My Pink Panoply Breast Cancer Journey Part Three - Accuquilt Bear Paw BOB

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, 

something to love, and something to hope for.

Joseph Addison

Hey there from Nannyland,

It's no secret that I am a two-time breast cancer survivor and feel very blessed to be living my best life 18 years after my first diagnosis and treatment.  I am also almost 10 years out from my second diagnosis. and now, to my apprehension, I'm about to embark on a third breast cancer saga.  Yeah, I know, I can't trust my boobs to behave, whether real of fake.  "Think Pink" has a special meaning to me since my beautiful mom died of breast cancer at 61 and my sister and I have both endured it in recent years. I'm journaling my story because my first amazing craft room was born during my radiation treatments for my initial cancer when we added a studio to our home. And Pink Panoply was conceived during  my mastectomy and reconstruction after my second diagnosis.   It appears that the seeds of my creativity have been planted during adversity and  blossom with the enlightenment and peace I receive during these challenging times.

I started making quilts for breast cancer survivors in 2016 and discovered that quilt making is every bit as delightful and creative as card making.  My label "Pink Panoply" came about when I needed a trade name to sell my quilts, along with baby bibs and blankets, in my Etsy store.  My Etsy venture didn't last long because making a business of my most beloved and rewarding calling limited my creativity and took the joy out of it for me.  But it was a fun experience and I still have my store to reopen if I wish.

Happily, Pink Panoply has lived long after those first breast cancer awareness quilts and here I am with my blog/journal, Instagram, Facebook, Design Teams and many other ways to engage with you on the internet. My recent diagnosis is new, so I don't know the challenges that lie ahead but I have faith in a good outcome, and trust that God will watch over me as he always does.  In the meantime, I have been doing what I have done in the past and realigning my priorities to include those things that are most important to me.  That still means lots of crafting, but hopefully more quilts and faith journal pages.  I'm excited for the changes I'm making because I really miss some of the things that have been crowded out by pursuits that seem much less important now.

And now for some happy quilting schmooze. I made this quilt for my bestie and her husband for their 50th wedding anniversary last month.  She's a home decorator extraordinaire, so I knew it would be much safer to create a quilt she could use in her fancy new travel trailer.  Hence, the bear paw block...cute, eh?  I found a fat quarter bundle in her favorite shades of blue and green and used the Bear Paw Accuquilt Block On Board die in my Accuquilt Go Big to die cut the block pieces.  I used my usual crisp striped binding and pieced a backing with fabric that looks like pebbles in a mountain stream.

I hope it doesn't take an awakening like a health crisis to encourage you to prioritize  the things that matter most to you.  Go forth and immerse yourself in the exquisite creative mindfulness and joy that comes from creating something beautiful. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)