In my last post, Kanzashi for Kathy, I made this pin for a dear friend who is undergoing chemotherapy. After she received the pin, she sent me the following message and suggested I share it with the readers of my blog.
I am Julie’s friend Kathy. I am currently in chemotherapy for an early-stage breast cancer. I found that to keep a scarf on my head, I had to position it so low on my forehead that my face looked squat. So I first put on a stretchy little cap and then drape a scarf over it. I don’t have to worry about the scarf covering every bit of my head, and if I pin the scarf to the cap, I feel secure.
I tried using jewelry-style brooches for pins. As I am not a very bling person, the brooches felt heavy and looked, to my eye, too overly styled. I had one of Julie’s Kanzashi flowers, and I loved using it. The fabric-on-fabric of the pin-on-scarf looked effortless, but polished. That flower, however, was designed as a piece of jewelry. It was so vivid that I could only use it with two of my patterned scarves. So this new black-and-ivory one, which she was kind enough to make me, is ideal. I can wear it with almost any scarf that I would be wearing at this time of year.
I’d love to think that none of you reading this blog will ever know anyone who needs to slog through chemotherapy, but until that time comes, consider making such a woman a pretty fabric pin. Unlike the chemo caps she may receive from other friends, such a pin is a lasting gift. When my hair comes back, I will get rid of the chemo caps as fast as I can. But I intend to wear this pin in a more traditional way for years and years, and it will remind me of what a generous friend did for me at a difficult time.