My Second "Sewing to Make A Difference Project"

I have few girlfriends who I talk shop about sewing with and here is our blog: http://mommaswhosew.wordpress.com/ Well, we got together for our first Christmas exchange--the first of many I hope. We decided to sew each other suprise gifts. It was so cool because I got a few things I really would have purchased for myself. Alicia, who makes fabulouse, custom order twirly skirts for girls made Sara and I AWESOME pajama/lounge pants--they are so cute and comfortable. Sara made Alica and I amazing vintage button bracelets--she has a buisness making vintage button jewelry and sewing paper products. For them I sewed two different things: for Alicia who loves purple, I made a purple polkadot clutch from muse patterns--LOVE Shannon Richards patterns http://www.museonline.net/patterns/shop.htm As for Sara I made her a pair of upcycled mitts from recycled fabric. Our exchange was really a true highlight of my holidays--we got to eat at a great restaurant in downtown san mateo, talk shop and leave with presents--does it get any better than that for a sewing junkie?

Anyway, the mitts ended up leading to my second "Sewing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE project". I decided to make and sell the mitts and donate the proceeds to a local shelter. Each pair of upcylced mitts is made from recycled specialty wools and cashmere fabric, hand embroidered and finished with a gorgeouse vintage button. From each pair I sell, 75% of the proceeds will go to supporting a local shelter down town that helps low income families. After I put the word out, I was fortunate enough to get a few orders from dear family and friends(THANKS TRACY AND LIZ FOR BELIEVING IN ME AND THE PROJECT) over Christmas. The question I keep getting is, "why 75%"? For this particular project, it is my way of doing volunteering and activism. At this stage of my life--having two small children, one of whom has on going medical issues, going out and donating my time is not really possible--However,this project allows me to donate my time in a different capacity. By sewing the mitts and selling them to raise money for a shelter--I am donating my time to the shelter by sewing. I think the mitts also are symbolic because if you purchase a pair and your hands are warm--it is a reminder that your heart is kind because you bought something that will benifit families in need. Since I have a long history of volunteering, this project really brings me back to making me feel like I can try to do a small thing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE and stay connected to volunteering which has always been very important to me.

Handmade Christmas

So, our family is doing a handmade Christmas and now my little elves, Beech and Annie are old enough to put their own creative mark on their gifts too. We have been working together to make our gifts. For the cousins, we made decoupage wooden boxes. This was such a fun activity to do together because Beech loved the process of finding magazine pictures that worked for a boy and a girl. Then, after hunting for pictures, we started the layering process on the boxes. We would just put a few on at a time, then use the decoupage glue, let it dry and do more layers. The boxes came out beautifully. This week we will be working on home made chocolate and bath bombs. What is SO neat is that the idea of DIY Christmas seems to be the theme of most craft mags from Martha Stewart, Craft Stylish and even Womans Day and the coolest part is the message it sends to our kids--you can use your hands and heart to create a special gift for someone and you don't need a lot of money to make it.

It is good for the environment, it's good for the soul

I can't beleive it has been a few weeks since I have posted an update about what is going on in the studio. Well, the covers are in the works, I am still working on a final design, but really happy with how they are turning out. Our family is also working on a handmade Christmas--so I have had a very happy little 5 year old elf helping me to make family gifts. Speaking of gifts, I recently gave a set of recycled, handmade gloves to a sewing friend who loved them and put in an order for more so she could take them on her trip across the globe and give them away as a gift. So, the gloves got me thinking about how I could make more and apply them to MAKING A DIFFERENCE. So, in addition to the covers, I will be selling handmade, fingerless gloves made out of highend, recycled fabrics such as marino wool, cashmere and lambswool. I am also beating the streets looking for a shelter that I can donate a percentage of the proceeds to. This project will be called, "Warm Hands, Warm Heart". I spoke with a local shelter today and it looks like I may have found one. I will know more formally in January. For now, any gloves I sell will have a 5% donation that will go to a local shelter in San Mateo. Along the lines of reusing, I have also fallen madly in love with recycling adult clothing into clothes for my little Annie Pants. Recently, I have made her a few dresses and a skirt. Here are a few snapshots of my recycling adventures.