Fall 2021 STLMQG Charity Project

The STLMQG Charity Committee is happy to announce a second charity project for 2021. We will be making small quilts for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (CG PICU). The CG PICU provides respiratory and heart flow management for critically ill children as well as those recovering from complex heart procedures and organ transplants. These quilts are the sense of home most parents need in the most trying times while their child is recovering at Cardinal Glennon.

The CG PICU was brought to our attention by a member of the Charity Committee whose own daughter spent time there after having open-heart surgery when she was just 2.5 months old. Her daughter was lovingly given a quilt to use while she was there. When she reached out to see if the hospital needed more quilts since the one her daughter used looked a bit worn, they said YES!

Here's everything you need to know about the project: 

• Quilts must be new, handmade, and washable. They should be machine quilted (no ties) and preferably bound by machine for maximum durability. 
• Quilt Size: 36” x 36” (for babies and little kids) or 36" x 48" (for big kids). Please try to stay close to these dimensions. 
• Color Scheme and Fabrics: The quilts are for all kids, not just babies. Please pick fabrics that are appropriate for children, including but not limited to pastels, bright colors, and fun prints. Cotton and flannel are both okay. No rag quilts. 
• Deadline: December Meeting. Quilts can be dropped off at in-person meetings or coordinate with another STLMQG member. 
• Goal: 60 quilts 
• A small quilt should be quick to sew, and you can use any square pattern you have. Blocks that FINISH at 3” square (12 blocks x 12 blocks = 144 total), 4” square (9 blocks x 9 blocks = 81 total), 6” square (6 blocks x 6 blocks = 36 total), 9” square (4 blocks x 4 blocks = 16 total), 12” square (3 blocks x 3 blocks = 9 total), or 18” square (2 blocks x 2 blocks = 4 total) can all be easily used for this quilt. You could also try blocks that finish at odd sizes and add a border or even try some improv! With block-based quilts, you can make your assembly even faster by using web piecing (see January 2021 Monthly Skill Builder) to put the top together. Here are a few pattern ideas to get you started: 
https://www.coralandco.com/free-baby-quilt-patterns-to-sew.html 
https://wren-collective.com/free-pattern/free-baby-quilt-patterns-20-of-my-favorites/


Kitchen Table Quilting did a year's worth of free giant block patterns that finish at 36" square, perfect for the PICU quilts. You can find them all in her shop: https://kitchen-table-quilting.myshopify.com/collections/freebies.

Thank you for your efforts! We look forward to seeing (and receiving) your beautiful quilts. And be sure to share your finished quilts on social media using #stlmqg, #stlmqgcares, and #stlmqgPICUquilts. 

-Your 2021 STLMQG Charity Committee: Jessica Schunke (Chair), Gayle Larson, Kathy Mattingly, Krista Robbins, Gina Shelley, and Nichole Witushynsky