My favorite message of the season!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry, Merry Christmas!!!!

We Bought a COW!!!!

Yep. You read that right! :)

We bought a COW!!!!

Read More HERE!

If you've been around here for a bit, you probably remember me sharing that my oldest daughter was fundraising for 2014 with the goal of purchasing a cow for a family in need through Samaritan's Purse. I'm very excited and proud to share that she exceeded her goal and a family will indeed be receiving this gift! 

What a blessing it has been to watch her work throughout the year with a diligent heart for others and her goal. Thank you to each and everyone that supported and shared the effort! Looking forward to what's ahead!

#TBT - Gift Wrap Alternatives

Check out this past post for some clever gift wrap alternatives to help get all those last minute gifts wrapped in unique style!

FIND THEM ALL HERE!

#TBT - Christmas Sewing Past TUTORIAL ROUND-UP!

Here's a collection of links to a variety of fun Christmas inspired tutorials from past posts I've shared. Maybe just the perfect thing to help you cross a special gift off your list!

Dress up those jammies! This tutorial shows you how to add ruffles or cuffs to your favorite pants/shorts pattern.

Yo-Yo Gloves. A fun & easy way to add some seasonal personality to plain gloves.

Make your kid's "Wishlist" part of the holiday decorations!

Free template & instructions for this adorable penguin applique!

Thread Cone Christmas Trees....the perfect way to use up all those empty thread cones!

Easiest Stocking EVER!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

HUGE MILESTONE for our FLUFF Project!!!!!!

I'm beyond THRILLED to get to share this news with you!

Yesterday I made another delivery of stuffed toys for children in foster care. The 73 stuffed friends delivered helped us reach a VERY SPECIAL and VERY SIGNIFICANT goal......

I am giddy with excitement and truly can't say THANK YOU enough for all of your support and participation to make this possible! Thank you for trusting me with your generous gifts and allowing my family the blessing of getting to deliver them. It's such a treat! :)

Learn  more about our on-going FLUFF Project and how you can be a part HERE.

Here's to many more 1,000s to come I hope!!!! 

A Favorite Things Giveaway - SMS Giveaway Day!!!

I've been wanting to say "THANK YOU!!!" for all of your support and participation this year, and have been gathering items with this in mind, so what better way than a GIVEAWAY!!! I figured the SMS Giveaway Day was the perfect opportunity to do so! 

I'm putting together a FABULOUS surprise bundle of some of my favorite things....some sewing....some just special treats! I'll update this post throughout the week with some pictures of fun things I've found to include in the bundle, so be sure and stop back by and take a peek! :)

Ok....here's that peek!

• A Laura Ashley pencil box perfect for storing little notions and such.
• Post-It Notes....can't hardly imagine life without them!
• A roll of my favorite RED Scotch tape.....the only tape for PDF pattern assembly!
• Jelly Belly goodness
• Sewing patterns
• Thread pack with threader and thimble
• Fabric (OF COURSE!!!)
• Woven labels to personalize your handmade items
• A unique pattern coloring book......and more!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My giveaway is open for US shipping. HOWEVER....if you are an international participant of our projects and have sent items in support of any of our 2014 projects, then you are also invited to enter!  I appreciate you all so very much and know the added expense that shipping can be!

OK.

Here's how to enter.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have fun and Happy Giveaway MADNESS!!! 

Find loads more Giveaway fun HERE!

Snug Little Snowman - Pattern Preview!

 It's been a good while since I've done any pattern testing, but when this little guy showed up in my email, I knew I couldn't resist! This is the upcoming Snug Little Snowman pattern by Sweetbriar Sisters. He does indeed melt my heart and goes perfectly with the special cross-stitch gift my neighbor made me several years ago. 

 He's a delightfully festive little fella that was a joy to make! From picking my fabric to tying his scarf in place was less than 2 hours, making him a fun decoration or perfect last minute gift for someone special this year. 

He would also make a darling stocking stuffer!

The pattern comes in 2 sizes and made the larger. I would image the smaller one could make a really sweet ornament or of course you could sew a family of snowmen to match your own family!

This was my first time sewing a Sweetbriar Sisters pattern, and I was so pleased with how clearly the directions were written making it very easy to follow. I look forward to sewing more from their collection in the future. 

Be sure and keep watch on the Sweetbriar Sisters shop or social media outlets for his release....should be very soon!

December at Hopeful Threads

As is tradition around here, the month of December is reserved for family time, rest and reflection. I love this time of year and soaking every bit of it with my starry eyed little ones....who ask daily how many more days until Christmas! ;)

I'll still be sewing of course....I mean come on! 

I have a long list of items to work on and hopefully finish for family. Stockings, PJs and LOTS of baking ahead! I'll share here as I have time, but I also invite you to follow along on Instagram here where I enjoy easily sharing peeks of everyday life in the Hopeful Threads home.  

As a quick reminder, for those participating in our 4th Quarter Project for Children's Hospital, today is the day to get those donations shipped! :) You can get the shipping address and any further info on the POST HERE. Thank you all for giving back the way you do! Every. Stitch. Matters.

Penguin Puppets for Children's Hospital!

 Finished up a nice stack of these feathered friends to include with my pillowcase donations heading to Children's Hospital soon. They have been tested and approved by my kiddos too! ;) Decided on a whim that I wanted to make Penguin Puppets, so traced my hand and went straight to work. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out and hope the Little Ones that receive them enjoy them very much!

Monday is December 1st, so if you have goodies you're sending to be delivered along with mine for our 4th Quarter Project, please be sure to get them in the mail by then! Thanks so much!!!

We are heading into the holiday weekend, and like I imagine many of you, lots of exciting family plans filling the calendar! 

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veteran's Day

Post by The Revolution.

In Memory & Gratitude for all who have and do sacrifice so much, every day.

A BIG Pillowcase Finish!!!

26 pillowcases finished for our 4th Quarter Project!!!!

 Puppets up next!

This is such FUN sewing!!!!

Join us and sew along for our special year end project!

Get all the details HERE!!!!

 

My 1st pillowcases finished for 4th Quarter Project

 The past week has been a bit of a blur around here.....just a busy spurt of life I suppose. :) Nonetheless, I'm finally sitting down to share with you my first stack of pillowcases finished for our projects. 

 These were made using the last of the fabric provided by Abbey Lane Quilts. I used a combination of a couple of free pillowcase tutorials on my Pillow Talk pin board and think they turned out just adorable! They were quick to make too. Each has a coordinating cuff and accent band.

Working on getting another stack cut up and ready to sew!

Card Party - Party With US!!!!

I absolutely LOVE IT when one of the readers and participants at Hopeful Threads has an idea of how to touch lives and make a project even better!!!! This exciting opportunity is a perfect example! My friend Cheryl from SimplyShoeboxes.com had this great idea to shower our little buddy Elijah James with cards! Whether you are sewing along with us for our 4th Quarter Project already or not, this is certainly a very special way you can participate in bringing some extra big smiles to an extra special boy and his family!!!! 

Read more from Cheryl here.....

Have you ever seen reports of someone receiving hundreds or thousands of cards thru a card party?  Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in one?  Well today you do and here is your invitation:

Eli has been thru so much since his birth and yet he continues to smile and encourage others.  I recently spent time getting to know him thru his Facebook page and found a post by his mother stating "he had 19 surgical procedures during 8 trips to the OR in 3 months" this past summer. This image below was after the last one.  If only I could smile like this thru my own trials.

This December Eli will bring encouragement by delivering the pillowcases and puppets we are sewing to give to other kids spending time in the hospital.  How fun it will be to surprise him with encouragement thru a bounty of cards!  You can mail your card with your pillowcases and/or puppets or just mail one separately.  Even if you are unable to participate in the 4th Quarter Sewing Project here on Hopeful Threads you can participate by sending a card to brighten Eli's day.

Eli's fourth birthday will be in December which provides us with an additional type of card to send.  Any of the following cards will be great:

• Birthday
• Christmas
• Thinking of You

Maybe you know others who would like to send a card.  Perhaps even a group of children at school, church or in a club would like to make cards to send.  Please share your invitation with them!!!  They will be blessed as they bless Eli.

Mail your cards to:

Echelon Florist

Attn: Elijah James Card Party

1260 Rocky Hill Road

Knoxville, TN   37919

THANK YOU ALL for your interest and desire to GIVE BACK in big ways!!!!

And THANK YOU Cheryl for this wonderful idea and your initiative to put it all together! Can't wait to get my crew making some fun cards for our little friend!