Cancer Community Nipissing: Crafter's Corner
Comfort Accessories
Summary
Crafty and looking for a project where you can give back?
Comfort accessories during the cancer journey make a big difference to how people feel. These can include quilts, blankets, warm hats, cool head coverings, chemo bottle bags and PICC line cuffs. Most of these are donated by volunteer crafters and made available through the chemotherapy units. Some chemotherapy units have a list of regular supporters for these items. Other chemotherapy units rely on whatever happens to be donated at that time. Please see below for details and if a group has formed in your town. If you don’t have a crafter group in your town, consider starting one. See cancer resources chemotherapy units to see what your unit currently has.
Victoria's Quilts Canada
Type of craft: Sewing
Material: Non-stretch
Patterns: https://www.victoriasquiltscanada.com/donate-quilt-patterns.html
Victoria's Quilts Canada (VQC) provides handmade quilts to people living with cancer in Canada. By providing these quilts, we hope to bring physical comfort to those dealing with cancer as well as spiritual comfort in knowing that they are not alone in their struggle. These quilts are made to a specific size so please check with your local group for more information.
PICC Line Cuffs
Many cancer patients get a long term I.V. line put in their upper arm to get their chemotherapy through. These are called PICC lines. The PICC line cuff is a fashionable sleeve in 4 way stretch material that can be worn over the line on the upper arm. It reduces the worry of tearing the bandaging that holds it in place. But it also conceals it so the person doesn’t have to look sick or medicalized to the people around them.
The cuffs are sized (19-35) so it does require some training and a template to be able to make these.
North Bay
PICC line cuffs are available from the nurses that put the PICC lines in and at the chemotherapy unit. These are made by volunteers and are free to patients or by donation. Donations are put towards buying the material.

Dr. Riley began the North Bay project. Lise Gravelle is now the main organizer and sewer with other volunteers. We are always looking to expand to form a stable group. We are happy to train people, provide the correct templates for sizing and collect the cuffs to take into the hospital.
Extra sewers may allow us to add lightweight stretch caps that match the cuffs.
Infuser / Chemo Bottle Bags
Type of craft: Sewing
Material: Non-stretch fabric
Patterns: Available through the
North Bay Chemotherapy Unit or from
Dr. Riley
Some cancer patients go home with a bottle of their chemotherapy medication. It is put in a bag that they put around their neck and the bottle has to be at about the level of the heart.
The chemotherapy unit uses non-stretch bags sewn by volunteers. They are washed and reused, but there is a constant need to restock the bags.
Chemo bottle bags are available in a variety of fabric colours and fabric patterns to appeal to everyone’s taste.
If you would like to form a sewing group for these, then contact your chemotherapy unit directly to see what they need and organize this.
Knitted Knockers
Knitted Knockers are special handmade breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. These soft comfortable lightweight prostheses are available for
FREE. They are knit with love by our wonderful volunteers. Some women find traditional breast prosthetics too expensive, heavy, sweaty and uncomfortable. Also traditional prosthesis often cannot be worn for weeks after surgery. Knitted knockers on the other hand are soft, comfortable, beautiful and when placed in a regular bra they take the shape and feel of a real breast. Knitted knockers can also be used to fill the gap for breasts that are uneven and easily adapted for those going through reconstruction by simply removing some of the stuffing. Some women prefer to weight their knocker with a pebble or a small stitch in the bra to keep them in place. The knitted knocker can also be used in your prosthetic bra or in a post-op camisole as a lightweight choice
Knitted Knockers of North Bay
These volunteer knitters help supply knitted knockers to the North Bay General Surgeon’s office and to the chemotherapy unit at the North Bay Regional hospital. They can also be contacted directly for requests.
Cold Weather Hats
Chemotherapy often involves losing your hair. Brrrrr. The Get Well Gang currently supplies knitted hats to the North Bay Regional Hospital. But donations from the community are accepted and appreciated.
To date the Get Well Gang has given away over 31,000 hats in over 76 locations across Canada. The hats are free. The hats are made of soft cotton so they are comfortable for the patients to wear. They come in colours as varied as the imaginations of the people who make them.....something for everyone.
Hat patterns are free to anyone interested in getting involved in the project. Get Well Gang patterns now include both knit and crocheted patterns for men, women and children.
Warm Weather Head Coverings
Sometimes it’s not a matter of keeping warm but covering up if you don’t want the world to notice your bald head or for protection from the outdoor elements. There is a need for volunteers to sew them. Former patients who have finished with caps are welcome to donate them.
