PLACEMAT PROJECT FOR MEALS ON WHEELS

In October 2005 I challenged the Alberta Handicraft Guild in Calgary to make placemats to donate to Meals on Wheels  in time for Christmas.  If everyone made just one , we would have 100!  It was then suggested to involve Colleen Peake, the CQA Alberta rep.  She e-mailed guilds throughout the province and the project grew quickly.  We collected  517 placemats in the   Calgary area. Hundreds of women created wonderfully crafted, cheerful and most importantly highly useful placemats to brighten the day for clients of Meals on Wheels.  School children wrote Christmas cards to accompany the placemats.

The project continued and grew.  In 2006, Colleen’s article Make Someone Happy appeared in THE CANADIAN QUILTER, SUMMER 2006. A local television station aired 3 clips showing the placemats at Meals on Wheels and in a client’s home.  We collected 700 placemats in and around Calgary . E-mails came from all over the country telling how many placemats were donated to Meals on Wheels, senior residences, nursing homes, etc.

In 2007 one of our guild members visited our sister-guild in Denmark .  They have also joined in the project.  This year our total has already exceeded  850 placemats.

For further information  and instructions to make the placemats, please refer to THE CANADIAN QUILTER, summer 2006, pages 60 and 61, or contact Carol Ruggins at valleyquilter321@hotmail.com. 

PLACEMATS

1.     Cut 2 fabrics and one batting 14.5” x 17.5’ each.

2.     If you choose to appliqué, choose one of the fabrics and do it now.

3.     Sandwich the layers and quilt as desired (meander, cross hatch, in the ditch, etc.   The more quilting, the better)

Prepare a 70” strip of 2.25” binding for a double binding.

Trim the placemat to 13.5” x 16.5”.  Apply the binding.