The PHAT Tuesday Pan Mass Challenge Team
PHAT Tuesday 2010 PMC Quilt Raffle
Raffle Tickets
About the Quilt
Quilt Dimensions: 5' wide x 5'7" tall
Materials: Cotton t-shirts, bike shirts, and bike shorts; fat quarters, cotton batting and backing
Description: This quilt is assembled from cotton t-shirts, bike shirts and shorts donated from the PHAT Tuesday PMC team. It could be used on a twin bed, wall hanging or lap quilt. It was machine pieced and long-arm quilted.
The Quilt
This year Team PHAT Tuesday will be raffling off a quilt. We plan on selling tickets on PMC night at Sturbridge and again on Saturday in Bourne. The quilt was assembled by Patricia Middelmann, one of the team member's wives.
The Inspiration and Motivation - Patty Middelmann
My Inspiration: Mary Catherine O'Brien, my godmother.
I was pregnant with our first child in July of 2001 when I received the call that my Aunt Mary had what appeared to be a stroke. I am a teacher and off for the summer so I had the flexibility in my schedule to go to Atlanta and aid her in her recovery. We started physical therapy and occupational therapy as well as speech therapy and she was on the road to recovery, or so we thought...
To be on the safe side, the doctor took an MRI and CAT scan. He found a mass. Yup. Had to wait three long weeks for the results, malignant glioma, Stage IV, the worst kind.
Three weeks later, I'm back in Massacusetts. I remember that tearful call with my Aunt Mary. It was cancer. She decided to go the radiation route, unfortunately without the results we wanted. She was diagnosed in August 2001, and lost her battle in January 2002.
She worked 30 plus years in the airline industry, starting as a secretary and climbing up into upper management. She never had the opportunity to enjoy her well earned retirement.
Our daughter Catherine was born December 19, 2001. She is named for my aunt (Mary shared with me that she liked her middle name better than her given name) and a continual reminder in my life of the wonderful woman Mary Catherine was. I know that I would not be the person I am today without Aunt Mary's guidance, support and love. I grew up on Long Island and Aunt Mary lived two houses away. Being the oldest of four children, it was so nice to have Aunt Mary's house to escape to for attention, love and support. She was always available to listen and be there for me unconditionally. An avid reader herself she fostered my love of reading with Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew mysteries. Our Catherine is a reader as well and I like to think a little piece of Aunt Mary lives in her.
The Quilt
Patty previewing the Quilt (in progress) at the March Fund Raiser.
Back in January, Marty and I were discussing what we could do to raise funds for the PHAT Tuesday PMC team that he is on. I suggested a t-shirt quilt. I told him that he could get t-shirts or bike shirts from the other team members they could be assembled into blocks, and then a quilt. Marty, familiar with my new found hobby, had an idea of what I was talking about and went to the team for t-shirt donations. Even though the PHAT Tuesday team members weren't exactly sure what to make of the request, they happily complied. The t-shirts, bike shirts & shorts started rolling in and the process was begun.
I had a deadline of March 27th for the Phat Tuesday "10th-year Kick-Off PHUNdraiser" and the unveiling of the quilt. I was taking a class at Emma's Quilt Cupboard on Wednesdays and with the assistance of my teacher, Cathy Bodio, made the blocks and started the assembly of the quilt top. Life is busy and I was sewing until about two hours before the event.
The PHAT Tuesday Team, not knowing what to expect, was very impressed and inspired by what they saw (even though it was still just a "work in progress").
A lot of hard work and joy in the process has gone into making this quilt. It has been a labor of love and it is the least I can do to help raise money to help eradicate this dreadful disease and beat cancer once and for all.
The Raffle - Tickets are for sale now!
Now the quilt is ready to be raffled off to help raise money for The Jimmy Fund, The Official Charity of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Raffle tickets will be sold at Sturbridge on Friday August 6th and again at Bourne on August 7th.
Raffle ticket prices are:
- 3 for $5.00
- 7 for $10.00
- 15 for $20.00
(Larger blocks of tickets can be purchased at discounted prices.)
If you would like to purchase tickets prior to August 6th & 7th, send an email to pmcquilt@phattuesday.org and you will be connected with a team member who can sell you tickets.
We will be having the drawing on August 10th, at our weekly PHAT Tuesday Ride. The winner will be announced on our blog. (and also here on PhatTuesday.org)