A Cancer Killing Quilt for Rosemarie

Do you know Emily from Mommy's Nap Time?  She's been a great reader for quite some time, we always have so much fun checking out her projects.  She participates in a lot of great swaps, like a Doll Quilt Swap (eeek for cuteness!) and making adorable things for her adorable girls.  Today she's got a very personal story to share with us showing us once again how quilts can bring much more than warmth.

These two quilts were made with love, with the help of 33 people across 7 countries. Here's how they came to be. My niece Rosemarie is four years old and has spent three of those years fighting a battle against cancer. She's a sweet tough little girl, and her treatments take her and her parents several hours away from home 4 days a week. I have wanted to make Rosemarie a quilt since I started quilting about two years ago, but I knew it'd be a big process, not only emotionally, but also because I knew I couldn't make just one quilt; I'd need to make one for her big sister Katee too!

Feeling like this was too big of a project to take on myself, I started a flickr group and enlisted the help of my new online sewing friends. They sure stepped up! In a matter of weeks I had enough blocks sent to me to make two beautiful quilts (some generous friends even sent extra fabric along to help with the backing and binding!). I'd never known what connections could be made online. I've never met a single one of these ladies in person, but they poured out their love and prayers into each block. My sister's best friend even made one!

These quilts came together with so much prayer stitched in. They were only my second and third tries at free motion quilting and it was such a peaceful prayerful process. By Thanksgiving, they were both assembled needing only the binding to be sewn down, we brought them along on the road trip home so that my neice Katee (the 10 year old) could help me sew the binding of her sister's quilt. The last step, before finishing the bindings, I used a fabric pen to write prayers for the girls in the seam allowances of the bindings. Even if they don't know exactly what's written there, they will always be able to know that they are not only figuratively, but also literally wrapped in prayer.

I know that these quilts can't really bring healing to Rosemarie. I know that they can't cure the loneliness that Katee feels when her family is away from her for her sister's treatments. But what these quilts can do is bring the world together in prayer, and in love. I hope that the girls continue to remember that. Thirty-three ladies put a bit of their hearts into this project. I pray that the girls will always be able to feel that love.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story!

~Emily
Flickr: emedoodle
Blog: http://mommysnaptime.blogspot.com/

Leslie from Fluff and Nonsense a quilt for a friend

We have featured Leslie from Fluff and Nonsense before, great stuff. I found this quilt linked up to our Fabric Tuesday's party, and just had to make sure you all not only saw the quilt, but read the great story behind it. She made this beautiful quilt for a friend fighting cancer...

You can never really know what is going on in the lives of the people around you, can you? The struggles others go through behind closed doors are often unknown to the people around them. I live in a very small community and had the privilege of lending a hand and a little comfort to someone that needed it. In turn she gave me inspiration.

She is such an amazing woman, fighting breast cancer and being all the things all women wish to be. Strong, beautiful, inspiring. She is always cheerful and happy in spite of everything. Her love for and relationship with God shines through her.

When i first heard what she was going through i kept asking myself what could i do? how can i help her? My skill set is quilting...so, I presented our homeschool group with the idea to make this quilt for her and was pleased that they wanted to take part and participate by writing personal messages to her. I just pray that they do not fade or wash away...i wanted to have the chance to wash it first to see if there were going to be any great catastrophes but i ran out of time. Pray!! pray hard.

I could not bring myself to quilt through any of the personal messages so i just outlined each box in pink. Then i spent what felt like forever straight line quilting, of random sizes, the rest of the quilt. It looks beautiful but was a lot more time and work than i anticipated.

I also wanted to hand stitch in some things that would be personal to her so i did a pink on pink breast cancer ribbon...a purple on purple cross...and the names of her husband and children, so that they would be with her when she used this quilt no matter when or where. I had not originally intended to make it pink but it turned out that they were her favorite colors. What a perfect coincidence.

She in turn gave me a gift...the gift of gratitude and appreciation(and a few tears) which really meant a lot to me. It is hard to know what people really think when you make something like this and then mail it away...and kids don't necessarily love getting a blanket.

This is ironically Breast Cancer Awareness month. What a perfect time to honor her fight by bringing her this quilt. If someone around you opens that door a little and lets you in consider it a privilege to do what you can....what seems so small and insignificant can mean so much to someone that is struggling. I know you don't know her but if you think of her take a minute and say a little prayer, every single one counts!

Giveaway Winner and Paisley Place Quilts!

We've got the winner from Ladybug Quilt Shops giveaway, we'll get to that later.  Steph from Paisley's Place Quilts made this darling quilt for someone she hardly new who sadly lost her life to cancer. I am so impressed when people go an make a special quilt for a person they hardly know at all, I am impressed when people make a quilt for people they do know. Quilts are so time consuming, and they are not exactly cheap. I just really thought this was a special story you all would like to hear.  Thanks Steph.

I made this quilt for a special person, some one who was generous and kind. I didn't know her well, but her character preceded her! When I found out the secretary in my husband's office was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer after being misdiagnosed with pneumonia for 6 months, my heart was very sad. I wanted to do something for her and her family. I imagined how dreary it must be to be stuck in a hospital room, looking out at a frozen, middle-of-January, Ontario landscape and thought a bright, cheery quilt would be nice to look at and snuggle under.

 I had my eye on Erin McMorris's "Wildwood" fabric line for a while. I loved the bright colors, tiny trees, and bubbly flowers. It is still one of my favorites! I had a charm pack and wanted to make it go a long way. I new the colors would pop on a white background, so I started pairing up fabrics to make pinwheels. I wanted to do something slightly different, since I have made pinwheel quilts before, and I wanted to showcase some of the fabric in bigger pieces, so I added some squares into the mix as well. A bit of a colorful border and straight line quilting brought it all together.

Thanks Steph. Make sure to check our Paisley's Place quilts. These are just her 2010 quilt finishes how much do you love those quilts? Her blog is full of fun projects she has been working on. Steph, I love this quilt and alll the love and compassion you put into it. I am sure it gave the lady alot of comfort in her last days.

And the giveaway winner as determined by Random.org:

Hooray Wendy from the Calculating Quilter.  Send us an email and we'll hook you up!!

And she does it again...

This is the second time we've been lucky enough to feature Amy from Diary of a Quilter.  You can check out our first feature here.  Make sure to check out some of her tutorials, including a darling table runner and 32 minute messenger bag.  Here is one of her latest quilts and stories:

An old friend of mine got married this summer. Not that that's unusually big news, but this friend has had quite the journey.  We've been friends a long time - high school, college roommates. Years later we even ended up getting married within weeks of each other, had our first babies within months of each other - and then things changed drastically for her.  Her first husband was diagnosed with severe mental health issues.  She was pregnant with her second baby and no longer in a safe situation. Tragedy of the cruelest kind.

As I get older and find out about more people I knew in my adolescence who have grown into serious mental health issues, it breaks my heart. Because there's so much stigma, and so many helpless feelings there. I have another friend who's husband has cancer.  While equally tragic, it's socially normal to rally around someone battling something like cancer, but how to help someone who is battling their own brain turning them into a different person is daunting. It's not like you can just bring them a casserole and hope they get better. Mental health issues are not for sissies, I tell you.

Anyway, after years of being a single mom, putting herself through graduate school, and supporting her girls  all alone, my friend married the greatest guy this summer. If anyone deserved a big dose of happiness, it's her.  And so, to celebrate a new family, I wanted to give them a quilt. 

As I shared this story I've been touched by the number of people who have been through similar experiences in their own lives. Mental illness is an issue shared by people across all walks of life - probably more than we would ever suspect. I hope that it is an issue our culture can come to understand better and that we can remove some of the stigma so that more support can be given to the individuals and family members who are so deeply affected.

The inspiration for this quilt came from a picture of a throw-pillow I saw in a magazine. (Don't you find that sometimes you find quilt inspiration everywhere?)  Everything came from the stash, including the back and binding. I love that feeling. My only regret is the binding. I don't love it, but it was too late by the time I finished to change it. These pictures were hastily taken 10 minutes before I had to leave for the wedding. (Such is the life of our crazy summer.) I am publishing the pattern for this quilt this week. You can find more information at Diary of a Quilter.

Congratulations to your friend, that is such a sweet story and kind gift.  Thanks Amy!!

Breast Cancer church group quilt....

We recently got a really sweet quilt submission from Sarah. She is a busy crafty quilter! Head over to  her blog confessions of a fabric addict for inspiration... Here is a sweet quilt she worked on with other's in her church group for a sick friend....

We recently started a quilt ministry at our church, making quilts for people with serious health issues. This is the story of one of the quilts we made.

Our daytime children’s ministry director, Tammy, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and advised to have a double mastectomy right away. One of the members of the quilt ministry, Cassie, is also a teacher in the daytime children’s ministry, so we wanted to be sure to make something extra special and memorable especially for Tammy.

I had recently been feeling a leading to make a quilt in soft pastels, something definitely out of my comfort zone, and realized that this color palette would be perfect for Tammy. I had a charm pack of Moda’s Kashmir II that I had picked up a while back, so I unearthed it and paired it with some pastel solids from my fabric stash. Using a disappearing nine-patch pattern, I created this simple soft pastel quilt.

While I was working on piecing the top of the quilt, Cassie took the back to the children’s classes. Each child’s hand was traced on the quilt back, with his or her name inscribed inside the outline. This gave us a quilt back that would be very personal and special to Tammy, plus it made the children feel like part of the process too! The assembled quilt sandwich was quilted with straight line quilting on either side of the seam lines - it gives it a simple grid-like pattern that doesn’t detract from the simplicity of the pattern itself.

The completed quilt was given to Tammy at the children’s graduation celebration. I’m pleased to say that Tammy is doing very well and is hopefully on her way to making a complete recovery! Our quilt ministry is as much a blessing to those of us who participate in creating the quilts as we hope it is to the people who receive them. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do what you love and help others at the same time!

Sarah, good luck to your friend Tammy. What a sweet gift to give to a friend in a scary place in life. Thanks for sharing your story...

Linking at http://www.amylouwho.com/

Twin boys lost, special quilts made...

Sadly often times quilts are made in sadness to bring loved ones comfort. These are my favorite stories. When you can pour all your sadness and love into creating a quilt to bring some peace to those hurting.  This story is from AJ of  AJ's Antics. She made these quilts for a loss of two little boys....thanks for sharing your story AJ. We are sorry for the loss of Samuel and Jack.

These two little quilts came about out of pure sadness.

Today is Jack and Samuel’s due date.

Although being twins they would have been delivered earlier and therefore already in loving arms, instead they are in a different pair of loving arms. Jack and Samuel were born at just 19 weeks and 1 day and sadly passed into God's kingdom shortly after. Although perfect they were just too little to survive.

My cousin and her husband and their small daughter have been burdened with a terrible heartache that will stay with them forever.

I made their big sister a quilt for her birth and after hearing the news of their passing I decided that they still deserved to have some little quilts to honour their births too.

I had been saving this Amy Butler fabric for something special and I couldn't think of anything better to use it for. I decided on two different quilts because although there were twins they were also individuals. The heart blocks I though appropriate as they will always remain in our hearts forever. I was planning on making them a bit smaller but my head wasn't in the right place to be working out measurements and re-sizing the blocks.

I used my machine to stitch their names, birth date and times onto the corner of the front. Although I know it is not something that their mother will ever forget.

These two little boys were and still are so loved. I think of them often and wish that they were here with us right now.

Rest in Peace Jack and Samuel We love you!

Thanks AJ for sharing your sweet story. Bless your family. Everyone be sure to check out her blog. Some fun inspiring stuff happening over there...and she just did her (edited 700th) post!!! Can you imagine???

Diary of a Quilter, so sad...

Get your kleenex folks, this quilt and story are sure to make you cry. We don't want to give share any of the story, you  just need to read it yourself.  This is from Amy from the quilting diaries, an amazing blog you will want to check out for tons of inspiration!  Thank you Amy, this is a truly beautiful quilt for a beautiful baby boy.

This past November I received a phone call that shook me.  My dear friend, Sarah, had suffered a stroke while delivering her first baby and was in intensive care.  As I talked with my husband and other friends across the globe who knew Sarah, I really felt like she would pull through.  For one thing, she’s Irish.   She’s a fighter and she knows how to work hard for what she wants.

I met Sarah 14 years ago.  We were both in England, volunteers for our church at the time and were assigned to be partners/companions for 3 months.  We shared so much during that time that she became like my sister.  A year and a half ago my husband and I went back to England to visit.  We went to dinner with Sarah and her darling new husband.  Being with her again after all those years, it felt like no time had passed.  We just picked up where we left off.  I’ll always be grateful for that happy reunion.

About a week after that first phone call telling me about Sarah’s condition, I received another.  And this time the news was worse.  My sweet friend, a brand new mother with a beautiful healthy baby boy, had passed away.

I felt grief and, being half a world away, I felt helpless.  I needed something to do, when I really couldn’t do anything.  So I started a quilt.  I had planned to make a baby quilt when I first heard about her baby.  And so in wanting this baby to somehow feel close to his amazing mother, I decided on Irish flags to honor her heritage.

It was so cathartic for my heart to put my head and hands to work.  The creative process for this quilt was a blessing to me.  And I am so happy with the finished result. My machine-quilting skills are next to non-existent, and knowing of my sad story, a sweet friend, Gloria, offered to quilt it for me.  One more act of love going into this quilt!

And here is the gorgeous, wee man himself.  I wish I could wrap my own arms around this little lad and tell him stories of his valiant mother, but I can’t - he's too far away.  I hope that this quilt will be a surrogate for me and for Sarah.  For me: an act of love honoring a dear friend; and a symbol of the mother he will not know in this life, but whose influence I hope he always feels.

linking up to amylouwho

My three Sons...Panaceia's Mantle...

Angela From My Three Sons made this beautiful bright happy quilt for a dear friend with cancer. What a kind friend to make this. Make sure to visit her blog for a lot more inspiration. Thanks Angela, and blessings for your friend!

Panaceia is the greek goddess of cures and healing. I made this quilt for my friend Liesl (I love her name!) - she is starting chemo this week to battle breast cancer. It's 53" x 62"

As soon as I heard she was diagnosed, I had to make a quilt. I imagine during and after chemo, feeling tired and chilled, and giving her something cheery to cover up with. Another reason to go with a greek goddess in the name, I got the blue/orange/yellow from an Olympic coach. His uniform jumped out of the TV at me!

I loved Amy's 'Peas and Carrots' the first time I saw it - actually the first thing I ever faved in flickr. It looks so happy! She made her quilt as a kit for the local shop and kindly sent instructions that went with the precut pieces. I modified it a bit to eliminate the boarders and turn the panels into my own little improv creations.

I used all my favorite Heather Ross cuteness - very happy little prints for Liesl. And I experimented with skinny boarders and solids. This block uses Kona school bus and tangerine - my favorite orange combo!

This fishy block has Kona turquoise as the darkest blue. The other two were pulled from pieces I bought before learning to label the cuts. It was also the most improv. I pieced/cut/added/cut/moved....I was thinking about Gwen's philosophy of add some if it's too small, cut some off if it's too big. I love how it turned out.

 

A bunch of my favorite fabrics, and a new fave. I LOVE the bees and honey comb of Miller's Flora and Fauna.

Originally the sashing was going to be snow, but thought the coal would give it a little more sophistication.

I love the light/dark thing that was going on with the Kona, so charcoal was the perfect choice for the binding!

I quilted it with invisible thread on the top so it wouldn't stand out against either the dark solids or the light prints. I loved every minute of making this quilt!

"Hope Grows quilt" by lovely bud...

Don't just scan through and admire the photos here, this is a beautiful post and quilt by lovely bud. She lost her little baby boy and needed a way to transfer her grief. Thank you for letting us share your sweet story about your precious baby boy....

i think we most truly know and are connected to something when we lose it

i think we are forever captured in that moment, tied to what we lost. the pain holds us tight and teaches us our destiny

the movie "master and commander" tells the story of an english naval captain and his crew aboard their ship during the napoleonic wars. the crew is comprised of both hardened old seamen and fresh young boys that don't even seem old enough to leave home. one of those youths loses both his arm and his best friend at sea. as i re-watched it recently i realized those losses didn't drive him from the sea, rather they tied him inseparably to it.

my deepest loss, my greatest pain came while creating, while mothering - i lost my third son during birth on his due date six months ago

and now i can't stop creating - if a day goes by without creating art, teaching my children, sewing, cooking or gardening i feel like i am dyeing

and i am now united to motherhood in a way i was not before,

i am forever bound to the act that caused me the greatest pain, defined by my life's deepest loss and i am so grateful

he never spoke a word but he taught me more than anyone

i am grateful but i wish it had never happened. i only want to hold him alive but i trust God's plan. what craziness, but if you have experienced it you understand

so this is for the women with aching empty arms and holes in their hearts this mother's day. for the women who long to bear children, who have lost grown children, who have to grieve their baby's death instead of celebrating their birth

you are a mother in such a special, intense way, committed to mothering even when it costs you all you have. your treasure is in heaven. your broken heart is beautiful, strong

and for those that hold perfect healthy children, the challenge is to not drift away unawares. to deeply know and love and cherish what we hold without the sting of losing these gifts

my baby's body rests in the sea - alone, but my son is in heaven with Jesus. i thought i admired both places before, but they are indescribably beautiful to me now

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also - matthew 6:21

Six months ago I lost my son. I found out two months after losing him that I was pregnant again. In order not to give in to fear I have committed myself to creating like never before. God has calmed my heart as I have busied my hands making things and it has been very healing to see beautiful things made in the aftermath of such loss and brokenness. I sketched ideas for my very first quilt and a drawing of a single flower, rising out of a vase to reach out a window came naturally. Realizing that this was an image of the hope I was longing for I began to make this quilt. Pictured above is the front and below is the back.

I ordered several fabrics for the quilt that ended up not being quite right so I was so excited when I found this Moda fabric that V and Co. was selling in her shop. My process was pretty simple. I sketched my design on big paper the size of the quilt. Then I traced over the flower and vase to make patterns for the appliques before I cut out the large shapes that I would make the quilt out of. I laid the paper and tracing paper patterns directly on the fabric and cut around them leaving a seam allowance. Then I pieced together the front and back of the quilt using basic sewing technique.

I ordered several fabrics for the quilt that ended up not being quite right so I was so excited when I found this Moda fabric that V and Co. was selling in her shop. My process was pretty simple. I sketched my design on big paper the size of the quilt. Then I traced over the flower and vase to make patterns for the appliques before I cut out the large shapes that I would make the quilt out of. I laid the paper and tracing paper patterns directly on the fabric and cut around them leaving a seam allowance. Then I pieced together the front and back of the quilt using basic sewing technique.

Here are some detail shots of the quilt. And for all you who may be good at drawing and designing but feel that your sewing skills are sketchy - YOU CAN make a quilt! You can draw out a design, make your own pattern and use basic sewing techniques that are explained in a myriad of fabulous blogs... and then you can send your quilt out to be quilted and bound (I am thankful that I have a wonderful teammate in my mom) I know, I know, learning to quilt it probably isn't that scary either.... But for those of us with a phobia of math, measuring and matching corners, this may just be our niche - freehand quilt pictures?!

Since all quilters are artists, their work must be signed! Here's to you lovely bud blog and all the creations you have inspired in your young life.  

and while I hope for healthy babies and many years to watch them grow, my hope and my faith is in God because there is more to life than this world... and I am thankful for His love and the gift He has given us to follow in His creative nature

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."