Hey y'all! It's Karin, steppin' in for Kelly for a moment...she's doing the boot-scootin' boogie right now...in between loads of laundry (and I do mean LOADS!), she's finishing up her tax paperwork and getting back into the swing of things, after being gone for a few days. Gone, you say? Oh yeah, baby, she was gone, and it was good! I'll let her tell you all about it, but here's some news that just can't wait!
Quilters are a generous bunch, and since we all know or are related to someone that's been touched by breast cancer, I thought I'd share one woman's personal drive to make a difference. Thank you, Barb, of
Bejeweledquilts by Barb, for making me aware of
MJ's touching story and this courageous young woman.
I know your time is precious, but you really must give both posts a read, where you'll learn all about how MarthaJane was diagnosed with breast cancer, just after Valentine's Day, 2005. You'll read how she was only 24 years old, and even worse, she was in the doctor's office for a follow-up to her recent miscarriage. Yeah, wham, bam, thank you ma'am. And wham again, just for good measure.
So, MarthaJane got all this really crappy news, and like everyone who gets news of this nature, once she heard the doctor say "cancer," she really didn't hear much else. She likened the conversation to a Charlie Brown cartoon, where the adults are saying "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH." (Trust me, when I was a kid, that's what they all sounded like to me, too!!) But, one thing she did get out of that first meeting was a handmade tote bag, containing (along with breast cancer literature) some chocolate, a journal, a candle and a pen. To this day (9 years later), she still treasures that handmade tote bag. In her follow-up video, she explains how she's used it all these years to carry her favorite scarf, more chocolate (can you relate?), her journal, falsies (yup, she's kept her sense of humor), her wig, and other personal necessities that she needed to keep close at hand as she went to all those treatment sessions. And she remarks that it let her know she was loved and that someone cared. She's grateful to the person that took the time to make the tote and donate it to the hospital, and she wants to honor that person and provide the same comfort to other ladies.
To that end, she is looking for your help - she would love to be able to deliver 100 tote bags (she calls 'em Totes for Tatted Tits, and she explains the "tattoos" in her blog) by Mother's Day to her local oncologist's office. She says it way better than I:
I want those who will receive them to know that they are not alone and that there is a network of survivors and supporters and cheerleaders encouraging them in this fight before they ever leave the doctor’s office.
She's got her mailing address listed over there on
her blog entry, and I know time is short....but it only takes a few minutes to put together one of these totes, and she's even provided a link to an easy pattern. And
here's another one, courtesy of Barb & Lazy Girl Designs. Just think of how good it'd make you feel to help a sister out. Personally, I've reached out to my Sister-In-Law, who had previously asked me for suggestions on how her church ladies (who are not at all crafty) can get involved in some service projects. I suggested that they get together and choose/purchase some pretty fabrics, send it all to me, and I'd sew the totes up & send 'em along to MJ. Perhaps you could reach out to some of your own friends? Maybe now's a good time to teach a youngster to sew? What about the 4-H or Girl Scout groups in your area? I bet with your help, MJ can reach her goal, and then some! So how about it?? Don'tcha have an extra yard or 3 you could spare?? She's promised to find a home for each and every one she receives, so don't worry about making "too many.." - I bet there's no such thing as too many! She doesn't ask you to stuff them with anything, but I'm sure she wouldn't object to finding a few surprises tucked inside...just sayin. :)
Thanks for reading along, and for taking action! I just know this post will generate quite a few Totes for Tatted Tits!!
Welcome Home, Kelly, and thanks for helping me spread the word on behalf of MarthaJane and all the sisters!
