Comfort Covers

Dignity Cover from yardage directions    Dignity Cover from man's shirt directions    

Walker Tote directions      Fidget Quilt directions

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Thank you notes from our March Collection





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From the fidget workshop.  All photos by BeckyS







Lenore fidgets

BarbZ, GailA, and MargaretM fidget

LeslieD and BarbZ fidget

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Are you getting fidgety, wanting the snow to go away? I am!

 Tuesday Feb 27 we are having a fidget quilt session at QB's from 10-2. Please bring your machine and basic sewing supplies. Fidget quilts are small, like placemats. I have about 17 backing fabrics and batting available for use, plus all sorts of fidgety things to attach. Ribbons, ruffles, buttons, zippers. Do you have scraps of velvet, corduroy, lame, satin, yarn, nylon net you can bring? The aim is for different textures, and things for fingers to do for sensory stimulation in dementia patients. Even if your sewing room is strictly cottons, come help to assemble these tiny quilts.

 March 19, during QBs, is our next Comfort Covers collection. We will need walker bags, lap quilts, dignity protectors. I have miles of twill tape that can be used for walker bag ties. Starting Feb 13, I will bring it to QBs weekly for those of you who prefer to create at home. I'll also be bringing my machine. Come join me, and we can fidget February away.

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Embassy at Hearthside has requested a fidget quilt for their memory unit. This is a special one for former quilters.

The idea is to have a background grid with velcro, and the patches on the quilt can be rearranged into a design. There will be pockets on the bottom to store the quilt pieces while not on the background grid. If you would like to help to create the patches, please contact Lenore. If you have holiday charm squares, animals, primary colors, or florals , please bring them to QBs or UFO Fridays. Five-inch cut squares would be perfect (charm square). Squares can also be given to Susan Demetrick. The first set of squares will be Christmas. The basic grid will be a 9-patch, with 9 blocks in total, (81 total patches).

A sew-along will be held at QBs on September 19th 9:30-11:30, and at UFO Fridays Sept 22nd from 10-2p.m. (BCCC) Please bring machines, and BSS. An extra iron and board would be helpful. We will be making walker/wheelchair bags, dignity protectors.

Walker bag and dignity protector kits available from Lenore. Pattern is also available on the website. Next collection date is Saturday Oct 7, from 10-11 at Pine Hall Lutheran Church.

X marks the spot Jelly Roll pattern https://nightowlquilting.blogspot.com/2019/02/dignity-quilt-jelly-roll-race-variation.html

Lots of jelly roll patterns here: http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com/2018/09/free-pattern-day-jelly-roll-quilts-part.html

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Our next date is Saturday October 7 at Pine Hall Lutheran Church, from 10-11 a.m. Please note the time change! Come around to the back entrance, the usual place.

Please have your items washed, and sized to facilitate the sorting of the covers. The washing helps decrease general "soil" from carrying around the cover while it has been in process, decreases allergens, removes sizing, and tests integrity of the seams and binding. 

All covers will have labels attached from Comfort Covers/CPQG. You can assist with labeling the covers. Labels are provided. 

If you are available to deliver some covers (all in Centre County), but don't have any covers to bring in this time, we still need you. A driver will receive a "packing list" that includes the address and the contact person's details. The only ask is that you make your delivery in the following week.

Child covers should be at least 40" or more. These are more for pre-school and school aged kids, so need to be bigger. They will be delivered to Toys for Tots for the holiday season.

After the October collection, I will coordinate with PHL church to set up next year's collection dates. Please bring in some donation money to thank PHL for allowing us to use the fellowship hall.

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July 8 is the next collection date at Pine Hall Lutheran Church from 10-12. Bring your washed, sized quilt for distribution in Centre County. Drivers should deliver a batch of covers, if they are able, within the following week. Addresses, and contact people provided for drivers.

The 2nd Friday of July we will be making Dignity Protectors (adult-sized bibs). There will be two patterns available. One uses 3/4 of a yard of fabric (can be regular quilting fabric, or something a bit heavier like twill or ticking); the other needs a man's dress shirt, long or short sleeves (dark plaid, flannel, very busy Hawaiian?, something that won't show stains quickly). Bring a machine, BSS, either fabric or a pre-loved shirt. A few cutting boards, cutters, rulers would be helpful. I will have velcro available for both versions. I have some dog towels that I would like to try out for one side of the cover. Detailed instructions are found here and here.

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 In October 2022 CPQG accepted administrative responsibility for Comfort Covers.  Lenore C. and Lynn S. stepped up to organize the collection and distribution of quilts and other covers (beds, heads, and hands).

Collection dates for Comfort Covers and Toys for Tots will be July 8 & October 7, 2023, at Pine Hall Lutheran Church, 1760 W College Avenue, State College, from 10-11

In March we made fidget quilts for local nursing homes and children with special needs. These are a little larger than a place mat and filled with all sorts of textures.  We included marble tracks, small fluffy pillows, gently scratchy bits, floppy fake fur, buttons, zippers, jeans pockets, and more.  The sky (or your junk drawer) is the limit.  The only requirement is everything is fastened securely and is washable. 



Friday, February 10 we made excellent progress on making walker bags for Comfort Covers. Several people brought in finished bags made at home, others cut out new parts, and some made pockets. All had a good time as we produced 28 bags.  These will go to local personal care homes. 

Many thanks to those who came: BethB, JillW, LeslieD, BarbZ, Peggy T, PeggyR, CindyR, LindaU, FranH, JoyceD, and LenoreC. At the end of the day, we had 18 made. Additional kits were taken to make more bags at home. 

The pattern is here if you would like to join in on the fun.

A project at February's 3rd Wednesday afternoon gathering was to collect unloved fabric and orphan blocks and put them to use as Comfort Covers and Toys for Tots backs.  The fronts will be made in April or May although some of these backs may turn into fronts. BarbZ had a tote of fabric leftover from a Jelly Roll Race program we did several years ago.  Guild members were very generous in their donations of "What was I thinking? and "How long ago did I buy this?" fabric. We collected over 100 orphan blocks. While it felt really good to clean out the tubs, shelves, and drawers of unused fabric, it felt even better to see it used. Go to our blog post to see some of the backs in need of fronts.

Many thanks to NancyS, JudyR, LynnS, SallyR, MonaH, PeggyT, PeggyR, LenoreC, JulieR, FranH, JillW, LeslieD, BarbZ, and BeckyT.

See more backs that will need fronts at the blog post here.

In January '23 at a UFO Friday gathering we made fingerless gloves