Quilts for Siblings Together

If you want to know more about this, the starter post is here and the Flickr group is here but the short version of the story is that, when I requested help sending quilts to Siblings Together, an organisation that brings together for day visits, weekend trips and summer (and possibly also winter) camps siblings separate by the care system, your response was overwhelmingly generous to a degree I could not have envisaged.

The photos in this post are taken from the Flickr group and are just a tiny sample of the fabrics that are being donated, the blocks being made and the quilts being started, finished and mailed off.

The response has come from all over the world and people's generosity with their time and their fabrics has completely taken me by surprise.

Quilts have been mailed and received, Delma at Siblings Together is trying to organise some kind of an exhibition of all the quilts before they get given out this summer.  Here is a bundle Claire at Patch Fabrics donated for a teenage boy quilt.

Individuals and shops have offered fabrics, people are quilting other people's quilt tops.  Groups are getting together to make quilts.  Just incredible.

I once read an article about making charity quilts and the writer suggested that, when making charity quilts, that was the time to get out all the fabric you didn't really like and throw together something quick and easy, as if it didn't really matter if what you were making was not that nice which made me feel a bit sad.

But in this group, the opposite is happening and that is what has made me so teary about it all.  People are taking their favourite WIPs, their best fabrics, and making and donating really wonderful, fresh, modern quilts. 

The London Modern Quilt Guild have offered to visit Siblings Together at some point and sew labels onto all the quilts.  

 

And finally, Sarah Ashford  wrote a poem that she thought might be read to the group before their quilts are given to them or I wondered whether we could somehow include the poem on the quilts - suggestions please on this one.

If you’re feeling lonely

And you don’t know what to do,

Wrap this quilt around you,

And love will come shining through.

You may not always be together,

But forever in your hearts

Is a love so strong, unbreakable,

It cannot come apart.

And every stitch is sewn with love,

With colours to brighten your day,

The pattern chosen carefully,

To remind you of your stay.

So take your quilt and treasure it,

Let it be your joy and pride,

Remember all the special times

With your sibling by your side.