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Brenda was a Breast Cancer survivor from Massachusetts.
Brenda traveled to Virginia to help our group sew together our
International Twenty Plenty I Breast Cancer Charity Quilts.
Brenda enjoyed her visit to Virginia and loved our Nifty Fifty
Quilts that were displayed at our gathering. So she decided on
hostessing her own Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty International
Quilt Swaps. Each of her groups would also make Breast
Cancer Charity Quilts.
Brenda Neily was our Nifty Fifty 4 Hostess, Nifty Fifty 6
Co-Hostess and our Twenty Plenty II Hostess.
Brenda left Virginia enthusiastic and full of energy ready to start
organizing her Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty Swaps. She was a
wonderful person and a great hostess. Unfortunately Brenda's
breast cancer returned as she was busy hostessing her groups.
She stuck it out as hostess for as long as she could. When it
became too much for Brenda to handle, Vickie Ratthaler and
myself took over her groups.
During Brenda's illness she wanted to make a quilt for me as a
thank you for the work I did in creating and maintaining our
Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty quilting groups.
As much as a struggle it must have been for Brenda, she and a
friend shopped for the theme fabric for my quiIt. It was a
gorgeous Hoffman print...Brenda knew Hoffman was my
favorite fabric designer. She bought a whole bolt of fabric
which she had planned to cut into fat quarters and ship out to
our Nifty Fifty Quilters so they could make state quilt blocks for
my quilt.
Sadly Brenda lost her fight to Breast Cancer on April 14, 2000.
Marjorie Young who was one of our original New York
participants in our Nifty Fifty One Swap took over the project
and saw it through to the end.
Marjorie was one of our very first participants to sign up for our
first Nifty Fifty Swap and we have remained good friends over
the years. Marjorie has participated in many of our Nifty Fifty
and Twenty Plenty swaps. Her most memorable quilt blocks
from our swaps is her original design of the New York Skyline
with the World Trade Center buildings.
Marjorie mailed out the special Hoffman fabric to those who
would like to make a quilt block for my quilt. Everyone made a
very special and unique quilt block coordinating their fabric
around Brenda's chosen Hoffman print. These blocks were all
returned to Marjorie in New York and she sewed the quilt blocks
together, quilted it and mailed it to my house.
I will never forget the day the quilt arrived in the mail. The first
time I saw the quilt I was overwhelmed with many emotions.
There were quilt blocks from all across the country. These
blocks were made by some very special friends that have been
closely involved in our swaps over the years...there is the
Washington Monument by Pam, a Wisconsin Barn by Nikki, the
Liberty Bell by Wendy. Marjorie made some very unique quilt
blocks for the quilt including an Arizona Cactus, Hawaiian Shirts
and a new design for the New York Skyline. Many of our Nifty
Fifty hostesses made some unique quilt blocks including Mary's
mountain peaks from Vermont, Steph's card trick quilt block
from Nevada, and then the traditional blocks from Brenda for
Massachusetts, Vikki for Wyoming, Carolyn for North Dakota,
Suzanne for Alabama and Mary for Michigan. Then there are
those quilt blocks from all the others that have made this quilt so
unique. This includes their many stories that I have remembered
and treasured along the way....which is another story for
another day.
Brenda traveled to Virginia to help our group sew together our
International Twenty Plenty I Breast Cancer Charity Quilts.
Brenda enjoyed her visit to Virginia and loved our Nifty Fifty
Quilts that were displayed at our gathering. So she decided on
hostessing her own Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty International
Quilt Swaps. Each of her groups would also make Breast
Cancer Charity Quilts.
Brenda Neily was our Nifty Fifty 4 Hostess, Nifty Fifty 6
Co-Hostess and our Twenty Plenty II Hostess.
Brenda left Virginia enthusiastic and full of energy ready to start
organizing her Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty Swaps. She was a
wonderful person and a great hostess. Unfortunately Brenda's
breast cancer returned as she was busy hostessing her groups.
She stuck it out as hostess for as long as she could. When it
became too much for Brenda to handle, Vickie Ratthaler and
myself took over her groups.
During Brenda's illness she wanted to make a quilt for me as a
thank you for the work I did in creating and maintaining our
Nifty Fifty and Twenty Plenty quilting groups.
As much as a struggle it must have been for Brenda, she and a
friend shopped for the theme fabric for my quiIt. It was a
gorgeous Hoffman print...Brenda knew Hoffman was my
favorite fabric designer. She bought a whole bolt of fabric
which she had planned to cut into fat quarters and ship out to
our Nifty Fifty Quilters so they could make state quilt blocks for
my quilt.
Sadly Brenda lost her fight to Breast Cancer on April 14, 2000.
Marjorie Young who was one of our original New York
participants in our Nifty Fifty One Swap took over the project
and saw it through to the end.
Marjorie was one of our very first participants to sign up for our
first Nifty Fifty Swap and we have remained good friends over
the years. Marjorie has participated in many of our Nifty Fifty
and Twenty Plenty swaps. Her most memorable quilt blocks
from our swaps is her original design of the New York Skyline
with the World Trade Center buildings.
Marjorie mailed out the special Hoffman fabric to those who
would like to make a quilt block for my quilt. Everyone made a
very special and unique quilt block coordinating their fabric
around Brenda's chosen Hoffman print. These blocks were all
returned to Marjorie in New York and she sewed the quilt blocks
together, quilted it and mailed it to my house.
I will never forget the day the quilt arrived in the mail. The first
time I saw the quilt I was overwhelmed with many emotions.
There were quilt blocks from all across the country. These
blocks were made by some very special friends that have been
closely involved in our swaps over the years...there is the
Washington Monument by Pam, a Wisconsin Barn by Nikki, the
Liberty Bell by Wendy. Marjorie made some very unique quilt
blocks for the quilt including an Arizona Cactus, Hawaiian Shirts
and a new design for the New York Skyline. Many of our Nifty
Fifty hostesses made some unique quilt blocks including Mary's
mountain peaks from Vermont, Steph's card trick quilt block
from Nevada, and then the traditional blocks from Brenda for
Massachusetts, Vikki for Wyoming, Carolyn for North Dakota,
Suzanne for Alabama and Mary for Michigan. Then there are
those quilt blocks from all the others that have made this quilt so
unique. This includes their many stories that I have remembered
and treasured along the way....which is another story for
another day.
| Brenda's Wish Quilt Quilted by Marjorie Young |
Marjorie's Original Nifty
Fifty One Quilt Block of
the New York Skyline
Fifty One Quilt Block of
the New York Skyline
| The quilt is stunning!!! The quilt's home is on a quilt rack in my foyer. Those who visit my house always comment on the quilt. It is a great excuse for me to spread the quilt out and tell them the story behind the quilt. Close up photos of the very unique quilt blocks |
Copyright 2011 Teresa Drummond All Rights Reserved |
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| We are collecting inspirational and special stories of breast cancer survivors or stories from family members or friends who have lost a love one to breast cancer. If you have a story to share please send it to us through our Nifty Fifty Breast Cancer Story Submission Form We will post it on our Breast Cancer Memory or Breast Cancer Survivor page so your story can be shared with others who have been touched by this disease and to give them inspiration, hope or comfort. Photos can be sent along with your stories. |
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| Story of Brenda's Wish Quilt By Teresa Drummond |
| I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to every Nifty Fifty Quilter who contributed to this very special quilt. I would especially like to thank Marjorie for her dedication to Brenda's project and for seeing it through to the end. |
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