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   

August Newsletter 2019

Hi Blanketeers,

Next Blanket making days:

                        August 12^th at OSLC - 10:00am to 2:00pm

                        August 23^rd at Riverton Senior Center 9:30am - noon

                       

All of you loyal blanketeers have spent an enormous amount of money over the years in order to make security blankets for children.  We have been thinking of ideas and ways to ease this burden.  This newsletter is about raising money to buy materials, fabric and supplies for us to work into blankets.

            Fund Raising:

               “We don’t have to be wealthy to give,

               We just have to be willing……”

                                                            Linda Simmons

Personal Contacts:         

Patsy and I have prepared a formal letter of introduction and a packet of information that you can use to contact anyone you think might be in a key position to donate to PL.   If you feel you have a possible personal contact, let us know and we will get you the formal letter and brochure to give them

Create An Event:

     My great-grandsons and I did a fun little fund-raising event last month.  Here is a picture of our project.  It only earned $51.00 – but the boys were proud of themselves.  All the golfers that bought golf balls thanked them for volunteering to help other children. 

We only have 5 families who have attached their Smith’s loyalty rewards card to our PL.  If you are not already attached to some other charity – lets sign you up.  It costs you nothing and it does bring in a little money every quarter.  We will show you how to do it on blanket day. 

Thanks from a parent – Jerry S 

 “Just wanted to say thank you for the baby blanket we received at St. Mark’s NICU.  It is a very lovely blanket that we will keep forever.” 

Thanks for all you do.  Hope your summer is a fun one. 

Hugs,

Millie and Patsy

July 2019 Newsletter

Hello Blanketeers, 

 

   Blanket day at OSLC --July 1^st

   Blanket day at Riverton Senior Center – July 26^th

           You are all invited.  

               TRADITIONAL QUILTING

“Quilting together” is a long and wonderful tradition among women.  The bonding that occurs and the friendships that are formed when working together to produce a quilt, are their own reward.  Even in this day of machines and automation, hand quilting is a favorite pastime.  The quilts produced are pieces of art and most of them have some special message for the recipient.

I recently ran across an amazing quilt in a Julesburg Colorado roadside welcome center.  The quilt, made by the women of the town, features a block for every state in the union.  On the block is embroidered the date of statehood, the state flower, state bird, and which number the state was in joining the USA.   

In the center is a pony express block because Julesburg was the last settlement where the pony express stopped.

          

 READING AND QUILTING

For those of you who read (as well as sew) here are stories about quilting groups:

     

     Prayers for Sale, Sandra Dallas

     The Persian Pickle Club, Sandra Dallas

     Jennifer Chiaverini has written 20 books about quilting groups. 

           “Elm Street Quilts” series:  

            “The Quilter’s Apprentice” was the first one

            “The Giving Quilt” is number twenty.  

    Working for Peanuts, Karen Rinedollar (founder of Project Linus.)

You are all carrying on the tradition!   

Hugs to all, Millie & Patsy