Spring Quilt Bloggers Festival

 I am so happy that May has come and it is time to share our favorite quilts again on Amy's Creative Side!  Her Quilt Blogger's Festival draws huge numbers of quilters here every year--WELCOME to Margaret's Hope Chest! We are a non-profit quilting organization that shares HOPE and comfort with people all over the United States through the gift of a handmade quilt.

Most of the 1000+ quilts we have given away over the past 5 years have gone to strangers but we do occasionally give quilts to those we know in our community. 

This is my favorite quilt this year--made for a good friend of mine named Ellie.

It is called 'Ellie's Garden'

 There are two things you need to know about Ellie: 1) She loves to garden.  2) She is a wonderfully energetic and positive person--just talking with her brightens my days.

So when Ellie was diagnosed with brain cancer in January I was stunned and saddened. But thankfully, I am in charge of this wonderful ministry and I am able to give HOPE and comfort to her through a quilt.

I got to work within days of her diagnosis--I wanted her to have a 'garden' that she could take with her during her first hospital stay.  I started by Google-ing "Ellie's Garden"--I had a hunch that there was a pattern with this name and I was right--here it is. 

It was just perfect.

Next, I started hunting through my scraps for prints that would add to the garden feel--bright and varied! I found contrasting prints for the background in the blocks and then 

I took my blocks to my local quilt shop for advice on sashing.  

I wanted to add a little to the pattern that I had found.

Thanks to the sage advice of the quilt shop employees I was able to add a double sashing and border fabric (light blue).  I still am amazed at the result.  I LOVE this quilt. 

 I finished the top off in record time (one week start to finish!) added a little of the extra sashing pieces to the backing and decided to save some money and time and quilt it myself.

After binding and washing it, I added this label to the quilt--once again, I Googled 'poems about gardens' and found this poem--

'The kiss of the sun for pardon,

the song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

than anywhere else on earth'

I was able to give it to Ellie at church one Sunday in February--just a few days before she entered the hospital for her first treatment. She wrote a blog post about that Sunday HERE.

Ellie has now come through 3 chemo cycles, and she brings the quilt with her each time.

She has had a few complications but she is doing GREAT! 

Praise God that she is still able to garden between treatments and she remains upbeat and positive.

The future is still unclear--but we are all hopeful that the cancer is dying and she will once again be 100% healthy.