Gettin' My Sew On

The fourth Saturday meeting of Charitable Crafting was rather quiet. It was me. Don't get me wrong, I think people should have been spending time with their families on that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Or travelling, Or napping, for that matter. I - on the other hand - haven't been able to spend a lot of time sewing this semester, so that was perfect for me.

The Christmas Bags Project has been rolling along, and when I got there this morning the bag count was 32, and they are hanging up on the wall, so beautiful! Thanks to Misha, for providing some pictures that I didn't think of taking myself!

Here are some of the finished bags...

...hanging on a clothesline...

...in the textile room at Cruces Creatives!

Because it has been a while since I did an update, here are some of the things that have developed in past meetings:

Sarah and I cut out bag kits. Many of these are hanging on the wall now, but there are still kits available if you want one!

Did you know there was a bike shop at Cruces Creatives? Well there is, and several of the regulars there got together to make and donate 50 bike chain stars. Ornaments for the bags!

Toys - like these hand-made beauties - have been donated!

From this beginning, there are now 3 boxes of books! 

I am grateful to the point of almost overwhelmed by the generosity and giving spirits of the people who are supporting this project with their handwork and donations. I've also felt a little like I've been falling down on the job when there wasn't much finished that I could point to and say, "I made that!" So, along comes the fourth Saturday of November, and our project is only a couple of weeks to completion and donation to Jardin de los Ninos.

While I was happily sewing away, to some calming, happy music, someone came in and dropped off the bags she had sewn up. Five beautiful bags!

So colorful! And I recognized a couple of the kits from above, Yay!

I added them to the wall of bags, along with the two I managed to finish.

See, I liked that stripy fabric too!

Most of the children we are making the bags for, are pretty young, including several who are under the age of two, so I thought flannel blankets would be pretty useful for that group. Here are the ones I finished hemming yesterday...

So soft, and cuddly.

Along with some others that still need hems in (my to-do pile).

Who wouldn't love elephants or dinosaurs?

Pretty happy with the progress I personally made yesterday. Very happy with the progress that the Project has made - bag count now at 39! Very hopeful that the 50 bags goal is in reach. The additional socks and underwear donation is in the works, I believe. I've also been working on some cloth books for the youngest set of recipients. No pictures of those yet, either... The local SCA group has committed to making and donating toys for the project. Again, thanks to Misha, there are pictures of AWESOME wooden dragon puzzles!

Shire of Nahrun Kabirun makers of toys

 I know what you're thinking now... that sounds like a lot of stuff. What if you get more than you need for the 50 bags? (you've looked at the book donations, haven't you?) The plan is to donate any extra anything to Jardin to use, or donate to patrons, as they see fit. More books for their classroom libraries? Yes, please.

From full to empty: a journey of making.

One final thought. Progress is often measured in the product created. It can also - and as importantly be measured by the trail that creation has left. Something that I think of when I empty a spool of thread is all the work that empty spool represents, and that, too, is an accomplishment.

Charitable Crafting, Project 2

Fall is officially in the air, with the Autumnal Equinox. Time to get crafting for Christmas!

not the last things in the cut-out pile, but definitely falling out of season...

The first crafting project of making kids clothes for school is winding down. Yes I finished a couple more pairs of shorts, and there are a few other garments to collect, and donate, but it is time to look forward to the next project.

So, let me tell you about our next project! We are making tote bags, and then filling them for Jardin de los Ninos to give away to the families they serve. Jardin de los Ninos is an early childhood education center that serves homeless, and nearly homeless children and their families, here in Las Cruces. Every year they give some gifts to the children in their programs, and their siblings. This year they predict they will need gifts for about 50 children. Charitable Crafting is teaming up with Cruces Creatives Makerspace to provide those 50 children with gifts.

First step, tote bags. A cloth tote bag is a useful item for nearly anyone, and easy and fun to make.

pretty tote bags, already in progress

Like last time, the project has inspired someone to take flight. Sarah Jones has been working on a pattern, that she will post on the Cruces Creatives web site, for anyone interested in making (and hopefully donating) a tote bag to our efforts. Of course we won't require all totes to be the same size, but we are looking at 13" wide x 15" tall x 4" deep, or there about. We are also - if you can tell - not concentrating on Christmas-y totes, as we want our recipients to be able to use them year round. If you aren't sure how to make a tote, Sarah is also working on a beginner sewing class and the project will be, you guessed it, a tote bag. It's a great beginner project, really!

Sarah's latest tote, Love the floral!

Once the bags are made, we hope to fill them with a toy (preferably made by someone at Cruces Creatives, or the Charitable Crafting group), a book, and some socks, underwear and pajamas. For that Christmas touch, a Christmas Ornament will also be included. The bike shop got busy on ornaments for us, and on October 10th, this is happening...

Bike Chain Holiday Ornaments with VeloCruces

October 10th is also our next meeting. So I hope you can join us cutting out tote bags, or sewing one up! Did I say our goal was 50? It is! Do you need more inspiration? How about this bag made of linen and cute Winnie the Pooh fabric!

The cuteness!

Charitable Creating and Cruces Creatives

The first part of July saw a new makerspace in Las Cruces, called Cruces Creatives. Of course I was intrigued and excited to check it out. The space is large and full of possibilities, with areas for computer creation and 3D printing, audio and video production, a woodworking space, and a bicycle shop space. Most important - at least for me - is that there is also a textile space. If you've read my blog at all (and I won't feel bad if you haven't...) you know that I enjoy social crafting. You know, getting together with friends, or people who are becoming friends, to craft. What's not to like about a makerspace?!?! I joined up, of course.

Well, part of the thing about a makerspace is that they are looking for projects to occur in the space. So, when I passed the Gospel Rescue Mission Thrift Store, blackened and closed with boards over the windows, and read about the fire in the newspaper, and how the fire had damaged the clothing and school supplies that they had been collecting to distribute for the upcoming school year, I found inspiration. I went and pitched my project to the makerspace and they got excited. I wrote up a proposal for Charitable Crafting and set some dates in July for sewing kid's clothes, and asked for donations. Cruces Creatives put it on their calendar, and on Facebook. We even got a mention in the newspaper. Donations of fabrics and supplies started coming in. I was and continue to be pleasantly surprised (floored) by the generous response.

There were two crafting days in July, a Saturday morning, and a Wednesday evening, and we had 6 people at the first one, and about that many (although not all the same people) at the second meeting. We got busy sewing up what I had cut out in preparation, and then cutting out some other items as fabric inspired. I was able to donate at least 10 outfits before Gospel Rescue Mission had their before school starts distribution day.

Cutting and sewing at Cruces Creatives

  

Ironing as well
(I think that may be my good side...)

It was a small start, but it was definitely a start. Cruces Creatives were excited. Did I want to make the project a continuing event? Well, I could tell, that although the sewing turn-out was light, that people were interested. And we had successfully donated some kid's clothes to a good cause. If we had regular times and dates, who knows how our efforts could grow? So, we set some regular times. 2nd Wednesday, from 5-9 PM and 4th Saturday, from 9AM-1PM, in case you are interested, and want to come help out.

Some of our first group of finished garments donated.
Cat not included...

My friend, Cynthia Smith got inspired to create several outfits that made the first donation, and then she REALLY got busy, putting together kits of a t-shirt with some embellishment, and either shorts, capris, or a skirt. She approached the Las Colcheras Quilt Guild to see if they were interested in helping put together the kits. She handed out 30 kits! Some of the Las Colcheras Quilt Guild members stopped by on our most recent (today's) crafting day, and dropped of finished outfits and/or stayed to help sew!

That's a super cute jumper!

At this point we have 28 more outfits ready to donate, and even more that are in the works, still. I've had the pleasure and privilege to work with fine crafters, new and experienced. I've helped inspire, and in turn, I've been inspired. The community has given so that we could give to the community. Do I call this a win? YOU BET I DO!!

Ready for donation!