rummage sale, new craft items, repurposed jewelry sale, soup dinners, and a variety of guest vendor’s booths.  

    Mark your calendars, come by, and pick up on good prices and great items for Christmas gifts.    

 Knitting 4 Peace

     Kandace Steadman,  and 4 women from her Knitting 4 Peace group stopped by to meet the PL blanketeers this month.  They brought with them 20 knitted/crochet blankets for babies.   We so much appreciate their participation and their beautiful handwork.  They were made with soft baby yarn and in lovely baby colors as you see in the picture.   

JoAnn Fabrics – Mill Creek Area

   The New JoAnn Fabric store - 2300 East 3300 South - has welcomed Project Linus as drop off site.  For those of you who want to leave blankets for us to pick up, please leave your contact information with your contribution.  

 For New Contributors:

     If you are thinking of making security blankets for a child, please check with SLC chapter coordinators before you begin a project to make sure we can accept more blankets.  

     We accept: quilts, crochet and knit afghans, flannel receiving blankets, fleece blankets with crochet edges, as well as no-sew fleece blankets made to our pattern only. 

      We do not accept or distribute fleece blankets that have knots tied around the edges

      We do need blankets and will be so happy to receive yours if they are new, well made and child friendly.  Every blanket you submit will be inspected for quality; then labeled, packaged, and your name attached to the package.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Millie and Patsy

Project Linus Newsletter - October 2019

Hello Blanketeers,

We have two Blanket Making days in October:

            OSLC – October 7^th – 10:00 am -  2:00 pm

            Riverton Senior Center – 9:30 am - noon

Join us for all or part of these blanket making days.  Bring in finished blankets or stay and make fringe edged fleece blankets for kids.

 MORE FUND RAISING ADVENTURES 

My husband Dean and I set up a sale of used jewelry at the Sunday flea market held at Brighton ski resort.  The jewelry was donated by friends who found they had no reason to keep items that they no longer wore or enjoyed.  The plan was to raise money for purchase of fabric and supplies.  We sold a lot – but we are still in the business.

So…feel free to call me if you have jewelry you never wear and don’t need to keep anymore.  

    Boutique Event – OSLC

The next used jewelry sale will be part of the November 9^th Boutique at Our Saviour’s Church.  Lots of Christmas items will be available there just in time for Christmas shopping.   Mark your calendars and be sure to stop by between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

   This event will feature:

            Vendor’s booths - Craft items  - Rummage sale  - Soup lunches - Bake sale  - Jewelry - & Games.                   

  Thank-you note received from Royal Family Kids Camp #049.  PL – (all of you) – donated 50 twin size quilts to their camp this August.  

WELCOME BABY

   This program is a privately funded charity that distributes packages of baby items to those who qualify for help.  The packages have onesies, baby clothes and other items for the new born.  We will be adding a little PL blanket to their kits starting next month.

Country Crossing Ward

   Candace Gittens, together the women of Country Crossing Ward, made 26 fringe blankets last month.  Patsy and I enjoyed their company and especially appreciated the care they took to learn the Salt Lake County PL pattern.  

Remember to tell anyone who is planning to do a blanket-making project to check with Chapter Coordinators first.   This will insure the blankets are made to specifications and that they meet our requirements for quality.  We are very proud of the beautiful blankets we give to kids.   

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”   John F. Kennedy

 

Millie and Patsy

September 2019 - P L Newsletter 

 Hi Blanketeers,

Since Labor day, falls on the first Monday in September, blanket day at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church will be held on September 9^th10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Join us for any or all of these hours.  

Blanket day at Riverton Senior Center will be September 27^th9:30 to noon.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.  

             Country Crossing 8^th Ward - Blanket Project

Candace Gittens has worked for several months to get ready for this successful blanket making evening.  She was assisted by Carol Beckstead and Carol Lee Doramus (pictured here L to R) and about 15 women of her ward’s relief society.  

They also donated finished fringe fleece blankets, crochet edged blankets, and fleece fabric.   Making the kind of high quality blanket that PL distributes takes a lot of preparation before the fringe cutting can even be started. 

With that in mind, Candace began early to learn the pattern and the process.  She, Carol, and Carol Lee, joined several blanket making days with PL Volunteers.  They learned this process, and were ready to teach others at the event.   

           Thanks is Hardly Enough to Say…..but…..

Thanks to all of you who donated jewelry for the P L funding raising boutique scheduled for November 7^that OSLC.   We have enough now to make a great sale on that day.  

Special thanks always to our regular blanket delivery volunteer – Denna Wright.  For more than 10 years she has been driving all over S LCounty with bags of blankets for kids.

Also special thanks to Marie Jex who has been faithfully labeling your beautiful blankets for two years now.  She regularly carries bags of blankets to her home and then back to us every month.   

Thanks to Vicky Hall who has been our liaison person with the Square Corner Quilters.  They have been submitting dozens of wonderful quilts to PL over the years.  

Mountain Vista Methodist Church has a new quilt group coordinator.  Thanks to Patty Schaffer who has been making sure that we get their beautiful quilts every month.  

Claudeen Luckart & Sharon Allred deserve many thanks for their continuing submissions of large size quilts made by their Sweet Charity Sisters quilt group. 

Thanks also to Steve and Kim Weis - Kimmie Ann Fabrics - who donate amazing long arm quilting services to P L individual quilters.  Pictured here is one of his quilt designs.  

All of you Blanketeers are amazing TEAMworkers.  Thanks to all for every part you play in getting comfort blankets to kids.   

T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore.  

Millie & Patsy