©Scroll down for photos and a beautiful THANK YOU NOTE from the person who delivered the first batch of over 60 quilts to Walter Reed Medical Center.
WHO ARE THEY? A group of women from Minnesota discovered that there is a need for lap quilts in hospitals as well as onsite residences where injured soldiers returning from Iraq live during their recovery. So - they got together and created the quilt group THREADS OF THANKS, for the sole purpose of making and distributing these lap quilts.
WHERE DO THE QUILTS GO? The quilts are distributed to Walter Reed Medical Center and also to the Mologne House, which is located on the medical center grounds, and where many of the soldiers live during their recovery.
HOW CAN I HELP? THREADS OF THANKS would love help from any quilter willing. They will gladly accept anything you want to donate from the following:
DONATION LIST:
© Lap Quilt Tops measuring either 36" x 42", or 42" x 48" (there are machine quilters in the group who will be quilting and binding them). Of course, you can always send a completed quilt if you like.
© 6-1/2" blocks (will be 6" finished) - either just squares cut to 6-1/2", or if you prefer, pieced 6-1/2" square blocks - send the blocks to them and they will piece the quilt together.
© Donations of fabric including any scraps, fabric pieces, or 1-1/2 yard pieces for quilt backs.
© Donations of cotton batting.
WHERE DO I SEND MY DONATION? Email Margaret Grund at mgrund@hbci.com to find out where to send your donations. Or, if you live in the area, you can drop off your donations at two different quilt shops: A Stitch in Time, 1248 County Road PH, Onalaska, WI, or Quilters Friend, 60 East 2nd Street, Winona, MN
WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME? This is an ongoing project, so donations will continually be accepted any time!
THANK YOU NOTE FOR DELIVERED QUILTS:
Hi Margaret,
I wanted to let you and your group know that we delivered the quilts on Sunday to Walter Reed and they were very much appreciated! Nearly every soldier - and at least one of their family members - commented on how much they loved quilts.
Also, I am not sure if I mentioned this before but many of these soldiers have family members with them while they are in the hospital. The family members usually lodge in the family housing on the Walter Reed campus and then spend the daytime in the hospital rooms with their loved ones. It's not uncommon to see the soldier's wives and children in the hospital beds with them or to see moms and dads (there are as many fathers as mothers!) simply staying close to their injured sons & daughters. Depending on the extend of the injuries, the soldiers and their families may be at Walter Reed for weeks and/or months. Today, the family members were absolutely delighted by the quilts and I have no doubt they will be used and appreciated as much by the family members while they sit in those hospital rooms as by the soldiers themselves.
Thank you, again!
Sincerely,
Alysa Brautigam
A couple of quilts finished: (as you can see, the blocks can be as simple as just a 6" finished block, or a 4-patch, sawtooth star, or anything you want!
