Craft Therapy

After reading Patchwork & Stitching Vol 9 No: 6 my craft as therapy story is as follows;

Shortly after moving to Tamworth In October 2004 and just beginning to get settled in on our 100 acres lifestyle property my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer and two weeks before Christmas had to have an operation to remove his left kidney.

Not knowing many people in town and with family spread several hours away across NSW I took a bag of granny's garden paper piecing to keep me occupied while I waited the 6 hours he was on the operating table. Apart from keeping my mind off the most dreadful scenarios the word cancer conjures up, it kept my hands busy and almost everyone who walked past the waiting room stopped to speak to me about what I was doing and then wishing me well. I am sure most of them would not have spoken to me without my craft.

A very long time and many "squares" later we received the good news that the cancer was contained and my husband would be fine. The craft done that day has gone on to be a treasured memory in my [almost] finished hand pieced quilt to go on our bed.

B Horton