Last Friday at my P & Q Group, 2 young Mums visited and spoke to us about needing some special tiny quilts to be given to Women who have just had a still born baby or have miscarried late term; but either way have lost their babe. Together we decided the quilts need to be really tiny ; somewhere between 16 and 24" square ( or slightly oblong). They need to be soft and cuddly and in pale delicate colours. If they had a little supply of quilts on hand the Mum could then choose one they liked, to keep. They could use it around the babe while they said Good bye to it or even bury it with the babe if they wished ( most keep it as a keep sake ). I am lucky enough to have never lost a baby at any stage of pregancy ( and am past all that now ) but thought it a worthwhile thing to help with, so this is my first top I have finished. I decided to use the magic block ( 4 of them here to make up the square ) pattern I am already working with for my other project. (looks quite different in these pale colours) I will make some different patterns and colour combinations for the next ones. They will be ideal for me to practise my machine quilting on, being so small. I will then add a white border, it looks better than more of the blue. ( A relatively quick project to finish too. ) We have sunshine back again yesterday and today, in NZ.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tiny Quilt Tops
Last Friday at my P & Q Group, 2 young Mums visited and spoke to us about needing some special tiny quilts to be given to Women who have just had a still born baby or have miscarried late term; but either way have lost their babe. Together we decided the quilts need to be really tiny ; somewhere between 16 and 24" square ( or slightly oblong). They need to be soft and cuddly and in pale delicate colours. If they had a little supply of quilts on hand the Mum could then choose one they liked, to keep. They could use it around the babe while they said Good bye to it or even bury it with the babe if they wished ( most keep it as a keep sake ). I am lucky enough to have never lost a baby at any stage of pregancy ( and am past all that now ) but thought it a worthwhile thing to help with, so this is my first top I have finished. I decided to use the magic block ( 4 of them here to make up the square ) pattern I am already working with for my other project. (looks quite different in these pale colours) I will make some different patterns and colour combinations for the next ones. They will be ideal for me to practise my machine quilting on, being so small. I will then add a white border, it looks better than more of the blue. ( A relatively quick project to finish too. ) We have sunshine back again yesterday and today, in NZ.
I think that is a very worthwhile cause for those tiny quilts.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a lovely idea - the thing about it is that as well as the quilt itself, people will feel that someone cared enough to make it for them, even though they don't know them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Fiona - it's a wonderful idea - I wonders if SANDS the neonatal death charity in the UK would welcome support like that. I've been truly blessed, all three of mine arrived healthy and hearty with little to fret about at any stage really but I did have a very early miscarriage between 1 and 2. A close friend lost her first at full term and had to wait to deliver for a week knowing the baby had died. Something tangible like this means you get to keep something actually used by the baby rather than a permanently heart wrenching unused nursery and closet of baby clothes - love the block in those delicate colours
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting my blog! Isn't it fun to go and click all around and find new blogs! Yes it's a Bernina machine and the case I had had a black metal stem, but not steel. Steel is unbreakable or so I've been told!
ReplyDeleteI think that's a wonderful reason to make quilts, and well appreciated. Love the Kiwi fruit pictures, I never thought about how it grew, I just eat them!
That's such a sweet little quilt - and touching to know that it'll comfort someone. It always amazes me how 'giving' most quilters are, worldwide,
ReplyDeleteesp. when compared to the general collection of folks.