#SewToShare - Personal Progress: July 2015

It has been one seriously BUSY month around our home! Summer activities, camp, VBS, a complete room makeover (or TWO!), regular day to day duties like the MOUNTAIN of laundry generated by our household of 8, and even, yes, even a bit of sewing! 

We started off the month painting and redecorating our boys' room. They decided to go with a super hero theme and it turned out SUPER! I had so much fun with this and even painted a city scene mural on a whim that I had been inspired by on an Instagram page I follow. I still have some valances and pillowcases to sew for them, but all in all, an accomplishment we were all pleased with.

In the midst of that, I learned that my girls needed extra PJ bottoms for camp. Yea, you know, those last minute requests that have you sewing like the Grinch on the night before Christmas! I did manage to finish a big stack of flannel PJ pants just in time for them to leave for camp. They have NO TROUBLE whatsoever finding fabrics they love, so it was a fun mix to get to stitch up!

On a whim....which just seems to happen to me sometimes...I decided I was tired of vacuuming my stairs and so ripped the carpet off. This led to a sanding and painting episode that by most patient and wonderful husband had to endure. :) I had seen THIS TUTORIAL at Tamara Kate's blog that inspired me. I'm hoping to decide on a fabric to finish off my now freshly painted stairs soon!

If you are on Instagram, be sure to follow me @hopefulthreads I've been sharing a bunch of great pictures!

While they were gone, we helped decorate our church for a super fun jungle themed VBS the first week, followed by the fun filled VBS the next week! The rest of the time, we took on a SURPRISE makeover of our big girls' room, and while a lot of work, it was SO FUN and turned out perfect! They were totally surprised and are still talking about just how much they love it! It feels good when you really nail a vision for someone when they've shared different ideas of what they like. You can see all the pictures I shared on THIS POST.

I've also been working on clearing out my sewing space and getting things much more organized. This initiated a DESTASH, so please check that out if you haven't yet! Even if you aren't on Instagram, if you see something you are interested in, just email me. I will gladly consider reasonable offers as well, especially for multiple item purchases! ;) @hopefulthreads_destash

Part of the clean up in here meant making another awesome FLUFF Project delivery! My husband dropped off another 86 stuffed friends, bringing our current total delivered to date to 1,275!!! That just makes me smile every time I think about it! The staff and Magistrates of Juvenile Court had high praise and encouraging stories to share about the way the children are reacting to our gifts. I can't tell you how much this means to me and my family! Thank you for continuing to trust us with this very special mission of HOPE!

Left to Right: Frankie Holt, Knox County Clerk
Magistrate Kay Kaserman (who has shared some very touching first-hand stories regarding the reaction of the sweet children receiving the gifts!)
Magistrate Michael Fortune (who always cracks me up by immediately beginning to fill his personal courtroom box!)
Magistrate Irene Joseph
Lt. Jim Dunn, Knox Co. Sheriff's Dept.

I've also made a bit more progress on the MEGA stack of tote bags I'm working on for the foster closet. I picked up some more fusible fleece yesterday for these, so I'm hoping to have them on the finished list next month!

And that original goals list....well, not too bad...

Cook more, especially with my children.

Sew curtains for my youngest daughter's room. (FINALLY!!!)

Fresh paint for several rooms in our home. In Progress....and more added!

New skirts for my girls.

Sew "Busy Bags" & Totes for the foster closet. In Progress, A BUNCH!!!

Read some chapter books aloud to my kiddos.

Gifts for our local Animal Shelter.

Participate in library events.
Sort my patterns. ALL of them! 

Visit the zoo.

Help my youngest daughter, now 5, sew her first "something".

Create a pattern/tutorial for a special medical comfort item.

Sew some adult sized bibs for my grandfather.

Make new oven mitts, potholders and such for our kitchen.

Go on a picnic.

And, take a few naps! ;) Never Enough!
Update my 10 year old's scrapbook.
Rip the carpet from my stairs, sand and paint them.
Sew a new ironing board cover.
Take on the giant mending pile. (we'll keep this right here at the bottom!)

My list still has quite a bit of it not marked off....and I continue to find more to add to it....but, I'm still thrilled with all that's been accomplished! Heading into August ready for more!

JULY 2013 Project Finale

It's been another busy and stitch filled month around here!

My aprons are boxed are ready to head their way to NC where they will hopefully bring lots of entertainment and joy to their recipients. 

Thanks to all who jumped in to be a part of this giving back effort, and a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Bonnie at Fishsticks Designs for the incredible, easy-to-follow pattern she created for our project! 

Stick around, another exciting sewing opportunity just around the corner! August Project announced tomorrow and it's a great way to give back with your stitching skills!

See you then!

A QUICK & EASY way to make a Fidget Apron for the July Project!

Running short on time and/or materials?

Then this is a perfectly simple way for you to still get to be a part of the July Project sewing here in support of patients living with Alzheimer's, Dementia and similar.

I fond this new, ready-made apron at a local thrift store for $3. 

All I had to do was add a variety of "fidgets" to the front of the apron, and VOILA! An item ready for donation to our July Project!

Inexpensive. Quick & easy. A gift that will make a difference in the life of someone else. 

We are in the final days of our JULY Project sewing and I invite you to join in and show your support however you can! Thank you in advance for caring!

Apron Progress + FINAL WEEK for our JULY Project!

 Anyone else sewing Busy Hands Fidget Aprons in support of our July Project??? :)

If so, we'd LOVE to have you share pics in our flickr album here. 

This is the final week of sewing for this special project and I really hope to see some enthusiastic participation as we seek to offer care and encouragement to patients and caregivers living with Alzheimer's, Dementia and the like. 

I've really enjoyed sewing these and have finished a couple more to add to my box.

For a female patient....

 And one for a male patient as well.

 I'm having so much fun with the variety of "fidget" possibilities!

There is still time for you to sew along! 

You can download the free pattern at Fishsticks Designs here, and get all the info about who we are sewing for and where to send your finished apron here. 

Thanks for caring by sewing the way you do!

Mid-Month Reminder....Busy Hands Fidget Apron Progress!

Yep, it's ALREADY middle of the month!

How's your Busy Hands Fidget Apron sewing going??? I've been having a great time with each uniquely designed apron I've made so far. Adding the buttons and baubles is so much fun!

Here are a few of the ones I've been working on....

 Apron #1 for a male patient.

Apron #2 for a female patient.

 Apron #3 for a female patient.

  Remember, thanks to Fishsticks Designs, you can download the FREE pattern here to sew your own for donation! We are a long way from our goal of donating 100 aprons this month, so your participation would be greatly appreciated. :) See some of the aprons that have been sewn for donation in our flickr album here, and please add any that you create for the project as well! 

Apron Kit GIVEAWAY in support of our JULY PROJECT!

Are you interested in sewing along this month and could use the extra supplies to make a special Fidget Apron to donate for our July Project? Then this giveaway is just for you! 

That's right, if you'd like to take this stack of goodies and turn it into an apron for donation this month, simply leave a comment on this post saying "Yes! I'd love to use these goodies to sew an apron for donation!" or similar, and I'll choose a winner at random 7/15/13 and mail this sweet stack to them so they can get sewing!

COMMENT #1 was randomly selected as the WINNER!!! Congrats! You have been emailed! :) US Shipping please. One comment per person. Be sure to leave an email for me to contact you if one isn't linked to your profile.  

What's included????

A Serenade Apron Panel donated by Butterfly Kisses Fabric.....

......and a bunch of fun "fidgets" for you to add on!

Buttons....bobbles....ribbon and trim! Everything you need to make a perfectly fun apron!

Here's one of the aprons I've been working on....

Selecting and arranging all the trinkets is such fun! Each one is different! The possibilities are endless!

Be sure to download your free Busy Hands Fidget Apron pattern over at Fishsticks Designs if you haven't yet, and let's sew and share these special gifts all month long!

July 2013 - Monthly Project Announcement

I'm very excited to share this month's project with you!

And I have to give a BIG THANKS to Bonnie from Fishsticks Designs who has helped to design a special pattern just for our project! And it's AWESOME too!

For July, we will be sewing Busy Hands Fidget Aprons.

You can download the pattern FREE at Fishsticks Designs in support of our July Project.

Most all of us have at some point had our lives touched by someone with Alzheimer's, Dementia or similar. It can be a difficult and emotional journey for families. Our hope is that the items we sew this month will help ease some of that. 

The idea for this project was first introduced by one in our Hopeful Threads community, Cheryl. Cheryl has personal connection to a family that this project is especially meaningful for and that has a connection to a local facility where the items will be donated.

Here's more of the details shared by Joanne, the family member that will be delivering our sewn donations this month.

"I lost my father to Huntington’s Disease in 1979 and 30 years later lost my brother to HD.  Having lived with family members who suffer from chronic illnesses, I have a special place in my heart for anyone battling a chronic illness especially those that affect the brain.

My family became close to Carol Ann Lawler while my brother was under Hospice care.

When Carol Ann approached us about working with her to have special aprons made for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, we knew this was a ministry close to our heart and one that our Rag Bag (a fabric and crafts store) customers would willingly help.

We realized this is an excellent project for those who would like to provide a gift to Alzheimer’s or dementia patients, and a great way to get many people involved in a worthwhile project. 

Once ready, your items can be shipped to:

The Rag Bag of Shelby

 810 W. Warren Street

 Shelby, NC 28150

The aprons will then be collected by Carol Ann Lawler the Communities of Faith Liaison of Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region and distributed to Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients in the Charlotte, NC Region. 

  Bonnie is sharing all kinds of suggestions and shopping tips for different types of fidgit items on her blog. Here are a few interesting items I picked up too to give you ideas on the variety of options. When you start thinking with "fidget" in mind, all kinds of possibilities reveal themselves! I was especially pleased with the little stretchy, spiral hair bows. :) There is also an album on Facebook here with other fidget ideas/images.

 I look forward to sewing with you all this month to support this meaningful project!

Our goal is to provide 100 aprons that will hopefully be matched by local Rag Bag customers to provide a donation of a at least 200 aprons.
Are you ready????
Grab the badge, spread the word and let's sew!

Beautiful Friends!

I'm so very privileged to be able to share these beautiful pictures with you!

If you helped sew shorts for our July Monthly Project, the bundle being sent to Ghana, Africa has been delivered by the Feeding the Orphans team! See if you see any of the ones you made....

Photographs provided by Feeding the Orphans. Please use only with their permission.

It delights me to see the shorts where they were needed and made to be!

The shorts were part of a greater outreach as you can see in some of the pictures. Little girls were provided dresses while the little boys got our shorts and many even received new shoes too! You can learn more about the service and outreach efforts of Feeding the Orphans on their website here, and follow along on facebook here.

The shorts going to Cambodia are packaged and ready. My friend was actually in Cambodia while we were sewing and will be traveling again end of Oct./early Nov. so I will of course keep you posted on when those safely arrive to their destination.
Thank you again for sewing along and being a part of Hopeful Threads! May these photos provide encouragement and proof that Every Stitch Matters!!!