Welcome to all who are blog hopping For Pinks Sake. Anna, who writes Life Sew Crafty, is hosting this blog hop to raise awareness of cancer, to make a quilt for Lemmon-Holton Cancer Pavillion in Grand Rapids, MI.
Anna is quite familiar with this hospital. It is where her mother-in-law, Tina, has had all of her cancer treatments.
Any of you who have had someone you love go through cancer treatments, know how the bills pile up. Anna is asking that anyone who is able to donate to help defray Tina’s medical bills.
Each of the bloggers on the hop are making a block to donate to the quilt for the hospital. You can help by donating a pink block. Instructions are here.
Those who read my blog regularly will know of my Mom who died from breast cancer in 1984. The radiation treatments had just started being refined. While my Mom had them, they learned how to pinpoint just one area to radiate instead of a buckshot approach.
The positive aspect now in 2014 is death rates from breast cancer are declining since 1990. This is because more and more women, like myself, have chosen to forego hormone replacement therapy. The breast cancer incidence rates among women aged 50 and older have seen a gradual reduction. This is due to early detection, increased awareness and continually improving treatment options. It’s a better world now and hope is growing all the time.
For my block, I wanted to make an “old-timey” block I found in my Aunt’s belongings. The publication, Grandmother’s Patchwork Quilts, was has no date. I’ve read about this small, paperback books, approximately 24 pages long, were done in the 1960s.
Young Man’s Fancy was the block I chose had 74 pieces! Yikes! Sooooo, for my block I chose the Klondike Star. It’s paper pieced and has much fewer pieces. You can find the instructions for this block at Quilters Cache, a wonderful site with 60 pages of free block patterns. The Klondike Star is found here.
The blog hop goes on through July 19th, posting every other Saturday. Here is a list of the bloggers who are helping out! Go and check out their blocks--very cool!
May 10
May 24
June 7
June 21
July 5
July 19
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ReplyDeleteNonnie - In many ways, I was touched by this post. First, I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in late 2003 and six weeks later I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. Several years later I had a reduction on my non-cancerous side. I had had a breast reduction prior to ever having breast cancer and we all felt it was best not to operate on the cancerous side plus it was also best for my body size. I am sorry for the loss of your mother. It was not a cake walk for me and many strides continue to be made each year in the diagnosis and treatment. I still take oral anti-estrogen therapy which is usually taken for a maximum of 5 years. My oncologist hopes to stop that in the next year. Second, thank you for being a teacher. I thought I wanted to be a teacher and became a computer programmer. I did get my masters in education and lacked 2 classes and my dissertation from a doc in gifted ed when my health became too much. I cannot imagine working with visually impaired children. You are wonderful. I have a step granddaughter who has had numerous surgeries on her eyes and may need more. Last year I was scared - I was having double vision. I went to the ophthalmologist to schedule cataract surgery. I went to the pediatric ophthalmologist and ended up at the only neuro-ophthalmologist in the state. I do not have cataracts and had surgery on the muscles in both my eyes late last year. Can you imagine trying to thread a needle and sew with double vision. Driving was tricky, too. My glasses are great for reading and in the house and a nightmare for driving. Luckily, I can see and pass my driving test without my glasses. So, I'm doing well. I'm with my daughter and her family for two weeks to help so the adults can have some time alone and to do things they need to do. I hope a quilt retreat in July and quilt tour to England in early August. I hope to get some blocks to Anna (at least one). I hope to encourage my guild to make some, too. Thank you for participating.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by! It is wonderful to hear that you are doing well and are a survivor. Cancer and fibromyalgia are an extremely road to walk. Many heartfelt wishes for your future.
DeleteGreat block. Thanks for participating in this hop! Such a great cause!
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