Charity quilting again

This year, 2026, I’ve tried a different approach to doing my charity quilts. I’ve decided to spread it out over 6 months by doing 20 each month (plus 2 makeup from January where I only did 10) and I’ve been trying to do it early in the month so I could get 20 quilts quilted, and then trimmed, and eventually bound, washed, dried and taken to the church building without taking over the month.

Earlier in the week I cut off pieces of batting that were about 96” from the bolt - and piled them up over here. I measure 96” but because it is poly batting, they aren’t really that long as it gets stretched in the process of measuring. I think there are about 12 cut up battings here. Maybe 13. Each piece will work for the single size that I am doing. I knew because I only had 13 that I needed to buy another bolt of poly batting for these quilts

By limiting myself to a certain number, it has left me time each month to do other things which keeps me interested and working hard as I am able to do several things - bouncing around from thing to thing to do.

I’m not sure if you remember last year when I did all my quilts in one month - it was murder. I didn’t get them all bound, washed and done in that month, but I got them all quilted and I think most of them bound.

But it does take some time to get the 20 or 22 quilts quilted - so I wanted to show pictures of my process.

I did start last Friday -which was actually May. Why? because I have some other things planned for June which might take a lot of my time, so I wanted to get this done. I have 8 quilts sitting on the couch, waiting for their 2 partners, so I can finish up 90-100. I’ve gotten them quilted now, but I’m going to finish quilting the rest and get them bound and washed and photographed - at least nowadays the weather is better for hanging the quilts outside to dry. We are having a mix of hot and cool weather, but overall, they will dry fine outside - which is a nice change from having them all over the inside of the house on drying racks. I have four big drying racks which will each hold one of the single size quilts plus our dining room table which can easily hold one.

Anyway, here are some pictures. I tend to work in bunches - piling up quilted quilts on the chest freezer which we have downstairs - until I need to go upstairs - either to use the bathroom or fix dinner :) when I can take them upstairs with me.

I try to remember to take pictures, but sometimes, I just get involved inwhat I’m doing and forget. Here are some in the middle of the process.

You all know that this is only part of that finishing the quilt process. To me, however, this is the most stressful. The rest is a piece of cake for me - since I do bind by machine. I’m sure it is all psychological, however. I just need to change my mindset. Right?

I tend to collect the quilts upstairs for me to trim and then I will go into a major binding process. The bindings are already made, I hope. I have quite a few bindings ready to go in my box that I prepared last fall. I’ve tried to add to the container from time to time so that I don’t need to focus on it for a week or more all at once. All of these processes are sort of tedious if you have to do a BUNCH at once, but I don’t mind them at all, when I can do 2, 3 or 4 instead of 10.



Becky PetersenComment