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Northwest Quilters, Inc.
HomeComforting Quilts

Comforting Quilts

Helping Others

The Comforting Quilts committee coordinates the efforts of NWQ members to supply about 2,500 quilts, large and small, every year to those in need in the Portland tri-county area. We work with around sixteen agencies that distribute the various quilts to their clients.

 

•  Twin quilts go to families who are moving into new homes through Habitat for Humanity, to teenagers in residential psychiatric care, and abused or homeless women in shelters.
•  Bunk quilts provide comfort to those attending an annual summer camp for people who are living with HIV Aids, and to Habitat for Humanity.
•  Throw quilts go primarily to a hospice agency.
•  Lap quilts go to a palliative care unit, to a transplant bank, and to keep the elderly in nursing homes. 
•  
Crib quilts are donated to organizations serving at-risk and low-income babies.
•  Infant quilts are bundled with a baby toy to be given to low income new mothers.

•  Finally, every year hundreds of small quilts go to Portland Fire & Rescue’s Toy & Joy program.


In NWQ’s 2024-2025 year, we donated 2,835 quilts to our local community.

Comforting Quilts Workdays
 
Please join us at our monthly work days.  Volunteers will be making kits, layering quilts, serging, pinning quilts for topstitching, measuring and folding fabric, and tying quilts. Please bring a sack lunch. Each work day is from 9:30am to 2:00pm at the Mill End Store in Milwaukie. See the roster or website for dates.




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Tying a quilt at the November 2025
Jelly Bean Factory

Comforting Quilt Sizes

 

Twin 60” x 80”

Bunk 50” x 74”

Throw 45” x 60”

Lap from 42” to 45” square

Crib 36” x 42”

Infant 36” square

Doll 18” x 18” up to 25” x 25”


Comforting Quilts Kit Table


Please consider taking a kit to sew for Comforting Quilts. Kits are available at the Comforting Quilts table at every guild meeting. Each kit includes fabric and a pattern to make a simple quilt. We ask that infant, crib and lap quilts are turned in as finished quilts. Backs are included in those kits and batting is available.

For throw, bunk and twin sizes, we just ask that the assembled top be turned in. Those will be layered on work days and given to other volunteers to be tied or long armed.

We welcome quilts made from people's stashes, but please make sure they fall within the sizes given on the chart above.

Comforting Quilts table at a NWQ general meeting – lots of kits ready for members to pick up!


Events

Build-a-Block
Guests at NWQ’s annual quilt show are invited to design quilt blocks using pre-cut fabric shapes. These blocks are then pieced by guild members and incorporated into bunk or lap quilts. Since 2000, hundreds of these unique Build-a-Block quilts have been donated. Since several people contribute to every quilt, this is truly a community project.

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Toy & Joy
NWQ donated 1,639 doll quilts to the Portland Fire & Rescue Toy & Joy program in calendar year 2024. During the holiday season, each doll quilt is paired with a doll or soft toy as a gift for young, low-income children. Small quilts can be dropped off at the guild meetings or at Comforting Quilts workdays.

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Jellybean Factory
Our Jellybean Factory is a workshop held during the November general meeting in odd numbered years. It is a productive and fun social time during which attendees piece quilt tops using prepared kits, sew bindings onto quilts, tie quilts at frames, and sew backs for lap quilts. Look for full details in the November newsletter. Yes, jelly beans will be involved!

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Contact us!
For more information please contact Shauna Sonoda at (503)348-8684 or sonodashauna@gmail.com, or Birgit Koehler at (503)250-1251 or bgkoehler@comcast.net