Some Changes in the Air....

Hi, all!


Tuesdays are going to change around the blog a little bit - - 

Lilli, who is entirely too smart for her own good, will be starting a 5-day a week preschool on August 1st, so my whole week will be toddlerless, except for the days that I go eat lunch with her or pick her up early.  I'll miss her, but it will be so good for her to be around other kids and learning even more things!  She can already count in both english and spanish, told me the other day that when she got bigger and bigger, she wanted to be a teacher who taught about scientific experiments (where did she get that one??? who knows!) and keeps up a running commentary about everything she can think of non-stop until she passes out in sleep!  We've been cooking together, even tried a little sewing on "Nana's Big Machine" (the Juki!) and had a lot of fun this summer.  We've got two more weeks to fill up with lots more fun, so who know's what else we'll get done!  


So I think I'll use Tuesdays for quilt ministry updates - since so many of the ladies in our group are finishing quilts on their own now, with minimal help from me, it seems that they deserve their own day to shine!  Here are a few of the quilts they have finished recently...


Diane Wingo, who is a local quilt blogger who has been joining us for sewing made this beautiful quilt with her own scraps of Kate Spain's Central Park (oh how I love this line!)...

This quilt has already found a home with a woman diagnosed with breast cancer.  We hope it brings her lots of joy with its cheerful colors, and peace, knowing that people she doesn't even know are praying for her!


Diane also made this blue beauty, from fabric donated to us by Sarah Reames, who I met through my involvement with the Bee Splendid group.  (Sarah sent an enormous box of fabric I could barely lift, so you'll be seeing lots of things made with fabric she sent!!)

The front of the quilt...

... and the back.

Through careful planning, Diane worked it out so we've still got enough of these beautiful blues to make another quilt from it.  This quilt doesn't have a home yet, but I'm sure there's a plan for it!!  You'll see it again when it is gifted....


Pam, one of my church sewing sisters, made this cheerful quilt from fabric donated by Diane, who blogs over at Life Scraps.

The front of the quilt...

...and the back.

This quilt has the most adorable goldfish on it, and lots of bubbly dot fabrics - I've named it Goldfish Bowl!  It was delivered yesterday to an 11-year old girl who was in a serious car accident - possible brain damage and two broken legs.  It was wonderful to have a quilt on hand that we could get in her hands right away - a goal we've been working on for a while now!  

And now I have a very special quilt to share with you.

My sewing sisters made this beautiful quilt for me.

You can see just a few of them in this picture - lots more worked on the quilt, but weren't able to be there when

they gave it to me.  (That's me in the bright pink shirt right next to the quilt...)

You see, about a month ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I wasn't going to mention it on my blog,

because I always want this to be an up-beat,

positive place, plus it was going to be my 

"cancer-free" zone - where I didn't have to have cancer.

Miss Lilli couldn't miss being in this picture!!

But then the ladies gave me this beautiful quilt,

and I couldn't possibly go without sharing it with all of you.

They put so much work and thought into it---

Each lady chose a block pattern and made their own block. 

One even chose a pattern called "Sarah's Choice"!

There's some machine embroidery on it, too -

One block says "Hope"

Another has the name of our ministry - 

"Piece*Love*Quilts"

(my hubby came up with that - isn't it smart?)

Diane Wingo, who blogs at DEW Quilting, quilted it.

See the back?  There are blocks signed by 

the ladies in the sewing group,

by the ladies in my bunco group,

by staff members at the church,

and by people that we've made quilts for through the 

quilt ministry.

They did this all in a week!

And I love it.....

So - this won't be turning into a cancer blog - 

I'd rather it stays a quilting blog.  But at least you'll 

understand if I don't get as much done in a week

as I usually do!  I'll be doing chemo for about 18 weeks, 

then surgery and radiation.  So hopefully things will

stay pretty normal for a long time.  I had my 

first chemo treatment Monday, and so far, so good! 

Positive attitude and all that, you know?

It's strange to be on the receiving end of our quilt ministry, but I can definitely testify how much it means now!  It feels good to know that we are able to do something that can mean so much to others.  And I'm going to meet with the clinical psychologist at my oncologist's office to ask her if she will let me know if there are people she treats who really need a quilt from us - people with no family support, or who are going through a really bad time.  I figure there must be a reason I'm going through this - maybe that's it!  

When I was there for my first treatment yesterday, one of the gentlemen we made a quilt for came in and immediately said, "There's my quilt ladies!"  (One of my quilting friends went with me to keep me company...)  I didn't know he went there, too, and it was nice to see him and know that's how he thought about us!  Ann of Renegade Quilter donated the quilt that went to this gentleman.  He loves it, and says he sleeps under it every night!

So - enough about that!  From now on, Tuesdays will be ministry quilt updates (although I'm sure you'll see many others on other days...) and while we won't be seeing Lilli quite as often, I'll make sure she shows up sometimes!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS - Be sure to check out Qubee Quilts on Wednesday (7/20/11) - Charlie's going to be featuring my blog!!  I'm so honored and excited!!