Yes, it's true! 1,023 blankets are now ready for delivery as a result of our Make A Blanket Day efforts. With over 200 volunteers (almost 60 more from last year) a GREAT time was had by all.
You can only imagine the sea of blanketeers working side by side - it was truly a sight to behold. The newspaper article said that we were a "crazy quilt of women" [and a few men]. I'm sure we'll all agree that we're pretty crazy. We're crazy about getting together to make blankets. We're crazy about serving the children of our community. We're crazy about food and door prizes and special drawings and ribbons and charms and challenges and fabric and yarn and fleece and rulers and cutters and sewing machines and patterns and books and Project Linus shirts and bags...and the list goes on and on! We just get pretty crazy about anything related to blanketmaking and Project Linus. The photographer from WAND-TV said that he never saw this many people in one place at a Mall Event since "Deal or No Deal" came to town! That's quite a compliment! :-)
The pictures have been posted. If you click on the link in the column to the right (Central IL Chapter Pictures) you can get a feel for the day.
Thank yous are in order...although we could NEVER adequately express our gratitude for all the help we received. Please know that without your help, we would not have been able to have such a successful day.
-On Thursday evening we were able to set up 46 quilts in the Boo-Boo Kids Quilt display in less than 30 minutes with the help of the Galos, the Busbeys, the Atteberrys, the Uhlers and the Balagnas. Set-up has become second nature for many of our husbands and Terry and I (especially Terry since he does most of the work) couldn't be more grateful for the help!
-On Friday evening we had many, many blanketeers, husbands, children and friends come to help with the main event set-up. THANK YOU to each of you and please let your familiy members & friends know how grateful we were for their help as well!!! We started at 8:30pm and we were home by 11:30pm. Gone are the 2:00am curfews for Blanket Day Set-up!!!
-Thank you to the Hickory Point Mall management - and especially Justine Robinson. Hickory Point mall could not have been more accommodating, more helpful and more gracious. We had the perfect work area and everything went as clockwork! We did have a little trouble keeping the general public out of our dining area...even with the "Private Luncheon" signs. News must be traveling around the community about Carol and Jane's oustanding Project Linus luncheons. :-) If you would like to send a thank you to the mall, please click here: http://www.hickorypoint.com/shop/hickorypoint.nsf/contact
-Thank you to everyone who worked a shift at the Boo-Boo kids table - selling votes for the quilts on display. It's difficult to take time out of your day - especially on Saturday when everyone is having so much fun at the OTHER end of the mall - to offer this service and we thank each of you for helping out.
-THANK YOU Carol and Jane for working your magic once again by hosting our luncheon! There was not a hungry tummy in the bunch once we finished lunch!
-Thank you to Stewart's Sewing Machines for donating a beautiful BabyLock Quilter's Choice Sewing Machine ($900 value) for our drawing and to Jana Wrigley and Paula Hovey for once again hosting an instruction area at our event. Many of our blanketeers were able to learn paper-piecing techniques using the quiltmaker "Lotsa Pops" pattern made especially for Project Linus National Make a Blanket Day 2009. Anyone who pre-registed for Make a Blanket Day (and was over 18 years old) had a chance to win this machine! Congratulations to Angie Gum - the lucky winner! Angie and her mom were pictured in the Herald and Review article in the Sunday paper!
-Thank you to Quiltmaker Magazine for 2009 Make a Blanket Day Lotsa Pops pattern. Here's the Lotsa Pops Pattern link if you're interested: http://www.quiltmaker.com/LotsaPopsProjectLinus.pdf
-Thank you to Theresa Churchill for BOTH of her beautiful articles on Project Linus in the Sunday morning paper. I'm sure that the reason our blanket day attendance has grown as it has is due to Theresa's articles. What a privilege it is to have her attend our events and cover them in such a heartfelt and inspiring way. We are so grateful for the support of the Herald and Review - they have put Project Linus on the map!
-Thank you to Hope and Elizabeth Gauthier for serving as our Boo-Boo Kids judges. Their meticulous critiques accompanied by their kind hearts and past experiences made them the perfect judges for 2009. What a difficult job! We are so grateful for their help!
Here are the links to the articles:
http://heraldandreview.com/articles/2009/03/01/news/local/1039533.txt
http://heraldandreview.com/articles/2009/03/01/news/local/1039532.txt
-Thank you to each blanketeer who made a quilt for the Boo-Boo Kids Challenge. We had 46 quilts this year and each was simply breathtaking. We raised $3,140 from the Challenge! Woo Hoo!!! The pictures of the quilts are posted - just click on the "Chapter Pictures" link to the right. Congratulations to our winners!
Our winners in the judged category were:
1st: Jo Ann Holtzscher
2nd: Bunny Filer
3rd: Tie between Linda Kirby and Lisa Miller-Welton
Honorable Mention: Evelyn Guinan
Our winners in the fundraising category were:
1st: Eleanor Kirby
2nd: Barb McKee
3rd: Linda Busbey
Honorable Mention: Marge Perrino
-Thank you to Team 35 for the beautiful raffle quilt they donated to Project Linus. As a result of their tireless efforts, an additional $1,036 was raised for our chapter. THANK YOU!!!!
-Thank you to members of the Golden K's in Decatur for serving as our supply toters. We couldn't ask for better service. Many husbands and family members helped to tote supplies as well. We thank you and our blanketeers thank you! :-)
-Thank you to C.J. Banks and Christopher & Banks for offering our blanketeers a 30% discount for their stores on Saturday.
If we've forgotten anyone, we truly apologize and please accept our thanks for your help. Terry and I were home by 4:30pm, the cars were unloaded by 5:30pm and the trailer is parked and ready for Fall Make a Blanket Day in September (date to be announced). Dinner was followed by an early evening nap that gave us enough energy to make our way upstairs to bed for a GREAT night's sleep!
There's just nothing like a Make a Blanket Day to recharge our batteries. Just like the Energizer Bunny - when we are able to offer ourselves in service to others that is what keeps our bodies and our souls going and going and going and going and going....
We're especially grateful for our blanketeer friends. We may only see each other 3 times a year at most, but the friendships we've created will last forever!
Have a wonderful week and Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary and Cheryl
