Lights Out, Goodnight

Have you stumbled upon this blog by accident? Quilting 911 was a great concept when I started it. Make quilts for those in need and have them adopted by those people who work 911.

Initially, it worked great and I was able to make quilts and received fabric, batting and funds to make quilts for 911 dispatchers during Hurricane Katrina. Flood victims have received quilts from me, but the sad fact is, while 911 dispatchers are great, no one followed through with the promise to support this venue.

It is with sadness, I bid farewell to Quilting 911. While I will continue the endeavor, it will be over at Quiltingranny.blogspot.com

Last one out, don't forget the lights!

Wow! Almost There

What brings traffic to one blog and not another? It can't just be the free gimme's, though I do giveaway little things each month on my grand parenting blog.

I am a retired police dispatcher and currently a substitute teacher and when I have time, I make quilts for family, friends and police dispatchers in need. The one above is almost complete and ready to be shipped out to its new owner. It has taken more time than most due to some medical issues that I am hoping are almost gone.

This quilt is larger than a full size and smaller than a queen sized and I love the way the color combination came out with the various blues, purple and golds.

I used so many fabrics out of my fabric stash to make the windows with and then used some pieces for the veins between the panes.

I didn't want to leave the dark blue border, so I added the floral border and then decided it would be fun to make some throw pillows to match the border. The pillow at the top has white eyelet all the way around it. The pillow on the left has eyelet on each end and the other 2 pillows are plain.

They will be stuffed this week-end and the quilt should go on the machine tomorrow. Just for information, my machine is a 1960's model Kenmore, nothing special with the exception that it was my grandma's and that it is a Kenmore.

So I should be able to do some machine quilting over the next few days and then over the week-end tie it and stuff the pillows.

The shipping for this quilt has been generously offered by the receivers supervisor.

However, as soon as this one is complete, I must dash off and make a small hug quilt for another dispatcher in need and I am always accepting money, batting, fabric, etc. to help support this mission.

I know the economy is tight right now, but if you are lucky to have your job and make good money, than you can help support others in the field of dispatching.

Summer is just around the corner and during the summer, I do not work because there is no work in the education field in the summer and our town just lost over 200 local jobs and for a small town, that means tighter job opportunities.

I want to be able to continue my quilts year around, but I can't ask my husband to pay for them, he is already working 6 days a week to keep our heads above water. But I can ask each one of you to help off set the costs.

1- Take up a change collection at your center for 3-6 months and send me what you have saved.
2- Take up a one time collection at your center and send it to me.
3- Purchase the fabric, batting, thread for the next quilt (write me for details) or send me an entire bolt of batting
4- Sponsor a quilt. That means I buy everything, send you the receipts and you send me the money for the materials and the money to cover postage & I in turn let the recipient know that your center sponsored this for them.
5- Pass this onto other dispatch centers so they will know what I am doing.

I was one of you for over 12 years and I still am in many ways. Help me continue this cause!

If You Can't Walk the Walk...

Dear Emergency Telecommunications Dispatchers Everywhere:
Please excuse this terse interruption into your day. But if you can't walk the walk with me, please don't waste your vocal chords, breathing air and headset time talking smack about how much you want to help me reach others.
When you send me Emails asking me how you can help me with my quilts for fellow dispatchers and I reply and you are so excited and ready to get going to help and volunteer yourself or your agency to help on the next project, I depend on that.
What frustrates me and never ceases to amaze me is how many of you never follow through and then disappear from my Email altogether when I ask for your assistance. Why bother in the first place?
Are you afraid I won't complete the project? I will be the first to admit, I fell down on four quilts for Hurricane Katrina victims when my health took a turn for the worse and some other health issues hit, but I did write a letter explaining my dilemma and never heard back from anyone. I can't respond to silence!
Then, there are the many others who I received notes from letting me know they received the quilts I made and sent me pictures. I don't make these things up, these are real dispatchers like you are and I reached across the miles and helped them.
They are dispatchers, children, family members of those in need and yet you are still sitting there in your center thinking someone else is going to help Jean, someone else will send her money or fabric and that isn't happening. What? Do you think the fabric fairy is going to come to my front door and magically I will have what I need?
Kevin and the 911 Cares was awesome during the storms and helped me to get the things I needed to continue this important mission I feel compelled to do. What about those of you who told me you were taking up a collection in your center for me? What about the change collection you were personally going to help me with? What about the sponsorship you agreed to do?
I am not asking for millions of dollars, I don't ask for my time to be paid for, all I ask is for you to help with a quilt. I don't use junk fabric, it doesn't last, but I can find great fabric for great costs on line. A typical small quilt is now costing me over $80 plus shipping fees and yet, I have not received one thing from all those empty words you have sent me over the last year.
2009 is upon us. 2008 saw many tragedies within our ranks and I was able to send off 4 quilts and a box of toiletries for dispatchers in need. This year, I am finishing up one now for one of 2008 dispatcher in need and I have already found another person in need and yet, my fabric base and my money is disappearing quickly.
You work full-time, I do not. I cannot find a full-time job at this time, so I fill in my spare time reaching others like yourselves, the unknown heroes, the women and men who hold someones hand over the telephone until help arrives, the women and men who sacrifice family time for work. You are the heroes, but heroes come in all shapes and sizes and heroes don't tell people they will do something and not follow through.
I cannot do anymore to show you I am for real than display letters, send you pictures and receipts or ask you to send me items I need.
I need the following desperately and while not cost prohibitive, the cost add up quickly. Won't you help me help others in need?

2009 Needs:
1- Quilt batting all sizes (mainly full size, quilt size or comforter size) I prefer bamboo batting from Laurel Anderson ($11.99 for 60 x 60) or ask her about the cost of a bolt of batting I think it is just under $300 & would make numerous quilts.
2-Sewing Machine Needles (11, 14, etc) you can get Shmetz needles on Ebay for a great price.
3- Signature or other quality thread (not thread from WalMart) about $5 per spool (regular spool sized)
4- Rotating Cutting Mat ($70)
5-Fabric (I like 100% cotton) Fat Quarters are great sizes and there is a fat quarter shop, JoAnne's or any quilt shop that has fabric on sale and especially novelty prints and beautiful rich colors. (Several yards with priority shipping would be under $50)
6-Rotary cutting blades.
7-New sewing machine, I have 3 and right now none of them are working where I need them to be. A new machine is a huge expense of over $500.
8- Postage fee's ( Each quilt costs on average of $12 to send out, you could help mail 4 quilts for less than $50)
9-Buttoneer with extra fasteners ($12 on Ebay or less)
10-Quilting Rack (Hinterberg Heritage Frame Special - $680)

I realize this is a lot of money for some things, but some of your agencies are huge or you work with other agencies. All I am asking is for your help and for you to walk the walk and stop talking about helping if you have no plans to do so!

The Quilting Dispatcher

HELP ME, HELP SOMEONE ELSE

Okay, I know the economy stinks. I know people are loosing their jobs, their homes and their cars, but if you can read this, you have access to a computer and you probably know someone that is or you yourself are an emergency dispatcher.

Whatever your situation, your co-workers situation, I need YOUR help and I need it soon or my purpose on earth to reach out and help people, the members of our dispatch family will soon come to a halt.

I am raising 3 grandchildren ages 5,6 & 7, I work as a substitute teacher when I can and it was slim in December and so far for January is showing to be slimmer due to weather. If I have no income coming in, I can't buy fabric, batting, thread, backing or pay for postage. Without these things, I can't reach out to one of our very own.

What are you going to do? Are you going to reach out and sponsor a quilt, or read this, wonder if I am for real or not and forget all about this post? Perhaps you assume like the next person that someone else will sponsor this, someone else will send her money, someone else will save up their pocket change for 2 months and send her the amount saved, someone else will take up a dispatcher center collection.

NO, SOMEONE ELSE WILL NOT!! YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH!

If you don't feel comfortable sending me money, contact me and I will give you a list of websites and my needs and you can order them and have them sent to me. A sponsor ship will cost $107 for a hug quilt, $125 for a twin size, $175 double /full sized bed & queen and king depend on the amount and design of the quilt.