02 July 2012

Siblings Together

Several months ago Lily's Quilts Lynne put out a call for donations to the UK charity Siblings Together. Siblings Together works with kids in the foster care system (as we would call it in the US) who have been separated from their siblings. They bring the siblings together in camps and events to maintain and build family ties, in spite of the horrible circumstances.

This mission resonated with me personally because I'm a parent in family by adoption. In the states we call it open adoption, meaning the particulars are all in the open, and the amount of contact between adoptive and biological families are a matter of discussion. The stories of heritage, history, connection, and kinship with families of choice, families by law, and families by biology continue to develop in our home. I must admit that I have not always been great at maintaining all those connections. Contributing to this project was a way to remind myself how important all those connections are to my son and my family.


I pulled a quilt I'm extremely fond of out of my growing stack of quilts. It has four circular flower blocks in faded bright colors. Thomas sent me the prints from his first fabric collection, Pear Tree. For Siblings Together, I added a twill label with space for one child to write a note to his or her sibling, to remember their time together.


The Siblings Together project is participating in Katie Swim, Bike, Quilt's 100 quilts for kids blog hop.

Swim, Bike, Quilt

I'm now determined to find a local adoption-related quilt action group. Do you know any groups in Northern California?


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11 comments:

  1. Mermaid SewsJuly 2, 2012 at 8:36 PM

    I don't know of any groups but if you do find something let me know. I'm in Berkeley, and adopted myself and have lots of experience with kids in the system. So a cause near and dear to my heart. Great quilt btw.

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  2. LynneJuly 2, 2012 at 8:44 PM

    I love the quilt, but the label is my favorite part. Such a simple, beautiful gesture.

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  3. JaceyJuly 3, 2012 at 6:56 AM

    The quilt is beautiful, and I know it will be loved! It was wonderful to read this post today; it warms my heart.

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  4. Krista SchneiderJuly 3, 2012 at 7:50 AM

    great quilt, even better story. i would love to chat more about your experience with adoption, as i think it's the route i'll be taking down the road.

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  5. PaigeJuly 3, 2012 at 9:28 AM

    Awesome quilt and an amazing donation to a great cause. I really love hearing about Siblings Together. I donate to kids served through SCAN (our local child abuse organization) and feel strongly about it but maybe I should see what I could finish up for Siblings Together. www.paperstarfish.prettyposies.com

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  6. SusieDWJuly 3, 2012 at 10:34 AM

    Wonderful quilt, wonderful cause. I have a close friend/activist for open adoption. She's in NY state via Atherton. She'll be happy to hear about this project.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 3, 2012 at 11:31 AM

    What a generous and beautiful gift, and that label is such a sweet and thoughtful addition. I'm sure this will be a treasure to the sibs who receive it.

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  8. CherieJuly 3, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    That's a gorgeous quilt! Loving those colours =D

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  9. Lindsey R. :: LRstitchedJuly 3, 2012 at 8:48 PM

    Glad to learn a little more about you and your family! The label addition is such a special touch. Truly wonderful.

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  10. Lynne (Lily's Quilts)July 3, 2012 at 11:43 PM

    Dan, I didn't know you were a parent in a family by adoption.

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  11. AnnabellaJuly 4, 2012 at 7:59 AM

    It resonated with me for exactly the same reason. I am an adoptive parent to our 4 year old son. You have chosen a beautiful quilt.

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