Stitching Circle!

I am super excited to share this next quilter with you, she is amazing!  Karen from Stitching Circle must never sleep based on the number of quilts on her blog!

Karen has been quilting since 2005. I am not sure how she does it, but she works full time, loves spending her free time with her grandchildren, and still actually finishes five or six quilts a year. She said, "Let's face it I love starting quilts more than I like finishing them. I've given quilts to several family members and friends. But what to do with all these other quilts I've started? I've donated quilts to my local women's group for raffles that support causes I believe in, I've made Quilts for Kids, I've made pillowcases. But I hadn't yet figured out how to give quilts to someone who would appreciate them in their time of need. So when Julie's plea went out on the web, I just knew in my heart I had to respond immediately." 

And we are so glad you did Karen!

Here is what she said about the quilt she donated, "The quilt that I donated had a lot of meaning for me. It's called Connect the Dots and was designed by Judy Laquidara from Patchwork Times to be our mystery project for the first retreat she and several of her friends organized in October 2010 Shipshewana, IN. We had were given the instructions to prep and cut our fabric before the retreat, but clumsy me fell and broke my elbow just six weeks before the retreat. So I had my sister-in-law, who is not a quilter at all, do all the cutting at my direction. It's a wonder the pieces went together so well. This quilt was also the first time I'd used fabrics from Connecting Threads. I really do love their fabrics (and their prices). "

The pattern is available free now from Judy's web site. 

Karen continues, "I not only went to that retreat in 2010 not knowing anyone beforehand, but shared a table with Judy and got to know her. In addition, I've met some wonderful quilters that I consider friends and look forward to seeing each year at retreat and sometimes in between. I finished the top at that first retreat and finished the quilt the next year. I'll be traveling from California to Indiana again in two weeks for my third retreat with that group. The quilts that I have kitted up to bring with me are destined to become donation quilts as well."

But here is my favorite part about what Karen said (and gosh I wish I was this organized), "Now when I see a quilt that I just have to start, I justify it by lining it up in the queue for quilts that will eventually become donation quilts. I keep track of my quilting on my blog. And though I sometimes go for a few weeks without posting, just know I'm busy sewing away instead of blogging."

Make sure you stop by to say hi to Karen and see all her amazing projects!  Thanks again!