Fabric-Etc - Bellingham, WA

	In 1999, as a co-owner of Fabric Expressions, I was privileged to become one of the many who joined "Bonnie's Team" - a group initiated by Bonnie DeSpain to make lap quilts for all chemotherapy patients Bellingham's Madrona Infusion Center. Our store began donating backing and batting used in the lap quilts to any of our customers who wanted to help.
	Bonnie died on May 17, 2001 at the age of 54. Afterwards, her best friend Linda Callender, who had helped Bonnie in her efforts, wanted to keep “Bonnie’s Team” alive and continued the work.
	Fabric Expressions began promoting the drive by distributing “flyers” to our customers which stated that every August, any one willing to make these quilts could come and pick up batting and backing, piece a lap-sized quilt in any design and donate it to a chemotherapy patient. Due to the generous response, we had to limit this offer to one per customer. The quilts were returned to the store by the end of September. In October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they were displayed at the store.
	The last few years, the Moonlight Quilt Guild Community Service Outreach (spearheaded by Florence DiJulio) “adopted” Bonnie’s Team as one of their charitable projects. Members volunteered their time to sew and quilt many lap quilts. Julia Menkee, a member of the Moonlight Guild and owner of Fourth Corner Quilts, has offered space at her store for guild members to work on the outreach. Two of the guild members, Megan Best and Nikki Crisp (professional machine-quilters) have donated their time to quilt many of them.

From my perspective on the sidelines:

Those are the facts and just the facts, as Joe Friday would say. But the real story is the heart and soul, the lives, behind this. The story, as I know it, is that when Bonnie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, a friend (Jyl Peterson) gave her a quilt to keep her warm during the hours of her chemotherapy sessions. Bonnie was so touched and comforted by being covered with her friend’s gift of love, that she decided to share that same gift with her fellow patients at the Madrona Infusion Center. Even though Bonnie had sewn before, quilts were something she had never tried. Her best friend, Linda Callender came to the rescue. Linda helped Bonnie learn to quilt and as they say, the rest is history!

I got to know these two marvelous ladies when they would come to Fabric Expressions in search of “just the right fabric” - either to go with something they had, or to match a patient’s personality or interests. Unfortunately, more and more quilts were needed due to the number of patients in need of chemotherapy. In 1999, we asked if our customers and we could help? They agreed!

Making the quilts, doing something for someone else, was in some way a significant part of Bonnie’s cancer therapy. I would see Bonnie, knowing that she was hurting herself, come to the store with Linda to buy fabric intended to be part of a quilt for a patient - a quilt to be pieced together with love, compassion, understanding and comfort. Therapy. And we would see Linda bringing Bonnie, later in a wheelchair, and couldn’t help but think that Linda’s piecing of the quilts with that same love, compassion, understanding and comfort was therapy for her as she watched her friend fight against the disease. And in retrospect, Fabric Expressions' part in promoting and giving fabric and batting was therapy for us too, as we watched these two dear friends saying good-bye. Upon Bonnie’s death, I was honored to help Linda continue Bonnie’s Team, and look forward to doing so through my new store, Fabric-Etc.

As well as Bonnie and Linda’s love for and dedication to this project, some of the many stories that accompany the quilts are part of the reason why this endeavor remains so special to me. Here are just a few examples I'm aware of:

One woman comes in every year to sign up and get batting and backing for her lap quilt. She had gone with her friend to her first chemotherapy session after her cancer diagnosis. Bonnie happened to be there that day, came over to visit with her friend, give her a quilt and offer some words of encouragement. This patient’s friend was so moved and touched by Bonnie’s gesture that she continues to make a quilt every year to “repay” Bonnie’s kindness and honor her friend’s fight against her cancer.

Quite a few of the quilts are done by cancer survivors who often put words of encouragement on a label at the back of the quilt. Some have shared with me that they hope the quilts will give hope and encouragement to someone going through chemotherapy. They are grateful to be survivors and want to share that gratitude by giving something of themselves to a fellow cancer sufferer.

Customers often make a quilt in memory of a family member or friend taken by cancer. One of our customers has been making quilts over the last few years in memory of all of her relatives that have been touched by the disease.

One customer moved here from the east coast, gave up her “fabric stash”, thinking she wouldn’t quilt again. She heard of “Bonnie’s Team” and decided to join in the effort. Every few months, she brings a beautiful hand quilted creation for Linda to give to someone.

One customer’s son was receiving chemotherapy (the quilts go to anyone undergoing treatment, not just women or breast cancer patients). Knowing his mom was a quilter, he showed it to her. Upon seeing the name on the label, she was extremely moved when she realized that many years ago, she had quilted with this woman at the Roeder Home. It was most definitely an encouragement to both mother and son!

Not everyone wants to put his or her name on their quilt, which is completely left to the quilter's discretion. Some of those who do have received very touching thank you notes from the patient and/or their families. Linda funnels these notes back through the store to the quiltmaker. Once again, I can’t help but think of the love, compassion, understanding and comfort pieced into so many of these quilts. It can be therapy for the quiltmaker, as well as the recipient.

I could go on and on, but let it suffice to say that I feel privileged to have been a member of “Bonnie’s Team” for the last six years. Thank you, Bonnie and Linda - and all of those who generously participate. I feel very blessed to be a small part of “the team”!

Carol Stewart
Fabric-Etc