As we are approaching the end of the year at a break neck pace I have been bracing myself for the impact for such a time when all my projects come to an end. The company I work for has an incentive program that has certain requirements and percentages per, to acquire what any other company would call a bonus. One requirement worth 25% of our incentive (should we choose) is community service. Isn’t it sad, how much we aspire to give back or volunteer to the community but in reality find that there just aren’t enough hours in the day? This 25% for community service breaks down to 12 hours of volunteer work for the whole year. 365 days a year and I barely managed to eek out my community service in the last two weeks in order to obtain 100% of my incentive. Pathetic, I know. And if that didn’t prove just how much I suck, let me just bear the rest of the whole ugly truth in saying that it only took me two days of focus to whip out a project that had been under my nose the whole stinking time.
In my growing library of quilting books there is one among them called “Quilting for Peace.” If ever there was a book that was responsible for coining the phrase, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” this small on the outside but huge inspirational compilation, saved my collective…you know; with it’s quick yet mesmerizing quilting pattern called the fence rail. I later learned from my long arm quilter that this pattern also goes by the name, triple rail. Upon reading the text for this particular pattern, I learned that a woman in Colorado along with a small group, made several of these fence rail quilts as Emergency Snuggle Blankets for firefighters to carry on their trucks. The pattern is so very simple to read, understand and put together. With a group, I’m certain with an assembly line of sorts, could whip out quite a few of these. By myself I was able to piece two quilts in about a 48 hour period. My long arm quilter mentioned that she and her guild apparently made these 49 inch squared blankets for charity and that she charges around $20 a quilt. I cannot even begin to tell you how happy that made me.
Today I turned in all my paperwork for my yearly incentive and the one thing I am most proud to have accomplished was the community service project. When these two little gems come back from the quilter and are bound, they will find their new homes in the Shady Dale Firehouse in Oklahoma.
Creative Corner by Lucky4the1 
I hear ya about the time. We really do have time to do things. I find it’s harder to find the motivation than the time. I think I use time for an excuse. Having said that, my sisters and I make small quilts for the veteran’s home. I’ve never heard of the fire department project. It’s a great idea….quilts are comforting.
These small quilts I’m told are just big enough to wrap a child but small enough to fold and store in a limited compartment of a fire truck. I guess that’s why their so popular. Maybe the VA should be my next project.
I love this design. I hope you were happy with them when they came back from the long arm quilter. I don’t have alot of time either, but I always leave my sewing area with something ready to go for the next little bit of time I have available. This helps me to be more productive.