Last fall I was at work sewing string blocks. Pam, my co-worker, was cutting out pillowcase kits, and everytime she had scraps she gave them to me. I sewed them into the string blocks. It wasn't long before I had enough blocks for a good-sized quilt, so I put them together with sashing and cornerstones. I used a gray sashing so the blocks would pop with all their beautiful colors, and the cornerstones were sitting there having been cut out of tiny scraps. As I was putting the quilt top together, it occurred to me that we should raffle the quilt in order to buy more fabric for pillowcases. My favorite longarm quilter, Vonda Cochran, offered to quilt it for free. It is hanging at the Viking Sewing Gallery where I work. We started selling tickets on it on Jan. 31 and as of yesterday we have brought in $257 for more pillowcase fabric. We will continue selling chances until April 26. I am hoping for at least $500.
I am a member of a group who sews pillowcases for children hospitalized at Cabell-Huntington Hospital and CAMC Women's and Children's Hospital. We give each hospital 40 pillowcases a month. We volunteer our time and sewing expertise to make the pillowcases. We take donations to buy the fabrics, and we have all bought fabrics and raided our stashes for fabrics that would appeal to children. Some quilt shops give us special discounts, and Kohl's has given us money for coming to their stores to make pillowcases. We sometimes meet for a day and make as many pillowcases as possible. This is a wonderful group of women that I am proud to be associated with. I need to mention the loss of one of our members last week. Patty Weitzel, of Hometown, West Virginia, battled breast cancer for five years. She was a very talented sewer and embroiderer, and a wonderful friend. She will be greatly missed. 
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