Winter is coming in the North, and all my charity crafting friends are preparing lots of warm blankets, hats, and outfits to help out. Here are some of the things I've made.
Click on a photo to see it larger.
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If you're like me, you are sometimes overwhelmed by the needs of children and babies in the USA and other countries. I'm so busy sewing and knitting that I can't seem to find the time to post here.
Winter is coming in the North, and all my charity crafting friends are preparing lots of warm blankets, hats, and outfits to help out. Here are some of the things I've made. Click on a photo to see it larger.
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This is absolutely the easiest blanket I have ever made! I think it took me longer to get all the fabrics nice and flat than to sew them together.
I used 1 yard of each fabric. The top layer is a cute cotton print with teddy bears. The lining is a plain broadcloth, and you could use any cotton fabric such as quilt backing. The interlining is sandwiched between the two fabrics. I used a piece of flannel to give baby a little warmth. Before starting, make sure you have washed all the fabrics so they are already preshrunk when you lay them out. Put your three fabrics flat on a table or, if you're limber enough, on a clean floor. Pin all around, leaving a space of about 5" for turning. Stitch, clip the corners at a 45 degree angle. Turn over and stitch the opening closed. Done! I made myself NOT start anything new till I had completely finished several of the Summer outfits I had started. I intend to send those to my "adopted" family in Pine Ridge. The family has four children, three boys and one girl, all age 5 and under.
Armed with several size charts, I did my best to hopefully make clothes that will fit them and maybe have room to grow. The striped fabric is a knit that was quite uneven and was difficult to make and align the stripes. The little girl's outfit is made of a knit fabric that looks like denim but is more comfortable because it stretches. I really liked this fabric: it keeps its shape and looks like it won't show dirt too easily. Here are the photos! The knitting season is about over down in the hot sub-tropics. I can only knit at night and even then, it depends on the temperature. I wanted to share what I have so far to send to Cooper Hospital in New Jersey. I love the little diaper cover. I put a ruffle on the back, and the front has two buttons for easy opening and changing of baby.
For the past month or so, I have been focusing my charity crafting on the poorest of the great nation that we call the United States of America.
Can you even imagine an 80% unemployment rate? Living well below the poverty level, are a whole lot of elderly people and children. Plagued by low morale and illnesses, very cold weather (they had 12" of snow in late May!), and with no hope for improvements, those people need help. One of the projects to assist them is the Okini program. A heartbreaking list of DIRE needs is available online and you can choose to send them food, diapers, clothing, and money. You can sponsor a family on a regular basis, or just participate when you are able to spare a little something. When you look at the list, you will notice that they are asking for very basic items. This is a world where life is so different. There, going to the store for groceries is an agonizing moment where every penny is counted, obtaining a barely used pair of pants or a blanket without holes is a special treat, and having some propane to warm their poorly insulated home when it's -20F is a blessing. If you read their stories, be sure to have a box of tissues near you. If you are moved to help, the list can be found here. It is updated frequently so you can see at a glance what is needed. While I have sent some diapers, wipes, and a few other things, I have also started a box of nutritious non-perishable foods. By buying a few additional groceries every week, it is easy to quickly fill a box. I have also been knitting and sewing to fill a box of clothes for this Summer. Here's one of my latest outfits. It is done in knit fabrics so it should be comfy. I have found some wonderful stretch fabrics that can be for a boy or a girl. My "adopted" family has 4 children under the age of five, and I hope that they will like those. I will have more photos later on. While browsing on Ravelry in one of the many charity-oriented groups, I came across a thread to send baby items to a birthing center in Guatemala. Click on the link above if you're interested in sending a little donation. They accept newborn hats, socks, cocoons, and blankets. The project web site is here: Maya Midwifery
Somehow, I never seem to be able to mail small boxes. I try, I really do, to save on postage, but I always go over LOL! It's the blanket that took me over. But it turned out so cute with it's matching hat that I had to send it. Besides that, 3 cocoons with coordinating hats, and 5 little hats that used up yarn leftovers went in the box. Four years after disaster stroke Haiti, they are still among the poorest and neediest nations in the world. My favorite group, All Crafts For Charity, decided to devote a month of crafting to make much needed clothes. We made some pillowcase dresses and other Summer dresses for the little girls, and some shorts and tee-shirts for the boys.
This was great for me because their climate is similar to ours in South Florida. I am better acquainted with cotton and lightweight fabrics than with what is needed in cold climates. So, I put aside the knitting needles and got busy at the sewing machine. It reminded me of when my children were small, and I would make some of their clothes. As a matter of fact, the little airplane buttons were left over from when I made my son some overalls. If you like to sew, knit, or crochet, there are plenty of opportunities to lend your skills and to help out these innocent kids. Reservations in the USA are also always in need of clothing. If you're not sure how to get started, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. With the proverbial strength in numbers, the group collected a lot of outfits for those poor children. Here's my modest contribution: I know, it's been forever since I wrote something here. I have been extremely busy with a lot of projects. Many involving knitting or sewing for charity.
The thing is, when you live in a tropical climate, you have to do yarn crafts in the Winter. Or what passes for Winter. When the temperatures get up into the 90's, well, the yarn just does not slide on the needles, your hands get sweaty, and your lap is suffocating. That's when I wait till the wee hours when it's a tad cooler to do a few more rows. I do have a reserve of items. Actually, I have a large bag full of things, just so I'll have something to send out for our Summer projects. It's depressing to see all the needs and have nothing to send. Makes me feel bad. So, here I have a stash that I hope will help some babies in Texas, North Carolina, and other areas. Some of you know that I am in this wonderful online group called All Crafts For Charity. I love this group and the people in it! This group has been active for several years and the rules are exactly in sync with my personal feelings:
Ok, off the soapbox and let's have some photos. Several readers and friends have asked me why I didn't write any more. I have been really busy with work, family, house... the usual stuff. However, I have ensured that my charity work continued to provide, in a small way, to disadvantaged babies and adults. I've also gotten into more knitting this past few months. Photos can be seen on the Charity pages links, the latest being here: /charity-crafts-gallery---page-4.html
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