I've gone into complete panic mode. Verging on hibernation mode. Please help.

[JackieandJudy]

Dh is ill, and has been since just after we met. Over the years we've had so much to deal with, and I think it would be fair to say that I have dealt with most of it reasonably well (I'm generally ok at coping when things are going wrong, it's usually afterwards I have a bit of a wobble).

The situation is slightly different this time in that, instead of finding ourselves in the middle of an emergency, he has a planned operation coming up for next Monday. And I'm so bloody scared. The odds we have been given are not good. I can't stop thinking about Monday and am constantly doing the "what if ...?" thing. The elder dc know it's serious stuff coming up and are scared themselves, hence are looking to us for guidance and reassurance. I've tried but today I'm all out of trying and have locked myself in the bedroom. Smallest dc knows Dad has to go to hospital but is oblivious of the wider implications.

I'm shaking constantly. I keep crying at random moments (yes, that was me in Sainsbury's who cried when I dropped the apples!), I can't do this for another week. But I have to. I don't want to talk to rl friends as I will cry and I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me anyway.

But I'm happy to listen if any of you lovely ladies have any ways to help me get through this week, and possibly after.

I'm in! Just tell me what I need to do to make the patch and I'll get right on it :)

6 x 6 inch square - preferably cotton (but I can manage a bit of 'stretchy stuff')

Aplique a picture that identifies you, then embroider or sew your name on the square.

Please will you zig-zag / over-cast all 4 sides of the square so that leaves me less to do when I sew all the squares together.

I will make a square with my Border Collie - and embroider my name. I would like to embroider my REAL first name if that is okay with JandJ.

If anyone can't sew. please contact either me or Homebirds. I'll ask my quilting friend if she can organise her group to make special squares for a small charge. (I can't promise this at the moment though - but I know she will finish the quilt if I feel I might fail.)

I have sent a message to my quilting friend.

Thank you sadwidow! I'll get started first thing :)

Message back from quilting friend!

YES - it is a goer!

I nearly have my Border Collie finished!

I run my own forum for charities - that is how I know my quilter.

If anyone wants a link to that safe place, please contact me via PM and I'll start a section for the Quilt of Love.

We can exchange photos of our squares in my safe forum.

From now on I will refer to it as 'The Other Place'

I am useless at sewing, but really feel I should have a square with an sky blue elephant on it......

maybe your friends could make one for me :-)

I will PM you.

Stop!!!

We have to do 9 x 9 inch squares

Message from quilting friend:

Why don't you ask for 9" squares. 6" are quite small to applique. If it was made as a single bed topper(not hanging down the sides) it only needs to be approx 42" x 60". 30sq x 9" would make 45 x 54 which could have a border added. Backed with fleece this would be warm & comforting. :)
If you manage to get enough squares & am happy to make it into a quilt. I cant take on doing the applique squares though as I haven't gor the time. I could do a couple.

So we need 30 9x9 inch squares!

I am in (Border Collie)
I'll do one for Izzy (horse)
Raven is in
SkyeBlue Sapphire is in (Sky Blue elephant)

26 more squares to go............................

We need someone to make a cocktail glass!

I'm in! 9"x9" it is. Being "not gifted" it'll be a bit of a challenge but love can get you anywhere!

My oh my.. oh my. As you may have guessed, JanJ, reading your latest updates earlier caused me to explode with rage go get a very strong drink.

Several hours later I am still seething but Grannus and Sirona have been drafted into action and Hippocrates has been asked to remind certain hospital personnel of the oath they took when they entered the medical profession and, in particular, 'The health of my patient will be my first consideration'.

As I've late come late to the table tonight I will wait for your update before making any comment on the events of last night, but I would like you to know that my admiration for your dh already knew no bounds and the courage and strength of purpose he demonstrated in taking the only available option in the face of chronic neglect for his wellbeing has raised him to the league of superhero.

Needless to say, as always the toast is to the very good health of you and yours.

Hi, sw, you have been marvellously busy but I'm wondering if we can slow down the quilt making process so that all those who wish to participate don't feel constrained by time to opt out?

I'm more than happy to produce a 'cocktail glass' and I'm more than willing to make a 'river of hope' and a 'hands across the ocean' and embroider one or 2 sayings/quotes on additional squares if no-one else wants to volunteer - perhaps we can vote for our favourite quotes? Mine are the airplane taking off the against the wind and, of course, the knot at the end of the rope which I visualise as being a colourful appliqued square along the lines of the Indian rope trick in reverse

For those who aren't into sewing but know how to make photoshop work for them (it never does for me) or are familiar with clipart, it's possible to buy iron on transfer sheets that can be used in a home printer and then transferred to whatever fabric is suitable for the work in hand.

Depending on the availability of your quilter, maybe we can submit our squares by the end of October (Halloween!) and she can work her magic so that the finished result can be presented/sent to JandJ around Thanksgiving (Nov 25)?

Perhaps we can vote on which square/scene should be the centrepiece? I'm thinking hope on a rope with a knot on the end and lots of sparkles by way of lurex threads.

Am I right in thinking that this would be a quilt composed of 9" x 9" medium/lightweight cotton patchwork pieces each depicting a scene from this thread or dear to the donator sewn together and backed by fleece intervened perhaps with a layer of wadding? Or did you have in a mind a more heavyweight cotton?

Haven't been on mumsnet for a few weeks now. Was up in the night and read ur whole thread. I am so so sorry for everything u have all been thro. The hospitals care has been a complete joke!
But on the positive, what wonderful ppl you have found comfort in on Here. Loving the quilt! If I could even so much as thread a needle, I'd be in! I could perhaps cut a piece of fabric 9x9 (just about straight)!!!

I am and will be thinking of you. All the very best xxx

Good morning J, and I hope it really is a good one, followed by better times for you all, but especially our lovely patient. Did you manage some sleep, and have you eaten breakfast?.....I will be checking!!!!!

I absolutely must be part of our Quilt of Love, but will need some help. I can sew, but unsure about the applique bit. I think it may be best of I pay to have my square done, as suggested by SW. It would be good if it could depict Luna - Yorkshire terrier - and possibly a beach, to represent the many happy times spent on the glorious, and spiritually uplifting, Northumberland coast, with my late H. We were there during all the Seasons, but Autumm was particularly special to us........hence my user name.

Could you let me know the details please, SW.......Much love to all.

I'm in ..... However, I can't sew for toffee so will be dragging my Mum & dd on board. SW - I assume this zigzagging business has to be done on a sewing machine? (see, I am useless) If so I will ask my Mum to do that! If it's ok I will applique (or try to) a Christmas pudding. Does the backing cotton have to be a particular colour? I like Autumn's idea (your post made me cry a little) and maybe we could use backing colours to represent the seasons to depict the cycle of life..? I think all the spirituality supplied by Izzy is beginning to affect me

I'll do the Moon on my patch to represent both Hecate and all the prayers we say in the dark to our respective deities for the continued good health of J&J's DH (as well as J&J's own prayers!) :)

I'll answer Izzy now.....and then read back.

I am so sorry that my flurry of activity made you think we had a time constraint for the quilt. No - indeed - I have explained to my kind quilt finisher that we need squares to fly into the UK from across the world. I estimated to her that we wouldn't achieve our required number of squares for at least 6 weeks. Does that work out for the end of October as you suggested?

My lovely quilt finisher is not well herself - and some of her helpers (who assist during quilt making classes) are also not well.

My flurry last night was simply to work out whether it was achieveable or not. I didn't feel confident enough to accept 30 squares made with love and hope, and then fail you all......... so I needed my back-up plan in place.

If everyone is happy with an end of October deadline for me receiving the squares (and also happy that I am the end-organiser of the finished Quilt of Love) then we will continue.

Perhaps there is someone on this thread who is a quilter who would like to volunteer to make the finished article. We can post to that person instead of me. I don't mind at all. I just didn't want to run with the idea and not know that I could certainly achieve the desired outcome of a Quilt of Love for JandJ's DH.

I have contacted someone who has agreed to provide us with the cotton fabric for the border edges FREE of charge. I will go and collect the fabric tomorrow afternoon. Again, I am happy to post this on to someone else - or send to my quilt finisher.

Now, whilst I think..... my quilt finisher sent me another message this morning to say that if we make 9 inch squares, we whould cut our backing fabric to 10 inches to allow for sewing and trimming.

Am I right in thinking that this would be a quilt composed of 9" x 9" medium/lightweight cotton patchwork pieces each depicting a scene from this thread or dear to the donator sewn together and backed by fleece intervened perhaps with a layer of wadding? Or did you have in a mind a more heavyweight cotton?

Izzy, I didn't answer this part of your question. Sorry!

The quilt will be made of 9" x 9" medium/lightweight cotton patchwork pieces each depicting a scene from this thread or dear to the donator (but please cut to 10 inches square to allow for sewing together and trimming)

I will sort out the wadding because it is cheaper to send a 9 inch patch of love winging across the world (or indeed the UK) if it is not wadded first. I am more than capable of sewing wadding onto each square if my quilt finisher needs me to do that. (She may prefer for me not to mess up try)

I think I have got the backing fleece tomorrow when I go to collect the edging cotton. If not, either I or my quilt finisher will sort that out also.

I like the idea of photo-print. I thought of that this afternoon and may re-do my canine companion with that method.

The quilter-finisher has agreed to make Sapphire's blue elephant square for £5 (a donation towards QF's chosen charity).

She has said she can make one more for someone else who can't sew ..... first one comes, is first one served!

I did ask up thread SW, if I too could have one made by your friend. I have given details of what I would like. Let me know if this is doable, and where I send the donation.

Still reading back.... ForeverAutumnNow has the 2nd square for £5 charity donation.

FAN - send me a picture of Luna by email and I will photoshop Luna on a Northumberland beach/sea background. I am addicted to the North Coast (and sea) because I was brought up just South of Northumberland. I have a friend who lives in Northumberland who is going out tonight to capture a picture of the sea. She tells me that tonight the sky is blue and the sea is even bluer!

Does anyone else need additional help with our Quilt of Love?

I have somebody else on board now who will do 'free embroidery' for anyone else who can't sew (that is on a sewing machine, in an embroidery hoop but is quite 'random')

You will never get a portrait - but she is fabulous at depicting the essence of people! The lettering is random also - but totally legible. (She has made me the most beautiful, unique, individual cards over the past 8 months.)

She has also agreed to £5 per square (donation to her chosen charity). She can manage 2-3 by the end of October.

Backing fabric suggestion - use a new cotton pillow case (cut out a 10 x 10 inch square) and aplique within the 9x9 inch area.

Thank you, will happily pay £5 to charity.