March Challenge of the Month

Since being introduced to  SAGA’s Wee Care program, service work to preemies, I have become attached, and you could even say burdened, for such an awesome ministry. Wee Care is designed to offer beautiful, tiny clothing for babies who die at birth or shortly after. You can read more about Wee Care on SAGA’s website, here. SAGA offers free downloads for smocked preemie bishops and smocking plate.

I make preemie outfits with much love and prayer. Prayer for the babies to make it and prayer for the parents that they will be brought through such a trying time.

March’s Challenge of the Month will be dedicated to:

Petite Heirlooms

For each item that you submit to our contest and donate to a local hospital/charity for preemies, you will be entered in a drawing to win a Preemie Package. This package will include:

Baby Daygowns Book IV, by Ginger Snaps

Bunny’s Knit Nightie, by Children’s Corner

5/8 yd. each Pink, Blue, White, Maise Pima Batiste

5/8 yd. Pink Sea Island Pointelle Knit

Simply email pictures of your finished preemie items to us including the number of items, your name and address. Drawing will be held on April 14.

Other Charity Service Programs:

Touching Little Lives

Care Wear

Newborns in Need

Threads of Love

 

Here are some links to free patterns to get you started:

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mcshelpsite/sewingstuff/freepatterns.html/#charity

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/preemies.html

http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/sewing.html

http://www.carewear.org/index.cfm?pid=patterns/sew/_sewing_patterns.cfm

http://www.newbornsinneed.org/html/sewing_patterns.html

http://www.threadsoflove.org/default.asp?id=3

 

Cactus Cablers’ offer free downloads of their newsletters, many including preemie patterns and smocking plates.

http://www.cactuscablers.org/E-Newsletter/E-Newsletter.html

1st entry-January COTM

My first completed UFO this year is an LSU bishop. This is a 3 month bishop smocked using three different plates. The top row is from The Pep Rally. The center scallop is from Candle Glow. The tiger is Tiny Tigers by Fancy Stitches.

 
I used Fabric Finders’ Pima Cotton 60 “ Gingham in Grape. This fabric pleats wonderfully. It is a good choice for picture smocking as the pleats are crisp and plump.

I am adding this first entry of the January Challenge of the Month to the Princess Designs Flickr Gallery. The January COTM deadline is February 15. The prize drawing will be held February 16.

January Challenge of the Month

Taking stock of life seems to be the requirement at the dawning of each new year.  Taking stock of my sewing “life” is always high on my priority list.  I pulled out some of my UFO’s and gave a lot of thought as to why I have so many.  It is hard to admit that my biggest reasons for having so many UFO’s is perfectionism and fear.  I get stuck on a project and instead of working through the problem, I just put it away.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Here are a few of my UFO’s:

Perfectionism and fear are taking up a lot of space in my sewing room!  I have organized the projects into three categories:  projects that I don’t love anymore (I look at some of them and wonder, “What was I thinking?!”), kits that need to be finished, and projects that need a solution.  I do not think that I will never have another UFO as long as I live but, I do think that I can overcome the perfectionism and fear that hampers my creativity.

So why do you have UFO’s?  We all have a reason.

January’s theme is:  Conquering the UFO!

Email photos of your finished UFO’s to me.  You can enter the COTM as many times as you like.

2009 Challenge of the Month

The Guidelines:
This year we will post a theme each month that will be the Challenge of the Month. I will post the theme by the 15th of each month and you will have until the 15th of the following month to submit photos of your finished projects. Email your photos to me and I will post them to the monthly gallery. A random winner will be chosen after the deadline each month. Feel free to snag our button for your blog and email your link to us.  We will keep a running list of participating blogs.