"Pieces of Hope Cottons" by Riley Blake Designs. I just found a post on my Facebook from Fat Quarter Shop and I had to find the Riley Blake website to find the story behind the fabric line. Because, if anything, stories are what bring our quilts to life. This fabric line was inspired by the family of a Riley Blake employee. Imagine my surprise when Riley Blake Designs is from Utah, too!
www.rileyblakedesigns.com
http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/shop/category/riley-blake-designs/coming-soon/pieces-of-hope-cottons-2/
And this beautiful fabric line is featured on their front page slide show!
I think this is a beautiful collection. It's bright, cheerful, and colorful, without being overwhelming or too loud. People with Autism have difficulty processing all sorts of sensory things that typical children can handle....including visual, auditory (what they hear), and textures (food, touch, motor skills), and social cues. People with Autism get overwhelmed easily because their brains cannot process fast enough nor make connections well. So I think this fabric could make such a beautiful quilt or pillow, similar to those pictured on the Riley Blake website, for an autistic child. Heck, I've got some ideas already!
www.autismspeaks.org
For those of you who don't know, the puzzle piece (especially in blue) is the logo of Autism Speaks, the organization for Autism Awareness and research. Because so much of autism is a puzzle, and autism itself is so varied, just as every child is varied and unique. We still don't know what causes Autism or much about it. And "hope" is appropriate, to me, because as parents, we all have so much hope and so many dreams for our children, and we're struggling to hold onto hope with Autism. We wonder if our children will ever have a normal, functional and happy life, that so many other people take for granted.
How do I know all this about Autism? My child, who is really just a little guy, has undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder. He's been in Special Education Preschool since he was barely three years old ! Imagine it: so tiny, and getting on a school bus! His bus drivers, technicians, teachers and technicians, have all been so wonderful, and he has come a long way. He wasn't even speaking when he started preschool.
A portion of the sale of this fabric line will benefit Autism Speaks. Awesome!
So this is really wonderful that I can tie my love of quilting more tightly into my personal life. As if it wasn't already! *sniff* Anyone have a tissue?
Oh I so understand. My little ones have their own issues to be constantly managed and maintained so I get it. I love hte idea behind this and will hunt some down so that I can help support what I know is a very worthwhile cause.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I scrolled through your posts! I had no idea abouit this fabric line. I am a former special educator. Working with children on the spectrum was one of my specialty areas. I blog with a teenager who is on the spectrum and just graduated HS. He's a hoot!
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