"Happy Go Lucky" Hourglasses

 I finished this quilt maybe two months ago now... just trying to catch up on my blogging.  :)  

I paired a few fat-eighth cuts of Bonnie & Camille's "Happy Go Lucky" fabrics with some solids that I had on hand.  Then I dug into my scrap bin for the piano keys border.

I just love how it turned out!  Really: this is one of my top three favorite quilts.

I did the backing with another piece of "Briar Rose" that I had on hand. I'm just not sure I can get enough of those mama bees knitting!

This was a gift for Baby Lucy whom I know from church. Her mother is a dear who appreciates handmade goods and once upon a time called my quilts "Rad."  Yup... that's how you get on the fast track to a handmade quilt in my book.  

"Rad" + new baby = I'll whip you up a quilt in no time.  ;)

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month

In the past, I have already begun begging people for charitable donations by this time of year.  I decided to take a break from it this year, with the exception of today's one little blitz.

Last weekend, we attended the annual fundraising event for Duke's Brain Tumor Center.  They do a fabulous job at this institution, and it was our fourth year in attendance.  So these sweet pictures are from that event (and were taken by my friend, Kellie).

Charlotte insisted on giving a kiss to her brain tumor buddy, Layla.

This coming weekend, we will be attending for the second time a fundraiser in the form of a motorcycle ride to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Funding the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) is so important to me because while the NCI currently gives a mere 4% of their budget to pediatric research, the PBTF supports research that is both pediatric and brain tumor specific.

Charlotte has been living with brain cancer for four years now - the entirety of her life.  It is difficult to explain her situation when the question, "How is she doing?" arises.  She is doing GREAT in day to day life.  She is full of joy and is as silly as can be.  Charlotte giggles all. day. long.  She has a very high quality of life.  She is greatly loved.  But regarding the long-term issue of her cancer, Charlotte currently has progressive disease; the cancer has metastasized and spread since we had to stop chemo last September.  However, our hands are tied when it comes to treatment options.  Because the primary tumor is on her brainstem, it will never be able to be removed.  She has already completed courses of three chemo drugs and has been rejected from being eligible for another three.  There are very few drugs left to try.  None of them will be a "cure." At best, future therapies might buy her some more time, while hopefully maintaining a reasonably high quality of life.

Won't you please consider giving generously so that we can translate research into better therapies for our kids?  We need more options and fewer toxicities.

Click here to donate today.  And a huge THANK YOU for doing so.