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So much need, so little time!

10/15/2015

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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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Fully lined jacket

7/9/2015

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This is the first time that I make a fully lined jacket.  It really was not as hard as I had thought it would be.  It did help that it had simple lines and the outer fabric is a double knit with a bit of stretch.  The lining is a cozy and soft flannel.

I have never liked the lining fabrics normally used in jackets.  They're cold when you first put the garment on, and stick to you if you are too warm.  So I decided to use flannel, which will be much more comfortable for a child to wear.

This jacket is about to be shipped to Pine Ridge, along with several other things.  The school principal is back and ready to receive warm clothing for her students.  This school goes from pre-K to 12th grade, so just about any child size will fit somebody.  For now, here are a couple of photos of the jacket:


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A few more things for my Pine Ridge family

6/10/2015

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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!


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Haiti -- Four years later

4/28/2015

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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:


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Cats are in! Vive les chatons!

5/31/2012

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At least in the crochet world, it seems that cats are the hottest item to make these days. I've come across some really cute patterns, cats of all shapes and colors. And the best part? No vet bills for those kitties!

Here are some links to get you started:

Kitties for adoption - you won't be able to resist those!

Colorful "Caity" Cat

Jack and Abi cats

Kyo Kitty has a Japanese flair

And for the more adventurous (read patient) ones of you, here's a beautiful chart for filet crocheting: Chart


Pour mes lecteurs francophones, voici un joli chaton facile et rapide.

Pour finir, des chatons tous doux au point fourrure qui peuvent meme devenir utiles (voyez au bas de la page).

Miaou?
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Busy bee

3/14/2012

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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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Yahoo Group makes Easter gifts for Pine Ridge Reservation

4/2/2011

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I belong to an awesome Yahoo group, and we decided to craft some things to benefit the children of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The project started as: "Let's make some hair scrunchies for the girls and send some combs for the boys!" Everyone was very enthusiastic and we all started looking at patterns. We all went through our Spring color yarns.
Hair scrunchies can be made in minutes. Most only require a couple of rows of crochet. Check out the patterns that Suzie, the group owner has published for this project! Click here, here, and here for some ideas.
After purchasing some hair elastics and combs, I suggested that just sending combs for the boys did not feel like sending them a gift. Some of us decided to make pouches for the combs. I made a few in crochet, but I was not very happy with them. Mainly, they had to be oversized, so the teeth of the combs would not catch as you slid the comb in or out of the pouch. I then turned to sewing and some sturdy Sunbrella yellow fabric.
Somewhere along the line, someone mentioned finger puppets and other small Easter gifts. 
I ended up with about 50 scrunchies of various colors, sizes, and designs. I added several finger duck puppets, a cute brush & comb set, some pencils, some hair "claws" (maybe for the older girls?), and some small treasures pouches (possibly some little boys would have a rock collection to keep in there).
This was an exciting project. There was no getting bored, as each scrunchie could be made in a different pattern, with different yarns and colors.

A few more photos can be seen here.

If you would like to learn more about the Pine Ridge Reservation, click here.
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Haiti project!

3/24/2011

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Well, after 6 weeks of sewing and crocheting (that's a word, right?), I've got a cute wardrobe to send to the babies in Haiti. Check out the photo gallery, Page 2. Click here to see it! 


I always love to make tiny outfits. This project was even more fun for me:
  1. I hadn't sewn so much in a long time. I don't know why. Just didn't happen. This reminded me how much I enjoy sewing.
  2. My usual sewing projects are pretty plain. When you live in the sub-tropics, and your kids are grown, you don't get to embellish much. Well, I don't, I have simple tastes. So, it was a lot of fun to add ribbons, flowers, tiny ruffles, etc. I even got to use a few decorative stitches!
  3. Haiti's climate is similar to ours, in South Florida. Hot, humid, sticky, sunny... did I say hot and humid? All my previous charity projects had been for cold areas (think -20F in Minnesota and kids without mittens out there, waiting for the school bus). This required quite a change of thinking. Warm booties? Thick afghans? Not needed. So there I go rummaging through the yarn on hand, looking for the thinnest, lightest I have. Out come the small crochet hooks. Think of airy, lacy stitches.

So now, all those have been washed, inspected for stray threads and pins, and I'm waiting for the last items to finish drying. Got to find a large box to send them off.

Enjoy little ones!
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    Agnes teaches

    A blog to teach, learn, and share. Brought to from South Florida.

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