Volunteer


Being With© Fabric Square Designer


A very beautiful part of our Being With© ministry is the presentation of small lap quilts to patients whom we visit in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. Squares of fabric, designed by people from all over the world, are quilted together by volunteers and presented to patients in hospices and nursing facilities. These small quilts serve as a tangible reminder that the patient is loved and wanted.

Whether or not you are particularly artistic, anyone can design a small square of fabric to be included in a quilt. It is especially meaningful to do this as a family project, or as part of a church, classroom, or organizational activity. Below are instructions for decorating your own square. For more information about the Being With© project, visit the Being With© section of our website.

    1. At a local fabric store, purchase a piece of white muslin that is large enough to be cut into a 9"x9" square.
    2. Once you have cut the fabric (9"x9"), measure a 1/2" margin on all sides to leave room for the seam. It is helpful if you mark the margins with pins or with a fabric pen so that you remember where they are. The area inside the margins is your decorating space.
    3. Your square can be decorated with special fabric pens (available at a craft store), or with stitching designs. Do not use permanent or dry-erase markers, however, as the colors will bleed when the quilt is washed. If you wish, you may talk to someone from your local craft store about additional ideas for safe quilt-designing materials. Be careful not to use materials that will destroy the quilt when washed (such as Elmer's glue, rubber cement, paper, food items, plastic, etc. You may be as simple or as extravagant as you like.
    4. Make sure that the message and/or picture with which your square is decorated is a positive, uplifting, and loving one. It may be religious or non-religious. Just remember that your square should convey a sense of compassion and hope; it is best to avoid statements that refer to the patient being sick or dying.

      Samples of appropriate messages:
      - "Your life is a gift to the world"
      - "You are precious and loved"

      Samples of inappropriate messages:
      - "Get well soon"
      - "I am sorry that you are dying"
    5. When your square is complete, put it in a envelope and mail to: Healing the Culture, P.O. Box 82842, Kenmore WA, 98291
    6. Once received, your square will be quilted together - along with other squares designed by people from around the world - to make a beautiful lap quilt. Being With© volunteers present these finished quilts to patients in hospices and nursing facilities, bringing the suffering person your message of love.