Megan Boltes found a creative way to raise money to adopt her third child.
Boltes and husband, Cameron, adopted their sons, Samuel and Solomon, from African countries. They found grants that helped with the many of the expenses.
“But travel is not covered. It will cost about $5,000,” Boltes said. “Ninety percent of profits go to personal adoption travel, 10 percent of profits will be donated to Ubuntu, Africa.”
The Boltes family had been thinking about adopting when they were told that South Africa would soon open its borders to international adoptions. Because it is a new system, Boltes said the adoption could happen anywhere from nine months to two years from now.
“We think it will be sooner rather than later,” Boltes said.
The family will have to spend about two weeks in South Africa as the adoption is finalized.
After taking a sewing class at Beaufort County Community College, Boltes started making crib quilts.
The response from friends and family was so great, she was encouraged to sell them. Boltes started an Etsy.com store called “Life, Stitched Together” and started taking orders for custom quilts. The store also features handmade necklaces.
The quilts take at least six hours to make. They include designer fabrics and are personalized with names, languages and decorations chosen by the customers.
So far, most of the quilts have been for children and range in size from wall hangings to twins. Prices range from $35 to more than $100, depending on the time and details.
The most popular quilts have been the ones with appliquéd maps that have stitched lines from one location to the other. Boltes calls them adoption quilts. Adoptive parents get crib quilts that connect their home to that of their baby’s.
Boltes also customizes maps. A framed map of the world hangs in her children’s playroom and traces each one’s origin from African nations to Washington.
Boltes said she would love to have her entire family of four travel to South Africa for the adoption.
“I don’t know,” she laughed. “That’s a lot of quilts.”

See more of Megan Boltes’ quilts at www.etsy.com/shop/LifeStitchedTogether or by searching for “Life Stitched Together” on Facebook.