WIP Wednesday - a special project

I can't share much about this project.... but a friend approached me and of course I couldn't say no!

A peek at what I'm working on....

Last year I walked two Susan G. Komen 3-day (60 mile) walks - raising $4600 for SGK through my participation and helping with the $2300 each of my walking partners needed to raise to participate.

Me and my boys - San Francisco - Jun 2013

These walks will be something I never forget.

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge - after a LONG first day - June 2013

I know, I know, there are all sorts of political debates about SGK and other organizations out there - or the color pink - or... you name it.  I choose not to focus on that.

My awesome friend (and walking partner) Heather and me - San Francisco 3-day - June 2013

I choose to focus on this... I am doing SOMETHING.  I know that.

"Baby" brother and me ready to start the Seattle 3-day - September 2013

My favorite sign from either walk.  I got a few blisters during the first walk - and they hurt - but they didn't require chemo.

The people I met, the love I felt, the stories I heard and witnessed, the support I was shown by friends and family - monetarily, emotionally, and by actually taking steps right next to me in training and during the walks.  Those things are what I am passionate about.

(left) pausing on the I-90 floating bridge in Seattle  - - (right) My amazing hubby was a stand-in walker with me for day 2

I walked 120 miles last year in those two weekends - but I didn't stop walking when I crossed that finish line.

3-day success - San Francisco - June 2013

60 miles complete - Seattle - September 2013

So this pink project I'm working on.... actually a few pink projects... are pretty special - and making me antsy to walk another 60 miles.....

The loves of my life - supporting me (and surprising me with homemade shirts - - - even Mr. Eggo is crafty!) - after finishing the San Francisco SGK 3-day - June 2013

Linking up for WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - I am link #69 -  can't wait to see what others are working on (and eventually share with you my finished projects)

{itty bitty squares} - a finished project

A little while back, I shared a sneak peek at a project I was working on.  With a simple sketch and some pretty fabrics, I started sewing.  I cut strips that were 1.5" wide and sewed them together, cut them apart, and sewed them together again - working toward 1" squares in a mix-and-match patchwork design.

But I wasn't loving it.

You see, this project is a special one.  A friend of mine's mom is fighting breast cancer - - - she is currently undergoing chemo and this project is for her.  So this couldn't just be "okay".... I needed to LOVE it.

So I thought a bit more about my fabric choices.... and pulled a few more pinks.  Setting aside the strips I had already pieced together, I got to work again.

The finished item is a quilted tote bag.  I used a variety of lighter pink-based fabrics for most of the bag - and used a darker pink ribbon fabric to piece together a heart shape for the front.

I quilted simple squiggly horizontal lines through the body of the outside of the bag.

And since I still loved the fabrics I originally pulled, I thought I'd line the bag with something other than pink :)

The bag is definitely fully reversible.  The body of the "outside" of the bag (the patchwork / quilted part) is lined with flannel to give it a little more body and to allow me to quilt it with a bit more texture.

Oh... and those original 1" squares?  Instead of setting them aside for "another day" - I used them to make a quilted coffee sleeve.  My mom has had a few friends go through chemo, and they say their fingers get REALLY temperature sensitive - which makes it hard to drink hot coffee / tea, or cold sodas, etc.  I thought a coffee sleeve might be a nice little addition to this care package!

Wishing my friend's mom all the strength and perseverance it takes to fight this nasty cancer... and hoping they feel surrounded by the love of family, friends, and complete strangers.