A Big Thanks for Your Tote Bag Sewing Help

I am so overwhelmed by the positive responses and promises of help I've gotten for the Giving Bag collection. Thank you to all who are sewing, embroidering, and collecting out there! My goal is to collect 200 tote bags for The Giving Heart charity in Richmond, Virginia and I've already received my first few in the mail! Thank you! The bags pictured above are ones I made of duck cloth canvas and are waiting for children to decorate them!

If you are interested in donating, go here to find out more. Here are a couple of the mentions I've found around town! (If you've blogged about this donation drive, send me a note at abbieipark(at)gmail(dot)com.  I'd love to hear from you!)

Simone de Klerk - Quilting and Stitchery and here too!

Mollie Johansen - Wild Olive and new patterns here too!

The Choate Family Blog posted great pictures of the girls sewing!

Leslie - Leslie's Art and Sew

Make and give to others more than you yourself would like to receive.

Links I'm Loving :: Giving Thanks and Stitch and Send

This weekend a little sand, ocean, Christopher Columbus, a muscle car show and drag racing the lights until 2 am, OC Maryland, family time with grandparents, a little unplugged time, end of season Maryland blue crabs, and then returning to a crashed laptop, a skin rash, and a head cold...so are the ups and downs of this ride called life. 

Coming up soon, some progress news on The Giving Heart bag collection, other crafting for charity ideas, and that fabric printing how-to I promised. My, so much to do! Hope you are moving right along too!

Here are some of the links I'm loving...

As always, love, love, love, Ann Voskamp's inspirational words...Best Tips for Effective Time Management...don't miss the video at the end...a wonderful, awesome reminder.

As I am starting to feel harried by our carpool schedule and the bits at home, school, and a head cold...I wonder if this would be the best stress remedy for it all...

We were never meant to work seven days a week by Kevin Martineau of Shooting the Breeze via The High Calling.

Wild Olive designed some great simple embroidery patterns for the Stitch and Send project for charity! Stitch a simple embroidery patch, and send it to me to be affixed to a tote bag for The Giving Heart charity of Richmond, VA.

I have fallen in love with these 2012 Christmas wall art pieces by between You and Me! Head on over to their Etsy store for more information.

Him & me :: Mercy & Love ~ Free Printables

Sometimes the lightning bolt of inspiration comes crashing down in a flurry of pen to paper, thoughts scribbled and colors splashed down on the page all in a flash dash to empty the mind. 

Other times it is like waiting for it to rain. It looks like it might happen. It smells like it might start. It feels like it could begin to fall, but those darkened skies just hold out and will not shed a single drop. 

Sometimes, my inner artist is trying her hardest. Turning out ideas day and night. Most of them land on paper. Plans are made. Materials located are gathered together. Pieces printed, cut, ironed on, painted, sewn. And then the product is so ugly my inner human averts her eyes in detest. 

I used to think that was wasted failure. Now I think it is all progress. 

In the movie Finding Nemo, Dori the fish said, "Just keep swimming." I just keep going. I am learning to let go of the messy flops and move on. Remove the rubble and toss it. Purge my heart of disappointment, frustration and fear of failure. Lessons learned here people. You emerge from the dust one single step ahead. Another advancement along the path of life. The path that God meant you to follow, exactly. I am choosing to accept that "just right" path with my fabric shears in one hand, and paint brush and portfolio in the other. God is next to me, in me, and all around me. This journey is Him & me.

This can be a stencil. It can be a printable. It can be an iron on, if you want to flip it. Click here to get the PDF image. I'll be back after the long weekend with a brief print-on-fabric how-to.

I am also posting this one on the Stitch and Send Flickr Group here. If you are already sewing for the Stitch and Send, you can post your stitchery here too! If you aren't already participating, I'd so appreciate your help! I am collecting tote bags for charity and my goal is 200 by next month! Find out how you can help and more information here!

Oh, and while you are at it...here is another version...just for fun. (Note, I haven't fully refined it to be a stencil pattern...you'd have floaters...just cut out joined pieces to make this one a stencil. In the mean time, think, iron-on, or fabric printable.)

Have a wonderful Columbus Day weekend if you are here in the States! And a wonderful weekend besides if you are a bit further away!

Got a Sewing Addiction? How to Find the Cheap Fabric Fix

So, you've got a sewing addiction. That is why you popped over, no? Honesty can be the first step in recovery. *Shhhh, though* This article isn't about recovery. It's about...finding your next fix...on a budget! *ahem.*

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "addiction" as:

ad·dic·tion 
compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful

Let's begin by talking openly about addiction and start by replacing the elicit drugs in the dictionary definition with something more soothing such as the likes of: drapey lawn linen, organic cotton voile, or a few yards of a silky charmeuse.  I am almost sure vintage Vogue patterns, antique lace, and beautiful jacquard ribbons, could sooth even the edgiest of cravings. But please do jump in if your preferred *fix* isn't just listed out right here.

Perhaps we can bend the rules a little about that harmful part. Does spending hours on those narrow rolled hems and leaving late for appointments count as disruptive? Does cutting patterns take the place of cutting carrots for dinner? Does an obsession that overtakes bathroom breaks, favorite TV shows, and vital sleep count as an...addiction?

So, you've got a sewing addiction, and one that requires cash on a regular basis. It's a habit you've have a hard time kicking. So let's start kicking it now. (I mean kick the "requires cash" part, not the sewing addiction. Does this mean I'm an enabler?)

For starters, I'm sorry; I don't have time to scour the Internet looking for the best sales at 13 on-line outlets. I don't have time to cut all the coupons for the local stores nor rack up "frequent, preferred, VIP, elite, gold-member, buyer" points, for a $5 coupon off my 300th order.

I do have time for these few tactics which are usually how I get my cheap fabric fix. Do I come away with the most gorgeous this-season print hot off the line? No, most certainly not. Are any of these easy-peasy methods? No, some take time going through the racks, weeding out the bad stuff, the ugly stuff, and the no-way-under-the-sun stuff. But some of these adventures are way more interesting than cutting coupons and I can almost always come away with some fine fabrics, ribbons and notions I feel confident will feed my need.

**These ways may not all be applicable to you. And please use these methods with caution. A sewing addiction is nothing to play around with.**

*     *     *

Community Sales

Yard sales, church sales, estate sales, rummage sales, garage sales...do you notice a trend here?

Thrift
Salvation Army, Goodwill, Unique, thrift stores...look for big yardage in the form of linens, curtains, bedding, towels, etc. Sometimes I find kits, notions, and regular yardage here too.

A Sewer You Know
Mom, your aunt, your grandmother...who ever in your family, or circle of friends, likes to sew and is willing to share. My mom first sewing teacher. 40+ years of sewing; yeah has lots to share! *Ask first!*

The Closet of Someone You Know
My husband's closet. Shirt has a hole? Pants aren't in style any more? Make corduroy pants for a toddler. Make a hoodie vest for a four year old. A hint here; it helps to have a larger husband. Also request permission before you take.

Bedding and Linens
A discount sale in the bedding/curtain/table linen aisle of Walmart, Target, Bed-Bath and Beyond, Ross, Marshalls...and any other department store with a good selection of woven cotton prints. Remember to look for quality and thread count here!

Free Cycle
Did you know you can request items in addition to offering them?

Fabric Co-ops
Wanna know how these work? This thread does a great job explaining. Some posts in the thread say that the discounts aren't all that good after shipping and cutting fees and waiting months for your order, and I agree to an extent. However, from personal experience, I've found I can get fabrics like PUL from a co-op that I can't get from my local JoAnns. Or anywhere else retail in my area for that matter.

Discount Fabric Stores
My favorite store in New Hampshire is actually called Fabric Fix. They buy wholesale, sometimes discounted, from distributors and sell it all in their bare bones store front. You may have a strictly discount store near you.

Last Resort - Retail
If you can't resist those retail fabric stores, after-the-holiday-sales are your best bet to not get into some heavy budget trouble. Remember to venture in cautiously, with a coupon.

Keep your fabric fix healthy. Wash everything right when you get home. Use the hottest water allowable, dry it, press it, fold it neatly, and stash it.

The next time the sewing monster in you gets itchy and needs to bust out, peruse your stash and make something for charity, or something to give away, or a gift that says simply, "thank you kind person!" Or yes, you can make something for yourself too!

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Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

What If...We Each Had $5 To Give?

If you are here from Wild Olive, welcome! My name is Abbie and I am so honored to be working with Mollie on this project. My goal is to gather 200 beautiful totes for seniors, homeless individuals and needy families who will share an inspiring Thanksgiving Feast thanks to The Giving Heart of Richmond, VA. Even though my family is just making ends meet, I hope to use my time and talent to go above and beyond the traditional grocery tote and put a little hand-stitched beauty into the hands and heart of someone who needs it. I feel God is calling me to help care for His children, young and old. I hope you will come on this journey with me. (To find out more about how to donate a bag and other ways to help click here.) 



What if we each had $5 to give?

To give or to spend?

Is there a difference between "give" and "spend?"

Say, you would use the money for a charitable cause.
Could you spend $5 buying a dress for a homeless girl in Haiti?
Could you spend $5 buying a breakfast for an inner city boy who left home hungry that morning?
Yes.
You could spend $5 those ways.

Could you give $5 to an homeless girl in Haiti so she could buy a dress?
Could you give $5 to the inner city boy with an empty stomach so he could buy a meal?
Yes.
You could give your $5 for these reasons too.

What do you think the girl would really do with that money?
Do you think she would go without a new dress to buy food for her family?
Do you think she'd buy candy?

What do you think the boy would really do with that money?
Do you think he would go without breakfast to buy his mother a birthday present?
Do you think he'd buy a toy?

Are these good decisions?
Do you trust them to make these decisions?

My pulse quickened as I slowed the car to a stop. I was afraid when I leaned out my car window to gift a few bills to the bent man at the traffic intersection. He is holding a folded cardboard sign scrawled with "Need money for family" and his worn fingernails are dirty. Will he really use the money that way?

I got shaky hands when I left the grocery store with an extra sandwich and juice bottle in a plastic sack. When I extended that small thin bag of food to the gentleman with sunken eyes and filthy pants, I saw a glimmer in his eye. Could it be alcohol? Could it be disillusionment? 

He spoke in the most sincere voice I'd ever heard. Grace and love flew from his lips as he uttered, "Thank You.      I really need this."

As I continued along the sidewalk, heavy in my belly with a kicking infant, carrying my hand sewn grocery tote full of food, my 3 year old daughter asked me if we know that man. "No," I say. "No, we don't know him. But he looked hungry so we gave him food." With her hand tucked into mine she repeated my words quietly, "no, we don't know him but we gave him some food."

What if I had given him $5?
What if I had let him decide where to spend those five hundred pennies.

Did I doubt the goodness and honesty in these men?
Did I doubt the free will that is humanity?
Does sound judgement somehow come with only with prosperity?
Did I doubt that God lives in them and that He knows and loves them, and guides their hearts and actions?

What if I had given the $5 and simply trusted them?
What if we all trusted a little bit more?

If I trusted more would I become more open?

Would the gates of seclusion, competition, and envy melt away?

Can I put my faith in Christ Jesus and simply rest in that He alone determines whose actions are good and whose are evil.

If I left the judgement up to God, would I be able to see the purity in humanity more clearly?

If I left judgement up to God, could I put my faith more fully into God's hands?

Might I pull myself just a bit closer to Him by examining his works each day, grasping onto His grace, and recognizing His miracles.

What if each of us gave $5? Imagine where our hearts would lead. And where we would lead the hearts of others.

||   ||    ||

If you liked this post you may like: 
What IF...Each One of Us Gave a Little Bit More?  9-14-12
What If...There Were 25 Hours In A Day? 8-31-12

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Abbie Living and continue reading tips and thoughts about sewing, knitting, and crafting to create a better world.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

I Love You Jesus :: Free Embroidery Pattern

Just like the Love Falling embroidery pattern, the idea for this pattern popped into my head suddenly last week. 

I get ideas like that. They kind of sneak up on me and pop out when I am in the shower, or on the toilet, or taking something out of the oven while fending off a 16 month old who is precariously leaning on my left leg. In other words, these epiphanies like to peek out and say "hello" when I simply don't have a pencil and a slip of paper on which to capture them before they disappear into the oblivion of my foggy-mom-brain. Never to be seen or heard from again. Ever. It's sad really. Sometimes I believe that some of my greatest artistic moments slip by unaccounted for and drop off the cliff into the valley of great-ideas-that-were-never-to-be-had.

But I digress lamenting about my memory that functions like a sieve. This pattern, the I Love Jesus pattern, I took the liberty of adding some color. Mollie of Wild Olive just blogged a week of fabulous embroidery tinting ideas. You should visit for just a while to look at all her colorful photography. *It makes you want a new set of crayons.* Thank you Mollie!



So, you can tint the clouds, leave them white, or fill them with another such stitch. Fill the crosses, or not. I like them looking heavy. And the red lettering, well you certainly don't have to keep it red. Do what comes to you.

If you are so inclined, please consider stitching up one of these patterns on your next tote bag and donate it to the Giving Heart. I am gathering a goal of 200 handmade tote bags for their Thanksgiving Feast event when over 500 volunteers will be preparing supper for more than 3000 guests! Seniors, homeless individuals, and poor families receive a tote bag full of living essentials like toiletries, diapers, and non-perishable food stuffs. Please lend your time and talent and make a Giving Bag to someone in need. To find out more about my work with The Giving Heart, go here. Thank you!

Love Falling, Love Falling :: Free Embroidery Pattern

I don't recall where the inspiration came for this embroidery motif...Pinterest? a magazine? an Etsy shop? But lately I've been seeing lots of clouds, rain drops, rainbows, and suns coming out. It seems to me they all are pointing to a little bit of hope, faith, and light.

And although every artists' interpretation is a little different of course, in my mind, everyone is pointing to Jesus's love really. 

Isn't it He who is at the end and beginning of every rainbow? 

And love. Isn't that what Jesus is? 

Pure love...

Lately, I realized that I indeed have been very depressed. It may suffice to say that I've gone weeks at a time closed up in my home, venturing out only when absolutely necessary, doing things only when absolutely necessary and sleeping way more than is necessary. Nothing in this world seemed worth doing. And perhaps most importantly, I felt no love for myself, my family, or living life.

I raise the topic of depression only to say that I believe it may be in the past. Exercise. It helps. Magnesium supplements. They help. Prayer. It really helps.

Asking God for love makes the rain drops falling turn into love raining down. I find Jesus and love in the rain storms when I am low. And I find Jesus still there when the clouds part and the rains cease. There in the light that breaks through the dark clouds and comes streaming down, is love. HE is there at the beginning and the end of the rainbow.

In the spirit of making tote bags for the Giving Heart, I designed this simple embroidery pattern. You are welcome to use this easy pattern to stitch someone else a bit of love, hope, and light. 

(To find out more about donating reusable totes, click here. I surely need your help! My goal is to gather 200 handmade totes for seniors, the homeless, and the poor in Richmond, Virginia. )

NOTE: Although I created this pattern for embroidery, feel welcome to use it as a stencil motif as well. Just transfer this pattern to freezer paper, use an X-acto knife and cut around the pattern borders, iron on to your fabric tote, and stencil away. For other stencil patterns and tutorials click here and here.

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Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

What If...Each One of Us Gave Just a Little Bit More?

What if each one of us gave just a little bit more?

If you were giving to a charity,
what if you...
     gave away one more quarter
     posted one more Tweet for support
     sewed one more bag
     knit one more baby bootie
     called one more person on the list

If you were giving to a friend,
what if you...
  prayed one more prayer for them
     called once more, just to listen
     sent one more note to say hello
     gave one more complement
     said one more thank you


If you were giving to your significant other,
what if you...
     exchanged a kiss for one second longer
     held hands for one moment longer
     said I love you one more time
     looked them in the eye one bit longer


If you were giving to a child,
what if you...
     read one more book
     listened to them one more minute
     painted one more picture side-by-side
     shared one more laugh
     gave one more hug

What if each one of us gave just a little bit more?
Something small.
Tried a little bit harder.
Labored just a little bit longer.
Without promise of return in this life. 
What would happen to us, to our world?
Would we change? How?

What would happen in the hearts and minds of the recipients?
Would a flame ignite underneath a fire of giving?

What would happen within the spirits of those around us?
Would each one grow into prolific and passionate givers?

What would happen to our communities and our planet if each one of us gave just a little bit more, each day.

What would happen to each one of us?
Would we become better people?
Would we become better disciples of Christ?
Would we become a better world?

 If you liked this article and you want to see more, subscribe to 
Abbie Living to continue getting tips, tricks and thoughts about sewing, knitting, and crafting to create a better world.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

Can I Do It? 200 Tote Bags?

I've stepped off, and done it. I am working, in real life, with The Giving Heart of Richmond, Virginia.

My goal is to gather 200 sewn bags to donate to their Thanksgiving Feast event this year. Each year staff and over 500 community volunteers serve a truly festive Thanksgiving Feast to more than 3000 guests! At that event each guest receives a Giving Bag tote filled with toiletries, diapers, non-perishable food items, toys, hats and other living essentials. These tote bags go to seniors on limited incomes, homeless individuals and families who have come upon harder times.

Can you help me sew 200 bags?  Do you know someone else who can? I need your help! People in Richmond Virginia need your help!

You see, typically donors give grocery totes and canvas totes from professional conferences and the like. While these serve the Giving Bag purpose, I am imagining something bigger.

Imagine something better. How special would it be for an older senior to receive a beautiful, simple, tote bag made of colorful printed cotton canvas from you? 

Would you like to receive something just like that? I know I would and that is my aim: to go above and beyond and gift beauty, something genuine, and sturdy to a person who really needs a gift more than I. I want to give a gift that I'd feel honored to receive.

So how can you help? Firstly, you don't have to know how to sew...you simply need to want to give of your creativity.

For the beginner sewer, doesn't take long to make a tote bag. And it doesn't require much material either. If you are a sewer, you may even have some extra fabric already in your stash that you'd be willing to give.

For the non-sewer, grab a sturdy canvas tote and decorate it how you'd like. (Canvas totes are available at craft stores, or you may have one already.) Be creative. Adorn with passion. And remember these will be given to men, women and children.

If you are inspired and ready to take action and give, here is how you can help:
Sew a tote bag...or sew seven
Get a friend to sew a tote bag, or sew eight
Cast your net wide and pass along this post to someone who does sew
Blog it, e-mail it, Tweet it, post it on your Facebook page, and all the other social media ways you pass along the next best thing.
Pray for me. Only the Lord knows if I will succeed and what my success will be.

My goal is to gather 200 bags. If you can send me just one, we are well on our way to making that extra special gift happen for someone on Thanksgiving.

Need a tutorial? Here is a list of simple tote bag tutorials. Or visit my Pinterest page where I keep track of all the talent I am finding.

When you've got a package of totes pop it in the mail to me! (Go here for shipping information.)

200 totes by November 9! That is about 4 a day! Can I do it? Not without your help. I am talking totes for women, men and children! Make them large, make them small, make them pink make them purple, make new, or recycle...use your creativity! Your donated bags are appreciated already. Please spread the word, and don't forget to come back and check my progress! A very exciting update is to come in a couple of weeks! 

If you have other questions, comments for me, or if you would like help spread the word to your readers, friends, or group and inspire creativity e-mail me at abbieipark(at)gmail(dot)com.

Links I'm Loving :: fall crafting and a bit of inspiration and wisdom

It should feel like autumn no? It was 90+ degrees and humid outside this past week. And my son came home from school recess looking a little like a sweaty tomato.

My favorite season is fall. I love the way it smells, the way it sounds, and the way nature gets ready to tuck itself in for slumber. Acorns, felt fabrics, flannel sheets, apple pie, fresh pressed cider, and new knitting projects all signal to me days growing shorter, and nights cooler. I do however, have issue with pumpkin guts. I just can't get past the smell and the slime. But that bright orange smooth skin and funny green twisty stem, has me crafting these guys in a different way. More to come on that. But open one up? Not near me please.

So in the mindset of autumn, here are some nifty links I am loving...

Wonderful fall paper craft! Recycle those paper bags. From A Place For Us.

Witch-y silhouette Trick or Treat bag tutorial...from Positively Splendid.

This one is so inspiring! Can't wait to be a part of her next project. Congratulations on such a successful event! From Bits of Splendor...Project Hope.

 

Needed this read after a tough morning with my daughter...for the moms Choosing to Take Beauty from I Take Joy.

Newborns In Need

*Warning: This article introduction contains a bit of baby-birth-story information though I attempted to keep it tame.*

Goodness, this picture was taken four and a half years ago. It seems so long ago, yet I remember seeing my baby in that little incubator box, with tears in my eyes, like it was just moments ago. Little Miss surprised us all by coming early. She was a robust premie if you can even put those two words side by side. 5 pounds, 5 ounces. A tad more than 35 weeks.

I started bleeding in the morning and we wound up in the hospital, checked-in, by early afternoon. Four hours into labor, as the nurses outside our door were casting lots to see if we would end up in the OR for an emergency c-section. But Little Miss made her appearance there in that delivery room.

She seemed tiny. They took her first. She was breathing okay. After a bit she went to her daddy because I kept bleeding. The placenta delivered and we realized the abruption was more grave than we had seen on the ultra sound earlier. She and I were very lucky to still be here.

We went home after a few days, only to come back to the hospital for photo-therapy. Routine. Her brother had the same thing. Then the nurses found she was cold. Very cold. Whispering they rolled her little incubator away from us and out the door. Blood tests. IV lines. Spinal taps. Twice attempted. So many wires. Tubes. Beeping. They didn't know why her body was so cold. We felt worried. We felt empty scared.

She was admitted to NICU. And we had to go home.

We traveled an hour each way to visit our tiny daughter every day. We held her, tape, tubes, lines and all. We prayed, we talked to her, we rocked her...and we cried a lot.

She didn't have anything wrong with her. Her brain had just decided to not warm her little body. She only stayed a week and came home to us in the baby seat her brother had used.

We realized she needed premie clothing. Regular newborn size fanned out on her like flippers. She needed premie diapers. Newborn diapers fell down off her bottom. She needed premie everything. And we realized we needed a premie mindset and a premie heart to get through that time and then all the ups and downs that can come from being born a bit early.

My husband and I were so very lucky. We were surrounded by so much love, support, and compassion from the nursing staff, friends, and our families. We feel lucky that God led us through. He held our hands and walked right beside us when we needed it the most. And he blessed us with the wonderful soul Little Miss is today.

As I watch my premie-girl grow, I think about the babies born to so much less. Who is watching out for their needs? Who is helping mothers struggling? Sometimes no one. I ask myself, can I help? Can I be that one to support a baby? A new mother? In my heart, I know I am being called by God to do just that, help others in need. 

*          *          *

Newborns In Need (NIN) is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization with chapters across the country. NIN is dedicated to bringing love, support, and living essentials for babies born to poverty, especially the tiniest, who are born prematurely. Through NIN’s specific initiative, Sophie’s Place, special volunteers help give comfort to families grieving for their little one who did not survive. Donated clothing, formula, diapers and other essentials are distributed through local chapters to area agencies, hospitals, and shelters.

And now the bit for you the crafter...here is how you can help right now. NIN also greatly appreciates donations of fabric, thread, quilt batting, yarns and ribbons. Chapter Volunteers meet monthly to cut, sew, knit and crochet blankets for local babies who have little else. Please check their website for the specific types of materials they accept before making your donation. Send your donation to your local chapter, and sign up to be a volunteer to start making a difference.

If you feel compelled to give, visit their website to learn more about their other initiatives serving the needs of newborns across the country.

 If you liked this article and you want to see more, subscribe to 
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Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

Knots of Love - Bringing Warmth, Comfort and Dignity to People Around the Globe

I found this charity through the non-profit Knitting for Charity on Facebook.

Knots of Love is based in Costa Mesa, California. Their mission is to gather the volunteer efforts of knitters and crocheters making caps to bring warmth, comfort, and dignity to individuals who have lost their hair. To date, they have donated more than 100,000 caps to men, women, and children undergoing Chemotherapy, burn victims, brain surgery patients, head trauma patients, and individuals with Alopecia. Knots of Love partners with more than 400+ treatment facilities across the country, Canada, Mexico and overseas to deliver these caps of care to those who need them. Visit their FaceBook page for more information and to listen to the video testimonials of patients, care takers, and donors this charity has touched.

How you can help right now? 

From first hand experience I know that charities benefit from cash donations.

But if you are like me and you just don't have a lot of cash, you can donate your time and talent...and maybe a small part of your yarn stash. 

So get out those needles and a bit of yarn and knit or crochet a cap to warm the head and heart of someone who needs your love. Please print and fill out this form to send in with your donation and be sure to check their How to Donate page and List of yarns for guidelines for specific guidelines before you start your project.

Not sure which design to knit or crochet? There are over 40 patterns with terrific photos and clear pattern instructions to get you started.

You can even save on postage by checking their site to see if there is a cap drop location in your neck of the woods. If you have questions, e-mail them at christine(at)knotsoflove(dot)org.

And finally, go visit Chase Banks' Giving page. Starting September 6th, 2012, you can vote for Knots of Love to win a share of $5 million dollars for charity that will go a long way in helping their efforts to support our communities.

New beginnings and giving back

Knitting, knitting, knitting. At this moment, many of my needles hold projects in the making. I am working on a luxurious cashmere wrap for my mom for Christmas. Shhh, don't tell. It is a wonder to work with the ultra-soft yarn, but it is also a super duper simple pattern. Too simple if you ask me. It kind of puts me to sleep. I like something that exercises the brain. Math...oh, love math too. Hopefully this Christmas gift will make it in the mail this go around. (I purchased the kit of cashmere wool in time to make something for LAST Christmas, but somehow we didn't even have the time to cast on.) I hope that by starting before school starts, and that cool crisp-gotta get my knitting fingers in gear weather comes upon us, I might actually get to complete this project. Really now!

In other thoughts about giving back, knitting for charity, and the like, I found, via Facebook, this organization: KnittingforCharity.org. Has lots of information about different charities out there, free patterns for a variety of items, and lots of encouragement for the knitter wanting to donate his or her time to a good cause. They post national and local campaigns, and they get the word out year round. No seasonality here. (Just like knitting a cashmere wrap in the damp 103 degree Virginian heat of August.) The sites they link to are not always up-to-date...so contact the organizer before sending off your hard earned work.

Like I've said on my Giving Back page...these bits are primarily for me to keep track of where I've gone, and where I'm headed. I love crafting and creating of all sorts...and there are so many people out there who need the work of a solid seamstress. So if you are reading and you know of a charity that could use hand-made goods, knitted, crocheted, sewn, etc. Leave a comment! Thanks.