Prayers for Juliette

Members of the Clifton Quilt guild holding nine-patches for Juliette’s Hope Quilt. From left: Kim Verthelsen, Evelyn Post, Michele Kopack, Agnes Dembia, Dale Rice, Rosemary McGuire, and Jo Ann Tropiano.

This evening I did a talk for the women of the Clifton Quilt Guild, in Clifton, NJ. They wanted me to talk about the ways that quilting connects me with lives of other people. I had many stories to share, but the one I focused on was the story of little, 11-month-old Juliette who has been suffering from a seizure disorder since she was about a month old.

Julilette will be undergoing surgery on Friday, July 5 to remove a part of her brain on the left side. I have been making a quilt for her. Her mother calls it “Juliette’s Hope Quilt,” which is a great title because Juliette’s middle name is Hope. (Who could have guessed that she’d need such a profound name?)

Nine-patch blocks for Juliette’s Hope Quilt.

While I was doing my talk, I took out all of the nine-patches I made recently and passed them around the room. The women of the guild laid hands on the patches. Some even prayed for Juliette.

I want to do everything I can to bring people together through quilting. Tonight was a lovely chance to do just that. I hope Juliette can feel the love that was expressed for her tonight in a town a continent away.

Juliette’s Hope Quilt

The box of fabrics arrived!

Various fabrics to be used in Juliette’s quilt.

I’m sure these photos seem hum-drum to anyone at first glance. Why shouldn’t they? There’s just a box with some fabric and then a display of the fabric on my front sidewalk.

To me, these photos are the beginning of a story, told here and in fabric, of a little baby named Juliette.

In July 2012, a customer who had previously ordered a custom-made quilt from me through my Etsy shop, http://www.secondsanctuary.etsy.com, told me she was 5 weeks away from delivering her 5th child. LeLan, the mother, was planning to have the baby, wait a month or so, and then get back to me on a second custom-ordered quilt she was thinking about.

In the third week of August, baby Juliette arrived.

By October, LeLan was asking for more time on the project, which was fine with me. She said the baby was fussy and wanted only her so it was hard for LeLan to go through her supply of fabrics to choose the ones to send to me for the second quilt. I remember making a comment that the baby was just going through her “fourth trimester.”

On November 28, LeLan sent me a message saying that the bay was diagnosed with a seizure disorder. LeLan was shell-shocked and on her knees praying. She also said that she needed to pull out of the plans for the custom quilt.

My response was to let her know that whenever she’s ready to go forward with this special quilt to just let me know. And, I told her not to worry about the cost. This one was on me. Making this quilt was one of the only ways I could be of any help to her and her family.

The other way I could help was to pray, and to get others to pray, along with her.

So, this blog post, and those that follow it, will be dedicated to little baby Juliette. As I show you pictures of the progress of the quilt, I will also share glimpses of this profound story.

It is my hope that you are moved by this experience at least half as much as I am. If you are, your life will be sweeter for it.