A 60-year-old northeast Iowa woman is gaining national attention for quilts she’s made while recovering from breast cancer. Karen Shulz of Waverly says stitching used to be a hobby, but in 1993, it turned into art therapy.Shulz says her “x-marks-the-spot” quilt helped her deal with the magic marker “x” which told doctors which breast to remove.Shulz began taking small sections of her quilts to the doctor’s office to keep her busy while she underwent chemotherapy. She abandoned traditional quilt patterns and now makes them from things she visualizes.Shulz, who has been cancer-free for seven years.Shulz says stitching her thoughts into a quilt helps clear her head. She has requests to take her quilts on the road to hospitals in Virginia, Missouri and Minnesota, and to museums in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Vermont. Senator Tom Harkin plans to set-up an exhibit of her work in the U-S Senate building in Washington, D.C. Harkin’s sister died of breast cancer.
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