Announcement: The Farm Midwifery Quilt

The Farm in Summertown, TN is soliciting quilt pieces on every child born with assistance from a Farm midwife. From an email:

Hi From The Farm in Summertown , Tennessee,
This is Vickie at The Farm Welcome Center,

The Farm Midwives are doing a quilt project and need your help in finding anyone who had their baby or babies delivered by a Farm Midwife. Over the last 35 years they have delivered over 2,500 babies! Some of you might know of someone, and some might not. What ever help you can give will be appreciated. The following letter is from Ina May Gaskin.

Sincerely, Vickie
The Farm Welcome Center
www.thefarmcommunity.com
*****
From: "Ina May Gaskin"
(inamaygaskin@gmail.com)
Subject: new quilt

We just said good by to a group of British midwives. While they were here, they saw the Safe Motherhood Quilt (all 4 panels). One of them had a great idea that we need a happy quilt to balance this necessary (but sad) one.

So here's their idea: we make a quilt that will have the birth of every child born into the hands of a Farm midwife, starting from Immanuel Skinner's birth (the first Caravan baby). Farm members hopefully will make the pieces for their own kids, decorating the pieces in whatever way they choose. Permanent fabric markers or embroidery is fine - we are really open to how moms want to make the pieces for their kids.

Here are the specifications:
Each quilt piece contains the name and birth date of the child, weight, and if not born on the TN Farm, the birthplace. And any other words desired. Any design or decoration desired.
The design part of each square should measure 5 1/2 inches but there is a 1/2" margin all around that is free of design. That means that each piece is cut to be 6 1/2 inches square. (I'll assemble the pieces in chronological order).

If anyone on the list is happy with a British midwife or her sister or grandmother making a piece for their kid or kids, that news should come to me so I can assign the sewing/embroidery, etc., to one of them. I'm asking them to make pieces for those I don't remember anyone mentioning for a long time.

Send all quilt pieces to:
Ina May Gaskin
41 The Farm
Summertown, TN 38483

And anyone can respond me by email.

Much love,
Ina May

The Farm Midwifery Center
The Farm Midwifery Workshops


Off topic: big congrats to my cousin and his wife, who just had their second baby at a birthing center. Looks just like his papa and grandpapa!

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