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Sunday, February 1, 2015

Love & Support

It's February - the season of LOVE.  It's also the month of Heart Health Awareness.  I found the perfect combination for my project on the "We Support You" blog hop!

Love & Support!
I recently received a letter from the state health department, reminding me to schedule my annual mammogram.  I usually do it around this time, but now each year when I change out my quilt decor for February, I'll have a great reminder to take care of it.  Regular checkups are so important too.

My Mother died of Adrenocortical carcinoma about 16 years ago -  a very rare, very aggressive form of cancer that caught her by surprise.  By the time the diagnosis was made, it was a mere 8 days until she passed away.  She was only 59.  She'd had a cough for several months, but didn't think anything of it.  She was never one to allow a little discomfort get in her way-she was one of those go-getters!  She had 11 of us kids, and there were a dozen grandkids at that point.  She enjoyed riding horses, writing poetry, stories and histories. She could sew anything and had just started her very first pieced quilt.  She went white-water rafting with my sister about 2 months earlier, and rode her horse just a few days prior to her passing.  She was a Cowgirl Poet, and always wore her red cowboy hat at poetry events.  Maybe that's why I like red so much...and sewing!


I used my I ♥ Applique' pattern and enlarged it 250%.
I found similar heart patterns to make both a post-mastectomy pillow, and a women's heart surgery pillow.  I also found a good Heart Health CHECKLIST just in case you are interested.


I added the sweet little scallops for a fancy finish on my little Valentine.  (See just how easy it is to make the scallops & prairie points HERE at my RBD Cutting Corners "Fancy Finishes" Tutorial today).
Cutting Corners with Riley Blake Designs

Now, I've got a couple of 3-1/2" Riley Blake Designs stackers to giveaway at the end of this hop on February 12th - Leave a comment and tell us one thing you plan to do for your health this year! (Giveaway now closed).

So, love yourself, be vigilant in taking care of yourself - stay healthy, live long and sew to your heart's content!  That's my wish for all of you!


A big thanks to Mdm. Samm @ Sew We Quilt, and our illustrious Cheerleader, Pat @ Scrapatches!  Remember, you can purchase the "We Support You" pattern from Madame Samm - send an email: madamesamm@me.com.

Full Hop Schedule HERE

UPDATE:  Congratulations to LeAnne - giveaway winner.  And thank you to all of you for your heartfelt comments and stories.  This is truly a tight-knit (or is it "stitched"?) community, sharing and supporting one another.

86 comments:

  1. What a beautiful pillow! I love the red scallops. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Oh, this is just gorgeous! I absolutely love everything about your darling pillow. Beautiful!

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  3. Wonderful, awesome. What more to say. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

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  4. Amazing pillow. I love the scallops. And the bra....I would buy that bra.....Thank you for sharing!

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  5. This is beautiful! My husband and I both scheduled our annual physicals this past week, and it feels good to know that we are trying to be proactive, rather than reactive. Thanks for sharing your beautiful creation with us today. Here's to a safe and healthy 2015! :-)

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  6. Gorgeous pillow! I go for regular health checkups, and this spring I am going to get an operation in my foot to be able to walk pain free.

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  7. The Heartpillow ist sooooo wonderful, beautiful, nice!!!
    LG, Gudrun

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  8. Beautiful pillow! Perfect shape and fabulous colors!

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  9. Wonderful pillow and perfect for the month of Valentines day!!

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  10. Beautiful pillow! As a cancer survivor I get regular checkups.

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  11. Beautiful pillow Deonn; what a clever idea for the hop! My health goal this year is to get my eyes thoroughly checked out and deal with some issues; I'm well on my way towards that goal.

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  12. this is so beautiful Deonn....and yes a beautiful reminder....and it is red and white with scalloped edges...oh my lol

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  13. So beautiful. I love the heart and the scallops are the icing on the cake for me. I am going to get back in training for my next race in April. I only have to be able to walk a 15 minute mile to compete and I already signed up. I am also trying to eat more healthfully.

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  14. That is so pretty. Love your fabrics. This year I plan to lower my cholesterol more.

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  15. that is a sweet pillow Deonn.....I am going to get more exercise

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  16. Cute pillow, and great reminder piece.

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  17. I love your cushion - it's beautiful! I plan to add more exercise as the weather warms up and the roads/sidewalks are less slippery. :)

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  18. What an adorable pillow - love the scallops. Thanks for mentioning the heart support pillow. As a heart attack survivor from last February, I plan to have that annual check up this month and keep up with heart healthy eating and living.

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  19. Gorgeous, love the red! If and when the snow ever melts I plan on walking everyday for just a short time after work. It will be early in the morning, but it will be quiet a great time for contemplation.

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  20. Your heart pillow is fabulous! I knew you would be the wow! factor for today! My mother loved red as well. I always love seeing what you create!

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  21. What a sweet pillow! It will be the perfect reminder!
    I'm so sorry about your mother. How very sad!

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  22. This is so beautiful, great remembrance!

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  23. Deonn you so inspire me! I love the pillow and the scallops are a perfect way to set it off. And I especially love using your Valentine Day decoration to remind you to schedule your mammogram. It's also time for me to schedule mine since I always do it immediately prior to my gynecologist visit in early April. And to keep my heart working well I've begun walking on the treadmill 4 or 5 days a week. I'm not fast but I'm steady! :) blessings, marlene

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  24. Walking is always a good way for me to improve so I have started walking each day. The plan is to go 10000 steps a day on average as the days get warmer.

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  25. So beautiful..as a breast cancer survivor myself I love it. I have two close friend going through it right now so I know how important support is for their recovery. Thanks for the inspiration

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  26. Deonn, I am so sorry about your mom, she must really have been a 200% woman, full of power and living it fully! Your cushion is beau-beau-beautifull, These different shades of red are gorgeous!

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  27. What a sweet, beautiful, and useful pillow...love it! Thanks for sharing the story about your mom. It sounds like she was an amazing woman, just like you! I think this is my year to do more walking towards better health.

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  28. Such a wonderful tribute to your Mom and a fantastic annual reminder to have for yourself. You have truly inspired us all. I have monthly lab work done by my doctor just to make sure ... fighting some health issues with anemia right now. Thank you for your wonderful post and beautiful heart. Judy C in NC

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  29. I plan on getting my mammogram as usual. My mother died for breast cancer 7 years ago at age 67. My dad of pancreatic cancer 21 years ago at age 59. I will also try to find time to walk more. So wishing spring was here. Thank you for your wonderful reminder to stay healthy.

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  30. I plan on getting my mammogram as usual. My mother died for breast cancer 7 years ago at age 67. My dad of pancreatic cancer 21 years ago at age 59. I will also try to find time to walk more. So wishing spring was here. Thank you for your wonderful reminder to stay healthy.

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  31. I lost both of my parents to cancer, so I get all of my screenings done every year. I really like your heart pillow with the scalloped edge.

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  32. What a cool pillow! I love the bright colors that are seasonal too. I always get my mammogram in the spring and I intend to walk a lot more than I did last year. Too many people I know have cancer.

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  33. I plan on getting a colonoscopy this year. I love your pillow!!!

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  34. What a beautiful heart pillow. It is a gentle reminder of how we should all take care of ourselves. Congratulations with the WOW factor today.

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    1. I have had cancer, and know how important it is to keep up with the screenings. Next week is the mammogram.

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  35. Now that is nothing short of adorabe! As well as a great reminder!

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  36. What a cute pillow! Loved your post. What a pretty way to remember. Hugs, ~Cori

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  37. Cute pillow. Red is my favorite color, too!

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  38. I plan to continue my walking program as my doctor suggested.

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  39. I plan to continue my walking program as my doctor suggested.

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  40. This is sew sweet, Deonn! Thank you for another great idea and the link to the scallop and prairie point tutorial.

    Your mom was an amazing woman, full of life and love. Thank you for sharing her with us today.

    My annual mammogram is scheduled for Friday. I see my doctors regularly and do my best to live a healthy lifestyle. I have eye surgery this month, too. Got to carry on and keep on sewing ... :) Pat

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  41. i bought myself a Fit Bit and plan on taking at least 10,000 steps everyday.

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  42. I don't thing there is anything left to be said, but I agree with every one else. very sweet and cute.

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  43. I get an annual reminder from the place that does my mammograms so I set up an appt then. And somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that we could do something for women with breast cancer and these little pillows are perfect. I clicked on the links and am going to contact our local hospital to see if there is a need here. thanks! yessewingisfun@yahoo.com

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  44. Love your pillows, wonderful tribute to your mom. I plan on participating in my first 5K (walk) in March, hopefully more to follow.

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  45. My mom and I just joined Curves last week! We'd been working out with my dad and husband, but mom likes the camaraderie the ladies have at Curves, and offered to pay my membership if I go with her. So we go :) One lady who works there also teaches Zumba classes, and we got to participate in it last Thursday, woo! It's intense, dancing for 30 minutes solid! I am looking forward to not being so sore from the workout. Beautiful heart pillow, it looks so cozy!
    ~Brandy

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  46. What a beautiful way to offer support for this dreaded disease, that so many thousands and thousands of people die from each week in this country. Thank you so much for this giveaway opportunity. lv2bquilting2@comcast.net

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  47. Now that's a fun pillow. I'm going to send your link to my friends. Those post-surgery pillow are a wonderful project and great supportive gift for a recovering lady. One of the small sewing groups I am in made a few dozen this past summer for some of the local girls.

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  48. Such a cute pillow and will be very useful to some surgery patients. And it will make them smile. For myself, I want to get a mole check which I have skipped for awhile.

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  49. What A SHOW stopper! An awesome fun pillow - love it!

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  50. Cute pillow. I plan to continue eating a starch based diet like to one in Dr. McDougal's book, the Starch Solution.

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  51. I started an online workout program for interval workouts and I'm working on lowering my carb and sugar intake. Even though I've only been working out a few weeks, I feel so much better! Or maybe it's SEW much better! pbstrand@msn.com aka Beth @ Words & Stitches who is frantically working on her project!

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  52. You are very brave and my condolences on your mother passing so young. I LOVE your HeArt pillow of Support. I shall continue my Weight Watcher journey and eat healthier. Thank you sew very much for Supporting and hopping...

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  53. Gosh, darn...I left a comment a few hours ago but I don't see it. For some reason, sometimes my comments don't show on blogs. I try to remember to check right away but didn't this time, so...
    Red and white are gorgeous colors for a quilt - or a pillow. (The prairie points pillow is also a winner!) You are so creative and I love how you embellished the bra and the cool scallops. Support the cause and the girls!!

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  54. Sorry for the loss of your mom. Sounds like she left an amazing legacy. Your pillow is so cute on so many levels. I just love it. I hope to go back to walking this year. Even a little at a time is a good thing. Thanks for sharing.

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  55. A very cute pillow and great tribute to your mom. I plan on eating healthier this year!

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  56. What a beautiful story and a beautiful pillow to go along with it. February is my month also to have my mammogram. I have had a tumor scare in the past, so I am diligent about this test every year. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  57. I love that pillow and the polka dot bra.....oh how I love polka dots. A beautiful story, your mom sounds like an awesome lady. As a mom I know she would be proud and touched. You know, outside of a mammogram I didn't have a real plan. So my plan would be to get a plan. :)

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  58. I have my annual mammogram scheduled for 2-18. It will be the first since my breast reduction last summer, so it should be interesting!

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  59. I just had a mammogram. I also want an activity tracker so I can keep track of my activity-and motivate myself to do more

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  60. Beautiful pillow and congrats on being the Wow of the day. For my birthday, my husband bought me a fitbit and my goal is to walk 10,000 steps each day.

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  61. Really really cute pillow. So very clever to combine the support theme with Valentines day. I try to get some exercise every day, or almost every day.

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  62. What an adorable pillow I really love it and appreciate your support as a ten year Breast Cancer Survivor.
    Blessings Sandra

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  63. Love the pillow. I am starting an eight week program of exercise and tracking of food to make me more aware of what I am doing so I can make good choices.

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  64. These pillows are sew sweet! Thank You for sharing the tutorial for your Scallops at cutting corners too! Hoping to have more time time in my sewing room this year...its good for my mental health :-)

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  65. love your pillow. I plan to walk more for my health thanks for the chance to win your giveaway.

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  66. a really great pillow, like everyone else I love the scalloped edges, but I love the heart design and the bra setting as well. Great job.

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  67. I need to get a mammogram...it's been 7 years and I'm older then your mom was. Thanks for the reminder!

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  68. Deonn, what a beautiful story about your mother. I felt as if I knew her. She left a lovely legacy in you. Your pillow is a perfect reminder to get a mammo and and precious reminder of a lovely lady.

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  69. Your always have such pretty projects and this is certainly no exception. Your pillow is perfect for the season and a great reminder to have that annual check up. Your story of your mom is so heart touching and I'm sorry you lost her. What a remarkable mother she was.
    I love to run and hope to get back on my training this spring. I feel like it is so good for my health and makes me feel younger.. or at least more alive...lol

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  70. Deonn, I always love looking at the beauties that you create and of course you didn't disappoint. This is just beautiful. The bra and the scallops so dainty and gorgeous. Love it. You obviously caught the creativity bug from your mother. It sounds like she was a remarkable woman. I have decided to not drink any soda. I didn't drink much before, but now I don't drink any. Already two months in and I don't miss it at all.

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  71. Stupendous pillow! I will be getting my yearly mammogram soon.

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  72. I am late joining in on the hop. I love your pillows...I am now a 1 year survivor for Breast cancer..If only I had one of these lovely pillows when I went through my ordeal. Late in the ball game I took a older large heart pillow from my daughters bed and tried using it to help me fill in the area next to my reconstructed breast as I am a side sleeper and it is still very uncomfortable to try and sleep on my side..And the heart shaped pillow is definitely the way to go...If you have any friends undergoing breast cancer. Please make them a large size pillow for this purpose. It is a godsend during reconstruction and afterwards...I did my very first Susan G Komen Race for the Cure this year and my husband and I plan to make this a annual family event. I also plan to try and get more exercise and attempt to get some fo this weight off I have gained since my ordeal.

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  73. I agree! You certainly wowed me!!!

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  74. Love both of your pillows - a lot! You are so talented and willing to share tips and techniques freely. The yearly tests are always on my agenda - I give myself a birthday gift every year. I exercise, but want to walk with my two little puppies more.

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  75. Deon, you always inspire me to do better! Your projects are colorful, well made, and visual eye candy. I look forward to hopping over for a visit to see what you have made. Let me share a quick "It's a small world" trivia....At my bi-monthly Sassy Sewers Group last week, a friend stood during Show n Tell to share a cute pattern and the project she made using the pattern ( a cute chicken pillow/pin cushion I believe). When Ellen started to describe this great blog she had "discovered" my ears and brain clicked A_HAH!!! I Know Her! That's Deon!! Well...I had to elaborate that we were ONLINE Quilting Blog Friends, etc... I felt like I was "name dropping" HA!!
    Blessings
    Gmama Jane

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  76. Hi! Thank you, Deonn, for sharing about your mother. It's a good warning for all of us to pay attention to our bodies! If something is odd, go check it quickly! Don't stand there and poo poo it, get yourself into a doctor and get yourself checked out! And also, thanks for the giveaway!km

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  77. I love your pillows! I am a yo-yo dieter. This year I am going to eat healthy & keep the weight off.

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  78. OMG Deonn...love the heart pillow...sEw darn cute!! Congrats on WOWING us!! My date with the dreaded machine is in June. My sister is 16 year breast cancer survivor and my son is a 15 year testecular cancer survivor. Thanks for sharing your Mom's story with us!! I too am going to try to shed some pounds...walking with Mr. QnQ will be part of our daily routine. Thanks so much for sharing your support!! Happy stitching, Pauline

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  79. Your heart cushion is gorgeous. I really need to lose some weight!

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  80. Deonn, it's so sweet. I love the scallops. I lost my mom to cancer too at 56. Thank you for sharing a little of her life.

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  81. I too am trying to lose some weight. I already can fit into some once to tight pants.

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  82. Super cute!

    My goal is eat less and walk more.

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  83. This is my second attempt because when I clicked on "publish," everything disappeared! Anyway, I am trying to walk, but with allergies, a couch potato for a husband, and rain, it's an uphill struggle. Walking in the mall would work, but doesn't it defeat the purpose if you have to drive to the mall-it's not walking distance! What a conundrum! Hope this "works" this time!

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  84. Your pillow is beautiful. I plan to continue visiting my doctor and dentist for all necessary checkups and continue my walking.

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So happy you stopped by for a visit! Thank you!