Misty Doan is many things. She’s a mom, wife, city councilwoman, model, quilter, Missouri Star LIVE host, and now… a designer!
Misty recently created this quilt pattern, Into the Woods! Check it out HERE!
Get to know Misty and all about her inspiration behind her latest creation and her favorite holiday traditions!
Where do you look for inspiration in your work?
Inspiration strikes in all different ways for me. But, everything I make or design is usually with a specific person or purpose in mind. So I think a lot about that- Who is it for? What do they love? What would make this quilt meaningful to them? What would make this project stand out? I like to challenge myself during the design process by asking lots of questions and that helps guide me to the final result.
What are your must have tools for working on quick kit projects?
Before I sit down to start on any quilt project, I always make sure I have my diagonal seam tape on my machine, a seam guide handy, and a few bobbins wound and ready to go. I do all my cutting first, label my pieces with trusty post-it notes, and then I can just sit and sew, sew, sew!
What tips do you have for new quilters?
Finished really is better than perfect. Take your time, enjoy the process, and remember- it’s only fabric and thread. Jenny always says, “Sewing is a learned skill. Sew an hour today and tomorrow you’re an hour better!”
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
There are almost too many to name. We try to make every holiday special at our house, but Christmas is especially magical. We always decorate the day after Thanksgiving- singing along to our favorite Christmas music and decking the halls together. The kids also make handmade gifts for each other every year that they exchange on Christmas Eve, so Jake and I love helping them with that. (It’s always a trick to keep their plans a secret from the others.)
Which projects do you work on specifically for Christmastime?
I always try to make handmade gifts for a few special people each year. What I make is different each year, depending on who it’s for, but there’s something truly special about making time to make something with someone special in mind.
What inspired Into the Woods? Why did you choose those three blocks?
My boys have been spending a lot of time playing in the woods behind our house lately. They’re always adventuring and exploring- bringing back treasures that they find and building forts. I recently made a quilt with my daughter and loved spending time helping her- so it seemed like it was time to make something that the boys would love. The quilt really seemed to design itself once I started. I knew I wanted to use the simple wedge to make the rows of trees, so that’s really where it all started. Then, I decided to include the log cabin blocks as a nod to the ramshackle fort that they’re so proud of building. And lastly the bearpaw blocks just naturally seemed to tie it all together.
BLOCK Magazine is always looking to publish original stories from quilters like you. We believe that everyone has an important story to tell and that sharing our stories brings us closer together. Today’s story is incredibly special:
“My mother passed away in April 2000. As a gift for my dad for her October birthday, I suggested to my siblings (7 of us) that we make a memorial quilt for him. We each designed a block (including one for the two children that passed), and one of my sisters and I created the blocks, and I put it together.
As I was thinking about the backing, I thought of doing a snippet quilt of a picture of them from their 50th wedding anniversary party from 1994. While creating that quilt, I determined it was too detailed to make it a backing and decided to make an entirely separate quilt.
At the family gathering to celebrate our mom’s birthday with our dad, we presented the quilts. First the block quilt, then the separate snippet quilt (with textile embellishments.)
It goes without saying that my dad was overwhelmed with emotion. He hung the quilts in his living room, where they remained until his passing in 2013. The quilts now hang in my home.”
One of the benefits of being made of paper is that Jenny can travel comfortably around the world or around your neighborhood. Print, decorate, and take your very own Jenny along on your daily adventures! You can also mail her to your quilt-y friends near and far. Ask them to take Jenny to their favorite landmarks and take pictures to share with us so we can see all of the fun Jenny had. Share your Jenny photos at #flatjennyontheroad. Thanks for playing!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner… talking about gratitude… I want to talk about the other side of giving, which is receiving. It is often easy to give of ourselves, but it can be difficult to accept help when we need it. I love this quote by Maya Angelou, “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” It reminds me that in every situation where there is a giver, there is also a receiver…
It’s wonderful to be on the giving end, as we so often are, but what about those times when we are the ones in need? I hope you know that it is important to ask for help when you need it and that you are worthy of the help when it arrives.
So often, as quilters, we find ourselves in the role of the giver. Thank you for giving so freely of your talents and sharing your gifts with so many. Thank you for being there when others need you and quite literally wrapping them with love. The need for sincere acts of kindness is only increasing in this world. And when the moment arrives when you are in need of some kindness, smile and simply say, “Thank you.” You don’t need to justify your need or excuse yourself. It’s okay to accept help. I am learning more and more to ask for help when I need it and express gratitude instead of trying to explain the need away. Thank you for being there for me with all your support and love. This time of year and always, I am grateful for you!
Love, Jenny
When we first opened our doors back in 2008, we never would have dreamed we would begin our very own magazine just six years later! Now, in 2020, we’re celebrating our 12th company birthday and seven years of BLOCK!
Although this year is a little different than our previous annual Birthday Bash Extravaganzas – you can still celebrate with us ONLINE! You’re invited to our second ever BLOCK Party to kick-off our Birthday Bash Online starting this Thursday! Put on your comfy pants, grab some snacks, and tune in HERE on Wednesday, September 23 at 6 PM CT for a sneak peek into our October Issue with Jenny & Natalie!
Here’s an extra little sneak peek of what’s coming in Volume 7, Issue!
Better Bindings for Beautiful Results
Circle Magic Casserole Dish Holder
Jenny’s Journal (Sewing Bird Baby Quilts)
And sew much more...
A look behind the scenes with photo-stylist, Jennifer Dowling
“Every time a story comes along in BLOCK that calls for food I have so much fun trying out new recipes and creating foodie art! I wanted to share with you how I made this cake (found on the cover of the next issue) so you can enjoy it from home during our online birthday celebration this week!
Your favorite cake mix will do, I prefer Duncan Hines, but the real secret to an incredibly moist cake is two tablespoons of yogurt! If you haven’t tried it – I promise you’ll be delighted with the results. The super simple buttercream frosting is so simple and a family pleaser! You’ll need:
– 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened – 3 oz cream cheese – 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted – 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract – 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream
Cream the butter, cream cheese and vanilla then add your sugar slowly, could be more or less sugar just look for the consistency you like. I use a serrated knife to cut completely cooled cake into layers, The frosting is fluffy enough to fix any mishaps along the way.”
– Jennifer Dowling, Photo Stylist
Subscribe to BLOCK Magazineby Sunday, September 27 in order to receive this issue at your mailbox in October! (Pst, subscribe now and receive an extra FREE digital issue your account today!)
When you give a quilt, you’re giving so much more than a simple present. A quilt is a gift of time, a gift of patience, a gift straight from the heart with love in every stitch! There are so many wonderful charitable organizations that welcome handmade quilts with open arms. If you’re looking for an opportunity to give love, we’re here to help you find a place to send your beautiful quilts, fabric, supplies, and donations. Thank you so much for everything you do! Together we can change the world one stitch at a time.
How We’re Giving Back
This year, Missouri Star has chosen Project Linus to receive a $5,000 donation. Project Linus provides love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.” Learn more at www.projectlinus.org
Find a Place to Donate Your Quilts Below is a list of organizations that could use your help and sewing skills! You can give finished quilts, fabric, supplies, monetary donations, and more. Click on each link to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to make a difference.
Quilts for Children in Need
Babies in Need Every baby deserves to be safe, warm, fed, protected and loved! Babies in Need works with local social workers to ensure that every newborn in Southwest Washington has essential clothing, bedding and car seats. Our gift packs provide these and other items parents need during their baby’s first three months of life. babiesinneed.org
The Cradle The Cradle is one of the foremost adoption agencies in the country. They provide lifelong support for all who are touched by adoption—birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents. The Cradle is committed to finding a loving home for every child entrusted to their care. www.cradle.org
Komfort 4 Kids The Komfort 4 Kids Project is a completely volunteer-based, non-profit group that relies on the support and generosity of the community to help make a difference in children’s lives. They coordinate the collection and distribution of new, handmade blankets to organisations that deal with sick, traumatised, or needy children in Australia. www.komfort4kidsproject.websyte.com.au/
Little Lambs Foundation for Kids The Little Lambs Foundation for Kids has a mission to uplift struggling families and foster youth by providing necessary items that no child should have to go without. www.littlelambsofutah.org
Newborns in Need Newborns in Need, Inc. is a charity organized to help take care of needy babies. NIN volunteers provide care necessities to agencies and hospitals serving premature, ill, or impoverished newborns. Newborns In Need distributes items free of charge to babies in the United States. newbornsinneed.org/volunteer/
Quilts Beyond Borders Quilts Beyond Borders is an all-volunteer non-profit organization which reaches out to under-served children, mainly orphans, across the world to provide a handmade quilt and spread love and hope. quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/about/
Quilts for Kids Quilts for Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming fabrics into patchwork quilts to comfort children facing serious illness, trauma, abuse, and natural disasters. www.quiltsforkids.org
Quilts from Caring Hands Quilts from Caring Hands makes and distributes quilts at no charge to children-at-risk in Oregon: the homeless, those in foster care, visually impaired, abused, those with mental health issues. Our quilts are given to agencies that work with children from birth to age 18. quiltsfromcaringhands.com
Binky Patrol Binky Patrol is an all volunteer, national, non-profit organization making and distributing homemade blankets to children born HIV+, drug-addicted, infected with AIDS or other chronic and terminal illnesses, those who are abused, in foster care, or experiencing trauma of any kind. www.binkypatrol.org
Shriners Hospital for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, research and outstanding medical education. All services are provided in a family-centered environment, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc
Sleep in Heavenly Peace They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. Across the U.S., too many children go without a bed to sleep on. They end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. www.shpbeds.org
Sweet Pea Project The Sweet Pea Project offers comfort, support and gentle guidance to families who have experienced the death of a baby. Sweet Pea Project Blankets are donated to hospitals across the country and around the world. www.sweetpeaproject.org
Touching Little Lives The mission of Touching Little Lives is to make and distribute free of charge handmade items to preemie and needy newborns in Ohio. Every penny donated is spent on providing for these little lives. This is truly a charity of the heart, our reward being the personal satisfaction of helping those too young and fragile to help themselves. www.touchinglittlelives.org
Wrap Them in Love The mission of Wrap Them in Love is to collect donated quilts and distribute them to children around the world, so they can be wrapped in love and comfort. As we all know, a quilt is a very special thing. It isn’t just a blanket; it has been lovingly created by a real person. A quilter leaves a part of themselves in every quilt they make. The child who receives it will be able to snuggle up in all the love and comfort that comes in that quilt. www.wraptheminlove.org
Quilts for Comfort The primary purpose of Quilts from Caring Hands is to bring this feeling of loving comfort to at-risk children in Oregon. These include those who are homeless, drug addicted, visually impaired, or abused, and those in foster care. Our quilts are distributed through designated social service agencies. Each quilt we make for a child is unique. In addition to crib- and twin-sized quilts, we also assemble tactile quilts and “cuddlers” for visually impaired children. The finished quilts and cuddlers are given away once each quarter. quiltsfromcaringhands.com
Snuggles Project The Snuggles Project remains a very popular program of Hugs Society (formerly Hugs for Homeless Animals). Its popularity is worldwide. People from all around the world make Snuggles and donate them to their local animal shelters and rescues. Since its inception we have provided more than a million Snuggles to shelter animals around the world. www.snugglesproject.org
American Red Cross The American Red Cross mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. For over 130 years, the Red Cross has provided comfort, care and necessities to those affected by disaster including immediate assistance for food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. www.redcross.org
Cancer Support Community (a.k.a. Gilda’s Club) As the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, the Cancer Support Community is dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. They are here to provide relevant and highly personalized support when and where it is needed most because “Community is Stronger than Cancer.” www.cancersupportcommunity.org
Quilt for a Cause Quilt for a Cause organizes the donation and marketing of hand-crafted quilts, quilt-related products and activities to raise and distribute funds to organizations in Arizona that provide treatment, support services and research for breast and gynecologic cancers. www.quiltforacause.org
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Seattle Cancer Care Alliance brings together the leading research teams and cancer specialists of Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s, and UW Medicine. Their mission is the pursuit of better, longer, richer lives for their patients. www.seattlecca.org
Quilts of Valor The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. www.qovf.org
Quilts of Honor The mission of Quilts of Honor is to bestow a universal symbol and token of thanks, solace, and remembrance to those who serve in harm’s way to protect and defend our lives and freedoms. Quilts of Honor are made by the loving hands of countless volunteers who wish to thank those who have served and to honor their service and sacrifice. www.quiltsofhonor.org
Daniel’s Heart Foundation To bring relief to those who suddenly find themselves experiencing life-long illness, disease, or physical trauma and are being cared for in their homes. www.danielsheart.com
Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization with a deeply rich history while also being truly relevant in today’s world. More than 1,000,000 women have joined the organization since it was founded over 125 years ago. They became members to honor their heritage as well as make a difference in their communities across the country and the world. www.dar.org
The Giving Quilt Inc. The Giving Quilt, Inc. is a public, non-profit, charitable organization that promotes the creation and presentation of quilts that provide comfort to children and adults, and works to increase public awareness with a biennial public quilt exhibit and presentation ceremony. The Giving Quilt invites all quilters to participate by donating quilts, either through participation at Giving Quilt sponsored sew days or through the biennial quilt show. Quilters and non-quilters are encouraged to join and participate through donations and assisting at the show. Thegivingquiltinc.wordpress.com
Hearts Knit Together Hearts Knit Together is a non-profit organization that delivers much needed personal items to those escaping domestic violence, sexual abuse, or war. Our volunteers collect, craft, and assemble these kits which include hygiene items, toys, games, puzzles, clothing, and stuffed animals for the children. These kits are distributed through Domestic Violence Shelters, victim support centers, and refugee organizations, to children and adults across the state of Utah. Our mission is to offer joy and order in the lives of those in our community who need it the most. www.heartsknittogether.org
Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS Each quilt donated to Hopes & Dreams from generous and selfless quilters across the country is sold to raise funds for ALS research. Hopes & Dreams, Inc. is a registered nonprofit with 100% of sales going to ALS research. Hopes & Dreams, Inc. is supported and funded in full by Quilters Dream Batting. www.hopesanddreams.quiltersdreambatting.com
Love, INC of Columbia, MO Love Inc. seeks to help those struggling with poverty by listening without judgment, facing reality, finding hope, and partnering for change. They do this by receiving, organizing, and deploying resources and volunteers to address material, informational, and relational poverty. www.columbialoveinc.org
Mito Quilts of Hope Mito Quilts of Hope Charity Quilts is a project whose goal is to give a quilt to every patient with Mitochondrial Disease (Mito) in Canada and the United States within 5 years. Due to Christine Knox’s own diagnosis of Mito, she conceived the project in August of 2013, to raise awareness of this rare genetic disease. Mitoquiltsofhope.org
New Moms New Moms partners with families to construct the foundation of well-being by strengthening core life skills, incorporating early childhood development supports, building pathways to and preparation for education and employment, and expanding positive social networks and access to community resources. newmoms.org
Operation Happy Nurse To help all nurses struggling with stress, anxiety and/or depression by offering a community focused on improving overall mental health and physical wellbeing. www.operationhappynurse.com
Quilts of Compassion Quilts of Compassion is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing hope and encouragement to those who are hurting through the gift of handmade quilts. www.facebook.com/quiltsofcompassion
Ronald McDonald House Charities They believe in supporting families around the world and helping them access the medical care and resources they need. www.rmhc.org
Stitchers Mending Hearts, Inc. Stitcher’s Mending Hearts is a Non-Profit organization doing good for the needy by using our crafting talents to bring a smile to someone in need. www.facebook.com/stitchersmendinghearts
Tubman Tubman helps women, men, youth and families who have experienced relationship violence, elder abuse, addiction, sexual exploitation or other forms of trauma. Throughout the Twin Cities, Tubman provides safe shelter, legal services, mental and chemical health counseling, elder abuse resources, youth programming and community education, including public information campaigns to provide community members the information and support they need to get help or give help. www.tubman.org
Young Parents Network YPN was founded in 1985 by community leaders who recognized that there was a lack of support for young families in Cedar Rapids. Since that time YPN has taken on a leadership role in East Central Iowa as the provider of ongoing comprehensive year round programs that meet the most critical needs of thousands of families within our community. www.ypniowa.org
There are so many ways to give love! Explore our holiday page to find several projects that make wonderful charitable donations and thoughtful gifts and check out our Planning Tips for Successful Holiday Sewing to help keep your giving projects organized!
A quilt is a gift from the heart, one that gives tangible comfort to those in need. We encourage you to take a closer look at your community and even your own friends and family. Who needs a quilt? Leave a comment below and let us know how do you like to give back. What are your favorite charitable organizations?
