By: Tammy Gilley
Quilts were meant for sharing.
I’ve been noodling about quilts. Women who make them. Women who need them. Quilts, especially those that are handcrafted, are really just a giant hug for anyone who wraps one around herself.
Perhaps by stitching quilts, we’re comforting ourselves, too, because the whole concept of what has happened in Haiti is overwhelming. And sending a check helped me for a day or so. Then I grew antsy. So, I stitched. And I thought.
I’d like to do a "quilt drive", for lack of a better term, and get quilts to the women, children, men (we don’t discriminate here) in Haiti. I realize the needs in Haiti are huge, and "sending blankets" may not seem like the answer. But consider this. Quilts offer comfort, solace, warmth. These beautiful people lost everything. Perhaps by sending our quilts, we are also sending our love.
I’ve been talking to my friend, Rebecca Sower. I know many of you follow her blog. Rebecca returned home from Haiti only days before the earthquake hit. I checked her blog everyday to see if there was word about the people she met, what was happening, how I could help.
When I presented the idea of sending handcrafted quilts to Haiti, she said, "I absolutely love the quilt idea! Truly, one thing they need right now is warmth and comfort."
So. Without further ado…let’s Quilt Haiti.
Rebecca is planning a trip back to Haiti later this year. She has generously offered to get our quilts to Haiti. So, let’s send her a whole big bunch of them! If you’re a quilter and like me, you have oodles of quilts in your home. Send me one of those. Or create a new one to send. Send a handmade bunny or bear. Send a baby quilt. Send a king size quilt. It’s up to you. Whatever you send will be absolutely perfect.
If you’d like to be involved, simply leave a comment on my blog. Please be sure to include your email address, so I can contact you with the details.
I am so excited about this! And I hope you are, too. There are blog buttons available on my blog (thanks to my pal Monica Solorio-Snow for giving of her creative and technical talents). Don’t be shy, spread the word. What the world needs now, is quilts, love, and more quilts. And more love.
Send quilts. Send love. Pass it on.