Free Motion Friday: Love My Life

I wasn't going to show this one for FMF but then I remembered that it does have a little free motion quilting in it, so why not! For the past 10 years, I've been involved on and off with Team in Training (TNT) for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. TNT trains people to complete marathons and other endurance events while they raise money for research to cure blood cancers. I lost two grandparents to blood cancers and have been unfortunate to know many more people who have lost their battle as well as many who have survived.

Along the way, I met Shellee. A breast cancer survivor herself, she lost her sister Liz to Hodgkins Lymphoma when Liz was just 31. Shellee has also done many event with TNT and this past spring took on the task of raising $70,537 in just 12 weeks. Her efforts funded a research grant in her sister's name.

Part of Shellee's campaign included an auction and I wanted to do something to help out - so I made her a quilt to auction off. I came across this heart pattern on Must Love Quilts and knew it would be perfect!

I named the quilt Love My Life, a Quilt with Heart in Liz's memory and was able to incorporate that into the quilting as well. Cursive letters are so easy to add in to a quilt! The rest of the quilt is just straight lines radiating out from the heart.

The whole thing turned out just how I had imagined. I love when that happens! I sent it off to Shellee for the event and later learned that not only did the quilt raise a lot of money but the person who won it in the auction actually gifted it back to Shellee. So sweet of them! So now it lives with her and reminds her of her sister the angel.

If you'd like more information on blood cancer please visit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

To hear more of Shellee and Liz's story go here: http://www.lovemylife4liz.org/ 

If you're interested in more information on Team in Training or you'd like to sign up to train with them for a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, or other endurance event, you can do so here or I am also happy to answer questions.