When word comes that a family member or a friend will soon begin treatment for cancer, we often feel helpless. Baking and delivering muffins, adding their name to a prayer list, or sending a note of encouragement are some of the common responses. Another idea is to stitch a bag of hope.
Eileen Roche and I decided to each create a bag that we’d give to someone in need. In her blog, which will be posted on May 22, you’ll find Eileen’s option. Neither of us told the other what we’d create, only that we’d include an embroidery from a collection where all the proceeds go toward the Be The Difference Foundation, an ovarian cancer research foundation founded by our friend Helen Gardner.
Purple Batik Bag
Okay, you’re not going to miss seeing this bag. Bright, yet the embroidery says it all. The bag is roomy enough to hold a tumbler, book, knitting or hand sewing project, a hot/cold comfort wrap, and a few other amenities.
We used the Trace ‘n Create Bag Templates—City Bag Collection and batik fabric for both the outer fabric and lining. To give the bag support, we add fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the outer fabric, ShirTailor to be exact, and a layer of all important craft interfacing, Peltex stabilizer, that I add to every bag I make.
Create Two Embroidery Patches
Choose one of the 20 ribbon embroidery designs from the Embroider a Cure Collection. As mentioned above, all proceeds will go to the Be The Difference Foundation, supporting ovarian cancer research. Use one embroidery for the bag and the other for the Hot/Cold Comfort Wrap.
- Select a meaningful embroidery design from the Embroider a Cure Collection.
- Transfer the design to your embroidery machine.
- Back the fabric with a stabilizer or fusible interfacing. Begin the embroidery process.
- I’ll never tire of watching embroideries effortlessly appear on fabric.
- Cut the fabric into a 4″ square, obviously we placed the square on point. Add another interfaced square of fabric behind the embroidered square if you’d like.
- Determine the placement of the embroidered appliqué. We pinned the side seams of the bag together and “eyeballed” where the word “hope” looked best. Here you can see our position.
- Next, satin stitch around the edges. (Yes, I know, the photo shows the satin stitching on the Hot/Cold Comfort Wrap, but you get the idea!)
- Then, finish the bag as per the instructions.
Hot/Cold Comfort Wrap
Chill it in the freezer or heat it in the microwave for about a minute 30 seconds (each microwave will vary—test the time), tilt the wrap up and down to move the rice filling, and apply on an area of your body that needs comfort. Trust me, the wrap is soothing and easy to make.
- Cut a fabric rectangle 13″ x 38″. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, meeting wrong sides; press. Open again.
- Center the appliqué/embroidery at the lower corner of one side of the rectangle. Pin in place or position with Steam a Seam 2.
- Satin-stitch along the edges of the appliqué.
- Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch on short end, allowing a narrow seam allowance.
- Stitch the lengthwise seam. You’ll notice my wrapped corner technique being applied at the corner.
- Turn right side out. Turn under 1/2″ in the unsewn end; press.
- Press the fabric flat.
- Mark the stitching for the “Divider Rows.” ( The divider rows will section off the wrap, allowing the rice filling to move inside the wrap. Yet some of the rice will get trapped in the sections so not all of the rice will fall to the ends.)
- Mark 6″ in from each end; then every 2-1/2″. Center the rows, making them 2-1/2″ long. Mark ten divider rows.
- Stitch, backstitching at each row end.
- Fill the wrap with rice; it’s a two person job. Don’t over stuff it.
- Close the open end; stitch by machine.
Please pass along other projects that you’ve sewn, quilted, or embroidered for those in need of healing. We’d all like to learn from you, too!
Bye for now,
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I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and was wondering if I may request a bag from you.
Sincerly,
Lisa Wallace
Hi Lisa,
We’re so sorry that you have to go through this. We know this is a difficult time. We’re sending you prayers and support. Many of our wonderful sewing friends have developed sewing patterns for helpful items to aid in comfort during treatments and recovery. Nancy has featured many of these amazing people and projects on the Sewing With Nancy TV show—during the Nancy’s Corner segments. Here are links to two of the most requested “bag” projects. Please let us know if this is what you’re looking for:
Pretty Pockets by Maryanne Arthur:
https://wpt.org/SewingWithNancy/Video/nancys-corner-maryanne-arthur-pretty-pockets
http://www.creativeblossoms.com/pretty-pockets
Anti-Ouch Pouch by Deon Mass:
https://wpt.org/SewingWithNancy/Video/nancys-corner-deon-maas-anti-ouch-pouch
https://www.asg.org/resources/giving-back/
Thoughts and prayers to those cancer survivors…it must be so awful to see your body go thru all the changes BUT to handle the emotional part has to be painful too! Gods blessings to all of you and you can be sure I’ll be making these bags all winter next year! Your input from “been there done that” was REALLY helpful. Thanks!
We have made many of these rice bags at our sewing group, and everyone just loves them hot or cold. They are a great gift for cancer patients and used for other aches and pains as well. We swear by them. Putting them in a lovely bag with some other thoughtful goodies is a great idea!
Yeah, It gets cold–No hair! I have been there. Their are great things also. No razors, You don’t have to cut your hair, shave your legs or arm pits, pluck your eyebrows, us mascara on eyelashes. . There are some good things that come from it too.
Deena Sheets
[email protected]
Nancy, Thank you so much for sharing your creativity and getting behind a cause so important to all the women in our lives. Your kindness continually inspires me and others to talk louder and work harder to be the difference in the fight against ovarian cancer, all cancers for that matter. Thank you for being the difference.
A hug to you Helen! NZ
Beautiful idea and designs! Thanks for sharing it! Have all a wonderful day!
You could also add a doo rag or a scarf.
I am in my second week of treatment for colorectal cancer and love the idea of this bag and the rice bag. Those chemo rooms are cold.
To include in the bag. Soft facial tissue, maybe even the lotioned brand. Flushable wipes.
If I were a recipient of such a gift, I would prefer beautiful embroidery of just my initials and perhaps a small spray of flowers in my favorite color in place of the cancer ribbon or the word hope, etc.
To me, that would make the gift more useful when I just wanted to carry such a beautiful support system without advertising to everyone that I was going through cancer treatments. Something that would be useful in all situations and beyond.
Just saying….. that’s what I’d like.
Would it be OK to have the ‘hope’ design stitched out on a piece of fabric that became an interior pocket of the bag? (It would be kinda like Raggedy Ann’s heart –something only you would know was there.) That way the bag maker could still support the charity while supporting the giftee. . .
Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion.
This is nice idea and I know several people going through treatment right now. Thanks for the help idea. Wish I had a machine to do the fancy embouridery work.
As a breast cancer survivor (diagnosed at age 40 – 3+ year survivor now) I LOVE this! What a lovely bag and gift!
Other care package items I’d suggest:
* Biotene products – especially the mouth spray (Chemotherapy makes one’s mouth parched.)
* Herbal teas or drink packets to add to water (I couldn’t drink plain water during chemo – tasted like drinking metals.)
* Small hand sanitizer bottles/sprays and/or wipes – the scented ones are great! (Chemo makes you highly susceptible to infections.)
* A lint roller (Awesome for getting all the little prickly hairs off your head when you’re losing it!)
* A really good lotion such as Aquaphor and/or some radiation cream.
* Any hat or head scarf.
…I could go on…
This is awesome… love it and the embroidery too.
Cancer loves sugar! People with cancer should not eat sugar. Artificial sweeteners are also very bad. I would stick to non food items.
Carla, thank you for your comment. We took out the reference to Lemon Drops. Again, thank you.
Carla, thank you for your comment. We removed the lemon drop reference from the blog. Again, thank you.