Out to Lunch 2.0 in #SewPINK Initiative...

 ...so honored to be part of the byAnnie.com LLC #SewPINK Initiative this year...a bit of my why.

Having no family history of breast cancer, I choose to do a mammogram every other year. The pandemic year was supposed to be my year to schedule--but I didn't. Then in 2022, at the insistance of my husband--I scheduled and went in for a mammogram. Only to be called on our 37th wedding anniversary of a suspicious area that needed to checked into.  After lots of hurry up and wait came the cancer diagnosis. Then more waiting until the meeting with the breast surgeon. There we found out the tumor was small, non agressive and treatable. What an answer to prayer!! We choose to go the lumpectomy route. Radiation could be done right in the operating room--who knew they could do that?!?  No lymph node involment. After testing the tumor, no chemotherapy was needed. Since the tumor was hormone positive--ER+ PR+ HER2-, I would need to go on a hormone inhibitor--Anastrazole--for 5 years. Such amazing new treatments have been made!! It might seem simple to just take one pill a day--but oh my--I call these little white pills my Brutal Blessings!! The side effects of the drug can be brutal--dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, interupted sleep, constipation and snarky moods just to name a few!! But the fact that I love my family and want to be here to see my grandkids grow up keeps me taking them and looking for ways to deal with the side effects!! One thing I want to stress to anyone taking any of these medications is to pay close attention and make a list of the side effects--then when the pharmacy tells you that the refill is from a "new supplier" and the pill might look different--but it's still the same drug--make a new list of the side effects. I have had 3-4 different suppliers in the last 2 years--each one with a different set of side effects--some almost made me quit--but after reviewing the lists with the pharmacy we have settled on a supplier whose side effects are ones I can manage. I say all this to encourage those struggling with a hormone inhibitor to pay attention and don't be afraid to be your own advocate!!! 

The #SewPink Initiative was created by ByAnnie.com LLC to raise awareness for breast cancer throughout the year. Efforts culminate in an annual blog hop during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month to promote self-care, awareness, early detection and support for those affected by breast cancer.

To learn more and see the calendar of events visit: https://www.ByAnnie.com/SewPINK

To find screenings available near you:

• Breast Screen (Australia)
• CDC.gov (US)
• Komen Foundation (More info)

Such a fun array of colors and supplies!! The byAnnie.com products in the color Lipstick were an amazing match for the selection of pinks from my Signature Fabric collection--Peace and Love--with Island Batik fabrics.

Such great texture quilting on the Soft and Stable with the Superior So Fine! thread.

Looking good!!

I had never tried this step in the binding making process--but let me tell you--it really works well!!

The carrying strap was quite easy to make too!!

In love with the finished product!! I chose the Out to Lunch bag because after the cancer diagnosis, my husband and I decided to change our eating habits. We cut out all processed foods and no refined sugars. I do love to cook, so our meals are still delicious--lots of fresh fruits and veggies along with seafoods and meat--we are farmers so we eat what we raise. By adding in exercise--walking 16 miles a week--that also helps with reducing some of the medication side effects--I have lost over 65 pounds since the diagnosis and my husband is right at 35 pounds. We acutally feel better at age 60 than we did at age 50!! 

This is the blessing part of the breast cancer diagnosis--we have chosen to embrace each day with joy!! Live life to the fullest. Praise the Lord for each new day to serve Him in all that we do!!

Click photo for video to see inside the Out to Lunch bag!!

Thank you for stopping by--and please take care of your breast health!! 

 Farmhouse Vintage Ornaments and Tree Skirt with AccuQuilt....

...AccuQuilt released 2 Christmas dies this year--the GO! TreeSkirt Wedge and the GO! Ornaments Medley. Read on to find out how I used them to add some Farmhouse charm to my holiday decor.

I used pages from a vintage book to die cut 6 shapes from each ornament design. Fold each die cut in half vertically. 

Apply a bit of double stick tape to one side of folded ornament. Stack another folded matching ornament on top and repeat until all 6 ornaments are stacked. 

Open stacked ornament and place a length of double stick tape along center crack. Place a folded length of baker's twine on centered tape. Place another small length of double stick tape to one side of ornament body. Fold ornament together along center crack encasing the baker's twine in the center fold to create the hanging loop.

Use a small paint brush to apply a thin layer of glue to edges of one ornament. Swish ornament into a pile of glitter. Make a huge mess--but oh so rewarding to play with glitter!! Repeat until all edges are coated with glitter--and your workspace.

Display your new handmade vintage book paper ornaments and ENJOY!!!!

Next up, the tree skirt. For 8 years, I have used just a length of linen fabric to wrap around the base of our tree. It did the job fine--but when AccuQuilt released the tree skirt die--I thought--hey let's see if it works to make it out of burlap!! 

The shapes die cut beautifully!! Once again though--a giant mess was made in my studio!! Seems to be a theme with these designs. Oh well, sometimes a bit of mess is needed for something beautiful to be made!

I used a narrow zig zag to sew an approximate 1/2" seam. This larger seam allowance than the pattern calls for is because the burlap weave is quite loose and ravels easily. Press seams open. Then secure seam down with the same narrow zig zag. Follow die pacackaging pattern to make the tree skirt top. I chose not to use a backing, so just folded over the inner and outer edge once and secured hems with the same narrow zig zag stitch. Quite an easy sew--just once again--super messy with the burlap. Trim all the excess threads off and tree skirt is finished.

I just love the finished project. The skirt really does lay flat--but I have it gathered quite small at the top because I don't have a large area around the base of the tree as it is next to the basement steps. 

I hope you have enjoyed learning to think outside the die--and use new mediums to make something special!!

Have a Blessed Christmas Season!!!

Twist and Turn in Sunshine Garden....

Twist & Turn Quilts by Cinzia White published by C&T Publishing is landing in stores this month. I have joined with a group of exciting original designers to bring you more ideas on how to meld different designs to make your own original quilt. These innovative designers are showing you a variety of their own circle designs using the latest fabrics to highlight the versatility of Cinzia’s Twist & Turn Quilts. 

Cinzia is an Australian designer who has been quilting for over 30 years. She has had designs in many Australian and American quilt magazine, created award winning quilts and taught her design process all over Australia. She creates quilts not intended to be finished quickly, but to enjoy the process!! I am honored that she reached out to me to participate in her blog hop.

Cinzia choose--Soul Search--one of my newest quilt patterns designed using fabrics from my 2nd Signature Fabric collection--Sunshine Garden with Island Batik. You can find the pattern HERE.

How delightful is this mash up of Cinzias' Twist and Turn with my Soul Search block in Sunshine Garden?!?!? I think that adding some of the vines, berries and butterflys to this would make a stunning design.

There is such movement and flow going on here--just like how a butterfly looks for landing platforms to feed. Really beautiful!!!

You can see all the other designers Twist and Turn at the links below!! 

Thursday 25th   Monika Henry from https://www.pennyspoolquilts.com/blogs/blog/twist-turn-blog-hop 

Friday 26th Tammy Silvers of https://www.tamarinis.com/ 

Saturday 27th Swan Sheridan from https://www.swanamity.com/ 

Sunday 28th Laura Piland from https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2023/05/twist-turn.html 

Monday 29th Robin Koehler from https://nestlingsbyrobin.blogspot.com/ 

Tuesday 30th Terri Vanden Bosch from http://www.lizardcreekquilting.com/ 

Wednesday 31st Cinzia White from https://www.facebook.com/groups/cinziawhitedesigns/ 

Several designers are offering an e-book giveaway of this scrap busting, enjoy the moment and all the things book. Comment here or on my Lizard Creek Quilting Facebook post for an opportunity.

"Butterflies add another dimension to the garden, for they are like dream flowers--childhood dreams--which have broken loose from their stalks and escaped into the sunshine." --Miriam Rothschild

A love like GNOME other....

 

....February is Machine Embroidery month--along with cold and snow here in Iowa--great time to try something new!!!

As an AccuQuilt GoGetter, I have the opportunity to try new things and encourage you to try them too!! Just ask my sewing friends--encouraging others to go outside their boundries and try new things is what I do--LOL!!! Even though I have worked with numerous AccuQuilt applique dies, I had never used machine embroidery with them. There are free downloadable files on the website for most dies, PLUS there are for purchase ones using the dies with a little extra pizzaz added to them. I chose one of the for purchase designs to work with for this project. Embroidery designs are 15% off for the month of February. Check them out HERE.

Here are some tips I learned from doing this project:

Terri's Tip #1--ALWAYS do a test sew. I thought I had my fabric and thread choices down pretty good--but wow did they not show up good on the fabric I was going to use!! The fabric is a cotton jersey. I used a jersey needle.

Terri's Tip #2--back the light colored fabrics with a fusible interfacing of some sort to prevent the show through of other colors.

Terri's Tip #3--try cutting different mediums with the applique dies. This is a Kimberbell glitter. Heat Transfer Vinyl or HTV is another term for it. It cuts super easy. Has a fusible back and a shiny protective film over the glitter. Just pay attention when cutting if shape is directional. And remember to take the shiny film off before embroidering.

Terri's Tip #4--I did not put fusible web on the back of my applique shapes--GASP--I know right?!? The embroidery design suggested using a glue stick to apply a bit of glue to shape backs--so I tried it--and it worked!!! I wanted the finished design to stay soft.

Isn't he just such a happy little gnome?!?!? The embroidery design was made by V-Stitch using the GO! Gnome and GO! Cookie Decoration dies.

After doing the embroidery, I finished cutting out the front pattern piece. 

Added some lettering cut with the Silhoutte Cameo. SVG file for just the lettering can be found HERE.  The tshirt pattern is a free raglan found HERE. Don't those fabrics from Island Batik just make the design sing--love the swirling dots in the beard--it's called Almond. Ask for them in your local quilt shop!!

Ta-Dah!!! The finished project!!!! Love all the details about it!! I might just be wearing it every day this month!! Don't forget to check out the machine embroidery designs HERE --where you can find the adorable gnome!!

" If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13

Pinktober hit home this year....

 

It's been a crazy year 2022 here at Lizard Creek Quilting...I hadn't had a mammogram in a few years and my dear husband was on my case to schedule one. I finally listened and had one the beginning of April. Four days later on our 36th wedding anniversary the clinic called there was an area in my right breast that needed a closer look. 

So another 4 days later we went to the breast center for an ultrasound that showed a biopsy was needed to confirm the suspicion of C.A.N.C.E.R. Yes, those are all caps--because when that word is said in the small dark ultrasound room it is like a piercing arrow right into your soul. The breast center wanted us to come back another day for the biospy but we persisted the clinic had told us we could have it done the same day if needed. They looked again and were able to do the needle biopsy that afternoon. We learned right away to be our own advocates and politely but vigorously ask for what we wanted. 

Another four days later the results came back as positive. Next appointment would not be for another 2 weeks. We also learned that there is a lot of hurry up and wait in this process. 

What a whirlwind of emotions happened in those 2 weeks. Not knowing anything--the kind of cancer--the extent of the tumor--how will our kids and family handle this--what does the future hold!! Just waiting....with the mind going to all the dark places the devil takes it to. Lots of crying. Lots of hugs.  Not much eating. Lots and lots of prayers. Assembling an army of prayer warriors was one of the first things we did after hearing the biopsy results. Through group texts we asked them to pray for wisdom to the medical personel and peace of mind for us. These were the longest 2 weeks we have ever done, but we also felt the strong arm of the Lord holding us up.

An MRI of both breasts was done the day before meeting with the breast care team. These results came back the same day--the left breast was clear and only the one tumor in the right. What an answer to prayer that was. 

Meeting with the breast surgeon was terrifing and peaceful all at the same time. Scarey for what was to come--but peaceful because it was time to know. We were told the tumor was small and if it had to be cancer it was the "good" kind. Not agressive and very treatable. The wonderful surgeon left the room for a few minutes to give us some time alone to absorb that information so we would have a clear mind to hear the rest of the treatment plan.

ER+ PR+ HER2-  are new words that would now be part of my medical history. The tumor was estrogen based so a daily estrogren inhibitor pill would be part of the treatment plan. 

Next appointment of the day was meeting with the plastic surgeon to figure if a lumpectomy or mastectomy would be needed. We went into the meeting thinking--just take them off so the cancer can't come back. But did you know that 10% of breast tissue is left with a mastectomy--and well I was very well endowed in the breast department--so 10% of my leftover would be about 85% of someone elses' whole breast--LOL. Also we did not know that breast implants have to be replaced every 8-10 years or that they can rupture on impact. I lead a quite active lifestyle of riding motorcycle and working hogs on the farm with my husband so the surgeon strongly advised us to go the lumpectomy with bilateral reduction route. 

Surgery was scheduled about four weeks later on May 26. If you were paying attention--we are farmers--so this was spring planting and also hog work season!! I took this time to help my husband on the farm, deep clean my house with my mom, prepare some freezer meals with my daughter, cut out some quilt kits in case I could sit at the machine after surgery, walked many miles to strengthen my body and spent time in Gods' Word to calm my mind. I found a verse I had never read before and it became what I would and still do say to myself whenever I get scared.

"Go in peace, for the Lord is watching over your journey." Judges 18 : 6

May 26 arrived--the day the cancer would be removed from my body!! Right before surgery, Nuclear Medicine injected a dye into the nipple area of my right breast to check for lymph node involvment--the procedure is called Sentinel Node mapping. Two nodes were taken out during surgery--both came back clear and the removal of the tumor proceeded. Because the lymph nodes were clear I could have my radiation done right DURING surgery. The radiologist came into the surgical room, set up the radiation machine right over the spot in my open breast where the tumor had just been removed and zapped the area for 1 minute 23 seconds. It's called Intra Operative Electron Radiation Therapy-- IOeRT. This was such an answer to prayer!!! The plastic surgeon and breast surgeon worked on me both at the same time--one worked on getting the tumor out of the right breast while the other worked on reducing the left one and finished reducing the right one. Surgery was about 4 hours. Then 1-1/2 hours of recovery. THEN THEY SEND YOU HOME!!! Yeah that was something!!! 

Healing went well. Lots of patience, lots and lots of walking and lots of return appointments. An ONCO score test was done on the tumor to determine if chemotherapy would be needed. My score was well below the number where chemo would be helpful. Many many prayers of thanksgiving for that. We took the motorcycle to the Praire Center for our last plastic surgeon appointment as my way to "ring the bell".

 

The first photo in this post is the arrangement we brought to the plastic surgeon on our last visit. The zinnias I planted this spring were just a regular mix--but somehow the Lord decided that I needed a whole mix of pink zinnias this year!!! The jar is the acutal one I used the oil from to massage into the surgical scars--she thought that was pretty cool. 

I have been taking the medication Anastrazole for about 3-1/2 months now and will take it for 5 years. The medication comes with it's own share of ups and downs. Ups--it keeps the estrogen from attaching to fat cells and making new cancer cells in my body. Downs--it messes with my balance, sleep, emotions, causes a constant ringing in my ears and can eventually cause osteoporisis. 

But through it all the Lord, my family and friends have been with me!! Faith over Fear is the only way I have gotten through the last 6 months and the only way I can look to the future!! 

If anyone has questions about this--please don't hesitate to ask me!!! And schedule your mammogram!!!

A big thank you to our sponsors-- Island Batik for the fabrics, Aurifil for the pink thread and Klipit for the great clips. 

Quietness is the pattern of mine I chose to work with for this project. The pattern and 10" stackers are available in my shop. 

I am a huge basket quilt lover and a straight set quilt is even better!! The pink clips kept each set together.

Blanket stitching the handles. Made prettier with the Aurifil thread.

Love me some Island Batik fabrics!!!

Quietness with Hope and Heart!! It's not quilted yet as the balance issues from the Anastrozole caused me to tip over and break a bone in my foot 2 weeks ago!! Yeah so there's that!! Anyway I love the finished project and can't wait to get back on my feet so I can quilt it.

"But the Lord stood with her and gave her strength." 2 Timothy 4 : 17

Thank you again to all the sponsors and those who shared their stories on this blog hop. Please check out the others below!!

Jennifer Thomas-Monday, October 3rd https://curlicuecreations.blogspot.com/

Lisa Pickering -Tuesday, October 4thlisascompassion.wordpress.com

Maryellen McAuliffe -Thursday, October 6th https://www.marymackmademine.com

Emily Leachman - Monday, October 10th http://thedarlingdogwood.blogspot.com/

Jane Hauprich -Tuesday, October 11th www.stitchbystitchcustomquilting.com

Marlene Oddie - Wednesday, October 12th www.kissedquilts.com

Gail Sheppard - Thursday, October 13th https://quiltinggail.com

Jerry Stube - Friday, October 14th https://quiltersqtrs.com

Brianna Roberts- Monday, October 17th https://www.quirkyb.com/blog

Terri Vanden-Bosch - Tuesday, October 18th https://lizardcreekquilting.com/

Mania Hatziioannidi - Wednesday, October 19th www.maniaforquilts.com

Laura Piland -Thursday, October 20th https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/