Julie’s Jacket

I’m so happy to share the continuation of this story with you:

I introduced you to Julie last April. I shared our story, her home, and her beautiful hand-made works of art (click here for that post). At the end of the post I also shared how, after my visit to her home, she was diagnosed with cancer which required surgery and chemo. Chemo was very hard on her, and after the 5th treatment she ended up in the ICU and rehab. It was a very difficult time and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to pray with her by phone many times. When her health started to improve the doctors decided to run some tests before they attempted to continue with the chemo and the scans revealed ~ she was “cancer free”!!! Praise the Lord!!! and thanks to all who prayed for her. She still has treatments and doctors appointments ahead of her, but she is healing and improving day by day.

Julie is indomitable. During her chemo adventure, when she’d have good days, she was determined to complete her grandson’s t-shirt quilt ~ the one I helped her brainstorm in the beginning of the year. And she actually got it done!

The next project she had on her list was a jacket made from fabrics she purchased on our trip to Japan in 2019. She loved the jacket I’d made for that trip. I love it too and am so grateful to my friend Evelyn for sharing her pattern and her guidance in making it along with her (click here for that story).

So, shortly after the good news about her remission I was invited to grab my jacket and pattern, and join Julie and Rick for lunch. I insisted on bringing sandwiches ~ and she made the rest. She is amazing. After lunch we headed down to her studio and she started laying out some of her lovely Japanese purchases. The panel of a geisha just cried out to fill the back.

We talked about the sashiko designs I’d stitched on my sleeves, and how the jacket pattern was not easy to understand, but was worth the time to decipher. I left and she began. She would text/call with questions once in a while, and we prayed together too. At one point she sent me a photo of the lining she’d tried on to make sure it would fit.

I would listen as she spoke/wrote about her frustrations with “chemo-brain” and her bouts with exhaustion, and the side effects of all the treatments and meds. I’m so grateful for all I learned about the struggles someone goes through while fighting this “monster” (Julie’s word).

Then came the text that she’d figured out the pockets (a fete in itself with that pattern), and she was almost done. I invited Julie and Rick here for lunch this time, and we were able to model our jackets together.

What a blessing to spend time with her ~ and Mike and Rick enjoy each other’s company too!

Oh, and she brought me a gift ~ an antique yarn winder. In one of our texts she’d mentioned she was thinking of downsizing some of her wonderful antiques and asked if I’d be interested in this piece from the 1800s.

I’ve been looking for a unique piece to place above the closet in our front hall ~ when the scarecrows come down (which they will do this weekend – as the Christmas decorations go up).

Rick and Julie brought the yarn winder with them, and I can’t wait to place it in it’s lofty home. I think it will be a lovely backdrop for a group of snowmen 😁.