Comfort Quilts

Theses projects rely on the generosity of our members with their time and material donations.

Agencies receiving these quilts include the Turning Points, Blue Ridge Women’s Center, Family Promise, Ronald McDonald House, and Street Ransom.

You can make comfort quilts on your own, take home a kit, or bring your machine to the next “sew-in” we announce.

Children’s Small Quilts

small comfort quiltThe committee tries to have kits available at our guild meetings for members to take home and sew.  These kits are a simple pattern of six (6) inch squares that are sewn into rows of seven blocks across and nine down.  These quilts can be quilted and finished in several ways.  If you prefer, you may use your own fabric and pattern, as well as pre-printed panels in these quilt tops.   So that these quilts can be loved for a long time, we ask:

  •  minimum size be 40″x50″
  •  should be quilted no more than every 3-4” apart
  • kid friendly fabric and patterns are encouraged
  • if you chose to include a label, please don’t use your name (safety issue)

Completed quilts are collected at each meeting.

Pattern Ideas

beach ball comfort quilt Beach Ball: These are twin size quilts.  We have an FAQ about the pattern, and often Betty Tyree has  small block kits available at the meeting if you want to do just a few.
Grey Scale Pattern: We used this free simple pattern to make quilts for people affected by the mass shooting at Las Vegas.
eq2 String Quilt: Another pattern option is a scrappy Spider Web pattern.  Betty Tyree wrote a tutorial on this block.

Finishing Ideas

There are several ways to finish these quilts.  Consider:

  • Baste top, batting and backing.  Quilt and then use a binding or pull the backing to the front for a binding over the raw edge.
  • sew  the top and backing (right sides together) and batting together around the edge., leaving a place to turn right side out.  Turn right side out and stitch 3/8” from outside edge for a faux binding.  Then quilt.
  • We encourage machine quilting.  But in order to insure that these quilts will last through many washings, the quilting needs to be CLOSE.  No further than 3-4” apart, please.
  • If you add a label,  you might want to stitch it onto the back before you machine quilt.  This will keep it from falling off.  For safety reasons, PLEASE do not use your name.  An example might be:

Thank You
Star Quilters Guild
Roanoke, Va
Date/initials