Hopeful Threads - What, Why & How???

To try and sum up what Hopeful Threads is can be kind of difficult for me. While at Quilt Market, I was asked many times to do so, and the truth is, I never perfected my "elevator speech". This frustrated me a little at first, but the more I have pondered it, the more appropriate it seems.

I went to Market to help my friends and have the chance to meet in person and say thanks to so many that have supported the sewing outreach of Hopeful Threads. I was not there to intentionally promote Hopeful Threads, though was grateful for each opportunity to share. But the fact that I was unable to compartmentalize this community and the work we do each month...while awkward in the moment, actually makes me smile now. :) 

There have been several posts I've written around here highlighting the "WHY", but I think this one does a great job of expressing my heart and desire for the impact of Hopeful Threads.

In addition....

Hopeful Threads is a community effort. While my family & I personally pour a lot into the outreach each month, we could not do all that we are able to do and give all that we've been able to give without the support & participation of so many of YOU!

 Hopeful Threads is a choice. I do not sew out of obligation, it is my pleasure, and I hope the same for each person that participates in our Monthly Projects. It is a dream come true, a prayer answered. 

Hopeful Threads is growing. We are rounding out our third year of sewing to give and each month I am blown away by the continued generosity and enthusiasm surrounding our projects. 

I am reminded and inspired when I receive comments from participants about the positive impact that sewing along has had on them.......when a tutorial I have shared helps someone create a comforting or practical gift for a friend or loved one......when I receive pictures or messages sharing about our sewn items in action as they were made for. It matters. Every Stitch Matters. 

Hopeful Threads....STILL a place to share your creativity in a way that helps another. 

You can read more about how it all began on my "About Me" page and if you are interested or ever need a reminder yourself about the "WHY" of Hopeful Threads, you can always get a perfect glimpse on the "Recipients" page too. :)

June 2013 - FAMILY Project Finale & Reminder

I have had a great month sewing for my family and hope you have too! 

I of course didn't finish anywhere near what I had hoped, but I did get a lot done and hopefully can continue to chip away at the list of wishes and requests. 

I did accomplish something pretty significant though and at least STARTED by very first quilt! I'm super excited and can't wait to share the finish with you all when I get it all done. The kids are already loving it! (so much for being a surprise for them!) :)

I also wanted to offer a quick reminder for those that follow Hopeful Threads via GFC-Google Friend Connect or Feedburner.....changes are coming to these services, beginning 7/1/13, so to be sure that you stay connected to all the fun around here, be sure to check out the other options for following all the posts and updates....

 Super post here on how to make the switch to bloglovin' and easily transfer all your favorite blogs from Google Friend Connect.

Facebook - Hopeful Threads

Pinterest

Twitter
Follow @hopefulthreads

Networked Blogs - Hopeful Threads

And watch this week for the JULY Project announcement!
Another meaningful sewing project ahead. :)

Reader's (That's YOU!!!) Choice!

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Do you have a group or organization that is special to you that you'd like Hopeful Threads to consider for one of our Monthly Projects for 2013??? I'd love to hear from you!

I'm beginning to outline the calendar and have some great ideas for the upcoming year, and would love to include some of your interests too.

A few things to keep in mind....

* We need to be able to meet the need by sewing.

* It's likely obvious, but I'm particularly soft when it comes to providing for the need of a child. Not that I'm not open to other opportunities, just sayin'. :)

* I prefer the opportunity to support a "grass-roots" or lesser known group/organization. There are some really great "Big Dogs" out there that are doing some incredible things....but most of them have a pretty good following and consistent support. I'd like to help where it might otherwise get overlooked.

* If it's an organization that you have a personal connection to, LOVE IT!!! Either they have done something to support you during a special time and you'd like to repay them with an outpouring  or you already sew for or support them on your own in some way....this is the kind of thing I'm looking for. No random google searches needed....I have one of those search bars too. ;)

p.s. If you have been an active participate in other Hopeful Threads projects, you're likely to have some automatic brownie points. :)

Ok...so email me or comment with your ideas and information about the group/organization. Can't wait to hear from you!!! 

SHINE ON!

The idea that Hopeful Threads could be a springboard for something more, a new outreach or ongoing care for a specific need, is one of the most touching and inspiring things about being a part of this community! I find myself overwhelmed with excitement and humility when you share how you have taken ONE SMALL THING from Hopeful Threads and turned it into something very personal and much bigger. Today, I've asked Stacy from Stacy Sews and Schools to share how she has done just that in her own community. Disclaimer....she has some super kind things to say about us too and I promise I didn't bribe her! ;)

Take it away Stacy...

First off I would like to say how in AWE I am of you, Kristy and Hopeful Threads! It is just amazing to me to see how many different charities and people you and your readers reach. I think you, the blog and the readers are AWESOME!!!!!!!

When I saw the project for  August - "Give Hope" US Foster Care it connected with me right away. You see, I went to foster care once. It was only for a day but it made a HUGE impact on me. I was lucky in that I had other options and called my Dad to come get me from a few states away. Most kids do NOT have another option.... Most kids go into the system and stay there.... And when they go into foster care the majority of them go with NOTHING. That was me. When I was picked up at school all I had were the clothes on my back and whatever was in my purse. I was 16 and scared out of my mind. Who were these people they were taking me to? Were they nice? What did they expect of me? Where was I going to end up? To say I had trust issues would be putting it mildly. I believe that most kids in that kind of situation are going to have trust issues.... They should have been safe at home but for whatever reason, their home lives were such that they had to be removed from them and put into the care of strangers. 

THAT is why this project spoke to me so much. These kids need so much love. They need so much HOPE! Hope is a big word. What if we can give them a little hope and a little love? 

What if I could do this ALL the time and not just one month. How many kids in my own back yard could I reach? CAN I do something like this?? The answer was yes, I COULD do it, with lots of help..... LOL 

I called the lady that was in charge of foster care in my area and asked her a few questions. Is this something that would be needed in our area? What would she like to see in the bags? What was the age range that she was seeing the most? 

I started off thinking that I might be able to do it all on my own and quickly found out that no... I could do a little on my own but to really make an impact I needed to get more people behind it. So, I called my pastor and ran it by him. That's when I started calling it Bags of Hope and Love. My pastor thought it was an excellent idea and invited me to speak to my church about it. Let me just say that my church family was realllllly amazing. They embraced the idea fully and firmly. I had so many donations coming in that I had to dedicate a closet to JUST Bags of Hope and Love!!! And my friends were amazing, too. I had a ton of donations coming in from all over the country. People were donating fabric to make the bags as well as the items to go in the bags. Something like that can really help you see just how many good people are still in this world. One of my friends even took this idea before her church in Indiana!! Now they are doing Bags of Hope and Love, too!!! 

When we decided to move I was a little heartbroken. One, I didn't want to leave my church family and two, would anyone take over for me there? Would Bags of Hope and Love still be there for those kids? Yes and yes! I made an announcement before church that we were moving and that I was looking for someone to take over me there. After church a sweet lady came up to me and said that she wanted to take it over! WOOO HOOO!! It would still be there for those kids! :) AND after I am settled here I hope to get another "chapter" started in this area! SO many more kids to reach!!!!!!  So many more needing a little hope and love!

So, you see, YOU can do it. YOU can get out there and make a difference! If I can, anyone can! Just take that first step and see what happens! ;) 

I want to give more props to Kristy. If I had never seen this project on Hopeful Threads it would have never occurred to me. THANK YOU, Kristy, for ALL that you do!!!!!! 

Here's a link on my site that explains a lot, too.

http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/my-new-page-for-bags-of-hope-and-love-3/

Thank you Stacy. Thank you for all you are doing for children in Foster Care. Thank you for sharing your story so personally. What a perfect and beautiful reminder of the difference One Small Thing can make!

"When you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to do the same." ~Nelson Mandela

SHINE ON STACY!!!!!

Thoughtful....Giving....Beautiful!

Just a few of the words I would use to describe the amazing community of Hopeful Threads. 

I am so incredibly THANKFUL for each of you and your support and enthusiasm in giving back through your talents. You are a blessing to many!

I am privileged to receive messages and emails that remind of this on a regular basis. 

This week I received this one...

"Dear Kristy,

I have been holding my breath for about a week waiting to email you about this month's project. Here's the deal. Sometime earlier this year, in an attempt to whittle down my fabric stash, I pulled out all the Christmas fabric I have collected over the years, mostly scraps given to me by friends and coworkers after they find out that I sew and usually little crafty things. The pieces were too small and not the right fabric for decent stockings, so I started making drawstring gift bags. Mid-October hit and I emailed a couple of local charities too see if they would accept handmade items. By late October I hadn't gotten any responses, then you announced your November project. I held my breath to give the charities another few days to respond, but I should have just waited in the first place to see what you had up your sleeve!!!

Most of the bags are between five and seven inches tall, and I have a dozen or so ready to go. I've been playing around with the idea of putting felt tangrams or five stone games (like soft jacks) in some of them, but have three baby showers and holiday hours at work, so I don't know if that will happen. Technically your call was for stockings, but I'm hoping that the bags are close enough to the heart of the projects that I can play too! 

Thanks again for getting everyone involved in such a fabulous project especially during this time of year when your kind of spirit can get lost in the hustle and bustle.

Audrey"

My response,  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is exactly the kind of thing I love to see happen! Someone considering what they have and how it can be used. Hopeful Threads as a springboard for something more, something personal. Perfect.  Thoughtful. Giving. Beautiful.
While I do create a specific project focus each month, that is primarily to help simplify and clarify as we create a common goal. It makes it easier than the vast possibilities. However, if there is ever a way that you want to give that is applicable to our project, that is ALWAYS WELCOME!
This month alone examples of such are gifts like these adorable bags, stocking stuffers, plush friends, pillowcases....all that would be perfect, CHEERFUL gifts for children in the hospital during the holidays. 
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." -Theodore Roosevelt 

A Reminder...

With the New Year kicking off and the commitment of Hopeful Threads carrying on for 2012, I've had the opportunity to consider and remember the "why" behind it all.

Hopeful Threads exists to help others. A place to use our unique gifts and talents to make a tangible difference in the life of someone else. A place to connect with others who are like minded and challenge and encourage one another's efforts. A springboard for ideas and opportunities to give back with our daily lives and to share what we have. A place to ask questions and learn more about sewing and handcrafting. A place that hopefully will bring blessings on both ends of each monthly project.

Participating in one of Hopeful Threads projects is something I welcome anyone with interest to do. It is not something I wish anyone to ever feel obligated to do.

I sew because it's a huge part of who I am. This is my creative outlet, my fun place! Some projects are more fun than others of course. Some organizations and outreach efforts are especially dear to my heart, while others can be simply filling a need. And yes, some of the bigger projects and even maintaining a blog, facebook and email can be "work" at times, but isn't everything of value? That's part of the joy! And I believe it is entirely worth it....or else I wouldn't invest my time and my family into it. I believe each of us has a unique opportunity to give back with our gifts and talents, and Hopeful Threads allows me the opportunity to live that and to teach my children with my actions. 

While I delight in the community that is provided here, I do not do this for praise or accolades. I see this as a place to share rather than brag....unless we're talking about my kids...then I might occasionally brag! ;) I am not superhuman. I just have the words of a really great daddy that roll through my mind on a regular basis. The words... "You will make time for what is important to you.". And you know what? He's right! He's no longer here to witness or critique the results of his upbringing in me, but his impact is very much alive and active in my life. Oh how thankful I am!

So with that, I welcome you to join me and any monthly project at Hopeful Threads that speaks to you! And if that outpouring wasn't enough of the "why", let me leave you with some of the sweet faces held in my heart as I sew...

Every stitch really does matter!

Universal Craft Blog Directory

Have you heard??? 

There is a new craft blog directory in the works striving to be the biggest list of crafty bloggers out there! I've just added Hopeful Threads to the list and there are LOADS of other crafty blogs already listed for you to get lost looking through!

Have fun!
And thanks Rie for kicking of the collaboration!