justflyingin

Quilters are the best! I honestly believe quilters and couponers are some of the most generous people on this earth!

wordpaintervs

I think the blankets are like the dolls I make to comfort kids...they are intended to let those members of that elementary school know that they are being loved and thought ofm during a time no child should have to endure. blankets or quilts...love is one and the same. I don't know if this answers the question or not. Hope it helps

Momma_K

My opinon is...700 blankets or 1700. The need should be met. I'm sure there are children of other schools that are just as confused or tramatized by this horrible act as well as familys that would love and be comforted by a simple gesture of kindness. God bless all of those that cooperate.

cherrio

and there is an address to send snowflakes to conn. too. they will be hung in the school for all to enjoy

mpspeedy2

My friend who is a member of my quilt guild, is the Chairperson of our county's Linus Chapter. I started working with it probably two years ago. I make at least 20 simple Linus quilts a month. We have only one hospital in our county but are in the area sourrounding Baltimore, Md which has at least half a dozen major hospitals including John's Hopkins. Our groups of local Linus volunteers produces at least 600+ quilts, crocheted, knitted or fleace comfort blankets each and every month. The little cloth label that signifies that this is a Linus Quilt has a picture of Linus clutching his comfort blanket. We sew it to each and every donation and add a hangtag that tells who made the item. A small group of us get together once a month to sort and bag up the donations to be sent to the local hospitals. We have an amazing amount of people who donate their time, energy and gasoline to deliver the finished quilts either to us or the hospitals and other institutions who recived them. I try and make my contributions as simple and sturdy as possible. I know that non quilters dont know how to properly care for a quilt. I always use flannel on the back of my cloth quilts and a bright, cheerful child friendly print on the front. If I make them from fleace I crochet an edge around all four sides to add a personal touch.
Technically each child is only supposed to be given a Linus quilt in the hospital etc. once. I know from thank you notes that I have recieved that is not always the case. It is hard to deny a child who is sick or in pain that little bit of comfort when they are going through the trauma of the ER etc.

Hopfully the quilts that were sent to the school children will be a reminder that others care about them and that all strangers are not evil and wish them harm.

kimbrennan

but we will have cookies. There is food on the table, love abound and I know that a few of those wealthy families would trade their wealth for my poverty this very minute to hug their sweet child this Christmas morning

Amen Cherrio!

Didn't anyone's mother ever teach them "IF you dont have anything nice to say....SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

TanyaL

Pardon me, but since when was asking "Why" the same as not saying anything nice? We had 6 people who asked "why" obviously based on their opinion that a quilt did not seem to be something they would need in the same circumstances.
Those seemed to be honest questions and were followed by honest discussions.

be a quilter

Thank you TanyaL! Having lost a son to a violent death I have to say it is not the same as losing a child to an illness. I believe, given some time to grieve, these families will welcome a memory quilt. But for the rest, I honestly don't think it will make anyone feel good except for the giver. That in itself would be fine because it may still get used or given to someone else who would like it, but having been there, I would not be surprised if it did not harbor some resentment. People need time to grieve and process. In this case they also need time to deal with their feelings concerning the murderer of their loved ones. They need some privacy and a chance to comfort one another, they need someone who understands, who has been in there shoes, not material things. So as well meaning as the quilts are, in this kind of situation, I don't believe they are very comforting. If this offends anyone, I am sorry, but I know what this feels like and if you don't you cannot possibly understand.

Momma_K

I agree. To much being said and it's only about 700 blankets to some unfortunate families for comfort.

QultingaddictUK

I had no idea that this would cause such a furore, I only posted it to show the wonderful generosity of quilters around the world and how they react to tragedies. I had no intention of making a statement of what is right or wrong, deserving or not, just to show what a wonderful bunch of people quilters are as I have found in the 7 years that I have been a quilter.

Can we let this subject drop, I think everything has been said that needs to be said or not.

Huggles to all affected.