Strings of the Heart: Weaving Love, One Prayer at a Time
Interview with Marjorie Buessing and Sally Sayre
By Naomi Tanaka
Strings of the Heart is a prayer blanket ministry born from a shared love of crocheting and a deeper calling to serve. What begins as individual six-by-six-inch squares—each made by different hands, in different places—comes together as one blanket, gifted to someone in need of comfort. Whether they are grieving a loss, facing illness, or simply in need of encouragement, each recipient receives more than a blanket; they receive an expression of God’s love. Over the years, this quiet ministry has touched lives across the nation and beyond.
At the heart of Strings of the Heart is a crucial, often unseen step: assembling the squares. This is where the blanket becomes whole. Random colors, patterns, and textures are brought together in harmony, transformed into a single offering of love. Currently, only two women carry this responsibility, Marjorie and Sally, each bringing her own heart, creativity, and prayer into every stitch.
Answering the Call
Marjorie has been part of Strings of the Heart since its early days, when the idea first took shape around 2017 or 2018. Alongside the project’s initiator, Mari Curry, she helped establish the now-signature six-by-six-inch square; “the magic number,” as she calls it. Over time, Marjorie discovered and adapted a joining pattern that could lovingly embrace even imperfect squares, allowing every contribution to belong.
Sally’s path into the ministry came later, sparked by Marjorie’s encouragement and her own love for crocheting. Learning the joining pattern wasn’t immediate. It took sitting side by side with Marjorie for hours, hands moving together, until it finally clicked. That moment of learning became a moment of passing on the heart of the ministry itself.
The Sacred Process
For both women, assembling a blanket is a deeply intentional act. Sally often lays the squares out on the floor, living with the arrangement for days, walking past, rearranging, waiting until it feels right. “I love the idea of the ministry,” she shares, “but I also simply enjoy crocheting.”
For Marjorie, each square carries a memory. She often remembers who sent it and finds herself thinking of that person as she works. “I feel very connected,” she says. “It means a lot to me.” Prayer is woven naturally into the process. Not always with words, but with intention. As Sally puts it, these are prayer blankets, meant to be “a warm hug.”
Stories That Stay With You
Both women have witnessed the profound impact these blankets can have. Marjorie recalls receiving letters from recipients with stories so moving they bring tears. One woman, grieving the loss of her husband, opened a blanket edged in red yarn, which was the same color as a beloved sweater her husband had worn for years. That moment opened her heart to grieve for the first time.
Sally has experienced similar moments closer to home. She gifted blankets to a friend battling cancer and to families of firefighters lost in a tragic house fire that shook her small town. Each time, she saw how something handmade could speak when words fell short.
Two Styles, One Heart
Though united in purpose, Marjorie and Sally approach the work differently. Marjorie is deeply prayerful, seeing each package of squares as “Christmas”—a reflection of countless women, from seasoned crafters to little girls making their very first square. She delights in adapting, improvising, and creatively honoring every contribution.
Sally, on the other hand, works best when inspiration strikes. She follows patterns closely, takes breaks when needed, and allows creativity to unfold gently over time. Over the past three years, she has made 22 blankets; Marjorie, well over 100. Different rhythms, same devotion.
Faithfulness Behind the Scenes
The work isn’t without challenges. Learning the joining pattern can be counterintuitive, time-consuming, and physically demanding. Yet both women remain committed. Seeing a blanket come together and watching love take shape stitch by stitch, is what sustains them.
Despite being the only two currently assembling blankets, Marjorie isn’t worried. “God’s in charge,” she says. If the ministry grows, others will come forward, just as Sally once did. For now, they continue faithfully, behind the scenes, trusting the work is exactly as it needs to be.
A New Year, A Continuing Hope
As the new year begins, Strings of the Heart stands as a quiet reminder of what is still good in the world. Sally hopes each blanket carries the message that loving, caring people are everywhere, and that we truly belong to one family under God. Marjorie hopes more communities and ministry leaders become aware that these blankets can be requested, shared, and given.
At its core, this ministry reflects the mission of Women’s Federation for World Peace: women serving others with heart. Whether through global initiatives or acts of love close to home, Strings of the Heart reminds us that small, faithful offerings can bring warmth, healing, and hope.
“You just want people to feel God’s love,” Marjorie says. “That’s the bottom line.”
And with every blanket, they do.
A simple way to support:
Make six-by-six-inch squares to contribute to a blanket
Requesting blankets to send to someone who can use a little love
Donations of yarn (Requires 800 yards, roughly 3 skeins of yarn for one blanket)
Strings of the Heart also welcomes monetary contributions, which help cover the materials and shipping costs. Those who feel called to support this ministry in these ways can learn more by contacting info@wfwp.us.
