#SewToShare - Personal Progress: June 2015

Well, I'm trying to chip away at my summer goals list.....slowly, but surely!

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!

Hmmmm. 

Seems I've added waaaaay more than I've finished! ;) Oh well!

Update my 10 year old's scrapbook.

Rip the carpet from my stairs, sand and paint them. 

Take of the giant mending pile. 

I'm sure it will continue to grow....

Here's a few pics to share with you of my cutting progress. Since I tend to do my donation sewing in "batches", I've done a BUNCH of cutting!!!! These are the piles prepped and waiting for me to stitch...

A few remaining ballerina dolls I found under some other items.

A bunch of bibs.

I got carried away cutting "Busy Bags" for the foster care closet and these are the ones all set to start sewing. 

The below stack still needs a bit of fusible fleece interfacing....I just ran out. TWICE! lol!

A nice stack of security "blankies" that I'll get to at some point to maybe go with the bibs. 

 And more Teeny Tears diaper gifts than I can count! I think I may end up doubling my original goal of filling 1 bushel sized basket! :)

A bit more family sewing is on the list for the day. Prepping some PJs for my girls headed to camp, and some super hero pillowcases & valances for my boy's newly painted and decorated super hero bedroom. The fun never stops! ;)

How's your summer sewing going? 

Any "Sew To Share" goodies to tell us about?

June Project Announcement + Fat Quarter Shop GIVEAWAY!!!

This is going to be a month full of colorful fun!!! 

Are you ready??? Hope so!

Our fabulous sponsor the Fat Quarter Shop is helping us make it even better!

See this...

Yes, this incredible Funky Monkey fat quarter bundle arrived in my mail this week to help with our monthly project. And these fun prints are going to be just perfect!

Wanna know what the project is?

OK!!! For June's Monthly Project, we're going to make Activity/Coloring Tote Bags! Fun right? I sure think so! These bags are another easy to sew item perfect for donation because there are so many ways to give back with them. We'll be delivering ours to the local Children's Hospital to be given to patients there.

They would also be perfect for relief and homeless shelters, gifts for adoptive parents traveling to bring their children home, centers that serve children in need or foster children. I haven't met a kid yet that doesn't enjoy coloring, and these handy totes will have them ready to take the fun anywhere they go!

And since I am working with these playful fat quarters, I found the perfect FREE tutorial to help me get it done, the Fat Quarter Coloring Book and Crayon Tote from edonyourown.com.

And if you're feeling especially playful and creative, this Crayon Monster Art Tote from Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! is sure to bring big smiles!

I also wanted to include a list of free tutorials for Crayon Rolls, another simple sewing project, which would be just as much fun paired with a coloring book. These are all similar but different enough that you can pick your favorite.

Pleated Poppy

Skip To My Lou

Make It and Love It

Nested

Oh yea, I did say there was a GIVEAWAY in the title didn't I??? 

Well, get this....there's actually 2!

The amazingly generous Fat Quarter Shop didn't leave you all out! OH NO! They have offered to give 2 Hopeful Threads readers a $50 Gift Certificate to their store! WOAH!!!! Isn't that fabulous??? You could get your own bundle of fabric goodness!

You want to know how to get entered now don't you? I knew you would!

The last several giveaways we've done around here have been pretty simple, just leave a comment kind of giveaways. Well, considering that these are pretty significant prizes, I don't think it too much to ask for a little more. :) So here it is...

Pick one of the monthly projects that has been highlighted on Hopeful Threads from the list below. Make it. Take a picture of it and post it in our Member's Projects album on flickr, telling us in the description where or to whom it was donated. (It must be donated to fulfill a need, not made for your kid's birthday...although, if you're sewing for your kid, it's the perfect time to just make 2 of whatever you're working on and donate the other!)

 2011 Projects

• January - Pillowcases
• February - Dresses
• March - Cloth Diapers
• April - Bibs
• May - Rag Dolls (or other plushie toy)
• June - Coloring Totes/Crayon Rolls

The giveaway is open to EVERYONE, worldwide! 

You have until June 30th to get entered. Oh yea, and this is your panel of tough, distinguished judges...

My children, ages 4-11. They will each pick their favorite contribution and then we will randomly draw 2 of those names from a hat to be our gift certificate winners. :)

So there you have it! 

Get Sewing! Take a Photo! Give your creation to someone in need! Get entered for your chance at one of two $50 Gift Certificates from the Fat Quarter Shop!
I told you it was going to be fun! :)

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop team for your kindness and generosity, Hopeful Threads thinks you ROCK!

Another chance to bless and be blessed!

p.s. You can always email me your pics/descriptions to be added to flickr if that is easier too. :)