What are Love Quilts?
Meet Cathy
MACS Kids LQ Photos
Testimonials from LQ Stitchers
Letters from MACS Parents
 

 

What are Love Quilts?
"Love Quilts To Make A Child Smile" was founded in February of 1999, by Cathy who lives in Michigan.

What started out as a small project turned into an organization making up to 25 quilts per year for the sick children featured on the Make A Child Smile website.

The quilts are composed of cross stitched squares lovingly done by stitchers from all over the world. Cathy is still looking for stitchers so this wonderful mission of love will continue. If you are interested in signing up to stitch for a child, please visit Love Quilts at www.lovequilts.org for more information.

Cathy
Founder of Love Quilts

Meet Cathy
Cathy is a wife and mom to a son and daughter. From personal family experience, she has watched her cousin's daughter Kelsey (Aug/98 Featured Kid) deal with a massive brain tumor and her nephew Justin fight bone cancer. Being an experienced quilter, Cathy decided she wanted to make quilts for the sick children of MACS after Kelsey and Justin both received quilts from another online group called "Cross-stitch Pals". Cathy saw how much the quilts meant to the children in her life and wanted to spread the joy. Her motto for Love Quilts is 'stitched together with needle and thread'-so simple, but that's it, each Love Quilt is a special gift for each of the MACS kids who receives one.

MACS Kids LQ Photos
Click on each thumbnail below to see some MACS kids with the quilt they received from Love Quilts.

Testimonials from some Love Quilts Stitchers and the CSA (Cross Stitch Addicts) Group

"I found LQ in 1999 when Katy H's quilt was full (the first quilt). In the fall of 1999, I offered to help with the assembly and the first quilt I put together was for Jimmy K. and I got it to him in time for Christmas (and his birthday which is the next day). Up until late last year, I stitched for every quilt and put together all the quilts from early 2000 on. It became too much to do alone once we expanded to 2 kids per month (plus the extra quilts) and it is GREAT (more than the ESSENTIAL) to have help. My special kids are Jimmy K. (the first quilt I assembled) and Kristina H. (the child who got a quilt and went on to stitch for some of the other kids) and April, who has Cystic Fibrosis just like my granddaughter. I have stitched for way over 30 years and LQ is the absolute highlight of my stitching and the most rewarding project I have ever been part of."
~ Vicki (USA)

"I have been stitching for Love Quilts since 1999. The first one I did was for Justina K. I never made a cross stitched piece for someone I didn't know. I located Cathy through MACS of course. I always loved to cross stitch, so I thought to stitch for LQs was so special!! Me, giving something tangible to these children. I really love going through my charts and finding 'the perfect one' for each quilt theme. I did the squares before there were themes. I am so pleased to have a network of friends through LQ, MACS and now CSA."
~ Dianne (USA)

"I started my first square for LQ in 1999 and it was for Elizabeth's Precious Moments quilt. Shortly thereafter, I volunteered to have the squares sent to me, scanned and posted on the web. A lot of stitchers were getting involved at a very fast rate and Cathy had a hard time keeping up, so Vicki and I started emailing each other and that's when I became friends with her. My little special story is that I have a LQ bulletin board next to my computer. I see that board a LOT since I often wind up doing work at home in the evenings, and also see it when working on Love Quilts... So when I think I have it hard or start to feel sorry for myself over something insignificant, I look at that board and remember what a true selfless group of women LQ is, because we make each other and these kids smile when it seems like trying to find a smile would be impossible. And that board reminds me to pray for specific children and their families whenever possible, and to thank God for my friends at CSA and the other friends I have who stitch for LQ."
~ Karin (USA)

"My first ever child to stitch for was Annie L, and I have never looked back! I met a great bunch of ladies and made many good friends here at CSA. Stitching for the children is like a hug. I guess what I mean is that just like when hugging somebody when they need it, you get all warm and fuzzy too."
~ Charlotte (Ireland)

Letters to LQ from some MACS Parents

"When the package came in the mail, it brought so many smiles to our faces and tears of happiness to our eyes. The quilt for Andrew was absolutely PRECIOUS. So much thought and time went into it we can tell. I would write each person if I could and let them know how dear it will always be to me. So many meaningful squares with things that reminds me of my little boy. And the pillow of the angel (With the heart on his hand) WOW!! I just cannot EVER tell you what this means to me. Megan jumped with joy when she saw hers. Just to know someone, well many of you, took time to remember our very special Andrew and to make Megan's day so wonderful! Words cannot explain how much we appreciate it!"
~ Doris ("Angel" Andrew H's mom)

"I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful quilt. The love that went into the quilt is amazing. It is truly a very special keepsake. Emma adores it. We love how the stitchers made the little girls with red hair. The backing of the quilt is incredible. I honestly thought it would be a cotton material, but was very happily surprised to see how thick it is. Thank you, thank you, thank you again."
~ Tammy (Emma H's mom)

"I wanted to let you know that Hannah's Love Quilt is still very much loved. During Hannah's funeral we hung it on the wall and everyone said they loved it and wanted to know where we got it. I proudly said, "Hannah's friends made it for her, it was made with a lot of love". I then told them that it was a very special and loved quilt. During her funeral our preacher stood in front of the quilt making a wonderful back ground. Thank you again for Hannah's quilt it is and will always be treasured. Now it rests on Hannah's bed with all her beloved and precious dolls and animals."
~ Laura ("Angel" Hannah S' mom)

"We received Ricky's quilt in the mail last night. It is so beautiful it's breath taking! He never put it down, all night he had it with him and even took it over to my mom's with us. As we were driving to her house he said "I think I am going to take this special blanket everywhere with me!" Before he went to sleep last night, while laying in his bed, we talked about all the love and work put into his special quilt and how wonderful it feels to be wrapped in so much love and surrounded by all the beautiful angels! The work you do is so wonderful and will never be forgotten! Ricky's quilt will be treasured forever. Thank you for this wonderful gift, you are all angels in my eyes."
~ Heather (Ricky K's mom)

"I wanted to let you all know that we received Nick's Love Quilt. You should have seen Nick's face when he went to the post office and found the card there. When they brought out the big box his eyes got really big! He really loves the quilt, it is on his bed and covers him up each night. He was really excited by all the cool squares from quilters all over the world! He says to tell you all thank you very much ~big hugs~ and it is really cool!!! You all have sent him so much love in this quilt, and I cover him up with it each night! I wish I could send you all as much as you have sent Nick and us his parents - such a priceless gift! Thank you all for being such a blessing to us!"
~ Pam (Nicholas D's mom)

"Tyler's quilt and pillows arrived and is such a blessing. We arrived home from clinic (Ty has had a terrible month full of fevers) and there was the box (my husband brought it in). Ty didn't know what he was opening and he was so happy when he said "It's my quilt!" The quilt and pillows are gorgeous or in Tyler's words "awesome" He had so much fun looking at each square to find out who made it and where it was from. To say thank you seems so little for all the love and work that went into each square and then the putting it all together. From the bottom of our hearts we say thank you! The quilt arrived exactly one month before the the end of treatment."
~ Heather (Tyler B's mom)

"I just wanted to thank everyone for the beautiful quilt. I opened it today and laughed, cried and stood there in amazement over how wonderful all of you are for making my little boy his own special quilt, stitched with so much love. Words cannot express what this quilt means to me. Zackery would of loved it just as much as I do. His theme was dogs and I lay awake at night picturing him in a big grassy field running and playing with his dogs. Now I can display this quilt and think about Zackery and all of the love and time you all put in to it for my little boy."
~ Jill ("Angel" Zackery K's mom)

Cathy (Love Quilts Founder), Alex (MACS Founder)
and Lin (Jimmy K's mom) meet in Florida in April, 2002.

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