Quilt Blocks for Cancer

As you know I am a five year Stage 4 uterine cancer survivor.  I have had a desire to give back to those who suffer since I was cured.  I cut my hair last week to donate!

 I also started a Relay for Life team called the Lucky Ducks two years ago. 

Friends and mostly family have helped me to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  I still have Lucky Duck tshirts for sale in my etsy store and on my blog, all the money goes to Relay. 

 This year we will be unable to participate due to a family event.  I would still like to raise money and would like my Blog family to participate as well.



My Lucky Duck duck pond is always a big hit!



I was thinking about asking you, my blog friends to send me quilt blocks to assemble together to make a quilt to raffle off.  The quilt block could be a memorial, in honor of, or just a celebration of life.  Any pattern, 12.5"(or should they be smaller ?) unfinished.  If you would also like to just send a 5" square to use for a border with a message of hope written on it.

My just live bracelets have peach beads for Uterine cancer. 
The cards tells you to just live every day to fullest.

This should not be just a pink quilt.  I want to honor all cancers.  Peach is the color of my cancer.  The mother of one of my students died this year from ovarian cancer and I would like to use teal and create a block in memory of her.  Here is a link to other colors for other cancers.  I would like to collect the blocks through March 31st.  Assemble and find someone to quilt it for me in April and raffle it in May.

Tell me in the comments below if you think this is something you would like to participate in and you know someone who would help me out with quilting this as well.

BTW I had my yearly cancer check up Friday and my doctor who is AWESOME, said I am doing great!

Keep dreaming and living...Colleen



If you have never been to a Relay one of the most moving moments is when the luminaries are lit.
 Each one represents a lost life or a survivor. 
They line the track and are arranged on a hill spelling out HOPE.



Blog tour and a giveaway!

Happy Valentine's Day!



card from Barbara Crews at About.com

I want to share something special with you today.

I am so excited to have been asked to participate in the book blog tour for Cheryl Lynch's new book Quilt Fiesta. 

The tour starts on February 22 and will go until March 3.  I will host it on February 27.  Every blog you visit will be hosting a giveaway for an autographed copy of the book!  And I have been reading it!  It is so...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  See the blog tour schedule below.

2/22/11  http://pinkadotquilts.blogspot.com/

2/23/11  http://www.quiltsoupblog.com/

2/24/11  http://grandmacocosdesigns.blogspot.com/

2/25/11  http://quiltville.blogspot.com

2/26/11  http://fingerlakesart.blogspot.com

2/27/11  http://cyarnell.blogspot.com

2/28/11  http://amyscreativeside.com/

3/1/11    http://therootconnection.blogspot.com

3/2/11    http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com

3/3/11    http://CherylLynchQuilts.blogspot.com

Come out and join the fun!  Spread the word!

Keep dreaming...Colleen



A little Lucky Duck love on the island of Frauenchiemsee
 in Bavaria, Germany July 11, 2009.





Last of the Goodies

I am finally posting the last of the goodies I found at the Quilting and Needle Arts Extravaganza in Statesville two weeks ago. 

This is the Overall Quilter.  She had some wonderful patterns and these cute kits.  I bought one for a needle case and scissor holder.  Also see the little folded fabric with the label on it.  She called these quilt candy!  What a great business card.

After the show I walked a block down and stopped at the Westmoreland Antique mall where I found all the glassware bargains.  I asked about a place to eat saying it didn't matter where I just wanted a good burger and fries.  So look where she sent me...on the way to my car...perfect!

Just a tiny hole in the wall cafe with an awesome menu!

I got the grilled foot long and homemade chips! Yum!

I missed sharing this wonderful civil war era reproduction prints from Renee's Quilt Shop.

They also had an amazing supply of preprinted panels of all sorts.

The repro prints will make amazing centers for the Civil War Quilt block of the week.

Lincoln and his log cabin.

Declaration of Independence I think would be great for the back.

Don't you love this eagle?

Keep dreaming...Colleen



One of my favorite spring pictures...not that I want spring yet.
Snow, snow, snow!



Foto Finish - Green

Foto Finish - Green-my favorite color, how could I resist!

Lichen on a fallen Hemlock tree.  The fallen tree one of the victims of an Asian aphid.  Taken April 4, 2009 on a sad hike through what was once a well preserved old growth forest called the Joyce Kilmore Memorial Forest.  The greens drew my eye and have fascinated me ever since.  I keep it as my desktop image.  The lovely variegated colors would make a wonderful fabric.

Check out more Foto Finishes at Cat Patches!

Keep dreaming...Colleen



I love the bargain bin at Sew Original,
 buy one already discounted remnant and get the second 1/2 off!



Changes and down time

I have been a little quiet this week and last week on my blog.  I haven't finished sharing the goodies from two weekends ago and I had at least three other topics I wanted to blog on but sometime in the last two weeks I hit a wall.  I have blogged a minimum and have not felt motivated to blog more.  Actually I think flickr and the DQS10 is mostly to blame.  I have been trying to be chatty as I figure out my design plan.  I hope to catch up this weekend. 

Meanwhile I wanted to share something on the personal front.  I have made it known how five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, went through chemo and lost all of my hair.  Before I started chemo I donated about 14 inches of hair to Locks for Love.    I have spent the last 5 years letting my hair grow back out.  It came in really dark and curly, though has straightened out and lightened up a bit.  It took a while to get used to it as I used to have dark blond hair.  I freaked in my shower for the first 2 years when I found the dark hair.  LOL!  So last night I went with my sister to her hair dresser and ... prepared for another donation.

This time I decided to send my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.  The wigs they make are donated to people who need them through the American Cancer Society.   My sister also talked me into a not too drastic color which actually is very close to my original natural blonde. 

It is like traveling through a time warp to my hair this color again.  And isn't it funny how we always look a little demented when we take a picture of ourselves in the mirror.

I have been packing up my mug rugs to send for the swap, of course I again sealed the package before I took a picture of all the goodies I am sending.  I added a fat eighth of an adorable birdcage fabric with 2 coordinating fat quarters.  I also added a small roll of ribbon with little birds on it, three matching skeins of embroidery floss, and a scrappy pin cushion I made from the mug rug scraps.

Keep dreaming...Colleen



$.75 fat quarters!  $.50 vintage glass ware! 
More goodies from the Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza.

Here is shop info.