Merry Christmas!

To our faithful readers (even when I am not faithfully writing),
Merry Christmas to each of you! 
Thank you for being part of the Margaret's Hope Chest family.
Blessings,
Carin and Carol

12 Quilts to Mitchell's Journey

 Earlier this year we asked for help creating HEART themed quilts. We had a wonderful response to that request and last week I was able to mail these 12 quilts to Mitchell's Journey. In 2005, Mitchell was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a catastrophic muscle wasting disease which results in progressive muscle deterioration and is fatal by late teens/early twenties. He died in March of 2013. In December 2013, as part of their healing journey, Mitchell's family returned to the hospital where he was cared for (in Utah) to give quilts to children there.  This Christmas, they plan to return and these quilts will help them to continue healing through serving.  Thank you to all who sent one of these beautiful quilts.  I am sure they will be a wonderful gift to 12 amazing children.

Much Needed Update!!!

Hi Friends!!!
It has been way too many months since I have updated our blog and about a year since I have given an update on where our beloved quilts have gone!
I have good excuses for not blogging (NOT ENOUGH TIME!) but I do apologize for not keeping everyone in the loop on recent happenings.  We do have a Facebook group that I update more regularily so check that out if you haven't already.

The big news is that we are up to 2130 quilts given away!  That means that since my last post exactly four months ago we have given away 130 quilts! Wow!  I have been to two prison giveaways in Michigan since then--and loved every minute of my time with the inmates and their children.

Here is a rundown of everything else happening over the last 12 months:

97 went to the mother-baby program at Pine Rest

10 baby quilts went to Kenya

10 went to an immigrant family with adults and children living near church

17 went to organizations serving low-income families

9 went to children with a parent in prison having a birthday

2 went to disabled children in Haiti

7 went to fund-raisers

these are the people who received a quilt when they were diagnosed with/being treated for cancer - Barry, Amy, Bob, An, Thelma, Randy, Elijah, Ruth, Jos

6 quilts went to people who were struggling because of disabilities, surgery, injuries

5 went to children and adults who were mourning a death in their family

we sent out 9 to people whose family member was in prison (mother-in-law, sister, non-birthday)

and 73 were given away at 2 prison giveaways through Forgiven Ministries

 

 

On Sunday, my daughter Anne and I will travel to Village of Hope in Guatemala and deliver 23 quilts to children living in an orphanage there! We are so excited!!! Lots of pictures to follow from that!

 

Again, we would like to thank ALL for helping us out over the last year(s).  Obviously, we cannot do this alone--and so we rely on God for guidance, and volunteer quilters for quilts.

 

If you have an extra quilt or some time to make a quilt we could really use more quilts for the mother/baby program at Pine Rest. They are seeing more and more women who need help navigating through post-partum depression.  They absolutely LOVE the quilts and always want us to thank those who have helped in the past.

 

Here is a link to the information on A Mother's Hope program if you are able to help.

    

The 2000th.....

 This quilt was constructed by my mom.
She made it from fabrics that reminded her of the housecoats that her mom wore around the house many years ago--soft, flowery fabrics.
My mom thought of her 'Aunt' Thelm as she carefully fit the pieces together.  ('Aunt' Thelm is actually married to my grandpa's cousin Herm which would make her my mom's 2nd cousin--made more sense to just call her 'aunt' because their families were so close).
Aunt Thelm has colon cancer and is 86 years old.  As you can imagine, there is not much that can be done.  She is receiving palliative care and waiting....
We knew we were approaching our 2000th quilt given and we decided that it HAD to go to Aunt Thelm.  She was my grandma Margaret's best friend.  So close in fact, that in 1947 my grandparents and Aunt Thelm and Uncle Herm almost had a double wedding!  But as the story goes, my grandparents were 'over-eager' and got married two weeks before Herm and Thelm. 

 If my grandma were still alive and well enough to, she would have cared for her friend Thelm in any way she could.  My mom was my grandma's hands--creating a quilt of comfort and HOPE.  It was very sweet to see my mom give it to her.

 It was also special to see my mom embraced by two people who bring back such good memories of her own parents.   She didn't want to get up from the couch :)  I don't blame her!

And so, a big milestone for Margaret's Hope Chest---2000 quilts.  2000 people just like Aunt Thelm--grasping for HOPE and comfort is an uncomfortable and scary world.  Thank you Jesus for your blessings on our work.

Lots to Share

 Once again, I have been neglecting this blog! I can't believe how time is flying by me!  We move out of Bermuda to Michigan a week from today.  Perhaps I will blog more consistently there?!

My mom has been faithfully delivering a stack of quilts to the Mother/Baby program every few weeks.  Each stack a unique gift of HOPE and love.  Thanks to those who continue to support this program. 

This quilt was made by my mom with the log cabin blocks we collected last year-isn't it great?

On a personal note, I have been trying to use all of my scraps up before the big move.  This is only a fraction of the quilt tops I have made over the past month and a half.  These quilts will be added to the Prison Giveaway pile. 

 I made four tops out of all my girlie strips.  I can't wait to see them finished off!

What's Been Happening?

 I haven't written here in an embarrassingly long time!  I have a laundry list of excuses which include my family is moving internationally yet again, the weather in Bermuda has been amazing this winter/spring and so we have spent as much time outside as possible, I have finished several personal projects over the past few months, and last but not least I am the busy mother of five small children!

Don't mistake lack of blog posts for lack of quilting work though.  I have been busy trying to use up as much fabric as I can before we move!  I spent all of January and February cutting my scraps and smaller pieces into 3 inch squares.

 

 Now, when I want to throw together a scrap quilt, I just head for the bin and have some fun!

 Here is a quilt I made using those 3 inch squares and some blocks that someone donated to Margaret's Hope Chest.  It was fun putting it all together and I am sure it will make a little girl very happy!

 The backing was a piece of donated fabric as well.  Yeah!

 Most evenings you will find me with this monstrosity on my lap, slowly picking out the stitches of 100's of yo-yo blocks.  Someone donated this antique yo yo quilt to MHC almost two years ago (gulp!).  I decided to take it apart and reuse the intact yo-yo's to create something new.  It has been a fun challenge and I love inventing stories in my head about who made this quilt and where each of the 100's of fabrics came from.  Maybe I will be finished with it in another two years!!!

More Quilts to 'A Mother's Hope'

 Look at these BRILLIANT quilts which were delivered to the Mother/Baby program this week!!  Again, I will gush over how each is so unique and special, just like the moms who will choose one to become a symbol of hope in their lives.
Please notice this quilt:

It is the first (of many) made from the log cabin blocks we collected earlier this year!  Isn't it cheerful?!  

A big thank you to those who donated these quilts of the last month.  You make our mission a joy!

We always need more quilts for this program.  This is an ongoing need.  Please see the details HERE and consider helping out!