Project 2: Chemo Caps for Rockefeller Cancer Institute

I am really excited about our next sewing circle project! (But let's be honest: when am I NOT excited about sewing circle projects?) For September and October, we are going to make hats for cancer patients at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS. In case you're not familiar with this institute, here's some information about them from their website:

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is a center of excellence at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The Cancer Institute is Arkansas’ premier cancer research and treatment facility.

A center of excellence at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the Cancer Institute is Arkansas’ only comprehensive cancer treatment and research facility. The institute’s staff of physicians, nurses, researchers and other health care professionals is dedicated to improving the health of all cancer patients, both from Arkansas and beyond.

The institute was renamed in 2007 to honor the memory of the late Arkansas Lt. Gov. Winthrop P. Rockefeller, who died of a rare bone marrow disorder that can lead to leukemia. A lifelong Arkansan, Rockefeller was widely known for his dedication to community service, and he championed the cause of bone marrow donation awareness following his treatment.

EXAMPLES AND PATTERNS

Here are some examples of the kinds of hats we will be making.



If you want to look at some patterns, here are some links I found: Easy Chemo Cap and Turban Cap. If you have other patterns, though, feel free to use them. These are just suggestions!

SUGGESTED FABRICS

The hats need to be lightweight, so the suggested fabrics are stretchy cotton knits or cotton blended with a tiny amount of lycra or spandex so they stretch to fit. The chemo caps can be unisex, so keep that in mind when choosing patterns. The male patients tend to be left out a lot when hats are made. We will plan on making them all Adult size and maybe some a little larger for the guys.

You'll notice that the middle photo has a cute embellishment on it. If any of you ladies or girls want to start making something like this to go on the hats, feel free!

Start sorting through your stash of fabric now for anything that would be appropriate for these hats. Please leave a comment on this blog entry (or e-mail me) to let me know if you have fabric to donate.

Also, Mae has made some of these before and she said that serging them made a much softer seam on the inside, so if you have a serger, plan to bring it to the next sewing circle.

As always, if you have thoughts, questions, or suggestions for better ways to make these items, please leave a comment so we can learn from each other's experience.