I'd love to hear more about these prayer quilts - I don't know about them...how do we make them - and how is it presented, the ties, etc..I am very interested in finding out more....
What a wonderful idea.
Bill

I've never heard of this either. Please give more information.

Geri

I made a quilt for a retirement and was planning on just tieing it. It was embroidered sunbonnet sue blocks and the other people that where in on planning it just wanted it tied. After I got it tied I decided it needed some quilting so I machine quilted around the blocks. It didn't look bad but it didn't look great either. After I washed it it looked better. I tied first then quilted. Maybe if you did it in the other order it would be better. Quilt then tie. I've never heard of a prayer quilt. So do you put the ties in but leave them untied? Peg

Hi Everyone,
I just found this site which you may enjoy....

Here is a link that might be useful: PRAYER QUILTS

I made a fleece throw for a co-worker with cancer. I tied every so many ties so that it would stay together and then I laid it out on a table at work and people could come in and tie a couple ties and say a prayer. When we gave it to her, we left some ties untied for her to finish.

I would think you could do something similar with the embroidery floss but may want to tie one knot so that they don't come out. Or...could you have needle and floss that people could put a tie in wherever??Your gestrue is very nice. Sounds pretty with the colors you are doing.

I love this concept, and have participated with a church group that I was visiting. But, Deannabsd----

Unless you absolutely know how ill the recipient is, do not leave any ties for them to do. The prayer quilt I participated in was for a woman in the final stages of breast cancer. The church group left ties for Jeanine to tie. The cancer had metastisized to her brain. She would have loved to be able to tie those ties, but her fingers couldn't have done it. And at that time her head was swollen to the size of an over-inflated basketball.

She was my neighbor, and a friend. She felt guilt over not being able to tie the final ties. I did them. And I resented the "nice church group" that didn't finish the project. I was at her house 2 - 3 three times a day to help her go to the bathroom.

Make the prayer quilts - but do them 100% within your group. Every person making a tie should say a prayer. Just don't put any bit of the quilt finishing on the cancer patient, please! My friend is now dead, and felt guilt over not "finishing" the quilt presented to her.

So, make prayer quilts, present them to patients, - but make sure they are done!

These people who need these quilts are suffering in the worst possible way. They might appreciate a cuddly quilt, but if they have to WORK to COMPLETE it - well, NO!!

I've dealt with a few terminal patients. Nice quilt/blanky yes - tie a quilt themselves, even just a few - BIG NO!

Mary

Thanks for your comments, mary. My co-worker was still active and was working at times so certainly not the level of illness of your neighbor and friend. I think we only left her one. She certainly was not terminal and is back to work full time. Hers was also breast cancer. That cancer just keeps rearing its ugly head in our area. Deanna

Deanna,

Nope, I must apologize. Her death was a long drawn-out process for me, and much worse for her family, of course. I was projecting my feelings of regret and hopelessness onto the group. I am sorry, and I shouldn's have done that.

But I will still say - make prayer quilts, but make them complete. Don't leave anything for the recipient to do. Just make it a gift, or don't make it at all.

Mary

I have made a few Prayers Quilts, I made them small and didn't use the ties, but I do like that idea, I made them using light colors in some of the squares and then when people came to see the person they used a laundry pin to sign the quilt, this worked pretty good and gave the person words of encouragement.
bopeep

here is a link to a site prayers and squares.net

Here is the last one I made it was for a co-worker. Our chaplain took it to a staff meeting then to each department so everyone who wished to could participate. We tied in each white square of the 9-patch and the colored corner block of the sashing. This was taken before it was tied and the strings trimmed. This one is only tied, no quilting and there were a LOT of ties. Next time I will add a bit of quilting along with the ties.

I am working on one now for a co-worker whose daughter was killed in an automobile accident. It will not be tied, only quilted and presented to her with a card when she comes back to work. I don't have pictures up-loaded yet.

beverly

I just did this one for a child. I quilt all my quilts and then I add some ties.