Kidney Awareness Ribbon - #QuiltBlockMania

June 3, 2025

My #QuiltBlockMania design is a bit personal this month.

The theme for June is medical/hospital and at first I really struggled with an idea. Trying to connect the theme with Texas was a bit of a challenge. Houston is known for the Medical Center, a sprawling area filled with hospitals and a world class cancer center. None of that seemed like a very interesting quilt block though.

When my mom passed away at the end of March, I decided that this theme was a perfect way to honor her. Mom was a true Texan, so creating a kidney awareness ribbon seemed like a solid choice to bring Texas and the quilt block mania theme together.

Mom dealt with kidney issues most of her life and was put on dialysis in her early 50's. She was lucky to get a transplant in 2015, but unfortunately several infections caused the kidney to fail in 2021 and she had to go back on dialysis. Not only is dialysis time-consuming, it is also really hard on a person's body. My mom never complained about it. She just did what she had to do to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Travel was impossible once mom was on dialysis, so I was really excited to spend time with her and dad at the International Quilt Festival in 2023. She wasn't a quilter, but she loved art and appreciated the art of quilt making. She fully supported my little business and was one of my biggest cheerleaders. My love of crafts, flowers, and all things Gene Kelly came from her and I was truly blessed to have her as a mom.