This page was last updated on: May 23, 2014
- Love Quilts -
Counted Cross Stitched Quilts For Sick Children!
Hi, Thank you so much for your post about the quilts for sick children and your interest in helping with Love Quilts!  I will try and fill you in on where we are right now with the current quilt projects and where I hope to go in the future.  If you decide you would like to stitch for one of the current children, please see the middle of this post for a link to the 2010 page, and follow the directions from there.  I occasionally have problems receiving the sign up in my email (when you hit submit) so if you haven't heard from me in a week, please feel free to drop me a note via email. 

Please personalize your pattern as much as you can, making it your own special gift to the child.  Please feel free to change the colors to match the child's favorite color (when listed), a border or anything else you want to make it personal, but please stay within the size specifications (pattern can not be larger than 9x9 inches when finished, it can be smaller but no larger).  We are asking that you do not add the child's name to your square.  But please add your name and your area (city, state etc.) stitched close to your pattern on the bottom of your finished work with the font of your choice.  The child and their family often comment on how much the love to look at where all the squares came from!  Making the pattern personal also helps when there is a duplication of the pattern.  Although I try to make sure patterns are not duplicated, it happens sometimes and making it personal makes this not a problem.  This also really makes it special for the child and his/her family.


ANY CHILD SQUARES - though we will accept any "any child" squares that are stitched for Love Quilts, we are asking for you to stitch either Princess and Sports at this time.  These squares can be used for some many of the children, it will make it easier to arrange the squares and get a quilt to a child.  So, if possible, please stitch your any child square within one of the two themes listed above. 

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The patterns you use is your choice within the theme of that child if you are using the sign up form.  Please wait for a confirmation from me before stitching though, I will look over my listing for that child and make sure no one else has not already begun stitching that pattern.

The following children are available for new stitchers.  As one closes (at 30 stitchers signed up) then I will open the next child on my list.  Once you receive a confirmation of a pattern you are on that child's list, even after it closes.  Following the list of names is the remaining stats for the square which would apply to ALL quilts made for Love Quilts.   

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We are stitching for the 2011 Children <----- click here!

To see the current children and to sign up for a quilt please follow the link above and browse around and read about our kids!


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If you would like to see past quilts we have made please use the following links!

Love Quilts Previous Children -
http://lqpreviouschildren.homestead.com/LQPreviousChildren.html

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Directions

The following information is for ALL quilts:

Fabric: WHITE AIDA cloth (I can't stress the white enough, NO ecru)

Count Size: 11, 14, 16 or 18 count AIDA (NO linen please)

Outside Dimensions: 13x13 inches (app. 33x33 cm), PLEASE make sure it isn't under 12x12 inches (app. 30x30 cm).  If your fabric is 12x18 in. please cut the 18 to 13 in., that is fine.

Inside Dimensions: 9x9 inches or smaller for design (app. 23x23 cm)

StitchesPlease do not stitch the child's name on your square.  Please, NO LONG STITCHES on your square anywhere (including your signature).  These tend to get caught when the quilt is being put together.  I am sure that the child who is snuggling with the quilt finds the same thing.  Please use all the holes available even when making things such as cats wiskers for example.

Signing Work: Please sign your work when you are finished.  The children and their families just love to see where the squares have come from.  Please do not stitch a date into the square any longer. This helps when the squares are used at a later date for a child who receives a quilt urgently because of health reasons.  Please sign your name (first name is fine) and location (city, state and country is fine or just the state and country if you are more comfortable with that) stitching it on the bottom close to the finished pattern.

Care: If you feel comfortable washing and drying your square, please feel free to do so.  The squares need to be forced dried by an iron.  Just after washing, while the square is still wet, slowly iron with a moderately hot iron until dry.  Iron the back side of the square, not the front.  Make sure your square has dried for at least 24 hours before mailing!  Put WASHED on the insert you place with your square with the name of the child and your name and email address.  If you are not comfortable washing your square feel free to send it along and we will wash it for you.  Please put NOT WASHED on your insert.  Package your square in a small bubble envelope and send it.  It is very important for you to let us know if your square was washed!

Occasionally we receive more squares for a specific quilt than expected and sometimes way less, even with the commitments, we have never received all the promised squares.  A quilt is closed to new stitchers at 30 stitchers; we usually receive anywhere from 20-25 squares out of that list. 

Please link here when you are finished to get the mailing address and instructions for mailing your square(s).  Multiple squares can be sent together.

If you are able, please add $3.00 with each square to help cover the cost of putting the quilt together and for postage to mail it to the child. Also, indicate on the front of your package AND in your package who's quilt the square is to be used for. If you are from another country or are unable to send the $3.00 please do not worry about it.  Thanks!

Reminders:
The quilt squares should be cut 13x13 inches (app. 33x33 cm) to give us room to work with when making the quilts. 

If your pattern ends up being 3x3 inches (app 7x7 cm) or less (design area), please put a border around it.  Patterns should not exceed 9x9 inches.

Remember to always sign your work, your first name, state and/or country in backstitch close to the finished pattern.  Please make the thread color dark enough so it can be seen.  Try to match a color in the pattern if possible, otherwise use black.

Please make sure you put on the outside of the envelope who's quilt the square inside is for, put a note inside who it is for as well as your first name and email address.  These are very important. 


PERSONAL HISTORY AND THE START OF LOVE QUILTS  - FEB. 1999
My personal family has suffered much in the past with cancer and I know what these children are going through.  In March 1998 my cousin's then 5 year old daughter Kelsey was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor (featured on Make A Child Smile in August 1998).  She has since had 2 brain surgeries which have left her with numerous problems, including brain seizures 24 hours a day.  She does have tumor growth, but currently not in any treatments for the tumor as it is growing slowly, but the effects of the surgeries she has already had will last her a lifetime.  She is also 5 months older than my daughter which has been hard for me to see.

Two months after Kelsey, in May 1998, my then 16 year old nephew Justin was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left leg.  Since that time he has undergone an amputation above the left knee and finished chemo a few months later, months earlier than he should have.  His bone marrow was not bouncing back between rounds and they were worried he would need a bone marrow transplant when his chemo was done.  He is checked and scanned often looking for cancer since the chemo treatment was never finished.  Justin's mom (my sister) and I are first cousin's with Kelsey's mommy, on our father's side.

Update on Justin: Justin is currently doing well.  It has been over 10 years since he has received any chemo and he remains cancer free!  He married his girlfriend, Becky, on March 4, 2005!

During this time in 1998 I was approached by a group of online ladies called Cross-Stitch Pals (another online group not associated with Love Quilts To Make A Child Smile). They wanted to make a quilt for Kelsey.  Her quilt arrived just after her second brain surgery (July 1998) and you can view her finished quilt at  Kelsey's Quilt!!  - http://lovequilts2macs.homestead.com/KelseyJ1998.html.  These same wonderful ladies made a quilt for my nephew Justin, his quilt arrived in January of 1999 and you can view it at Justin's Quilt! - http://lovequilts2macs.homestead.com/JustinB1999.html

I was unable to stitch myself for Kelsey, but I did make a square for Justin's quilt and sent it along to the ladies who put it together.  After seeing these children receive their quilts and seeing how much joy they got from them, I realized I wanted to give to other sick children the way others had given to my family.  My sister Cindy (Justin's mom) has helped with these quilts by cross-stitching squares as well as her daughter Bethany.  Our other sister Laurie has also stitched for these quilts as well. 

Although I have only met a few children this group has stitched for, I know that my love as well as all the love each stitcher puts into each stitch goes along with each quilt.  The motto for the group is "stitched together with needle and thread", it says exactly what we do, we are all stitched together for these children in need.  Thank you for your help, I cherish and treasure each stitchers square and I love to work putting them together and seeing all the love there.

I hope this answers most of your questions.  We are in need of stitchers if this is going to continue on and I hope and pray that it does.  If you would like to join in on any of these quilt projects or any in the future, please use the sign up box on the child's page (please sign up and wait for your confirmation BEFORE you begin stitching).  Thank you for taking the time to read this post.  I hope you have a very wonderful day.

Cathy ~ Love Quilts

Please link here for mailing instructions!

(Please add $3.00 with each square to help cover the cost of putting the quilt together and for postage to mail it to the child.  Also, indicate on the front of your package AND in your package who's quilt the square is to be used for. Thanks!)

I also wish to clarify something about the $3.00.  I DO NOT personally profit from this money in any way.  The squares take many paths before they are finished as I don't put the quilt together myself.  I have stitchers in S. Carolina, Arizona, Texas, W. Virginia, Missouri, N. Carolina, Ohio and New York that are involved in some way in putting the quilts together (the quilts go through a process of washing, drying, cutting, assembly and shipping). The finishers purchases supplies for the quilts (fabric, batting, yarn, thread etc., anything that is needed) and then there is the cost of shipping the finished quilt to the child (expensive as we have the parent sign for the quilt when it is received).  Each quilt, from start to finish, cost LoveQuilts app. $60.00. Since some people do not send the $3.00 with their squares a lot of these costs actually fall to us.  Thank you for understanding!

If you are from another country and you are unable to get American dollars, please do not worry about the $3.00, we would just love to have your squares for these children.

The following countries (other than the USA) have had
stitchers participate in Love Quilts:
Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands (Holland), Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Gibraltar, Norfolk Island (South Pacific), Singapore, South Africa, Israel, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, France, Guam, Korea, Venezuela, Seychelles and Hong Kong!

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Main Love Quilts Webpage:
http://LoveQuilts.org

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Check out the tracking and scanning page for Love Quilts
and see other stitchers squares!!
Love Quilts Photo Site
http://public.fotki.com/LOVEQUILTS/
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If you are stuck and can't find a pattern to match the theme,
please check out this page!
Pattern Sites
http://lovequilts2macs.homestead.com/PatternSites.html
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Love Quilts Brazil
http://www.lovequiltsbrasil.org/indexen.htm
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Love Quilts Germany
http://www.lovequilt.de/
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Love Quilts Australia
http://www.quilts4kids.com/
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Love Quilts UK
http://www.lovequiltsuk.com/
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Please remember to let me know you are going to stitch, what pattern you decide on and what book it is from before you begin stitching!!!  Please use the sign-up box on each child's page to sign up to stitch.  Please keep a record of the children you have stitched for, if you ever change your email address I will need that info to make the change.  Thank you!
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