10 Year Anniversary!

2019 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS!! Thank you to everyone who has contributed over the last decade to this wonderful cause.

(Boxes of donated quilts, waiting to be opened)

Over 9000 quilts have been donated since we started back in 2009 and over $218,000 has been raised with 100% of the funds going to ALS research!!! 

(Kari from the VCQ Virginia Consortium of Quilters
bringing quilts to Hopes and Dreams.)

Hopes and Dreams strives to find a cure for ALS, one quilt at a time. The more quilts that are entered, the more good that we can do!

The quilting community has touched so many lives and has brought healing to the patients who are suffering with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Lou Gherig’s Disease.

(ALS patient, Pete, with a Hopes and Dreams quilt)

ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement, though the core cause is unknown and no cure exists. When neurons in the brain can no longer communicate with muscles, those with ALS  suffer from muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move their arms, legs and body. Over time, the condition gets worse. 

(The ALS Association of Orange County Chapter with Hopes and Dreams quilts, ready to be given to ALS patients at their Christmas party.)

We appreciate every sponsor who has donated prizes, funds, and quilts to Hopes and Dreams throughout the years! Thanks to our generous sponsors, we have had wonderful prizes to send to the winners of the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS. All of those prizes help to bring awareness to our charity, which in return, brings in more quilts to give to ALS patients. 

Prizes from the 2018-2019 Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge 

Thank you sponsors, we could not do this with out you!! 

It is generally estimated that there are over 30,000 people living with ALS in the United States at any given time. We have a goal to have 30,000 quilts donated to Hopes and Dreams. Thanks to all of our quilters, sponsors and friends, we know that we will reach that goal!

Selling quilts to raise funds at the VB Farmers Market

Stravitz Sculpture & Fine Art Gallery

Without the help from Hopes & Dreams ambassadors and friends we would be unable to run our annual Quilt Challenge. You help by completing administrative tasks, selling quilts and purchasing quilts, and lending your time and hearts to this cause. Thank you for all of your hard work and helping make these hopes and dreams come true!!

Featured Battgirl // Janie McCombs

After seeing beautiful quilts that my grandmothers and aunts had made, I knew I wanted to learn all about the process. They used their quilts as a necessity. We didn’t live close to any of them. We would do family reunions which lasted two weeks every other year. I remember staying at my Aunt Johnny’s and we would pile quilts on the floor of the living room for me to use as a bed. I am not kidding when I say the pile was about 8 inches thick.

I am a self taught quilter. I started quilting when I was in my early 20’s. I had a lot of mishaps but I stayed with it. Now I get my inspiration from quilting magazines, blogs that I follow and researching the internet for a specific block or quilt layout.

I find quilting very relaxing. My favorite part of the quilting process would be when I remove the finished quilt from the dryer. I call that quilty goodness.

Janie McComb's sewing room 

If I have questions about anything whether it be quilt related, a recipe, or a bird in my backyard if I ask my quilting friends they are more than happy to help.

My go to Quilters Dream Batting is the Bleached (white)Quilters Dream Cotton and Quilters Dream Deluxe Poly. These two batting's make my white and light or soft colors look bright.

I spray baste my quilts for quilting. Sometimes you have to reposition the batting, quilt top or bottom.  Quilters Dream Batting lifts up easily without stretching or tearing no matter how many times it takes to get the layout just right.

Close up of Into the Woods quilt

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, try new patterns and above all else enjoy the process. We are much harder on our work than we really need to be.

Fujita Maze Garden Path quilt

I enjoy sharing my work in progress through social media with a lot of photos. I hope you find time to visit me. 

Keep up with Janie on Instagram & Facebook

Happy Quilting!

#VBStrongQuilts

In our home town of Virginia Beach, 12 people were recently killed and four injured in a mass shooting. In times like these, people from all over the world are looking for ways to help. Members of the Virginia Beach Modern Quilt Guild are using their talents to help comfort the victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting.

The goal was to create 16 quilts for the victims and their families. A total of 480 Plus Blocks would be needed to construct the quilts. The guild sought help from local quilters and social media with the hashtag #VBStrongQuilts. Mary Menzer of the VB Modern Quilt Guild collaborated with Quilters Dream Batting to provide batting for #VBStrongQuilts. She invited us to attend the next guild meeting to lend a hand in sewing quilt blocks, to help in this worthy cause. 

Saturday, June 15, the ladies of the guild came together at St. Johns Baptist Church to start assembling the quilts. This lively group of gals were so welcoming and already hard at work by the time I arrived. 

The meeting was started with "Show and Tell" to catch everyone up on what the members had been working on. 

The meeting moved on to a game called "Left, Right, Center". All the members brought in pre-cut quilt scraps and they were passed around during this game. 

Using three strips of fabric you roll the dice; when you roll a "L" you pass one strip to the left, "R" you pass one to the right, "⚫" you keep you fabric, and "C" you place the strip in the center of the table. 

Following the game a raffle was held, Quilters Dream Batting provided a variety of batting in throw sizes to give out as door prizes. My number was the first to be drawn (I promise it was not rigged!) I won a VBMQG insulated cup! 

All of the ladies, including myself had a wonderful time, but we all had a reason for meeting that day. The victims affected by this senseless tragedy lay heavily on our hearts, so we got to work. The quilters hope their efforts will remind the families of our community's love and comfort every time they look at their quilt. 

"It’s a multitude of emotions," Menzer said. "Obviously, we feel sadness that this happened in our city. We feel sad for the families of the victims and the people that were injured."

Thanks to everyone who mailed in quilt blocks and sewed at the meeting. Virginia Beach Modern Quilt Guild met their goal with 16 quilt tops sewn!

The quilts don't stop here, as there are more to complete! If you’d like to contribute to the Virginia Beach Modern Quilt Guild and sew more quilt blocks or to find out more ways to get involved click here.

"There are so many people that want to show they care, and this is how we quilters do it." ~Mary Menzer

Featured Battgirl // Vicki Hodge

I recently published 'Button Box Quilts' with Quiltmania Editions, a book of two-sided quilts.  The quilts were exhibited last month in the Pour l'Amour du Fil quilt show in Nantes, France. 

During the show I demonstrated the fluidity of the quilt, despite the weight of two tops and dense quilting, by waving the quilt from a bottom corner.  The lightness of the finished piece surprised even me.  The limber quality of the piece is due to my choice of quilt batt - Quilter's Dream Request.

I use Quilters Dream  Request in all my quilts for multiple reasons.  I appreciate the 100% cotton construction and batt thickness which produces a flat quilt reminiscent of antique quilts.  The cotton batt is excellent for both machine and hand quilting - I love the opportunity to use batt remnants in hand quilting doll and crib quilts (notice the Baptist Fan hand quilting underway in the picture of the book).

I've used this batt for many years and will continue for many more - consistent, excellent quality.

Vicki Hodge
https://fromthebuttonbox.blogspot.com

If you would like to be featured on our blog and share your project, click here for more info. 

2019 Quilt Challenge Categories

There is only 79 days left of the 2018-2019 Quilt Challenge! It is not too late to enter your quilts for this year! July 31st 2019 is the last day of this year's Quilt Challenge, quilts we receive after July 31st will be entered into 2019-2020 Quilt Challenge. 

Inside of every package of Quilters Dream Batting, there is a Hopes and Dreams brochure. There you can find an entry form to enter your quilt in the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS (Click here for a printable version).

When entering a quilt to Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge, there are five categories to chose from: 

Sew Generous Individual

The individual who donates the most quilts during the challenge year (August 1, 2018 - July 31, 2019) will win over $1,000 worth of wonderful prizes from our sponsors, as well as Quilters Dream Batting. 2nd place will receive $750 in prizes; 3rd place will receive $500 in prizes!


Sew Generous Professional


The Professional Quilter, Longarm Quilter and/or Quilt Teacher donating the most quilts during the challenge year will win Quilters Dream Batting and other great items from our wonderful sponsors totaling over $1,000; 2nd place will receive $750 in prizes; 3rd place will receive $500 in prizes!


Sew Generous Quilt Guild


The Quilt Guild donating the most quilts during the challenge year will win Quilters Dream Batting and other great items from our wonderful sponsors totaling over $1,000; 2nd place will receive $750 in prizes; 3rd place will receive $500 in prizes!


Sew Generous Quilt Shop


The Quilt Shop donating the most quilts during the challenge year will win Quilters Dream Batting and other great items from our wonderful sponsors totaling over $1,250; 2nd place will receive $750 in prizes; 3rd place will receive $500 in prizes!


Sew Creative


Fabric postcards, handbags and accessories, miniature quilts, mug rugs, paintings, placemats, tablerunners, table toppers, wall quilts, watercolors and more. These items will be sold to raise funds for ALS Research. All donations will be entered into a drawing to win Quilters Dream Batting and other prizes valued at $100.


We still need quilts and that is our priority - to warm the life, heart and lap of an ALS patient. However, many people want to help in a way that allows them to use their creative talents and this category welcomes your participation knowing 100% of any profits from the sale of your donations goes to ALS Research.



Everyone who enters a quilt to the Quilt Challenge will also be entered into the "Sew Lovely" and the "Sew Popular" categories:


Sew Lovely


All generous quilters who donate a quilt will be entered into a general drawing to win great prizes from our fabulous sponsors, such as; fabric, books, patterns, notions, and Quilters Dream Batting totaling $500. There will be three winners in the "Sew Lovely" category. 

Sew Popular

At the end of the challenge year, the top quilts are posted on our website and voted on. The quilters who have the most votes will receive Quilters Dream Batting and other great prizes donated by our generous sponsors; 1st place prizes valued at $1250, 2nd place valued at $750, 3rd place valued at $500. Top finalist will also receive $200 worth in prizes.