These are the moments.....

The moments that stop you in your tracks.

When I am privileged to receive photos of those we sew for using the gifts we made especially for them, well, there's nothing else like it!

These moments are always a reminder of WHY we do what we do each month, and WHY Hopeful Threads even exists. 

It's humbling and inspiring in overwhelming ways at the same time.

The blessings I receive from sewing with you all each month for such meaningful projects far, far outweighs the time, effort and resources invested. 

If you participated in the February 2013 Project and helped make child-sized bibs, may these photos encourage you and bring you BIG SMILES today!!!

(All photos property of Hidden Treasures Foster Home/Loaves and Fishes International. Used with permission. Please do not copy of reuse without permission.) 

 How about the sweet faces of the children you took the time to sew for!!!

Doesn't it feel amazing to see something YOU made in use for the purpose you made it!?!?!

This was part of the message that accompanied the photos....

"We are so touched because we can feel the outpouring of tender love, quality of workmanship and genuine giving that went into the making of each bib.  These bibs brighten the daily life of not only the children but everyone who cares for them and visits the home.  The variety of patterns and colors makes a person smile, and I believe makes the child feel very special.  Thank you!!"

  I personally love seeing photos of caregivers with the children. You can see the bonds and love and tender care that are being nurtured. I am so thankful for organizations like Loaves and Fishes International that are making such a difference in the lives of so many!

If you don't see any of yours in the photos here, don't worry. :) There were so many made for the project, (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!) that they are having to be sent in smaller bundles with different travelers. This means they will continue to receive these cheerful and useful items for months to come. I love it!!!

Thank you. 

Thank you for being such a huge part of my dreams materializing. 

Thank you for caring for these precious children and all the others we sew for each month. 

My heart is so full!

February 2013 - Project Finale!

This is always such an exciting post to write!!!!

To get to the end of the month and realize once again the incredible team of dedicated, creative and generous seamstresses that make up the Hopeful Threads community. To see the big impact that our relatively small group can have. 

PURELY AWESOME!!!!

We have well OVER 200 bibs in our project album and a great balance of Adult bibs heading to Anita in Louisiana and Children's bibs to Bonnie in Florida. I couldn't be more pleased! :) Once again, a HUGE THANKS to you all for making every month not only a success, but so much fun! I love sewing with you and seeing how we can use something we enjoy doing to give back to those around us. Good Stuff!!!

Tomorrow I'll be announcing our new project for March, so be sure and stop by!

I'll also be picking one of the contributors to our "Dinner for 2" project to receive a little fabric bundle gift from me. :) 

This bundle might just hold a clue to the upcoming project too. ;)

See you then...

February Mid-Month Reminder!!!!

It's that time again!!!!!

Are you sewing with us this month or are planning to??? 

First, THANK YOU!!!!! Every Stitch Matters and every bib donated to a child or adult this month will be a special gift to someone!

Just remember.....we're half way through this month's project! 

When you are ready to ship, just email me and let me know whether you have Adult Bibs going to Anita in LA or Child Bibs going to Bonnie in FL or BOTH, and I'll get the address(es) right over to you! :)

Keep sewin'!!!

Bib Sewing - Quick Tips!

How's the Big Kid & Adult Bib Sewing going???

I wanted to take a minute to share a few "quick tips" that might help as you work on this month's project. 

Ok, if you are on our facebook page, you may have already seen this. I'm a big fan of getting the absolute MOST you can out of your fabric! This is 1 yard of a high-quality, pre-washed cotton print, folded with the selvages on the sides (right & left), and I was able to carefully cut 6 of the Big Kid Tie bibs and I even used the little scrap strip on the side for one set of ties! I was pretty pleased. :)

To speed up or simplify the process on any of the tie bibs, you can use pre-made bias tape. I think the Extra Wide Double Fold works best, but if carefully sewn, any will work. If you have ever sewn dresses for Dress A Girl, you may have a bag of bias scraps that will work perfectly for this and use them up at the same time! 

Bonnie has shared another option for the Snap Bib on her blog for those of you that have a serger. It makes for a QUICK finish! You can see the details here on the Fishsticks Designs blog.

Lastly, several of you who are sewing bibs with a leak resistant backing have asked about alternate fabrics that can be used for that. PUL as mentioned originally is a great option, but fleece and laminate fabrics are also useful alternatives. Waterproof backing is NOT a requirement, simply a preferred suggestion for the Children's Bibs based on what they are being used for. 

All associated with this project extend our sincerest gratitude for your sewing!

Our group album is already beginning to fill up with a fabulous assortment of bibs for both adults and children and we are so excited to see your beautiful and generous work! 

THANK YOU!!!!

As always, any questions, feel free to email me. :)

February 2013 - Monthly Project Announcement!

We have a unique opportunity to provide for 2 specific needs this month, presented by 2 members of the Hopeful Threads community and I am SUPER excited about them both!!!

The theme for this month's project is "Dinner for 2".

We will be sewing CHILD SIZED bibs for the Hidden Treasures Home of Loaves and Fishes International in China and ADULT SIZED bibs for residents of Grace Nursing Home in Louisiana.

I absolutely LOVE how this project came together!

Our connection with the nursing home, Anita, came to learn of Hopeful Threads while shopping at her local fabric store. She began talking with another customer about her desire to provide bibs for all of the residents there, all 128 of them, and how it would take her a while, but she was working on it. She wanted to make their meal times more enjoyable. The customer she was talking to just happened to be part of our Hopeful Threads community (BIG CHEESY GRIN HERE!!!) and encouraged her to get in touch with me to see if we could help. Anita did so, and the genuine love and desire to help others was so very clear in her email that I was immediately on board and knew we would help her however we could!

Then....as I have been gathering info and links to patterns/tutorials, by dear friend Bonnie at Fishsticks Designs also emailed me. She has a friend whose daughter is preparing to head to the Hidden Treasures Home soon, to serve there full time for at least the next 2 years. During their last visit, they received the special request of child sized bibs. Many of the children in their care are older and with a variety of special needs, so bibs are a necessity....and the right sized bibs, a special treat! They drafted this pattern on a paper bag to send back in hopes of having some larger bibs made. Take a moment to read the touching inscription on the bag....

Well, little did they know this would end up in the hands of a fabulous pattern designer! :)

Bonnie has taken their sketch and turned it into a PDF pattern specifically for our project to sew for the Hidden Treasures Home! 

***ONE SPECIAL REQUEST***

They have asked that we NOT use velcro type closures, since they can be irritating for the children. Instead, the pattern provides options for ties and snaps. 

You can download the FREE pattern here on the Fishsticks Designs blog. Bonnie also has lots of great information about the precious children we'll be sewing for AND a special discount code for PUL (water resistant) fabric to back the bibs with!!!

Thank You Fishsticks Designs!!!

For those sewing ADULT BIBS, Anita has specified that of the 128 residents of the nursing home, 28 are males. She wants each person to have at least 1 bib of their own and has been steadily sewing herself. She has been using one of the variations of the Simplicity #2687 pattern, if you would like to look into that pattern. Otherwise, I have gathered a list of free tutorials to share with you.

Maiden Jane - Adult Bib Apron

Laura's Sewing Studio

Celebrate on Squidoo

With Heart and Hands (indeed!)

Sewing.org

If you know of others, please feel free to leave a link in the comments. 

So who's ready to help get this project started?!?!?!?!

I've already chosen some fabrics for both the children and adults and am so excited to get started!

I've created a February Project Album here for you to share pictures of your donations. This will also help us to keep track of our progress and see if we need to adjust our sewing focus at anytime throughout the month. Besides, it's always so encouraging and inspiring to see what everyone is sewing! :) So, please add your pictures as you sew! (there's sometimes even the bonus of some prizes selected from the album entries!) 

When you are ready to ship, email me for the address(es) you need, as the Adult Bibs will be sent directly to Anita and the Children's Bibs to Bonnie. If you have any questions at all, again, just let me know. I'm very happy to help and am looking forward to a very enjoyable month of sewing with you!

Lastly, I hope you will take a moment to consider, like Anita, those around you that you might could encourage or help through your sewing, and also get to know a little more about Loaves and Fishes International and the very meaningful and life saving work they are doing. A visit to their photos page to see some of the smiling faces that might wear your lovingly handmade bibs is sure to squeeze your heart! So blessed to be a part through this project!

Grab the project "button" from the sidebar, add it to your own blog or website and invite everyone you know that sews to join us! 

Because.....Every Stitch Matters!

Monthly Finale - Recap & Opportunities

I wanted to offer a quick recap of opportunities to support Fundraising that we have discussed this month. Feel free to leave a comment with any other fundraising opportunities you are personally aware of and remember to look for opportunities to use your personal gifts and talents to give back!

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

These auctions could use and would welcome your donations of hand-crafted items.

Love Without Boundaries Art Auction - Submissions due by April 1, 2012

Hidden Treasures "Tiniest Unroe" Auction - Open April 1-7, 2012

EXTRA SEWING OPPORTUNITIES

Bibs for Cleft Surgery Trip

Blankets for Project Linus

FUNDRAISING FAMILIES

 The Peduzzi Family

Ten For Orphans
Claire Bear

Team Ashley - Choose Joy Auction

BUSINESSES GIVING BACK

Just Love Coffee 

 Assisting Adoption - Thirty-One Products

Delicate Fortress

 Be A Voice

Create H.O.P.E. Designs
Assunta Store

Because....Every Stitch Matters!

Medical Expense Fundraiser - Claire Bear

This may not be the first time many of you have heard about the strong and brave Claire Bear. I first learned of her from the creatively talented memory catcher, Becky Higgins, here.

source

Take the time to read the background and you'll learn that Claire experienced a terrible, terrible accident in December that took her ability to walk. This has created some large and unplanned expenses for her family. Becky Higgins decided to take this matter into her own hands...love that!

Jump over to Becky's blog here and learn more.

And follow Claire's determined recovery and supportive family on their blog here. You can help in a variety of ways from encouraging notes, financial donations and/or donated items for sale. See the "How You Can Help" page here.

Big hugs to you and your family Claire!

Project Linus - Make A Blanket Day 2012

It's Make A Blanket Day!!! 

That's right, the 3rd Saturday of February each year is the Project Linus MABD - Make A Blanket Day! 

 Did you know that Project Linus has delivered OVER 4,000,000 blankets!!! I know! Isn't that amazing!!?!!? That is the result of many, many people believing that EVERY STITCH MATTERS!

You can see a list of participating states and find a chapter near you HERE.

There are many ways You Can Help! And their website also provides a collection of free patterns too!

Keep up with Project Linus on facebook here.

LOVE .....Without Boundaries

Get your sewing machines oiled and your fabric laundered.....you're gonna want in on this!!!

May I introduce to you a phenomenal organization doing some amazing work for some of the most fragile in China, Love Without Boundaries. 

 Each year, Love Without Boundaries holds a very special auction. It's called the Born In My Heart Art Auction. This year the auction is scheduled for April 12-17. 

THEY NEED YOU!!!

They need you to contribute items to be bid on by April 1st.

They need you to spread the word about the auction far and wide.

They need you to bid on the lovely items being auctioned.

WHY????

Because the $$ raised helps fund life saving and life changing surgeries for children in urgent need.

Get all the details about the auction HERE.

Get details about other ways to Get Involved here.

You can see my contribution for last year here, and you can bet I'm stitching up something special again this year! That's my way of kissing these sweet faces, holding these sweet hands and cheering on their amazing and loving caregivers....the least I can do!

I hope you will get to know more about Love Without Boundaries and find a way that you can specifically contribute to their beautiful outreach.

EVERY STITCH MATTERS!

Delicate Fortress - Shop With Purpose

We live in a very unique time. The convenience of the internet and online shopping allows us an opportunity to not only learn more about the  products we purchase, but also to search out shops and businesses that do more than just sell a product. Today I want to introduce you to one of those.

Delicate Fortress Creations

Spend just a short time on their website and you'll see how very serious they are about their mission!

From their site:

"What we're fighting...

Human Trafficking

Extreme Poverty

Illiteracy

Child Exploitation

Modern Day Slavery

The Orphan Crisis"

W.O.W.

And the cool thing....you and I can support them and this amazing mission simply by choosing to purchase items that we might normally purchase elsewhere from Delicate Fortress instead. The list of unique, high-quality items they have to offer includes, jewelry, accessories for you and your home, clothing, handbags, stationary and bath products! Far more than I can share here, so you'll just have to jump over and take a look around!

Looking for a bigger way to contribute to the work they are doing? Make sure and read the Made with Purpose section on the website!

You can learn more on the Delicate Fortress website here.

Follow along on their blog here or become a fan on facebook here.

Take a minute today to get to know more about Delicate Fortress and the meaningful work behind their shop! I am so grateful for people who give with their lives this way!!!

Fundraising Family - Meet the Peduzzis!

Today I want to introduce you to a very special family on a very special journey. Please say "Hello!" to the Peduzzis!

This precious couple is on their way to their son in Russia! As a matter of fact, they will be in Russia starting tomorrow through February 12th fulfilling all of the in country court requirements for completing their adoption and then flying back February 19th to bring their son home! So exciting that they are in the final stage of uniting their family! This gives us a unique opportunity to support them in these final days. They have a couple of final fundraisers going on right now to help tie up those last expenses, which only totals about $3000 right now. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for them to return home to find all those expenses were fully covered due to the generosity of strangers?

They aren't allowed to share pics of sweet Hudson yet, but here's a glimpse of the bond that's already being built...

Make sure to take a minute to visit their blog, Numbering Our Days leave some encouraging words and see how you can be a part of welcoming precious Hudson home!

When I asked Melissa to share her story with us, she was very excited to do so and this is what she had to say....

Before Ryan and I were even engaged, I spent a summer working in the orphanages of Romania, and my heart was broken and burdened for each and every child there.  More than this, my heart was broken for all children who are never given the chance to experience the love of a mother and father in a stable home; for all children who are beyond any hunger we have ever felt and are not guaranteed another meal; for all children who long to hear about the love of Christ, but have no one to tell them.  God spoke to me here, and put His plan in my heart. In His timing, and in His way, I would be a mother to children such as these.  Through my experiences and stories, as well as his own journeys, God created a very similar heart in Ryan concerning adoption, and we both agreed that it was the time to begin the process in May 2010.  

From the moment we have thought about children, we have pursued adoption. We didn't stumble here happenstance or after another way to begin our family failed, but we are here because God has called us. This is our journey. We don't understand it all, or have it all together. We are sometimes excited and other times scared. But we know we are following God's plan for our life. This is the way He set out for us. So, we follow, knowing that He is the one directing our steps.  He has been teaching us a lot as we follow Him down this bumpy, curvy, exciting path. 

We were matched with our son, Hudson, in July of 2011.  Par for the course in our crazy lives as Student Ministers, we received the call about our son while we were at Summer Camp with a group of students.  It was a wild, crazy, overwhelming, unbelievable experience to see the face of our child for the first time while he was still thousands of miles away.  The plan was to travel to meet him in August, and have him home no later than Thanksgiving.   We felt like we were on top of the world. 

But, nothing is certain in adoption, and after one unfortunate circumstance after another, we were in danger of losing our son with no travel dates in site.  We fought hard to trust God and seek His face, knowing He was up to something good, even though it felt like our world was crumbling around us.  I learned to be joy-filled in Him, not in my circumstances, and more about faith and trust than I ever would have experienced otherwise. 

We finally traveled to meet Hudson in November, and we love this little boy more than I can express already.  We are still fighting to bring him home, trusting God in the details!  We have a court date set for February, and we will bring him home in March (if all goes according to plan! :))!  We have watched all throughout the journey as God has multiplied what we had (very little) with all that He is (EVERYTHING!) and each step has been provided for as we needed to take it.  As we are down to the wire, we are lacking about $3000 to be completely funded.  God has been so faithful!

If you would like to join us in the journey to bring Hudson home, we have several ways you can be a part!  AND, by helping him home, you will be entered in a GIVEAWAY to win a BRAND NEW digital camera, printer, and accessories!

1.  For each dollar donated through the ChipIn, your name will be entered once!  $5=5 times, and so on!

2.  When you make a Thirty-One Purchase through our fundraiser (Peduzzi Family Adoption Fundraiser under "My Events", your name will be entered FIFTEEN times!

3.  For each $50 Restaurant.com gift card purchased through our fundraiser, your name will be entered TEN times!

4.  Share, share, share!  For each day you share this page, your name will be entered an additional time!  You can enter this way once a day for the entire giveaway.  Simply post a comment on this post with the link of where you shared! 

The giveaway ends February 17 at midnight EST.  Giveaway details here.

 Thank you Ryan & Melissa for sharing your journey and your hearts with us!

Looking forward to seeing your family united and HOME!

Hidden Treasure Auction OPEN!!!!

First opportunity to support a fundraiser this month is at Hidden Treasures! 

This ongoing fundraiser was developed by an adoptive mom to support others adopting! Along with some other very beautiful and passionate people, they decided to do what they could to make a difference. LOVE IT!!! You can read more about them here.

A quick overview of what they do is hold regular auctions to help raise funds for adopting families. A new auction just opened yesterday, so make sure to pop over and check it out! I got some great patterns (at a great price!) during the last auction. This auction is FULL of loads of goodies too!

Supporting Hidden Treasures can happen in several ways....
1. Donate items of worth to be auctioned. The auctions happen every couple of months, so even if you didn't get in on this one....though I don't think they'd turn you away if you still wanted to contribute....there will be upcoming opportunities to contribute. Find out how the auction works and how you can get involved here.

2. SHOP!!! Easy as that. You can bid on the great items provided for the auctions, help an awesome family and get yourself some nice gifts all at the same time!
Hidden Treasures also now has a CafePress shop where you can purchase all kinds of merchandise with their lovely logo.

3. Spread the word! Grab their beautiful button for your blog! Share about their efforts with your friends on facebook. Tweet the auction link! This option will of course not cost a dime and can potentially have the greatest impact!

Hidden Treasures...what a beautiful image!

February 2012 - Monthly Project Announcement

Here we are! 

Beginning of the month and time for our Monthly Project Announcement for February.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Suess

February we will be focusing on Supporting Fundraisers.

There are SO many ways to use your gifts and talents to help those fundraising! This can help in ways ranging from your child's Scout, sports or school groups, family's who are raising medical or adoption funds, groups traveling for a special service or mission trip, organizations that support others ongoing....you get the idea. This is a significant need! And a need that can be fulfilled by you using your gift of creating. It's going to be a very exciting month!

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Roosevelt

 

Personally, I've found that $ for $ I'm able to help in a far greater and more regular way by providing handmade items than I could if only donating financially. Point being, you don't have to have a lot of $ to be a big help! I've plans to sew/create for several special reasons this month and will share each along the way. You are of course invited, and even encouraged to jump in at anytime you'd like! I'll also be sharing different fundraisers you can support with your purchases or donations. This will allow those who perhaps would rather help in a different way to have that opportunity. And from working with many different organizations and families that rely on such, EVERY SINGLE $ really does matter! Please don't ever have the idea if you can't give "big" it isn't of value. IT IS!!!! :) 

"Give what you have, for you never know - to someone else it may be better than you can even dare to think." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If you have individuals or organizations you know of that are fundraising for a specific need, feel free to leave a comment on this post with a link. Additionally, if you know of people using their gifts and talents to give back, I'd love to hear about them and be encouraged by their efforts! This can include businesses that give back a portion of their proceeds. I'll be happy to check out each one and do my best to share about them on the Hopeful Threads facebook page throughout the month!

"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another." ~ Helen Keller

The month will of course be sprinkled with inspiration and giveaways, but please remember the greater purpose of Hopeful Threads. We can have fun while making a difference at the same time!

So, look around. What do you have that you can use today to help another?