Bar Harbor and Sag Harbor

Pictured above is our own Bar Harbor 5 & Dime Quilt. My mom, Pam, made this quilt using the Bar Harbor Fabrics by Minick and Simpson and the pattern 5 and Dime by All Washed Up. This quilt was created for a raffle to benefit the North Star Foundation, for the placement of a service dog with my sister's family. North Star Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with special needs through the use of well-bred and trained assistance dogs.















I have one sister, Erica, and she has three kids, Caitlin 5, Liam 4, and Jack 21 months ( pictured with his Daddy - Terry). They are adorable, tons of fun, and a handful all at the same time. Caitlin was diagnosed with emotional and social delays at 18 months of age. She's now as she would say 5 and 3/4 years old, and almost through Kindergarten. Jack was recently diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder or PDD a form of Autism, and subsequently an arachnoid cyst in his brain which will require surgery. My sister has a blog about Jack and his journey, you can read it by clicking here.

Autism is so prevalent today, too prevalent, and it is frightening how little information is out there. When Jack was first diagnosed with a large Arachnoid Cyst in his brain my sister and I scoured the internet for information on them. Do they cause Autism? Is surgery necessary? What is the long term prognosis? What have been the results with other kids, other surgeries? We could find very little. So in the hopes of raising awareness Erica created Jack's Blog, and we are all fund raising for the North Star Foundation. We are not only fund raising for my sister's dog, but to raise awareness about therapy dogs as a resource for kids with disabilities, so they can reach their fullest potential. It is our goal to raise as much money as we can so other families less fortunate than ours, will be able to enjoy the benefits of a therapy dog.

To kick off our fund raising drive we are going to donate $10 from every Bar Harbor 5 and Dime Quilt Kit sold, to the North Star Foundation. If you'd like to donate directly you can do that by visiting the North Star Foundation's website and specifying Mc Sweeney Family when prompted.


Thanks in advance for your support, and for continuing to follow us on the QP Cafe.