I have to admit that this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, but I am looking forward to doing it.
The Angel Quilt Project (AQP) was an off-shoot of a group originally called The Cross-Wits, an on-line cross stitch group that I once belonged to. I don't think the Cross-Wits even exists anymore, as most of the members joined the AQP right after I got it started, but I want to thank the ladies who were a part of that group, and I do apologize that I can't remember their names! Isn't that bad? But, in my own defense here, it has been 13 years and there has been a lot of 'water to go under that bridge'. LOL.
I've had two major surgeries in the past 6 and 7 years that have left my memory spotty at best at times, but I'm surviving. LOL.
Anyway, to get back to the subject at hand; I started the AQP (Then called the Angel Afghan Project) when one of the Cross-Wits suggested we use our cross stitch to help others. At first I had no idea what to do, but then -- like a bolt of lightning -- the idea was put into my head. I say 'put into my head' because I honestly believe it was a revelation from God. I knew immediately what we would go on to do, what it would be called, and where we would send our finished pieces.
I got on-line and started telling the other members what had happened and at first their reception was somewhat sceptical, to say the least. Anyway 3 of the ladies in the group accepted the 'challenge' and The Angel Afghan Project was 'born'.
One of those first members was Dale High, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and she's been with the project ever since. The AQP is dearly blessed with her presence, as she's constantly reminding me of things I've forgotten and helps to keep me on the 'straight and narrow'! That's a hard job, too. Just ask my wife! NOT! LOL!!!!
The original idea, and it's still going strong today, was to make small blankets with cross stitched center-pieces, and to donate them to hospitals around the country for families with premature babies. The first hospital on our list was the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Florida, and we still send blankets to them to this day.
The blankets then were quite small, as we all imagined that something for preemies would have to be that size. Now days our blankets measure roughly 36" x 36" and are large enough to cover the isolettes in the NICUs or SCBUs and keep out the light but also keep in the heat, which is essential for the preemies.
In the beginning we only used cross stitched pieces for our blankets, as I'd never heard of machine embroidery. Kathy Walker, who owned Treetrunk Designs, got in touch with me and machine embroidery became a well-used medium for the project and we've had a lot of ladies join the project using their machines and they all do lovely work. Thank you Kathy for your suggestions and donations to the AQP.
Back in January of 2000 we had only one (1) hospital, the before-mentioned Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital. Today, in 2013, we have over 1,500 NICUs and SCBUs in Canada, the UK, and the United States of America. In the US we have NICUs in every state, as well as Washington, DC and that list continues to grow.
While starting out small, we have grown to be world-wide. At the height of the project, back in 2005, we had over 3,000 'members', representing something like 35 countries around the world!
In the 13+ years of the AQP we, as a world-wide group, have given away -- YES! GIVEN AWAY -- over 55,000 of our all hand-made blankets! I never in my wildest dreams thought we'd get so much done in such a 'short' time, but we have.
I never would have thought that a man in Greenville, Mississippi could have imagined something like this, with God's help of course, and accomplish so much. But, we have. We have touched so many lives in 13+ years and I've gotten so many touching letters from parents, grandparents, nursing staffs and hospital administrators that it's just unbelievable. All are very touching and I have had tears in my eyes as I've read them.
I personally delivered our blankets to hospitals here in Mississippi. The largest NICU in the whole Southeast part of the country is at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, with a maximum bed count of something like 275 isolettes for preemies and other children in distress. I've met many parents and their children and I wouldn't be human if I wasn't touched by what I saw and continue to see to this day. The nursing staff does so much work to ensure that these precious packages make it through their trials and eventually go home.
Many do not make it, and that's the sad part.
However, once a blanket is given to a family it becomes the property of that family and they take it home once they leave, hopefully with their child(ren) with them.
For multiple preemies such as twins or triplets, then we have asked the NICUs to please make sure that each child gets their own blanket, and thankfully many have agreed. We have even give out blankets for 5 sets of sextuplets!
The AQP continues to operate today. We are an all-volunteer group of people and we spend our own funds to make all this happen. We once were a nonprofit group, but the IRS deemed we were no longer allowed to have that title and took it away from us in 2011. We still operate though. We still spend our own funds to keep this going. We still send our blankets to the NICUs and SCBUs (That's Special Care Baby Units in the UK, for those wondering what it means). We still communicate with each other and we still do what we love to do the most........................Cross Stitch!
I do hope others will want to help us here. We never turn anyone down who wants to donate their time by stitching, making blankets, or making monetary donations. We will do this for as long as we can, because premature babies are precious and they are loved not only by their families but by the nursing staffs who look after them.
We pray for preemies around the world, as well as for their families. I ask you to say a prayer for them as well. No one goes into a pregnancy with expectations of a premature birth and the stays at NICUs and SCBUs is sometimes quite long and very draining for the families and if we can brighten their days by just giving a simple blanket, then we have accomplished our jobs.
Thank you for reading and I will be posting something here at least once a week.
Sincerely,
James Farmer, Founder
The Angel Quilt Project
www.aqphome.org
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