Charity Cross-Stitchers Central

Interview: Linde Adams (Quilts4Kids Australia)

Linde Adams

Ever wanted to put a name to the face behind Quilts4Kids Australia? Linde Adams answers some of your questions about herself and her group!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Linde Adams. I am 45 years old and have been married to my husband Malcolm for 25 years next April. I have 3 children - Sonia is almost 17, Jonathon is 20 and Samantha is 21 and is married with a baby. I have 2 grandsons aged 5 and 9 months. We live in a rural area in Central Queensland.

How did you get involved in charity stitching?
I came across the American LoveQuilts site one day, by accident (if there is any such thing), while on a cross-stitch message board site. My daughter Sonia and I decided to make a square each for two of the children listed on LoveQuilts. We both liked the idea that something we helped create could bring happiness to a child suffering so much.

What inspired you to create Quilts4Kids?
After stitching for the overseas children, I started to wonder if there was anything like this in Australia for Aussie kids. I did a lot of searching on the internet and couldn’t find anything that personalises the quilts as much as I’d seen the international groups do. The fact that the child chooses the themes and we work the colours and designs to suit their particular choice really appealed to me.

Around this time my grandson was born and it really hit home how blessed we are to have this beautiful, healthy baby in our lives. It spurred me on to create Quilts4Kids to try to give something to children and families that are doing it tough.

Luckily I have a very supportive family and technically gifted, wonderful friends that took the time to teach me how to go about building a website and continued to encourage me when the going got tough.

Both my daughters, my sisters, my mum and nieces are all stitching for me, they are a great support. My son is also stitching a square and hopefully soon it will be listed on the ‘Any Child Square’ page.

Quilts4Kids was up and running on September 1st 2005!!

What do you do as the co-ordinator/manager of your group?
As co-ordinator of our group I process the childrens' registrations, create their webpage and keep a register of stitchers signed up for each child.

I receive the finished squares, wash them when needed, then I finish the quilt.

In between there is lots of e-mail sending and answering, organising and stitching.The very first quilt we made was an ‘emergency quilt’ and I was lucky enough to deliver it to Dani-Ella personally. It was a very special thing and I’m so very glad I could do it.

What do you think the challenges faced by your group, as well as other charity stitching groups are?
I’m not sure about the other groups but my biggest challenge so far has been finding the children to sign-up for a quilt. After lots of e-mails and written letters and talking to everyone and anyone who will listen, I think the word is starting to get out and I am finding I don’t have to search as much now, they are starting to find me.

How can people get involved in your group?
If you can stitch or know someone who can stitch you can choose a child to make a square for. If you don’t like the idea of a due date, the ‘No Time Limit’ stitching is great.

Some people who don’t stitch have offered fabric donations to help with finishing the quilts.

I also have a local craft group who have invited me to make up the quilts at their meeting hall - large tables and lots of hands to help is very appealing and appreciated. And most important of all - please spread the word about Quilts4Kids to everyone you know.

What are you stitching now?
At the moment I am almost finished my second cat square for Cassidy. I also have an ‘Any Child’ bear angel partly finished and I am stitching a special gift square for an overseas friend. I like to have a few things on the go at once so I can change when I need a break from one.

Do you have any other hobbies besides cross-stitch?
I have been doing patchwork and quilting for about 12 years and have always crocheted for as long as I can remember. My husband and I also love to ride our motorcycle. And of course I love spending time with my grandsons.

(c) Charity Cross-Stitchers Central 2005. Please do not reproduce this interview without express permission of the site manager.