March 2025                                                                                                                         Blankets Donated    31,910

 

                                                                 Hugs & Snuggles Newsletter 

 

Please see our website to view all pictures.    

Project Linus Onondaga County NY

 

Blankets:    In March blanketeers made 463 blankets.   In March we donated 299  blankets to children in need.  Agencies we donated to are – Nappi Wellness – University Hospital,  Upstate Pediatric and Adolescent Center,  CIH, Cayuga County Centers Safe Care Home, Galisano Hospital, University Hospital the ED and PICU units, Hope for Bereaved and Sleep In Heavenly Peace.

 

So for the first quarter of 2025  blanketeers made 563 blankets and we delivered 450 .   340 of those blankets went to Hospitals  and Bereavement agencies the other 110 went to Social Service, Child  Protective and Low Income agencies.

 

Blanket sizes

Approximate Sizes

Baby / Toddler   36x36,   36x40

Grade School  40x45

Teen 45x50, 50x60  or bigger.  

 

WE NEED  :    We can use whatever you would like to make

 

 Note from Karen      

Hi Everyone:     

 

We are back to full operating status with a bang.   I kept trying to figure out why I was getting no where working on the pile on my porch.  It just kept going on forever.  It’s because there was 400 blankets on my porch.  WOW.   Job well done blanketeers. 

 

I am about 80% back to normal.  The knee is still learning to bend as much as I want it to, but the lack of pain is wonderful.   I am still exercising it, but PT is done. I am back to walking my dogs every day.  I am also back to delivering blankets.  Which is great.   When I delivered to Hope for Bereaved the receptionist had a package for me.  It was a thank you coaster from “Gracie”  a recipient of a blanket last time I delivered.    ((I have a picture of the coaster in the newsletter on the website and on the Blanket of the month page)).   It’s made my day to know Gracie loved her blanket. 

 

So, we have lots to cover this month, so lets get to it.

 

First thing AND THE BIGGEST IS :  PINS:..   My sister and I were both stuck by needles left in the binding of blankets this month.  We also both had a pile of pins we kept taking out of blankets.  I even found safety pins being used as stitch counters in crochet blankets.   You need to understand if a child gets hurt because of a pin left in your blanket, National will not think twice about closing our chapter.  Personally, if a child gets hurt on one of our blankets, I won’t think twice about closing our chapter, I will just do it.   I don’t understand the needles.  Number one put your binding on by machine. No needles needed.   Number two,  count out how many pins you are putting in your blanket.  Write it on a sticky note.  When you are done, count to make sure that is how many pins you take out.  If it’s not.  KEEP LOOKING.  Number 3 – when you are done your blanket, run your hand along the binding all the way around your blanket.  Then put you blanket in front you and run your hand back and forth across the front and then the back.   YES – YOU ARE GOING TO GET STUCK.  But better you than the child receiving the blanket.  Better yet, use clips.  There are little clothes pin style clips to keep your back and front together.   When my sister and I were done this month – we had about 20 needles, pins and stitch keepers.  If I have another month like that, I will close the chapter.  I am not going to risk a child getting hurt.  I know  this is probably coming off very mean and grouchy.  It is supposed to.  I cannot stress enough there cannot be any pins left in a blanket when you turn it in to me.   I should have had a video recorder when I got stuck with the needle.  I was still on the 2 aspirins a day to make sure I don’t get a blood clot.  So any little prick and the blood is coming.  My language would have left some of you blushing as I ran for band-aids, to not bleed on the blankets.  How many of our kids in the hospitals might have trouble stopping the blood if they get stuck??  PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR BLANKETS –BEFORE YOU TURN THEM IN.  Take your time, to check them over good.   The night before you are meeting me for pick-ups, check again.  Take your time.  Run your hand all over the blanket and make sure there are no sharp objects left in them.  

 

Second thing – crochet and knit tails.   Some of you are forgetting to work your ending and beginning tails into the blanket and just leave them hanging for me to do.  If I have to sit and work tails in on all the crochet/knit I pick up, it costs me a lot of time.   Working tails in on a blanket might be about 2-3 minutes – now multiply by a minimum of 50 blankets a month – that’s 150 minutes – so over 1 ½ hours of my time.  If you add a yarn after two rows, stop and work your tails in and trim the excess.   It is really not my job to finish your blankets.  It’s my job to make sure they are ready for delivery and sew a label on.  Please work your tails in. 

 

Please remember to put your blankets in some type of clean bag to protect them.   That does not mean I need a single blanket in a bag.  If you are donating 5 blankets – you should be able to fit them in one or two bags.  A lot of you tie your bags closed so tight – I have to rip them to get them open.   If you put one blanket per bag, that is a lot of trash in my trash can.   Please put more than one blanket in a bag. 

 

I am still working on other possible delivery places.  I will be honest, getting so many blankets this month left little time for anything else.  But I am posting all of our drop off places below and will try and find some more this month. 

 

Our other drop-off locations are:  

 

In the Watertown area there is the Quilt Shop at 1625 State  Street, they are a new drop-off for us.  It's a great shop and I am so glad I had set them up before this madness.  

 

In the Cortland area is Kaleidoscope of Quilts near Preble.   They have been a drop off for us for a long time.  Linda is a great person and she carries a wide selection of fabrics.  If you have never been, I suggest checking it out.  

 

In the Fayetteville area we have the Manlius Library as a drop off point.  They have a bin, just inside the door.  They sponsor a sewing day every quarter for us which has become tons of fun.

 

The Baldwinsville Library has been a drop-off site for years.     

 

There are also drop-off locations at Calico Gals in the city of Syracuse and Fingerlakes Fabrics in Skaneateles.    I will still have a pick-up day near the Joann's Store in Fayetteville and Clay.   

 

List of places online:   I am still working on a list of online places to purchase yarn and material.  Like I said, over 400 blankets left little time for other things.   I will have it by next newsletter. 

 

Project Linus Volunteers facebook page.  There is a facebook page started and ran by Patty Gregory the head of Project Linus.   You can sign up to be accepted as part of the community there.  It has lots of information and lots of pictures of blankets made by other volunteers.  There is a link below.  If you do sign up, remember no politics, no bullying and be nice in your comments.   (15) Project Linus Volunteers (USA) | Facebook

 

Newsletter frequency:   Doing the newsletter is a little time consuming.   I know you love the Blanket of the Month pictures and it is a great way to keep all of you informed and to help us feel like we are a little community all by ourselves.  But I am trying to show myself some “Grace”.  I am trying not to expect so much out of myself all the time.   I committed a lot of time to taking care of my Dad and taking care of the healthcare part of my Mom, that I think now I am entitled to do other things.   So, I have decided to do the newsletters every other month.  That way I can include fun things like pictures and stuff but work on it in small batches, instead of all at once after I have all the blankets counted and before the next pick-up dates.   So, I will do the next newletter in the beginning of June and it will have June and July pick-up dates, but have our numbers for April and May.   

 

Links:  Someone has let me know that my links in the newsletter are not working.   I have re-done them twice.  I don’t know what the problem is.  But my advice is to put the website in your favorites when you are online.  That way you can find it easier.  But to make it easier to get to the Blanket of the month page.  On the newsletter page itself on the website, I have added a BOM button, if you click there you will be taken to the Blankets of the month page.

 

Events: 

Manlius Library – blanket top day

 

 

April 5th is our next Manlius Library sewing day will be April 5th.  That is this Saturday.   We will be sewing from 1-4pm.    If you have never been, there are 5 machines that the library has – you have to reserve one of those ahead of schedule.   I bring 3 of mine with me.   You are welcome to bring your own.   I bring material, scissors, cutting mat, clips.   You just sit and sew in a design of the squares that you like.   It helps us to create quilts for the kids in need. 

 

Our next Manlius Library sewing day will be August 2nd from 1-4pm.   I am hoping to mix up our designs for that sewing day.  I will still have our no fuss, no muss basic one block in a layout of your choice, but I have been trying to design some pixels that can be just sewn together in the 3 hour window.  We will see how we do.   Mark you calendars.   

 

The Syracuse Maker Faire :   We will have a booth at the Syracuse Maker Faire  on May 3rd, from 10am-5pm.  We will have quilt squares for children of all ages to color and then we will be sewing them into quilts.  The Maker Faire is at the New York State Fairgrounds in the Horticulture building.    We hope to see you there.

 

 

Blanket Pick Ups:    I should be driving the Silver Ford Escape.  But just incase the other vehicle is a gold Chevy Equinox. 

Blanket pick up dates | projectlinusonondaga   

 

If you know you cannot be there close to the hour and will be closer to the half hour or 45 minutes – please let me know.   If you are at an appointment I will gladly wait.  But if I sit there for a half hour and no one shows,  I will be leaving.   As someone said to me recently, Project Linus sure keeps you going.  Yes it does, and I love it.   But I am a volunteer, and I can be driving home to unload my car rather than just sitting there. 

 

April Pick-ups

Fayetteville Joann’s Parking lot -  Wednesday April 23rd  – 11am

Preble (the new Cortland)  Kaleidoscope Quilts – 6271 Little York Lake Rd  – Thursday April 24th -11am

Clay Joann’s Parking lot – Friday -April 25th  – 11am

Fingerlakes Fabrics Parking lot – Route 20 Skaneateles – Tuesday April 29th – 11am

Baldwinsville Library – Wednesday April 30th  – 11am

 

May Pick-Ups

Fayetteville Joann’s Parking lot -  Wednesday, May 21st   – 11am

Baldwinsville Library -Thursday, May 22nd – 11am

Preble (the new Cortland)  Kaleidoscope Quilts – 6271 Little York Lake Rd  – Friday May 23rd -11am

Fingerlakes Fabrics Parking lot – Route 20 Skaneateles – Wednesday May 28th – 11am

Clay Joann’s Parking lot – Friday -May 30th – 11am

 

 

Blanketeers for this month.  Thank you to the following Blanketeers for donating blankets .

 

Anon                           Martha Auslander                               Bonnie Blake                          Steve Brazina

Merinda Brown           Virginia Collinson                               Cortland County 4H               Cindy Crandall

Karen Crème               Deb DuVaul                                        Elmcrest Children’s Center      Judy Fiorini

Claire Genett               Denise Gillies                         Cheryl Grom                           Carol Jerose

Rebecca Jeffery           Gail Keller                                          Susan Lewis                            Julie Litteer

Marianne                     Wendy Masters                                    Beverly Neuman                     Kelley Neuman

Elizabeth Neuyen       P’s & Q’s Cortland United Presbyterian Church                                Jackie Puma

Gail Renninger            Karen S                                               Tami Smith                             Faith Stopyro

Kimberly Sweetser     Carolyn Taylor- Twilight Stitchers      Thurston                                 Karen Waelder

                                                           

Quilt tops, Fleece, Material, Hats, Mittens, Scarf …etc    Anon,  Virginia Collinson,  Carol Ann Kozlowski, Diana Nicholas, Sharon Jarvis, Sue Bartholomew,  Cindy Carlson, Karen S

 

Blankets of the month.   You can see pictures of our blankets of the month on our website at :  BLANKET OF THE MONTH | projectlinusonondaga

 

Deb DuVaul -  puppies at play

Kimberly Sweetser – Cat’s Eyes

Karen Waelder – Spring Basket

Karen S – Blue Waves

Susan Lewis -  Fun Rows

Cynthia Crandall – Blue Star 9 patch

Jackie Puma – Pineapple

Faith Stopyro – Blue Bayou

Elizabeth Neuyen – Astrology

Bonnie – Cremesicle

P’s & Q’s – Cat in the Hat:   and  Love In

Wendy Masters – Daisy Chain

Denise Gillies – Grey Gradient

Tami Smith -  Easter Fun

Carol Jerose – Dinosaurs at play

Rebecca Jeffery – Confetti Party

Carolyn Taylor – Winter in the Forest

Cheryl Grom – Clouds

Julie Litteer – Adirondack Madness

 

Our drop off sites:   Please check with our drop off sites for current hours of operation.   All of our sites are wonderfully supportive of us and we thank them for their support. 

When dropping off blankets please put them in a plastic bag with Project Linus on the outside and a note inside with your name. 

Baldwinsville Library – 33 E Genesee St, Baldwinsville

Manlius Library – 1 Arkie Albanese Ave , Manlius

Calico Gals – 3906 New Court Ave – Syracuse

Finger Lakes Fabrics 1400 Genesee St Skaneateles

Oliver's Originals – 8188 Cazenovia Rd Manlius

Kaleidoscope of Quilts – 6271 Little York Lake Rd – Little York(Cortland County)

The Quilt Shop – 1625 State St Watertown,

Karen Lathrop – 245 Martin St – Syracuse NY

 

Sponsors:

I want to thank our great sponsors whose dollars help me to buy fabric, muslin, markers and yarn.

Stewarts Dairies

Luv Handlz Frozen Yogurt – James St