To mark the anniversary of Sands in Queensland, we would like to invite parents, families and friends to submit a patch to go into a Memorial Quilt.All members are encouraged to think about creating a patch in memory of your baby. If you have previously created a patch in memory of your baby you are welcome to do another for this quilt.
You might prefer to create a patch that symbolises the support that Sands provided when you had the greatest need. The Memorial Quilt will hang in the Sands house in Brisbane.
Size for your patch –
Each patch will measure 26cm square. This will allow for a 3 cm border around the patch to enable it to be sewn onto the hanging.
Photos are welcome on the patch but they must be copied into the fabric and not done as a transfer. Transfers will crack and deteriorate over time. You can be as creative as you like or you can use the services of an embroiderer and get a professional to create your patch.
You can use material that is textured, coloured, plain, striped, quilted. You make like to sew small keepsakes or buttons onto the patch. Some parents have used paint pens.
We are fortunate in the office as the quilts hang here permanently and they are a wonderful reminder to everyone who enters of the special Sands babies.
If you need any further information please phone the office on 3254 3422. We can email photos of the previous quilts to you.
The deadline for the quilt is Monday, 15th September 2008.
2 comments:
Comment left on behalf of Anne -
Grief can be hard work and it is different for everyone. I had a miscarriage last Nov/Dec.
I found the grieving to be the hardest part of the miscarriage and dealing with other people's responses to our loss. There were so many well-meant comments which were actually hurtful, such as "It must be God's will.", "At least you have one child already." or people compared our loss to that of other people's with comments like, "Now THAT would be hard." (implying that our loss wasn't quite so hard).
I have found the pain is slowly lessening with time, but I find that sometimes there are aspects which I have no control over, such as when something triggers a reminder of our loss. However, I have found there have been some things I can do to help with the grief process, such as joinging support groups, going to Remembrance Services (put on by SANDS, at the Garden of Remembrance), writing about the experience, talking about it with others who will listen with compassion or understanding from first hand experience. I've even had some professional counselling, and that has helped too. We have a very good doctor (www.fertitlitycare.com.au) and he has me on some new medication, which isn't an anti-depressant, but helps with PMS, fertility issues, auto-immune conditions and a number of other conditions (Low Dose Naltrexone, See www.lowdosenaltrexone.org) . He also found that I'm very low on Natural Progesterone, so he has me on that in the latter part of my cycle to help with PMS and straight after the miscarriage I was on Progesterone injections; we think I may have had some post natal depression, but it could have also been grief. (Natural Progesterone needs to be made up at a compounding chemist with a script.)
My faith in God has also helped both my husband and myself and although I've struggled with issues, like "Why did God allow this to happen to our babies and to us?", it has been reassuring to know that God is still there and our babies are with Him and being cared for, until we a re re-united. (We also 'lost' some embryos during two failed IVF attempts, in September 07 and in June 08.) Just last week we also ordered a plaque in memory of our babies through the local Garden of Remembrance and in June we attended our second SANDS Remembrance service where we released some balloons in their memory. We also released 4 balloons on our own at Byron Bay (which is Australia's most Eastern point), while on holidays, in memory of each of our children who are now in heaven.
I've also done lots of reading on grief. C. S. Lewis wrote on his first hand experience on grief, when his wife died of cancer and a movie was made of their story, entitled "Shadowlands", which I think was based on the book. There are also some helpful little bookets I read, entitled "Personal Grief" (Openbook Publishers) and "When Your Baby Dies" (by Louis A. Gamino and Ann Taylor Cooney). Another couple books, which provide space for personal reflections are " I'll Hold You in Heaven Remembrance Book" Debbie Heydrick" Mommy, Please Don't Cry: There Are No Tears in Heaven" By: Linda Deymaz (Author), Laurie Snow Hein (Illustrator), which I ordered through Amazon.com Molly's Rosebush By: Janice Cohn (Author), Gail Owens (Illustrator) is also quite good.
We ended up planting some rose bushes of our own and Bible verses (Psalm 23, Isaiah 61_3, Ecc 3_1-8) which we have included in the Remembrance Services. There is also some music which is significant to us, such as "All our wishes" by Phil Keaggy. He and his wife, Bernadette, lost 5 children through miscarriage and stillbirth and she wrote a book entitled "A Deeper Shade of Grace". There's also a meaningful song, "Save Me", written by Mike Rayson in May this year on the anniversary of their son's death, who was killed when a horse kicked him in the chest. We've been given permisssion to use this is another Remembrance Service.
Finally, another way of remembering our children who have died, has been to include our 4 year old son in the experience by commemorating his life in photos, for the next Bonnie Babes coffee table book, entitled, "Pride of the Nation" (see link on this website). SANDS is also commemorating their 25th anniversary in Qld, with a Memorial Quilt. I'm thinking of arranging for someone to make a patch for us, as I'm not a sewer!
"All members are encouraged to think about creating a patch in memory of your baby. If you have previously created a patch in memory of your baby you are welcome to do another for this quilt.
You might prefer to create a patch that symbolises the support that Sands provided when you had the greatest need. The Memorial Quilt will hang in the Sands house in Brisbane."
http://sandsqld.blogspot.com/
I don't know if any of this helps, but I thought I'd share what's helped me in the hope that it might help someone else.
Blessings and hugs,
Anne,
(and Jessica, Jere, Joni and Gabi, in heaven, Nov 07- June 08)
Hi
I'm wondering if those who contribute to the quilt will receive a photo of the final product or if it will be available online?
Regards,
Anne
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