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What makes it a prayer quilt?
A heavy thread is used to take stitches through the quilt layers, and the ends are left free to be tied. Members of the congregation then finish these quilts by tying knots in the quilt after each worship service. As each knot is tied, a silent prayer is said for someone in special need, who then receives the finished quilt.
Prayers & Squares is an interfaith outreach ministry that combines the gift of prayer with the gift of a hand-tied quilt. The purpose of Prayers & Squares is not to make and distribute quilts but to promote prayer through the use of quilts.
Pocket Prayer Quilts
Pocket prayer quilts (PPQ) are mini-quilts that are two to four inches square and inside each little quilt is a wooden cross. The PPQ can be kept in a pocket or purse, and when needed the recipient can touch it and feel the cross inside as their prayer is uplifted in petition, comfort, and gratitude. The following card is also attached:
“This pocket prayer quilt was made for you to slip in a pocket or purse. Whenever your fingers touch the cross inside, be mindful of God’s love and grace for you. Keep it as a tangible symbol of God’s peace, or say a prayer for someone else and pass it along in the form of this tiny gift.”
To Request a Pocket Prayer Quilt
Join us
Join us for work and fellowship
On the first Saturday and/or third Thursday of each month in Linder Hall 4 from 9 AM to noon and you don’t have to know how to sew to be helpful.
Want a longer sewing session? Join us for our Sit and Sew on March 2! Get all the details on our event listing.
Make quilt tops at home
Please use pre-laundered 100% cotton. Our desired size is 50” x 60”; the minimum size is 45” x 55”; only quilts for babies or small children can be smaller.
2024 Mystery Quilt Clues
Looking for inspiration for your next prayer quilt top? We invite you to join in on our 2024 Mystery Quilt project! Each week, we'll add a clue to follow as you construct your quilt.
Mystery Quilt Fabric and Cutting Requirements
- Finished size: 45 ½” x 62”
- Background fabric (light value, tone-on-tone): 1 ½ yards
- Accent # 1 (medium value, tone-on-tone): ½ yard
- Accent #2 (medium value, high contrast to accents 1 & 3): ¾ yard
- Accent #3 (dark value, medium scale print): 1 yard
- Border / Binding* (focus fabric, medium or large scale print): 2 yards
- Backing: 3 – 4 yards
Clue #1: Cutting the 6-Block Quilt Fabric
- Background fabric: Two 7” strips, sub cut into six 7” squares; Nine 3” strips, subcut into one hundred twenty 3” squares
- Accent fabric 1: Two 7” strips, sub cut into six 7” squares
- Accent fabric 2: Two 3” strips, sub cut into twenty four 3” squares; five 3” strips for the first border
- Accent fabric 3: Five 5 ½” strips, sub cut into forty eight 3” by 5 ½” rectangles and six 5 ½” squares
- Border fabric*: Five or six 6” strips; six 2 ½” strips for the binding
*You may use an extra ¼ yard of border fabric for the six 5 ½” squares instead of the accent fabric 3.
Clue #2
- Set twenty four 3” background squares aside for use in a later step.
- On the back of the remaining ninety six 3” squares, using a pencil, draw a diagonal line.
- Using twenty four squares and twenty four dark (account fabric 3) rectangles, place one square, RST, on the end of a dark rectangle, as shown in diagram a. Sew on diagonal line.
- Fold corner of square back and press. Trim the excess light fabric from between the light and dark fabrics.
- Sew a square on the opposite side of the rectangle in the same manner, making sure to sew diagonal line in the same direction as before. See diagram b.
- Repeat for all twenty four rectangles.
- Repeat the above steps with the remaining dark rectangles and background squares, only this time, place the diagonal line in the direction shown in diagram c.
- Sew two rectangle units together with dark pieces forming an arrow. See diagram d. Make twenty four.
Clue #3
- On the back of the six 7” background squares, draw an X and then draw a line ¼” away on each side of the line. See diagram. Place square RST with medium value (accent fabric 1) 7” squares. Sew on the outside lines.
- Cut the large square into four smaller squares as shown in the diagram. Then cut the squares into triangles on the center line. See diagram.
- Press seams away from the background. Trim squares to 3”.
Clue #4
- Sew a background 3" square and a half-square triangle unit together. See diagram. Repeat for all remaining 3" light squares. Press seam allowance toward background squares.
- Sew a medium (accent fabric 2) 3" square and a half square triangle unit together. See diagram. Repeat for all remaining 3" medium squares. Press seam allowance toward medium squares.
- Sew background / triangle units and medium / triangle units together to make a 4 patch. See diagram. Make 24.
Clue #5
Sew the units made in clue 2 and clue 4, and press the 5 ½” dark squares together to make the blocks for your quilt. See diagram for layout. Make 6. Press in direction of arrows.
Sew the blocks together into one large 6 patch.
Clue #6
Add your inner border, sewing the side borders on first:
- Measure the quilt from top to bottom on each side and in the center.
- Add measurements together and divide by 3.
- Cut your side border strips to this length.
- Match center of border and center of side and pin.
- Match ends of borders and corners and pin.
- Finishing pinning border, easing any fullness there may be.
- Sew border on.
- Press seam toward border.
- Repeat sider border instructions for the other side.
Sew the top and bottom inner border:
- Measure the width of your quilt top across the top and bottom and through the center.
- Figure length of strip to cut using the formula from the side inner border instructions.
- Cut the top and bottom strips to the right length.
- Pin on top border as directed with the inner border and sew.
- Pin on bottom border and sew.
- Press seams toward border.
Add outer borders using the same directions for finding the length as you did for the inner border.
Quilt and bind as desired.
Donate
Donate 100% cotton fabric, pre-laundered in quantities of ½ yard or more. Make monetary donations to Prayers & Squares. We use the money to buy quilt backs, batting, thread, etc. Prayers & Squares is not part of the church budget, and we do not accept payment for quilts.
Quilt Retreats
Once or twice a year we offer two-day retreats where we invite an instructor to demonstrate a specific quilt pattern. You will be sewing with friends and listening to inspirational speakers. We offer door prizes, fellowship, and fun.
Volunteer
Represent Prayers & Squares as a Sunday volunteer, assisting sponsors when quilts are presented.
Join us in prayer
When a prayer quilt is presented to the congregation, please come to the plaza at the Mission Valley Campus following the 9 AM service to say a prayer and tie a knot whether you know the recipient or not. Many quilt recipients have said that they felt strengthened by the knowledge that people who did not know them had prayed for them. Remember the recipients in your prayers in following days.
For more information please contact PRAYERS & SQUARES