Join the FUN!

 

We are trying something new here at Margaret's Hope Chest and I wanted to invite our entire blog audience to join us. Starting in October, Margaret's Hope Chest's VIRTUAL QUILTING BEE will be leading virtual volunteers through one quilt pattern a month. The quilt pictured here is our first quilt. I will be providing COMPLETE PICTORAL INSTRUCTIONS for each quilt. Even people who have no idea how to quilt can follow the instructions and make these quilts. I have set up a brand new blog for the Virtual Quilting Bee- www.mhcvirtualquiltingbee.blogspot.com. Click on the link on the sidebar to visit, and consider joining us!

Just When You Least Expect It.....

There is a song that I hear each day on the Christian radio station that I listen to and here are the first few lines of the lyrics...

"You do your work the best that you can
you put one foot in front of the other
life comes in waves and makes *its* demands
you hold on as well as *you're* able
You've been here for a long long time
Hope has a way of turning *its* face to you
just when you least expect it."

It's called 'It might be HOPE' by Sara Groves and it describes our work at Margaret's Hope Chest for the last year and a half. We work hard and it seems like it will take a FOREVER to get this whole thing off of the ground, and then just when we least expect it.....

Even though we are in the business of sharing hope with others, we still are in need of some ourselves from time to time. Praise God we received some HOPE yesterday just when we least expected it. This story could get long and complicated so I will simplify as much as possible. There is a writer at the GR Press Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, who has a craft column and blog and a few weeks ago she was preparing a for a community quilting bee. I wrote her an e-mail, offered my mother's attendance at the bee (your welcome mom!), and watched to see how everything unfolded. You can read what happened when you click on the link in the side bar.
Anyway, there was a woman there named Sally, she went home and read our website and blog. She liked what we are doing and thought she could help. Fast forward to the second quilting event last night that, once again, my mother attended (she IS a saint). She met Sally in the parking lot and Sally gave her 5 TOTALLY COMPLETED QUILTS and 2 boxes of fabric. HOPE-right there. People DO care, they think that what we are doing IS important. They want to support us. My mom and I really needed that. This was the first time in our short history that anyone has donated completed quilts. Cool.

The quilt top pictured below was finished and sent off this week to Well of Grace in St. Joseph Michigan. This is a special place where young ladies who are suffering from depression, eating disorders and other difficulties are living and recieving the help and hope they need. This is the second quilt we have sent them. We heard they are using them in the living room/TV area-hey I like a quilt to snuggle under when I watch TV too!

 

Quilts for Oliver and Waverly

 

 

These two monkey quilts are for Waverly and Oliver, brother and sister who also share a rare genetic disease. I have added a link on the side to thier mother's blog which is called 'Exploring Holland'. Even though the quilts are for the kids, Mom and Dad need some hope for the future as they navigate this awful disease.

This one is for Baby I

 

We just delivered this quilt to Baby I. Sorry this picture was taken before it was finished off-I guess I forgot to take a photo after it was finished-oops! Baby I has a severe cleft palate and lip which will need lots of attention and patience over the next months and years. I grew up with his mom-Kim. Her and her husband have now adopted 9 children from all over the world-Baby I just arriving home with them last week! They truly have a heart for orphans and are doing their best to show God's love to them. If you click on His Hands-His Feet on the sidebar, you will be taken to their blog-quite interesting. You can scroll down a bit and see a picture of Baby I snuggled in his quilt-so sweet!

Disappointing

I got some disappointing news yesterday from the powers that be at the West Michigan Quilt Show. I had asked if we could set up a small display about our ministry and leave out brouchures for people to take at the upcoming Quilt Show. I guess I never expected the answer I was given.

"Carin:Unfortunately, we must deny your request to promote your non-profit at the upcoming quilt show. The Quilts on the Grand 2008 is intended to draw attention and support to "The Tie That Binds" and "Habitat for Humanity of Kent County". They need to be the main (and only) focus during this event. As you probably know, "The Tie That Binds" is the guild's ongoing cause. The second charity changes with every biennial quilt show. To be considered for the 2010 show, you will have the opportunity to turn in a written request to the show committee"

In my mind I feel like there should be room for any group who wants to use quilting to encourage people in our community. The Tie that Binds gives quilts exclusively to NICU babies. Habitat for Humanity doesn't give quilts to anyone....
Anyway, you better believe that I will apply to be considered for the 2010 show but in the meantime I feel discouraged. I was really looking forward to sharing what we are doing with the largest quilting audience in West Michigan. Now we must find other avenues to reach that same group. Please pray that we will find these ways and continue to progress in a positive direction.

The good news is that I have two quilts displayed in the show, one is personal, and the other is a Margaret's Hope Chest quilt. If you are in the GR area the first weekend of Oct. check them out at the DeltaPlex.

Emily's quilt

 

Here is a picture of a quilt we gave to Emily yesterday. Emily is the 15 year old daughter of a co-worker of my husband's. She is in the final stages of life on this earth due to a rare genetic disease. Her favorite color is purple and when I heard about her I was finishing this quilt-God's provision is amazing.
We also sent a quilt to the Biemers family from Texas. The father of the family (a former employee of Holland Home in GR) returned from military sevice in Iraq only to be killed in an auto accident leaving behind a wife and 3 little boys.
Both families are in need of hope and courage, we pray that we have shared a little with them.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Don't take the lack of blogging as a sign of inactivity here at Margaret's Hope Chest. No, we have been busy, busy, busy. We are busy finishing off all of the quilt tops that have been accumulating over the winter and spring months. At the beginning of June we only had 3 finished quilts left to give away. Now we have 20-and the number is growing daily!! I am so thankful to have had a wonderful babysitter to watch my kids for the month of June and a wonderful husband who had the entire month of July off from work. I have gotten so much done! Take a look at some recently completed quilts.

 

 

 

 

Now we have the joy of giving them away. We started last week by giving a few more quilts to the Child Assessment Center here in Grand Rapids (this is the second time we have given them). Basically, they provide assessments to children who might have been sexual abused. They give our quilts to some of those children.
I sent out a quilt today to itty bitty baby Becca who was born very early and is very tiny, but quite a fighter. Here is a link to her parent's blog if you are interested www.babyhill.wordpress.com.
We have identified a couple of other families but we are waiting for addresses.
God continues to surprise and bless our ministry!