Breast Cancer Memory Jar

 Breast Cancer Month is over but the struggle still goes on throughout the year.  Our family just lost Madeline to Breast Cancer.  Madeline is my sister's mother-in-law but was a big part of our extended family. As one friend quoted this week...."to know Madeline is to love Madeline".  Her struggle started six years ago with Breast Cancer and she fought courageously these past few years.  I made a memory jar for my sister's family. It followed us throughout the services this weekend collecting special memories of Madeline written on colorful index cards and placed in the jar.  I made a mini quilt to attach to the jar using Carol Doak's Heart/Ribbon pattern.  I used pink fabric with golden dragonflies.  The pink fabric represented breast cancer and the dragonflies represented Madeline.  Dragonflies in Japan represent joy, happiness, courage and strength which all describes Madeline. Dragonflies in the United States represent rebirth or renewal after a great hardship or loss.  Hopefully this mini quilt and jar full of memories will help my sister's family through their sorrow and  loss.  

As you can see it is the first time I have made the Heart/Ribbon pattern and my ribbon is slightly off....It is also the first time I used my sewing machine's embroidery option The Amish purposely put a mistake in every quilt to remind themselves that they are not perfect because they have a saying..."Only God is perfect".

Here is a link to  Carol Doak's Heart/Ribbon Pattern

http://www.caroldoak.com/pdfs/Heartribbon3.pdf

Search Amazon.com for breast cancer awareness

Nifty Fifty Quilters Breast Cancer Charity Quilt