Bright stars
| Receiving Group | Bright Stars (Albemarle County) Go2Grow (Charlottesville) |
| Coordinator | Robin Hammill Kirsten Niemann |
| Yearly Goal | 370 by June 2025 |
| Received to Date | 140 |
| Quilt Size | 40" x 50" |
| Date Updated | 12/15/2024 |
Since 2008, CAQG members have contributed quilts to children in the Bright Star program in Albemarle County and the Go2Grow program in the City of Charlottesville. These high quality preschool programs provide early-learning experiences for four year-olds. Each child receives a book and a small nap quilt designed to match the book’s theme. The children love their school quilts and are thrilled to be allowed to take them home for keeps at the end of the school year. We are proud to touch the lives of so many children in this way. More information on both programs:
Printable Instructions – Bright Stars Quilt
Bright Star quilts should be 40” by 50” and made with fabrics that can endure many washings. Fabric should NOT have a Bible theme or a mass-market commercial theme (e.g., no Disney princesses or Marvel superheroes). Quilts MUST be machine washed and dried before being given to chapter representatives. Make sure that there has been no bleeding of colors, make sure the binding is secure, and trim off all threads. If possible use a non-scented detergent due to chemical sensitivities.
The Guild provides batting and quilt labels which must be attached to every Bright Star Quilt. Both are available from chapter representatives at each chapter meeting. The quilt label may be machine attached as long as doing so does not detract from the quilt.
Various Guild members volunteer to long-arm quilt Bright Stars quilts – please reach out to your chapter contact for a list of names. If you would like your Bright Star quilt long-armed please ensure:
- The top and bottom are squared off and straight
- The batting and backing are at least 4 inches wider than the quilt top on ALL sides to ensure the quilt can set up for the long-arm machine
- If you don’t want to seam a standard 44″ wide backing fabric just sew 4 inch scrap strips to each side – these will be cut off once the quilting is finished
The Guild has a selection of age-appropriate books that you can select to match to your quilt. You can also provide your own book as long as it is an age-appropriate picture book without commercial or religious themes.