We were asked to choose a charity of our choice and make a quilt or quilts for them. Well, I knew immediately what I was going to do. As most of you have guessed, I am definitely an animal person and anytime I can help animals I do.
Therefore I made Kennel Quilts for the TQPM Kennel Quilt Team. This was a group started by The Quilt Pattern Magazine (TQPM) who partnered with the Petfinder Foundation after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. TQPM asked their readers to make Kennel Quilts to help the animals shelters that were affected by disasters. These are wonderful little quilts measuring 12" x 18" that fit most carriers and kennels in animal shelters.
These Kennel Quilts were made with Island Batik fabrics about a year ago and sent to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, CO.
Well there have been many disasters since Hurricane Sandy including more hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, explosions, hoarding cases, etc. so Kennel Quilts continue to be made. There are over 1000 team members (all volunteer) and almost 10,000 Kennel Quilts have been made and given to shelters all over the US and Canada. To find out more about this great program, click here or go to www.kennelquilts.com.
Strips are great for making Kennel Quilts. So I found some lovely 2" strips in my Goodie Box that Island Batik sent me and separated them into four piles to make four Kennel Quilts. (See the strips at the top of the picture.)
Kennel Quilts are a great project for beginning quilters as the animals don't care if the colors don't go together or if the points don't match. They just love to have a soft and warm spot to nap. Penny is certainly enjoying her Kennel Quilt. Don't the lovely Island Batik fabrics make her look so pretty?
I am happy to announce that she was adopted right after this picture was taken!
TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team had just put out a call for a shelter in Tennessee that was helping animals affected by the fires. Therefore my Kennel Quilts were sent to the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley in Knoxville, TN. They had taken in all the animals from another shelter that had to evacuate plus they were caring for lost and displaced pets as well. Because the Kennel Quilts have been so successful and helped so many shelter pets, other quilting industry professionals have partnered with The Quilt Pattern Magazine to support "Piece for Shelter Pets" by making Kennel Quilts.
I am happy to announce that Island Batik is a partner in the "Piece for Shelter Pets" initiative. Two of their new fabric collections will be arriving at your local quilt shop in January - the "Fifi and Fido" Collection and the "Happy Hounds" Collection. These are lovely animal batiks. A portion of the fabric sales will go to the Petfinder Foundation to help shelter pets. Isn't that great?
Other exciting things are getting ready to happen as well in the "Piece for Shelter Pets" initiative in the coming months so be sure and stay tuned!
Isn't it wonderful that the season of giving to help shelter animals will continue all year long?
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy New Year.
Until next time,
Nan
