Cross-Stitch Love and a Challenge

One of my very favorite things to do is counted cross-stitch. But there's only so many you can do to display in your home or give as gifts! Even so, I have so many designs that I'd like to do and a huge love of doing them!

Here's where Love Quilts comes in. Love Quilts is a charity organization that makes quilts for children with life threatening or life long illnesses. The children or their parents choose a theme for their quilt and stitchers sign up with a design of their choosing that fits the theme. When all the cross-stitch blocks are finished and sent in (by a certain date), they are assembled into beautiful quilts and sent off to the child.

from the Love Quilts site

The parents keep in touch and send pictures so we can get to "know" the child. Sometimes angel wings appear next to a child's name, and that is always a sad thing. But the parents have that quilt, so lovingly made for their child, to remember and hang on to. (Oh my, tears are in my eyes...) And then there are the ones who get better and stronger and your heart just grows!

The block I just completed is for Caitlyn who will turn 6 in March (the same as my granddaughter) and her theme is the word "Love" along with hearts, flowers and the color purple somewhere on the square. I saw her and knew she was the one I wanted to cross-stitch for next! If you'd like to meet Caitlyn, you can click on her name and say howdy-do and a little prayer for her.

Can you see the "V" in Love coming through my magnifying glass?  

These are the colors I'm using -- I changed the colors from the original red/pink/blue to Caitlyn's colors of pink and purple.  And, yes, that's a shower curtain hook that my floss bobbins are on!

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That was the cross-stitch love, now for the challenge part of this post!

The February challenge for the Blogging Business Artisans (BBA) Etsy team was given to us by Edi of Memories for Life. She challenged us to create a love-themed item for the month of love. So a little girl named Caitlyn, and a love-filled challenge met in my cross-stitch hoop!

I'm part way though!

I so enjoyed stitching this piece! 

Finished!

I think the word "Love" is so sweet in this design and it fits perfectly for February, the month of love, and a sweet child who has a bunch of wonderful women stitching that love just for her.

I hope you'll visit the Love Quilts site and perhaps stitch something for a child yourself! 

And be sure to visit the BBA Blog to read about our team and our talented members. 

♥♥♥  Today I'm linking up my Love Cross-Stitch to Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound! Lots of lovely pinks over there!
♥♥♥  Also linking to Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different...Act Normal. Fun, fun, fun!!

♥♥

Special Olympics Scarves

Have you heard of the Special Olympics USA Scarf Project? It began in 2009 when Red Heart Yarns sponsored the project for the Special Olympic World Winter Games that were held in Boise, Idaho that year. The call went out for 5000 Red Heart Delft Blue and White scarves -- they ended up receiving almost 60,000 scarves from all the states and 12 different countries!

I have looked and looked for a photo of the scarf I made that year, but it's just not to be. I guess I lost it when my computer crashed. I made one that was the Delft Blue with white stars appliqued to each end.

In 2011, the scarf project went national and participating states hosted their own events, and put forth their own guidelines and "wish list" for the number of scarves they would like. Texas participates and I just sent off my scarves to Austin.

I was only able to make two scarves this year -- I think I waited too long to get started! Next year, I'll look for the color information earlier so that I can crochet a few more.

This year, the official colors were Cherry Red and Soft Navy in RH Super Saver, or Navy and Really Red in RH Soft which they added this year. I already the Super Saver on hand so went with that! I'm glad they added the RH Soft though -- I like it much better and will use it for future scarves.

This is an excellent project for knitting and crochet groups, church groups, Girl Scout Troops -- the list could go on and on. I hope that any of you who knit or crochet will consider becoming involved in this worthwhile project.

Information on the scarf program
If you click on "Media Resources" you will find photo galleries from this year and last year.
If you click on "Project Guidelines" you can see whether your state participates. This list might change from year to year.
The colors for the 2013 state games will be announced later this year.

I hope you will participate!!

♥♥♥ Today I am linking my scarves to Rednesday! hosted by It's a Very Cherry World. Hop on over to see some more awesome reds!


♥♥

Love and Smiles for Kids

Have you visited any new websites that you'd like to introduce us to? Everyone likes to find new places to visit!


That's one of the questions posed by Deb of The Storybeader for the current EtsyBloggers blog carnival. 


The sites that I am going to introduce are not really new -- but may be new to you.

Love Quilts is made up of a group of very talented, hard working and loving women who stitch and sew cross-stitch blocks into quilts for kids who have life-long or life-threatening illnesses.

As a stitcher, you can sign up for a certain child, or for "Charlotte's Kids" both of which have themes and deadlines. Or you can send in as many "any child" blocks as you'd like. These have basically any theme and no deadline! The stitchers are from all over the US and there are also Love Quilt groups in other countries.

It is very gratifying to stitch for Love Quilts. I've been involved for a long time - I think since 1999! 

I do remember how I started.....I used to work in a Hallmark shop and a shopper was looking for cow greeting cards. I was helping her and we got to talking. She was getting the cards to send to a young girl with a terminal illness and who loved cows -- through a site called "Make a Child Smile."  Anyway, Love Quilts was listed on that site and I knew I had found my place!

Which brings me to my second site to tell you about -- Make a Child Smile (MACS). You send encouraging cards (through snail mail because kids love to get mail!) to kids with life-threatening illnesses -- you can send one or as many as you like, and to however many children as you like. You can send little gifts if you choose, and they always post the names of any siblings so you can remember them too! 


So even if you cannot cross-stitch, you can still bring happiness to a sick child through MACS! Both are such worthy organizations and bring smiles to so many kids. If you look around both the sites, you will see the stories of the kids -- some will definitely make you cry, but your heart will grow and your life will be touched.


From the MACS site:


When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more blessed than you imagined. 
~Author Unknown




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It's Been Such a Long Time....But I'm Back Now!!

And one of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more! I know, I know -- if I was really serious about that, I would have posted on New Year's Day to usher in the New Year!! But, hey, I do what I can!  : )

I did promise that I would post pics of the hat and fingerless gloves I made (just so you know that I actually do crochet from time to time!!)

This is Noli's new bomber hat -- we picked out the colors with Noli in mind and then I found those cool flower buttons which matched perfectly.

And Stephanie really likes her fingerless gloves -- I liked this pattern because the ribbing is crocheted onto the glove part -- not sewn on afterward like some patterns. So no seam!!

I have finished my latest quilt square for Love Quilts -- it's for Tylynn who loves the sun, moon, stars and rainbows! If you'd like to meet her, click here. Isn't she a cutie?

My next cross-stitch project is for a theme of inspirational words and phrases for quilts made for any child (as opposed to a certain child). Several quilts are made from these squares so there are unlimited sign-ups. If you like to cross-stitch and want to help out, please check out the site. New stitchers are always welcomed with open arms and open hearts. ♥♥

And to end, here's a pic of Noli, up close and personal!! 

See ya soon!!

Purple Butterfly for Karon

I love to do cross-stitch. I love the outlining and embroidery at the end that just makes the stitching pop! So one way to combine this love with helping others is through Love Quilts -- a group of very talented and hard working and loving women who stitch and sew cross-stitch blocks into quilts for kids who have life-long or life-threatening illnesses.

This is my latest -- a butterfly for Karon. She loves purple, and butterflies.

Next, I will be stitching for Tylynn who loves rainbows, the sun, clouds, stars, planets and the moon! So mine will be a bright rainbow and sun over a cloud that says "Follow Your Dreams." I'll add some pics when I get some done -- haven't even started it yet!

And, just so you can see an example of a finished quilt, here's one that I contributed to from earlier this year. It was for Shane, who likes the great outdoors.

 This is what I stitched -- ducks in flight sampler

Finished quilt!

And, now, have a perfectly beautiful, purple butterfly kind of day!

Charity Auction for a Friend's Mother

Jody of Mojowoman Jewlery and Rebecca of Desert Diamond Crochet have opened their hearts to a Facebook friend (Erin) whose mother has been diagnosed with GMB brain cancer. Please take a moment to read Diane's story.  And this is the link to Erin's Facebook page where she shows jewelry she has made in support of her mother.

Jody came up with the idea for the auction, and Rebecca is so kindly hosting it. It is being held to raise funds to help Diane get to and from her daily radiation treatments (about 45 minutes one way to the hospital).

There are several ways to help: bid on a donated item, offer an item to be auctioned, or give a monetary donation. All of the information is on Rebecca's blog -- she has provided tabs across the top to easily bring you to each section.  There are also pictures of the donated items up for bid.  Rebecca has also posted these photos to her Facebook page so you can see them all at once.

There are some really beautiful handmade items ready to accept bids, and some bids already made. If you'd like to help out in any way, just go to Rebecca's blog for all the info. She will be adding new photos as items are donated, and keeping up-to-date on the bidding. Here, also, is a link to Jody's FB page.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and any bids or donations are welcome and appreciated!

Do You Click?

I click on each of these sites every day -- one click is all you need to do and it only takes seconds.  I have a link to the Animal Rescue Site on my toolbar -- that page has tabs across the top which take me to each of the other sites.  Click click and I'm on to the next tab.  You will see small ads for their site sponsors who are billed according to the number of clicks on the site and 100% of the advertising fees goes to their charitable partners. 

The more clicks, the more dollars raised!!

Please consider doing this daily to help out -- easy, easy, easy!  (Scroll down and click on the purple paw print.  That will take you to the Animal Rescue Site and all the other tabs.)  Of course, you can link to whichever one is your personal interest; I just start with the kitties and puppies.

Thanks for helping!

♥♥♥♥♥ Hearts for Haiti ♥♥♥♥♥

Do you know about the Etsy collective shop HeartsforHaiti ? It's made up of Etsy sellers who are donating their handmade, vintage and supply items to raise funds for the relief effort in Haiti. One hundred percent of the sales (minus fees) is being donated to Doctors Without Borders. So far, as of Tuesday the 26th, they had raised over $19,000! WOW!!

No telling how much it is now... the amount gets updated regularly so be sure to check in the shop announcement or on the blog.

Want to know a bit about the volunteers? Here's a link to the HeartsforHaiti blog.

I made a little crocheted card holder as my first donation. It would be perfect to enclose a Valentine gift card for your honey! Go see it here in the shop.


And here's something really fantastic: within just a few hours of listing it, it sold! So I've relisted and am now working on something else to donate.

It would be so wonderful if you could donate an item, or buy an item, to help support this great cause.

Cross Stitch Love

Cross stitch is one of my favorite things to do -- I just never have time to devote to it. I mostly stitch for the charity group Love Quilts (button over there on the side bar). They assemble cross-stitch blocks into beautiful quilts for children with life-long or life threatening diseases. The stitchers are from all over the world. There are also Love Quilt groups in other countries.

Unfortunately, due to a computer melt-down, I lost all of my pictures and so only have a few of the most recent ones to post. But here those are, and apologies for the tiny size -- these 3 came from the Love Quilt site and I can't seem to resize them. The Smile one actually came from my camera!

But, you get the idea!

I'm starting one now for a little boy in Texas (I try to always stitch for the Texans since that's where I live...) whose theme is the great outdoors. My design is of four different types of ducks. I haven't gotten far along enough to take pics, but will when you can tell what it is!

And, please, if you have any interest in cross-stitch, visit their site. You'll fall in love with the kids and maybe decide to stitch some blocks!

My Creative Space - well, not exactly... (and a freebie cross-stitch to finish)

You may remember this cross-stitch from here . I haven't gotten very far on it in a month.

This is a picture of it finished (in the pattern book).

I was making it for a charity I stitch for that makes blankets for children with terminal and life-long illnesses. You can check them out here. Anyway, each blanket has a deadline and there was no way I was going to make it this time. That's bad enough, but I really began to dislike the pattern and I know that I will never finish it, even for another child. I feel so guilty about this, but I've been talking long and hard to myself and have decided that I will just begin another one with no deadlines (where you don't sign up for a specific child) and go on with life. Also, I have a crochet blanket destined for Project Linus so I will finish up the loose ends (literally) on it and take it to my drop-off place.

Sorry this is so depressing, but I just feel so bad about it. I had decided that I would definitely, absolutely stitch for any child from Texas, and of course this one is -- so there you go, even more guilt...

Hey! I just had an idea -- if anyone reading this would like to finish it, I'll be happy to send it and a copy of the directions to you. It's on 14 count Aida, cut to 13"x13". I should add that I was only going to make the part with the fish bowl and the one cat on the right side so it would fit into the dimensions needed by Love Quilts. The fish bowl part is all half cross stitch. (You'll have to provide your own thread, however...)

Anyway, if you'd like it, please email me via the address on my profile page.

OK, time to get moving again. I'm going to go crochet some scarves and neck warmers for the shop. And then, very soon, start another cross-stitch.