llbear's quilt, basted for quilting
Our friend, michelwin, has had a very rough road for some years now. She's been through job loss, caregiving for a mother who was very ill, and handling her mother's final affairs in difficult family circumstances. Her most recent ordeal was particularly horrendous. She buried her brother and made his house ready for sale -- which meant cleaning under difficult circumstances:
I have arthritis and C.O.P.D. and it was hard being in that old house. It was hard to breath. The whole house needed to be cleaned from top to bottom. My brother had been deeply depressed and nothing had been done in the house since I did it a year earlier. In addition there was blood and feces to clean up in the bathroom, hallway, his room and the family room from his last illness and fall. Not feeling well physically does not help depression.
Michelewin is very tired, exhausted from all she has endured. Let us lift her up with a community quilt, one filled with loving words from friends.
Dusty insisted on checking llbear's quilt for comfort
What is a community quilt? It is more than just a blanket for it carries messages from you transcribed by me in archival ink on muslin. Leave loving words for michelewin in the comments below and I will put them in her quilt. They will give her support any time she feels she needs it. This quilt will remind her of all her friendships in this community and will lift her heart.
DarkHawk98's quilt
If you can help with the cost of making the quilt, here is a PayPal link -- or message me for an address if you prefer to send a check. $10/message is suggested -- although some people give more to cover for messages from people who cannot afford to donate. My sister and I make our living making these quilts and we do appreciate your support. We are $11 and 5 messages short for this quilt.
Betty inspects Alma's quilt
These people have left messages for michelewin so far (check here if you don't recall whether you've left one yet or not):
1. Ojibwa
2. Louisiana1976
3. nannyboz and persiflage
4. Sara R
5. Broths
6. kishik
7. SoCaliana
8. Swampyankee
9. mommyof3
10. Weck
11. nannyboz
12. Leu2500
13. Jolux
14. Ramara
15. vgranucci
16. Noor B
17. Alma
18. Diane in NoVa
19. smiley7
20. Beadlady
21. cfk in the Thumb of Michigan
22. Joy of Fishes
23. Agrenadier
24. Otteray Scribe
25. BlackSheep!
26. NonnyO
27. Ooooh
28. Bill in Portland Maine and Common Sense Mainer
29. One Pissed Off Liberal
30. escapee
31. jwinIL14
32. HoundDog
33. FloridaSNMom and family.
34. renzo capetti
35. BlueJessamine
36. Zett
37. Lorikeet
38. DJ Rix
39. Riverlover
40. racheltracks
AntKat's quilt
Need inspiration? Here are a few of the messages collected so far:
May you walk wrapped in the beauty
that you create for others
The process of creation is a part of the beauty Ojibwa
may the pooties dance away your burdens and fill your heart with love. kishik
michelewin: You are amazing and strong... and loved! <3 mommyof3
you are a wonderful caring person and all Kossacks are blessed to know you. What you have and are dealing with is beyond the pale but we are here for you and we care, deeply. Much love, nannyboz
Thank you for caring about people
and taking care of them.
It takes a special person
to be able to do that.
I hope this quilt will let you know
that the dkos community cares.
Wrap this beautiful quilt around you
and feel all of us giving you
a big, warm, soothing hug. Alma
For today, all our love; for all your tomorrows our best wishes for joy and happiness. racheltracks
earicicle's quilt
Ann is currently working on the quilting of llbear's quilt. We have Dave in Northridge's quilt on the design wall -- it is pieced and awaiting the border and backing fabric which is on order.
Raina's quilt, detail
These are the community quilts we have completed to date:
othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications, RIP)
exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
Moe99 (lung cancer, RIP)
Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
BFSkinner (lupus)
Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
Timroff (cellulitis)
Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
andsarahtoo (lupus)
Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
Predictor (stroke and HIV)
Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
Theodore Olbermann, RIP
cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
Juan (cancer)
Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke, RIP)
riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
dadanation (AIDS)
Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
Bustergirl (ovarian cancer)
mimi's niece (cancer, RIP)
ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
Granny Doc (bladder cancer, RIP)
mango (heart attack)
nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
DaNang65 (heart condition)
Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
Otterary Scribe (caregiver, grieving grandfather, grieving widower)
Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
alliedoc (endometrial cancer, RIP)
labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
Daily Kos (celebrating community)
belinda ridgewood (sudden loss of her mother)
princesspat (blood clots, deep vein thrombosis)
Scott Olsen (severe head injury)
SensibleShoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
Joanna (cancer)
cany (grieving caretaker of mother with dementia)
Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (breast cancer)
Scottie Thomaston (intense chronic pain from spine, kidney stones)
paradise50 (throat cancer)
woodtick (caregiver to mother with Alzheimer's)
BeninSC (mulitple fractures from bicycle accident)
Adrian (colon cancer)
Smoh (breast cancer, stroke, depression)
slksfca (sudden onset of arthritis requiring hip replacement)
arizonablue (grief and exhaustion)
Lorikeet (grieving widow - this quilt was a gift from the Rescue Rangers)
remembrance (breast cancer) and Glen the Plumber (her caregiver)
MassHarry (colon cancer)
Regina in a Sears Kit House (severe immune problems from Lyme Disease)
nannyboz (grief for father, crippling back pain requiring surgery)
raina (grief)
earicicle (breast cancer)
AntKat (cancers of the throat, RIP)
Alma (breast cancer)
DarkHawk98 (lung cancer)
Regina in a Sears Kit House's quilt
These quilts are planned:
Carol in San Antonio (cancer)
UnaSpensor (Lyme disease)
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
paradox (cyclical vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
LorelieHI (PTSD, reversals of fortune, depression)
mimi's niece's quilt (one that I quilted by hand), may she rest in peace
PAYPAL LINK FOR MICHELEWIN'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
Namaste.