An awesome gift for an awesome friend!

I have a very good friend who has been a breast cancer survivor for many many years but recently was diagnosed with another form of cancer and is now undergoing chemo. Unfortunately she has been quite sick due to the cancer and later due to the chemo treatments and all I could think of as soon as I heard the news was "what can I do to help her?" Unfortunately we live quite a distance from one another but because she's such a sweet and kind person and a fellow quilter...I KNEW what had to be done and with lots of help from LOTS of people we were able to make it happen....AND fast! I spoke to my friends Denise and Joy (I was w/Joy when I heard the news) and decided immediately that we just had to make a "quilt of love" for our dear sweet friend Mary Ann so that while she was under going chemo and fighting the good fight...she could feel all of our love and know how much we were all praying for her and keeping her very close in our hearts.

I just knew that I could count on our friends from the HGTV quilting boards (that's where McP/Mary Ann and I first met) and they all came thru w/out question or hesitation. They're a wonderful and loving group of ladies that are always willing to lend a hand. I started a thread asking for quilt blocks w/hearts, made out of batik fabrics and within a few days I was well on the way to a beautiful and loving quilt. I got enough blocks in the mail w/in a week and a half (during the busiest time of the yr...Christmas) to make "2" quilts so we decided to make a 2 sided quilt...one side light colors and the other was dark and bright colors. I also received fabric and money from some women to help w/the cost of the quilting and etc. I was absolutely blown over by the amount of money that I received w/out actually asking for any...quilters are sooooo generous...not only w/their time and money but w/their love and prayers too.

Denise and I planned to get together ASAP so that we could sew the blocks together and get the quilt top to the quilter and get the finished quilt to McP ASAP....so that she could feel ALL Of our love and help her to heal quickly. Our good friend Lois (Chanlady) volunteered to help so we met at my home on a Sunday afternoon right after xmas and we got to work. Within a few hours we had both the top and back quilts done (Denise is a fast) complete w/borders and Denise dropped it off at our favorite quilters (Rae) house on her way home. Rae was also fast and even took off of work a few hours early so that she could get it done immediately and Denise had back in her hands ready to sew the binding on w/in 24 hours! The quilting was gorgeous...a heart panto that fit the quilt perfectly. Denise went the extra mile and got the binding sewn on the next afternoon while her daycare children slept and I picked it up out at her home and got it in the mail the next day. I could never ever have done this w/out the help of all of the wonderful women at HGTV that donated blocks, fabric and money but w/out Denise and Lois' help it would still be sitting on my machine probably. Our friend Joy (who has a way w/words) hurried up and finished up the letter to be included w/the gifts and I sent it on it's way. I found the PERFECT plaque that I included in the box it said "Miracles happen to those that believe in them" and it's now hanging right inside the door of McP's home.
We decided to mail it to our friend Joyces home so that she could deliver it in person and take pictures so we could feel like we were all there and boy did she ever do an awesome job...not to mention all of the meals that she cooked and the goodies that she has been bringing for McP to eat to help keep her strength up.

This has been the most wonderful experience for me...it totally restored my faith in mankind and I would gladly do it all again but I would hope and pray that it's for a happy occasion...not because one of my good friends is so sick.

I ask you all to keep my friend McP/Mary Ann in your prayers...they're already helping but she and all the others suffering w/this terrible disease can always use more. Also remember... doing something kind for ANYONE, even a stranger always makes the world a lil better place.

Hugs,
Devins Kunsi,
Lin