Calling all quilters, sewers and crafters! American Patchwork & Quilting is challenging all of us to join up and participate in their “Make a Pillowcase, Make a Difference” campaign for charity.

To take part in the pillowcase project, just make a pillowcase, find a a shop hosting One Million Pillowcase Challenge events in your area, and donate the pillowcase to the shop! Every pillowcase will go towards making a difference in your community. Your pillowcases will provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident. Over 7,400 pillowcases have already been donated, but lots of help is needed to reach the goal of 1 million pillowcases.

“We are asking quilters to make and donate 1,000,000 pillowcases to local charities to show the world how caring quilters are. As I travel the country, I often hear stories of generous quilt shops and quilters who have turned their hobby into a conduit for good in their communities. That is the same charitable spirit that drives this challenge,” said APQ editor Jennifer Keltner.

APQ has set up an online counter to track the number of donations. They also have free pillowcase patterns available for download and tips on where to donate. This is a great example of how one person can really make a difference. The C&T staff will be setting up a pillowcase lunch hour in 2010. How will you contribute?