Doll Quilt Swap 10 – The Rescuers

Phew!  I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever to share the final quilt that I made for the Doll Quilt Swap – Round 10.  But it is safely in the hands of its new owner, Kendra, so I can finally share the story (with her permission) behind the quilt.

Here’s the finished product…put together one piece at a time, just like every other quilt.  But there are some pretty special pieces to this one. You’ll understand why soon.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

First off, I’d just like to thank my fabulous swap mama, Lynne. She was the one who was so thoughtful when she gave me my partner for the doll quilt swap. She knew both of our stories and thought we would be a good fit. And I think she was right. 😉 Many of you know from my last doll quilt (which was also my first one!) that my little family took quite a long time to grow. There was a struggle, pain, sickness, triumph, and joy all along the way…not to mention the surgeries and medication. But we have our beautiful little girl Caitlyn who just turned 16 months.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

So when Lynne paired me with Kendra, it was a match made in heaven. Kendra and her husband have also been struggling to increase their own family. They have three biological sons already, but they knew God had more in store for them. And thus began their own journey which Kendra is documenting on her blog, Praying for some Pink in our House of Blue. You see, they are bringing home a little girl from China, the lovely Charlotte Rose.

This story was the inspiration for my quilt for Kendra. You may have noticed that there are some sailors on this quilt. Did you count them? You did! Well then you know that there are three, which just happens to be the number of sons that Kendra has. 😉

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

These sailors are off on the journey of a lifetime. They are out to rescue a certain little girl and bring her home with them. They are surrounded by the great sea and all the mysterious creatures you might see in a far far away land, like phantom swimming girls or giant seas turtles and many other boats!

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

But here is the one they are after. Drifting in the sea on her lily pad, a little girl waits for these sailors to rescue her.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

The mountains in the background with the little hillside village help to set the scene of this mysterious land. The sky is changing from night to day, reflecting the time spent on their journey…but also how beautiful the change of time can be.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

About halfway through the swap, Lynne emailed me to inform me that Kendra had to drop out of the Doll Quilt Swap due to the sheer amount of paperwork required for international adoption. But I knew immediately that I would still make this quilt for her. She wouldn’t have left if not for the very reason I was making this quilt for her. So the swap mamas let me keep her as my partner so I could continue to work on this. You see, despite the fact that we did not adopt ourselves, because of our own fertility issues we are very close with a number of couples who have. Most of them have done international adoptions, so I am particularly familiar with the intense highs and lows that come from the process. I wanted Kendra to know that there are people out there who understand and are praying for her and her family.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

Soon, she, her husband, and of course those sailors..err..sons, will be holding this precious girl in their arms.

Doll Quilt Swap 10 - The Rescuers

45 thoughts on “Doll Quilt Swap 10 – The Rescuers”

  1. Angela, everything about this is simply lovely. May God bless you for being so sensitive and thoughtful! I feel honored to have seen this quilt and read this story. Hugs and love to you!

  2. Wow. The story and thought behind this quilt makes it a treasure. I am the very lucky mom of 3 kids, but my sister has had surgery after surgery for her infertility woes, failed IVF attempts and the long process of adoption with no guarantee…that roller coaster ride is so intense. I am hoping (!!!) that my sister also gets to sail off into the sunset, baby in her arms one day SOON!

  3. So perfect …. absolutely perfectly perfect. It always amazes me with the way you tie the story and the meaning into the quilts. I'm so happy that Kendra will soon have a little girl and it's so great that she will have her whole story told on one sweet little quilt 🙂

  4. Angela, How can I ever thank you enough?!?!? You are just too talented! The quilt has gone with me everywhere I went today. I just had to show off your amazing creation and I think I am a little paranoid to leave it anywhere it is so precious to me! Trust me if the house was on fire it would be on my list of things to grab first! 🙂

    Most of my friends don't even sew so they were amazed by the quilt but, those that do know how to sew, knew how much thought, creativity and time went into making it.

    You certainly have given me such a special gift to treasure until the day I can hold our baby girl. And one day soon she will hear the story of our journey to her and the special quilt that was made just for her. 🙂

  5. (Oh, and I've been to China twice, and been to Guilin and YangShuo – the land of those mysterious limestone mountains – I IMMEDIATELY thought of them when I saw this!… and the boats made me think of China too!)

  6. Bravo! This quilt exemplifies the historical role of story telling, the community of quilters, and the world-neighborhood of quilt blogging…all rolled into one. OK…where are those tissues…

  7. I'm with Tracey crying here! It's so fantastic! I can't belive I didn't figure out your clue b/c she dropped out of MMM too! I should have known!!!

  8. That is such a beautiful story and you are am amazingly kind person Angela to create such a wonderfully personal quilt for Kendra. This is something her and her family can treasure for their entire lives. It is so great that 2 kind and generous people were matched up in this swap.

  9. Extraordinary! Well done. This is such a beautiful declaration of love. I'm so impressed with your choice of fabrics and with the deftness with which you have produced such a buoyant picture. You've managed to tell your story brilliantly. Congratulations.

  10. So amazing! Your stories of your quilts always bring tears to my eyes. We're there right now – not on the adoption front but on the trying to have a baby with no luck. Your quilt is spectacular in all so many ways. Thanks for sharing your heart and your talents with us!

  11. I love your pictorial quilts and they seem all the more special because there is a little story hidden away in them which is not always immediately obvious to someone looking at the quilt. Of course it's fun to make up stories about them too!

  12. WOW!!! You are just too amazing 🙂 And the reason I'm scared to death to enter a DQS- hehe! WOW!! You have the most incredibly creative mind- and it is such an honor to be able to see these remarkable creations and the stories behind them! What a priceless gift- we too adopted a "pink" after three biological "blues". I too can understand what their sweet family is experiencing right now- but the journey of adoption is one they will always cherish and hold close (and the rough parts will only make it more dear)! Thank you for sharing and I can hardly wait to see your next project!

  13. Oh! Angela….you touched my heart….never thought of such an intense story behind this BEAUTIFUL quilt. I now look into it with different soul-eyes, and your words make it even MOST BEAUTIFUL.
    Wow, tears in my eyes….. Tks for sharing this touching story with us. xoxo

  14. Angela, it's been a very stressful day here, and I keep coming back to this for a break. It's hard to find a word for the effect…something like relaxing…but more profound…Have a great weekend! MCF

  15. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. It is so inspiring to read the story and follow along as Kendra and her family wait for their happiest of days to come. You've done an incredible job on this amazing quilt – it is really so fabulous that you took the time and energy to create something so meaningful for both you and your partner,Angela. Bravo!

  16. Angela, that is an amazing work of art and a true treasure for Kendra! The amount of thought and effort you put into your swap quilts is incredible and it really shows in your finished quilt!

  17. Because I am such a sporadic blog reader, this one has only just come to my attention – what a wonderful quilt and a wonderful post – it really gives me goosebumps and makes me feel quite emotional to see the story in this quilt. What was Kendra's reaction?

  18. this brought tears to my eyes. what an amazing quilt, and what a wonderful story. I know God will bless you both in this. Praying for a smooth and safe trip for Kendra and Miss Charlotte. Oh, how precious!

  19. I absolutely love everything about this quilt. How did you get started doing this style (I also love your beach scene mug rug). I want to learn and would appreciate any guidance to get started!

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