Another place for quilts

This is from Ellen Medlock of the Ellen Medlock Studio Store in Tulsa, OK.

"I am honored to start a QUILT DRIVE for OKLAHOMA Tornado Families. If you wish to donate a quilt, please send to our shop- and we will make sure it is placed in the right hands!

Ship to: OK Quilt Drive, c/o Ellen Medlock Studio Store, 10032 S. Sheridan Rd, Suite H-1, Tulsa, OK 74133. (We will be happy to place any kind of blanket, for that matter!)"

Here's another post for quilts.  Whenever a disaster strikes, you know quilters step up and reach out.  There just are never enough hours in a day to do all that we want to do.

If you can't send a quilt because of the cost of postage, maybe you can do what I did when the disaster struck Japan two years ago.  I knew I needed to collect and send quilts, but also knew that postage was going to be insane.  I started asking around to see if anyone knew anyone who could help with postage or maybe even an airline who would fly the quilts for us.  I asked my daughter's tennis coach because he seems to know everyone.  He knew a guy who works for Fed Ex and that guy put me in touch with their community service department and they were able to get 1144 quilts shipped internationally for FREE.  It would have cost over $2,000 to ship them and through a wonderful networking process all I had to do was ask some questions and get some kids to help me load the truck that came to my door.

I'm not saying you get your quilting group to make a thousand quilts, but if that's what you feel like you need to do, go ahead.  It was pretty fun (and crazy!) but do what you can.

There are always local needs.  I teach at a high school and just this last week we lost a student to a three year battle with brain cancer.  I was lucky enough to make a quilt for her last summer.  Her mother thanks me every time she sees me.  The girl carried that quilt around with her everywhere she went and the mom was always washing it to try and keep her from getting sick.  She told me the quilt really brought her a lot of comfort, especially at the end.

If you can't afford the postage to ship to Oklahoma or Texas or the next big disaster, please make a quilt and donate it to your local school.  Give it to the office and ask that they give it to the councelors or school psychologist.  They will know just who to give it to.  There is a child who just lost a parent, or who just found out they have a disease and who will go home tomorrow, comforted by that quilt you just made for them.  Their disaster will be made a little better because you took the time to care.

I quilt for many reasons.  Some of them are selfish, because it helps me take my mind of the terrible migraine pain.  It makes me happy to take something rejected (fabric that has been sitting for decades in grandma's closet) and make something useful.  I get to see the smiles and receive the hugs when I get to personally give a quilt to a child.  I do it because I get to spend time with long time friends and make lots of new friends.  People I never would have met otherwise, like Carla, who help/fuel my obsession and tell me I'm normal eventhough they know I'm totally crazy and listen to me when I lose my mind.  I also quilt because I know it fills a need in other people to be warmed physically and emotionally.  To know that someone out there was thinking about them and took the time to make something just for them.  To give them hope in a world that so often seems hopeless and lets them have a hug in the form of fabric, batting and a little thread put together with time.  Something so precious as time.

So, take a little time today, even 10 minutes if you can spare it and work on a quilt.  Local or national.  It will make a difference.  I promise you that.