A BIG Pillowcase Finish!!!

26 pillowcases finished for our 4th Quarter Project!!!!

 Puppets up next!

This is such FUN sewing!!!!

Join us and sew along for our special year end project!

Get all the details HERE!!!!

 

My 1st pillowcases finished for 4th Quarter Project

 The past week has been a bit of a blur around here.....just a busy spurt of life I suppose. :) Nonetheless, I'm finally sitting down to share with you my first stack of pillowcases finished for our projects. 

 These were made using the last of the fabric provided by Abbey Lane Quilts. I used a combination of a couple of free pillowcase tutorials on my Pillow Talk pin board and think they turned out just adorable! They were quick to make too. Each has a coordinating cuff and accent band.

Working on getting another stack cut up and ready to sew!

Card Party - Party With US!!!!

I absolutely LOVE IT when one of the readers and participants at Hopeful Threads has an idea of how to touch lives and make a project even better!!!! This exciting opportunity is a perfect example! My friend Cheryl from SimplyShoeboxes.com had this great idea to shower our little buddy Elijah James with cards! Whether you are sewing along with us for our 4th Quarter Project already or not, this is certainly a very special way you can participate in bringing some extra big smiles to an extra special boy and his family!!!! 

Read more from Cheryl here.....

Have you ever seen reports of someone receiving hundreds or thousands of cards thru a card party?  Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in one?  Well today you do and here is your invitation:

Eli has been thru so much since his birth and yet he continues to smile and encourage others.  I recently spent time getting to know him thru his Facebook page and found a post by his mother stating "he had 19 surgical procedures during 8 trips to the OR in 3 months" this past summer. This image below was after the last one.  If only I could smile like this thru my own trials.

This December Eli will bring encouragement by delivering the pillowcases and puppets we are sewing to give to other kids spending time in the hospital.  How fun it will be to surprise him with encouragement thru a bounty of cards!  You can mail your card with your pillowcases and/or puppets or just mail one separately.  Even if you are unable to participate in the 4th Quarter Sewing Project here on Hopeful Threads you can participate by sending a card to brighten Eli's day.

Eli's fourth birthday will be in December which provides us with an additional type of card to send.  Any of the following cards will be great:

• Birthday
• Christmas
• Thinking of You

Maybe you know others who would like to send a card.  Perhaps even a group of children at school, church or in a club would like to make cards to send.  Please share your invitation with them!!!  They will be blessed as they bless Eli.

Mail your cards to:

Echelon Florist

Attn: Elijah James Card Party

1260 Rocky Hill Road

Knoxville, TN   37919

THANK YOU ALL for your interest and desire to GIVE BACK in big ways!!!!

And THANK YOU Cheryl for this wonderful idea and your initiative to put it all together! Can't wait to get my crew making some fun cards for our little friend! 

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.

2014 - 4th Quarter Project Announcement.....Are You READY???

I can hardly believe I'm typing this, but this is the FINAL Hopeful Threads' project of 2014.

We've had a great year sewing and filling bags for children in foster care, also, collecting stuffed friends for them and sewing for families facing unplanned pregnancies, but we aren't finished yet!!! Our 4th Quarter Project is another very special sewing opportunity that I would LOVE to have your help with!

For the 4th Quarter Project, we will be sewing Pillowcases & Puppets to be delivered to our Children's Hospital. And this won't just be a normal delivery by me and my family. No, we have a very special lil' fella and his AWESOME family delivering the goodies for us this time!

That's right! We are privileged to have my little buddy Elijah James and his incredible big sister Sky delivering our goodies for us this time!!! This is truly one of the most AMAZING and CARING families I know! What a regular inspiration they are to my family and we are so grateful!

If you've not read about "Super Eli" here before, let me share a bit with you.

Eli is one of those people that defeats the odds. Like, blows them out of the water really.

He was born with the most severe form of Spina Bifida, called Rachischisis, and was given 0% chance for survival. His family had been preparing to say goodbye to him the same day they would meet him. God had different plans. Eli will be celebrating his 4th birthday this December. 

 This child is such an amazing delight!!!!

The contagious joy of this family is something you'll never forget. They overcome obstacles most of us can't even imagine, on a daily basis, and do so full of life and love. The picture above was taken just this week as Eli was in the hospital recovering from surgery. :) I hope you'll take the time to visit his facebook page and get to know them all better......I can guarantee that you'll be glad you did! 

Ok. To the project details. Being that December is a family focused month with lots of celebrations and travel for many, the 

4th Quarter Project will only be active for October and November. 

We will spend October and November sewing our Pillowcase & Puppet gifts, and I ask that they be shipped by December 1st to allow for me to get everything together and to Eli & Sky for them to deliver mid-month...in time for Christmas and in celebration of his 4th Birthday!

You can find a collection of pillowcase patterns & tutorials on my "Pillow Talk" pinterest board HERE.

You can find loads of inspiration, patterns and tutorials for puppets of all kinds on my "Handmade Soft Toys" board HERE.

Ok....to recap....

WHAT?: Sewing Pillowcases & Puppets

WHY?: Donations to Children's Hospital in honor of Elijah James

WHEN?: October & November 2014 (Please ship by December 1st)

Find sewing inspiration HERE, and add your donation pictures HERE.

SHIP TO: Kristy Smith

c/o Echelon Florist

1260 Rocky Hill Road

Knoxville, TN 37919 

So, grab the button, spread the word and let's make this a Project to remember!

As always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to EMAIL ME at anytime!

Thank you in advance for sewing with me for this very special year end project, I know it's going to be GREAT!

You can learn more about Spina Bifida at the Spina Bifida Association HERE.

And, if you are interested in showing your support by becoming a part of "Team Eli" you can follow his facebook page HERE and check out his gear HERE!