Carol in San Antonio's quilt, basted for quilting.
Our friend, shanikka, is suffering from a very grave illness at this time -- terrible and painful complications from diverticulitis and a perforated bowel. She wrote in a comment yesterday:
As for me, I am still in hospital and the complications fallout continues, with me now on multiple antibiotics and anti-fungals, having to now have an echocardiogram for fear that my heart's being impacted by the yeast in my bloodstream, and still trying to get healed up enough to have surgery. I have now been deathly ill for the past 45 days and in hospital for 17 of those and am truly getting tired of being sick and tired.
Where's the DailyKos quilt brigade when you need them? LOL
Well, the quilt brigade is here, and you are a part of it! Leave a loving and supportive message for shanikka in the comments below and it will become a part of her quilt. Let's wrap her in love and lend her our energy to help her heal. Let's send her a whole sun's worth of loving energy!
commonmass' quilt top. It's big! Too big to get a proper photo at this time.
What is a community quilt? It is a quilt that contains loving messages from you transcribed in archival ink on muslin by me. Your words are then sewn into a colorful quilt. Shanikka can use her quilt in the hospital to remind her that many, many people are holding her in love and good thought. And when she comes home, she can wrap up and rest in it, delight in reading the messages, and be warmed inside and out.
This is something we can do to help her.
Centerpiece of commonmass' quilt, a painting by his brother. We framed it with stars and moons.
It takes time and material to make one of these quilts. If you can, in addition to leaving a message, donate toward those costs, here is a PayPal link -- or message me for an address should you prefer a check. $15/message is suggested -- although some give more to cover for those who cannot afford to donate but whose words will be worth more than gold to shanikka. My sister and I are so grateful for your support of this project.
Detail from Leaves on the Current's quilt
Carol in San Antonio's quilt will be finished today -- I'm working on the binding. We'll be layering commonmass' quilt this weekend. And we'll begin building the blocks for Clytemnestra's quilt. All Clytemnestra's messages are transcribed but we do need four more! (Please leave one in the comments!). I will be posting another diary for Oke's quilt on Monday evening -- please come by.
Boots checks Leaves on the Current's quilt for comfort and finds that it is good!
These are the community quilts we have made to date:
1. othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications, RIP)
2. exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
3. MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
4. Moe99 (lung cancer, RIP)
5. Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
6. BFSkinner (lupus)
7. Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
8. Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
9. Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
10. one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
11. Timroff (cellulitis)
12. Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
13. Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
14. rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
15. grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
16. ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
17. andsarahtoo (lupus)
18. Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
19. luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
20. Predictor (stroke and HIV)
21. Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
22. Theodore Olbermann, RIP
23. cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
24. Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
25. Juan (cancer)
26. Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
27. MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
28. Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
29. Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
30. Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
31. ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke, RIP)
32. riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
33. Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
34. dadanation (AIDS)
35. Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
36. Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
37. ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
38. Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
39. Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
40. stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
41. bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
42. escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
43. SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
44. Bustergirl (ovarian cancer)
45. mimi's niece (cancer, RIP)
46. ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
47. Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
48. Granny Doc (bladder cancer, RIP)
49. mango (heart attack)
50. nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
51. DaNang65 (heart condition)
52. Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
53. Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
54. Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
55. Otterary Scribe (caregiver, grieving grandfather, grieving widower)
56. Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
57. JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
58. DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
59. Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
60. peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
61. mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
62. alliedoc (endometrial cancer, RIP)
63. labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
64. Daily Kos (celebrating community)
65. belinda ridgewood (sudden loss of her mother)
66. princesspat (blood clots, deep vein thrombosis)
67. Scott Olsen (severe head injury)
68. SensibleShoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
69. Joanna (cancer)
70. cany (grieving caretaker of mother with dementia)
71. Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (breast cancer)
72. Scottie Thomaston (intense chronic pain from spine, kidney stones)
73. paradise50 (throat cancer)
74. woodtick (caregiver to mother with Alzheimer's)
75. BeninSC (mulitple fractures from bicycle accident)
76. Adrian (colon cancer)
77. Smoh (breast cancer, stroke, depression)
78. slksfca (sudden onset of arthritis requiring hip replacement)
79. arizonablue (grief and exhaustion)
80. Lorikeet (grieving widow - this quilt was a gift from the Rescue Rangers)
81. remembrance (breast cancer) and Glen the Plumber (her caregiver)
82. MassHarry (colon cancer)
83. Regina in a Sears Kit House (severe immune problems from Lyme Disease)
84. nannyboz (grief for father, crippling back pain requiring surgery)
85. raina (grief)
86. earicicle (breast cancer)
87. AntKat (cancers of the throat, RIP)
88. Alma (breast cancer)
89. DarkHawk98 (lung cancer)
90. llbear (brittle diabetic)
91. michelewin (grief and trauma)
92. Dave in Northridge (grieving widower)
93. racheltracks (complications from knee surgery)
94. Ebby (grief and stress)
95. Leaves on the Current (cancer)
Quilts to be completed
96. Carol in San Antonio
97. commonmass
98. Clytemnestra
99. Oke
100. shanikka!
See also these two thank you posts from multiple quilt recipients:
KosAbility: A Virtual Quilt for Sara and Ann, from Community Quilt recipients
We Have Something to Say to YOU, Sara R and winglion!
Ebby's quilt, detail
These quilts are planned:
Serpent's Choice (grief)
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)
racheltracks' quilt, detail
PAYPAL LINK FOR SHANIKKA'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
Namaste.