Fill Your Time With FLUFF For Good!

Hello Friends!

Praying you are all well and stay that way. 

While you're stuck in the house, there are still ways to bring joy to yourself and others through creating! And, if you would like to help make stuffed friends for children in foster care, we will gladly make sure they get into the hands of those children. 

Our FLUFF Project has been doing this for over 7 years now and has delivered more than 2,500 stuffed friends! #hopehugshealing

There is currently a greater need for items specifically for ages 2 and under, but all are welcome.
You can learn more HERE and feel free to EMAIL ME with any questions!

Grace & Peace to you. 💟

FLUFF Project Delivery SOON!

A brief update and reminder.....

FLUFF Project delivery soon! Waiting on date from Juvenile Court since it is such a large delivery! Stay connected and see photos on Instagram, @hopefulthreads

More soon....

Kristy

FLUFF Project - Collection Target Date Moved AHEAD

Hello All!

I wanted to let you know that I have moved the target date for our current Fluff Project collection to June 1, 2017. We have had several unexpected (and some expected!) things that have delayed my sewing time and I don't have near the stuffed friends finished for delivery that I have cut and in the sewing process. 

We are also hopeful that this extra time will allow more of you to participate as well, and help us reach our goal of the biggest single delivery to date of 500 stuffed friends for children in foster care! Can you help us???

We currently have around 200 friends ready for delivery, so we could use quite a few more to reach our goal! Here's some specific ideas of how you can help....

• Sew, Crochet, Knit, Hand-make a new stuffed friend!
• Spread the word about our #fluffproject collection, locally and through social media. There are share options at the bottom of this message to make it even easier for you!
• Watch for SALES! I've found adorable and very inexpensive stuffed friends to purchase for our collection following holidays like Valentine's and Easter. Keep watch for these opportunities to boost the number of items able to give without busting the budget! 
• Get your GROUP involved! This is a fun and easy outreach opportunity to include family, friends, church, scout and other group organizations. 
• SHIP BY JUNE 1, 2017

Other specifics about this collection can be found HERE.

Further details about the FLUFF Project and how & why it got started can be found here. 

Join Us!

Help spread Hope, Hugs & Healing to kids facing a difficult time!

Kristy

FLUFF Project - New Mascot, Logo and HUGE collection!!!

I mentioned in my last post that we had a new "face" for the FLUFF Project. I've been about to BURST to share him with you!!!! So, without further delay, say hello to Finn!

Finn is the fluffy, friendly face that has been carefully and specifically created to represent the FLUFF Project! I couldn't love him any more than I already do and I'm so very grateful to my incredibly talented and giving friend Samantha, who brought him to life! 

Thank you! 💗

I will begin updating all FLUFF Project information with this new logo, and welcome you to share as well! Finn will adorn all of our outreach information, donations and become an image recognized for Hope, Hugs & Healing. Did I mention how much I love him???

Additionally, this year marks a BIG anniversary to celebrate! This April marks the beginning of our 5th year of collecting stuffed friends for children in foster care! It truly doesn't seem possible. We held our first collection as one of our Monthly Projects in April 2013. April is also the month when our family began our journey into foster care 7 years ago. And, April marks the 5th year since our first adoption through foster care too. April is a very special month!

Will you help us celebrate???

I would LOVE to host our biggest collection and delivery to date! I would LOVE to show up with a delivery of 500+ stuffed friends! I've been collecting for the past couple of months with this in mind, so we already have a great start! I've also been cutting stuffed friend patterns like a crazy woman, to begin sewing this month. 

So here are the basics....

FLUFF Project - April 2017 Details

• NEW items only. First, because these children deserve no less. Second, this may be the one and only personal item they have that they feel is all theirs at this time....let's make it a good one! Additionally, used stuffed toys can cause issues for our children with allergies and sensitivities. Thank you for understanding!
• Any type (sewn, knit/crochet, store bought) of stuffed animal or doll is welcome. Please just refrain from any designs that could potentially be scary or offensive. 
• All ages included. Children in the foster care system range in age from Newborn - 18 years old, that's a broad audience to create for, so lots of possibilities...and everyone can use a special friend! 
• HAVE FUN!!!😊

Items should be shipped by April 15th....thought that it being "tax day" it would be a memorable date to keep in mind! lol! This will also allow me to have them delivered by the end of April.

You can drop off or ship donations to the following address:

Kristy Smith

c/o Echelon Florist

1260 Rocky Hill Road

Knoxville, TN 37919

**business address provided to prevent any packages from being left unattended. 

If you are looking for inspiration for handmade donations, be sure and check out my "Stuffed Friends" board on Pinterest HERE.

It's bursting with ideas!

I will also post progress updates and donations received throughout, on my Facebook and Instagram pages, so you can follow along. I'm super excited to share this with you and look forward to all the HOPE, HUGS & HEALING our stuffed friends will bring to the children who receive them. Thank you for being a part! 

#SewToShare & spread the word with me!

Kristy

A Bit of Encouragement!

Had to share some heart filling encouragement with all of you!

First, I received a message from a friend who is a fellow foster parent and sits on a review board. When a child's case is up for review they have to be at court for this hearing. Court is a rather intimidating place that typically doesn't say "Fun times ahead!" to most. ;) Well, here's the message I received....I'll let it speak for itself.

"Kristy, we had Foster Care Review board tonight and I wanted you to know that you all made 5 girls very, VERY happy tonight. One of my cases was a sibling group of 5 girls ranging from 2 to 12. They all took a ballerina tonight and they were just so excited and happy. They are beautiful dolls and you did a great job. Please share this."

Very happy & full heart upon reading that!

Then, I received this letter in the mail from the Juvenile Court Judge....

My favorite part is the last bit....

"Thank you for your organization, Hopeful Threads' continued support of our program. Your stuffed animals are some of our favorites."

GOOD STUFF!!!!

Really good stuff!!!!

It matters. Every. Stitch. Matters. 

In BIG, BIG ways!

Thank you!

Find out how you can be a part by clicking the image below. 

The FLUFF Project

June. Off to a great start + summer goals!

We have had a great start to June & our summer break so far!

Monday, we had the privilege of delivering 166 stuffed friends to our Juvenile Court to be gifted to children in foster care. I've already received warm and encouraging messages about how well received our FLUFF Project donations are too! 

 That's right, to date, we have delivered 1,189 stuffed friends for children in foster care! 

Sooooo exciting! And I can't wait to make more! 

I have several stuffed friend patterns on my "To Sew" list for the summer! It's always hard to narrow down which one to sew next, I love them all! 

That's just one of the many things on my goals list for the summer though...in no particular order, here are some of the (maybe a bit lofty) things I hope to accomplish over the next few months.

Cook more, especially with my children.

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

Fresh paint for several rooms in our home.

New skirts for my girls.

Sew "Busy Bags" & Totes for the foster closet.

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! ;)

Whew!!! I'm already tired just planning it! :)

We shall see just how much I'm able to get done.....I always tend to over estimate. 

How about you? Any great summer plans?

Any new patterns or recipes you hope to try?

Would love to hear, so feel free to share in the comments, and hope you have a GREAT summer whatever you choose to do with your time!

#SewToShare - Personal Progress: May 2015

Been doing a lot of sewing around here and finally taking the time to sit down and do a little progress post. All of this incredible fluff is finished, tagged and loaded into my van for delivery next week.....we can't wait!!! Delivery days are always so much fun for our family! A great way to kick of the summer for sure! 

These little friends were made using the Little Love Bunny pattern from Jennifer Jangles. I was thrilled to win this pattern during an Instagram giveaway! And the best part.....when Jennifer found out that I would be using the pattern to sew for our FLUFF Project, she sent a box of stuffed friends she had made to be included with our next delivery!! Awesome, I know!!! You can find the Little Love Bunny pattern HERE, and be sure to check out the other creative inspiration on Jennifer's site as well....including FREE sewing patterns! 

This is the "Starla Starfish" pattern that I created and offer for FREE! I've added ric rac loops to the ends of each "arm", along with sewn felt eyes, so these friends can be perfect for even our youngest recipients! It also allows a way to connect this soft friend to a stroller or carrier to help keep close by. You can find the FREE Starfish Pattern HERE!

These playful pups are some of my favorites to sew! Simple and quick and absolutely LOVABLE in every way! They are made using the George the Puppy pattern in the book Girl's Word by Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom. You can find this pattern FREE here! I have truly lost count of how many of these pups I have sewn over the years!

This is another simple and sweet pattern to sew! This is the Henry & Helga elephant pattern offered as a FREE pattern & tutorial at Birch Fabrics. Find this pattern HERE.

I love sewing these sweet dolls and they are always well received! The potential for making each individual and personal is endless! These were made using the Matroyshka Doll pattern by Whimsy Couture. You can find this darling pattern HERE. I think this pattern has even been updated to include multiple sizes since I first bought it years ago, allowing for the opportunity to make these sweet friends in a variety of huggable sizes! 

And last to share are my beautiful ballerinas that I posted in detail about yesterday! LOVE THEM!!! This pattern is by Blue Whimsy and is a ton of fun to sew with! These little sweethearts radiate cheer and personality!!! You can find this pattern HERE. 

So there you have it! A peek into my sewing accomplishments over the past couple of months!
Learn more about the FLUFF Project and how you can be a part by clicking the image below!

Now.....where to start next!!! ;)

Beautiful Ballerina Dolls! Pattern by Blue Whimsy

 These lovely girls have been in the works for quite a while!

I tend to sew in "batches" when I'm working on items to donate, and sometimes....well, sometimes, I end up on a roll while I'm cutting and lose count on how much I'm going to have to sew. That kinda happened with these girls, so it has taken a bit of time to finish them, but I am tickled with how they've turned out!  

Each one has it's very own style and personality!

This is the Nora Ballerina pattern from Blue Whimsy.

I entered a giveaway that she had going on, knowing that these sweet girls would be perfect for our FLUFF Project. Before the giveaway was even over, she contacted me and told me that after reading about the FLUFF Project, she would like to offer me any pattern of my choice from her shop! Her kindness and generosity really touched me and I was so excited to get to sew this sweet pattern!

These are the ones that will be donated....

 And these I will be offering for sale to help off set the cost of time & materials...

You can find the ones available for purchase HERE!

The pattern also includes sweet little felt ballet slippers, but I chose not to add those due to the likelihood of them getting lost while in the donation shuffle.

The tutus are absolutely my favorite part!!!! They fluff up so darling!

This was a really fun pattern to sew! I loved watching them come to life through the process.

I made a simple change to the final assembly of the doll to make turning easier for me. The original opening for turning is on the dolls back, as you'll be able to see in one of the below pictures. However, I think I made my openings too small, and I struggled to get my first doll turned. And since I sew each step in an assembly line fashion when batch sewing, that meant they were all like this. So, here's what I did as an alternate way to finish....in case you find yourself in the same predicament! ;)

Adjusting the needle to the side, stitch 01 in the image, allows for an easier and more precise stitch along the edge. I used this stitch for much of my dolls assembly.

I attached the arms, and then sandwiched them inside the 2 body pieces, sewing from one bottom edge to the other, leaving the bottom open and legs unattached. 

 After trimming and turning the body, I turned under and ironed the bottom edge and pinned the legs in place. 

After sewing in place, I was then able to stuff the doll from the original opening in the back.  

This is a lovely pattern, one I definitely will sew again! The dolls are already drawing quite a bit of attention from all my friends and family who have seen them! 

You can find Blue Whimsy in all your favorite places....

Blue Whimsy website/blog

Blue Whimsy facebook page

Blue Whimsy on Instagram

Blue Whimsy Etsy shop

Oh....and if you'd like to try one of her patterns for FREE, she has a darling little mermaid pattern HERE so you can! :)

Be sure to tell her you saw her sweet pattern here when you drop by to check out all her other sewing sweetness, so she knows just how much I appreciate her generosity! 

NEW!!! FLUFF Project Tags

So excited about the new addition of tags for our FLUFF Project donations!

Starting with our next deliver, each of our stuffed friends will now include a tag with a personal message.

 The message reads,

This friend is especially for you! 

Provided through the FLUFF Project of Hopeful Threads.

Share HOPE. 

#FLUFFproject

Thanks to our creative and generous friend Amy, many of these tags are hand stamped & colored!!! Aren't they beautiful!?!?!?! The others are punched from colorful, printed cardstock with this handy new gadget I couldn't resist!

All 165 stuffed friends we have prepped for delivery next week are tagged with one of these special tags! A little personal touch can really make such a difference! 

Stay tuned as I share some of the wonderful fluff friends I've been working on and be sure to visit our Flickr group for a look at everything being delivered!

Prepping for Delivery!

No, I'm not having a baby. ;) 

At least not of the living flesh kind. I'm working on a BUNCH of babies in the form of Stuffed Friends for children in Foster Care through our FLUFF Project!

Not familiar with the FLUFF Project? Well, you can read all about it RIGHT HERE!

I'm tentatively planning my next delivery, the first of 2015, of stuffed friends to our Juvenile Court for JUNE 2015. So for those of you fabulous and generous FLUFF sewists, just a little heads up!

Thank you all for being a part of such a meaningful outreach and being such an inspiration and encouragement to me on a regular basis! HUGE hugs and love!

#SewToShare

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!!!! 

Pattern Review - Rose Red Woodland Doll by Lella Boutique

May I introduce you to Little Rose Red. 

This sweet pattern comes from Lella Boutique and is the latest sweet stuffed friends I have sewn for our FLUFF Project. 

As with all our FLUFF Project donations, these five little darlings will soon make their way to five special children currently in foster care. 

I can't say enough good things about this sweet pattern!

The pattern pays close attention to detail, which is clearly evident in the construction and personality of your dolls as they are coming together. Well written instructions with illustrations make it a very straight forward pattern to follow. In addition to the sweet doll herself, the pattern includes a removable cape and skirt, so your dolly could easily have a full wardrobe of interchangeable outfits! I chose not to include the cape/skirts with mine since there is risk that they could become separated from the dolls on their journeys to their new homes. 

The pattern calls for a painted face, but I've not much experience with fabric paints for dolls, so I chose to hand embroider the faces on my dolls with french knots for the eyes and simple satin stitching for the mouths. I also used wool flannel for the hair since it was what I had available, and loved the soft texture it provided.

You can find the pattern in both PDF and paper formats in the Lella Boutique shop HERE. One thing she offers that I haven't seen very often, is the option to get BOTH the PDF and paper pattern for only $2 more than buying either of the options separately. I think this is such a great idea!!! This way I get the best of both worlds for a very reasonable price! I love the convenience of PDF patterns and the ease of printing and re-printing pattern pieces, but I must admit, I am a tangible girl. Having the instructions fully laid out in front of me on my work table is definitely my preferred way to work. 

A very warm THANK YOU to Vanessa of Lella Boutique for very generously sending me this sweet pattern in both formats. When I shared with her about the FLUFF Project, she thought it sounded like a great cause and didn't hesitate to show her support. I am so very grateful and know those that receive these sweet dolls will love them! 

Rose Red Woodland Doll Pattern by Lella Boutique

Oh, and don't you just adore the fabric used on the pattern cover!?!?! The print for the dolls hair couldn't be more perfect! This fabric is from the collection Into the Woods, also by Lella Boutique for Moda. The whole collection is beautiful and currently available in multiple colorways....you'll want to search your favorite fabric shops for it!

SUMMARY
Sewing Experience: Confident Beginner with doll making experience
Size Range: N/A
Special Techniques: Sewing, turning and stuffing small doll parts
Pattern Format: Available in both PDF and Paper
Materials Used: Cotton woven prints, wool flannel for hair, floss for facial feature embroidery, Fairfield World polyester stuffing.
Personal Notes: Darling doll that I will definitely sew again! I will adjust placement of the arms a little lower next time to allow them to lay more smoothly, by placing them completely below the shoulder curve.

These sweeties are the 1st for our next delivery box.....which is a little EXTRA exciting!!!!! When we make the next delivery, we will have delivered OVER 1,000 stuffed friends for children in foster care!!!! Unbelievable!!!! And still, going strong! Thank you all so much for caring for some many in this meaningful and loving way. It matters. So much!

Learn more about the FLUFF Project and how you can participate by clicking the image below.