Quilts for Patients

This project began in the fall of last year. My sister Linda is a nurse and told me one day that there was this woman who occasionally brought in these tiny quilts with a note attached and would give them to people in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer. She said they were simple, just four little squares and a backing. The piece was no more than three inches  square. In the center of each tiny square she tied a knot. We all know this knot. To it she attached a note that said "Each knot was stitched with love for you".

Of course, I can do this. But I am not the sort to do things quite that simple. I spent months collecting patterns. My thinking was that I could make four miniature blocks and put them together to make a miniature quilt. Thing is, to get a piece that is 3 or 4 inches square, these blocks have to be really tiny. Now I love small. I am really good at small. But I was failing.

One day about six weeks ago, I got an email from a quilt shop on this technique and I was intrigued. Thing is, the method of working it, you couldn't make just one. It was a complicated exercise in geometrics. I started Googling this block called "Cathedral Window" and I found a woman who developed a pattern to make single blocks. I was off and running. Half of it is machine stitched and the rest is hand work. They end up being 4 & 1/2 inches square. Perfect. And they end up with little pockets that friends can slip little notes in.

Not a very clear picture, but you get the point. I made 28 of them in a little over a week. that should be a good beginning. We are having a 50th birthday party for Linda this Saturday and i will give these to her then. I think she will like them and they should be a hit at the hospital.