Happy New Year Everyone!! 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  It’s always so wonderful getting together with family and friends, sharing stories, giving gifts.

Please join us this year for fun, fellowship, and making blankets, pillowcases, and other projects to give to those in need.  We have fabric and yarn, and plenty of patterns.

We meet on the second Saturday of each month (most of the time!) from 9:30am until 12:30pm, but the room is available until 2:00pm.  We will occasionally have special projects in which you may participate if you choose.  We will occasionally have a pitch-in brunch.  We will always have fun, sharing, and fellowship!

Welcome!

Mother’s Day is right around the corner on May 8th – and so is the Baby Dedication!
We will be giving each baby (and family) one of our beautiful hand-made baby blankets.  If you have any blankets to donate, please bring them Sunday, April 30th; or you can bring them to the Welcome Desk anytime this coming week by 3 PM on Thursday, May 5th.
We will be getting them ready by first taking a picture of each blanket, then tying them with a bow and a card saying they are from members of Hand Crafting for Christ.
The remaining blankets will be donated to Life Centers to be given to their expectant Moms.
Thank you for your generosity and giving!

Well, December is full of shopping, partying, your children’s (or grandchildren’s) Christmas programs, and all the things that go along with getting ready for Christmas.  So, if you have the day free, please join us for our Creative Workshop on December 13th, from 9:30 am to, well, when we finish lunch!  We are having a pitch-in this month, so bring something to share – a main dish, salad (veggie or fruit), bread, and/or dessert, your choice!  If you have something extra special you would like to share, that would be wonderful!

Your Choice!  This month we’re doing things a little differently.  We’ll start the morning working on whatever you would like to do.  If you would like instruction on a particular project or technique, please ask!  After all, this month is Your Choice!  Around noon, we will break for lunch and fellowship.  After lunch, we’re done for the day.

Choices (can be sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, or bookmarks):
* a project you would like to finish
* a technique you would like to learn
* a technique you would like to refine
* you’re ‘stuck’ on _________ and would like help
* instruction on something you haven’t had a chance to start yet
* please fill in the blank: I want to ________________

If you’re not able to come this month, don’t worry, we’ll start up again in January with Lessons on an assortment of Projects.  We’ve only just started planning on what we’re going to be doing next year.  If you have something in particular you would like us to do Lessons on, please ask, we welcome suggestions!

The Fall colors are here -reds, oranges, yellows – it’s beautiful!  Are you ready for our next Creative Workshop?  It’s here – coming up on October 11th from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, and please bring your lunch!

We had a good turnout for our Pillowcase Marathon – thank you to all who helped out!  We’re almost at that 100 count, so if you have some you have finished, please bring them in.

Do you have a better grasp on how to size hats in knitting and crochet?  Great!  Get ready for the next lesson!

Sewing Lesson: We’re going to make Heart Pillows for Riverview Cancer Center!  These are both comforting and functional.  You can use a variety of fabrics that are soft to the touch: cotton, fleece, microfiber, flannel, or velvet.

You will need two 16″ x 20″ pieces of washable fabric; please prewash ahead of time.  The two fabrics don’t have to be the same, and you can play with fun and cheerful combinations.  Plus bring coordinating thread to match.  We will also have some fabric ready for you to use.

Because of Copyright, we can’t post the pattern on the website, but it will be available at our Creative Workshop.

Knit / Crochet Lesson: Granny Squares – The Basics

Materials:
2 – 4 colors of worsted weight (group 4) yarn
Size G, H, and I crochet hooks

We will go over the basics of the granny square, including how to make it square, good corners, changing colors, and the finishing round. Granny squares can be made in multiple colors or even just one! Great way to use up those odds and ends, leftovers, and scraps of yarn. We will discuss the many uses of granny squares – from scarves to sweaters and everything else in between.

Bookmarks: Bookmarks for the women at Wheeler Mission.  We’re starting to get quite a few of them, thank you for your help!  We’ve had fun, and created some unique and pretty bookmarks!  If you would like to try something very easy and creative with no skill required, this is for you!  Supplies and materials will be provided, just bring your willingness and imagination!

I’ve had quite a few hats/scarves turned in this week – thank you for all your hard work!!    I know there are a couple people who are finishing some hats & scarves, which have already been counted.   Please email me with your final numbers, grade & gender included.

Here’s the numbers for Jireh Sports that we still need:

Boys grades 1-3: we need 1 more hat & scarf set
Boys grades 4-6: we need 2 more hat & scarf sets
Boys Jr/Sr high: we need 5 more hats

Girls: we’re done!

Remember, we need to have all the hats & scarves turned in by Dec. 4th or 5th at the absolute latest!  We have the Wrapping Party on Dec. 8th from 12:30 – 2:00 pm, wrapping paper, tape and lunch provided.  Please RSVP if you are attending.

Here’s the numbers for Wheeler Mission that we still need:

Some more hat & scarf sets.   We don’t need a specific number, but it would be good if we have some more.  If you would like to make some fleece ones, I have more fleece, especially for women.  If you would like to complete sets by making a knit/crochet hat or scarf coordinating with ones that we already have, please email me.

BTW, please check out the Gallery page for more pics!  New ones have been added recently!

OK, there seems to be confusion about the Hats & Scarves for Jireh.   Yes, I’ve been confused too!   Yesterday, I sent out an email, saying that we’re almost there.  Then Today, I got the final total for Jireh Sports.   The total needed is more than we had anticipated (92 total).    This is where the confusion started…..

So I would like to clear up this confusion.   Here’s the details:

• First, we need to have all the hats & scarves turned in by Dec. 4th, or Dec. 5th at the absolute latest (time to sort them and have them ready for Wrapping Party)
• The Wrapping Party is on Dec. 8th, 12:30-200 pm, wrapping paper, tape and pizza provided; please RSVP by Dec 4th if attending
• Please follow the parameters outlined on the Current Projects page:

1. Elementary grades: hat & scarf sets  (we need ones for boys, esp 1-3 grade)
2. Jr & Sr high girls: scarves only (at the moment, I think we’re OK on girl’s scarves – we do have some extras)
3. Jr & Sr high boys: hats only (we need a few more)

Important!  Since we only have 2 weeks, would everyone please call or email me ASAP with:

• How many hats and/or scarves you have finished
• How many more hats and or scarves you plan to make
• Please include gender and grade

I will update this page when I have more specific numbers, as I don’t have all the finished ones yet.

Please, if you have questions, email me, or use the Contact page to send me a note.  Thank you for your patience, understanding and enthusiasm on this huge project!

• Thank you all for your hard work!   We have a lot of hats/scarves done!   There are some people who are finishing up the sets we were working on Saturday at the Workshop.

• We also could use more hat/scarf sets for the women at Wheeler   If anyone would be interested in trying to make knit or crochet hats to match some of the scarves we already have, please contact me!

• We need a few more sets for boys, grades 1-3, although I know there are 2 people working on those.  

Reminder:  We are having a Wrapping Party to get all the hats/scarves wrapped for the children at Jireh.  If you are available, you are invited to come help.   We have coordinated with Jon Vance and the small groups; some have signed up already!   Here’s the details:

• Sunday, December 8th from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm in the gym

• Wrapping paper and tape will be provided by LOTS

• Pizza will be provided by LOTS

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP with the number of people by December 4th, so we will know how many will be there, and can order the right amount of pizza.

Thank you for your enthusiasm!

This month we are finalizing the sorting / sizing of hats & scarves for Jireh Sports, and the hats / scarves / mittens for Wheeler Mission.   We have the gender / size list, so we will be requesting certain sizes to “fill in the gaps”.  We will have the final list in the next couple of weeks.  We can also share the ones everyone has made for new ideas (in case you’ve made the same hat 6 times, and want to try something new!)

Patterns will be available, and we will do demos.   If there is a particular pattern you would like demo’d, or are wanting help, we will happy to do so!   We can help with sewing, quilting, knitting or crochet.

If time allows, we will start on the Christmas stockings for the children at Wheeler Mission, and will have a pattern available if you want to get started on them.   They will be smaller stockings, since all the children there are infant to toddler ages.  The basic pattern will be using Christmas fabric and coordinating solids and prints; with contrasting cuffs, toes & heels, if desired; and crazy patch if there’s interest.   We will only need 18-20.  For this project, fabric ones will work best, and please pre-wash your fabrics in warm water, and dry your fabric in the dryer to preshrink it.   We will be finishing the stockings in December.

We’ll meet from 9:30 to 2:00, please bring your lunch, and bring your projects to work on, including all your necessary materials, supplies and equipment!  If you have something you especially want to work on this session, let us know, and we will help.   Also if there is anything you are interested in learning, please let us know!   Here are the Current Projects you can be actively working on!

Everyone brought in quite a few hats and scarves!  Thank you!  I don’t have totals yet, but there is a lot of variety of both colors and sizes.  Great!  If you have more, please bring them and put them in the donation box behind the Welcome Desk at HDCC.

I’m trying to make it easier to find what you want on the website!

First, find your favorite project on the Current Projects page.  NEW!

Then, go to the Patterns page.  All patterns have been incorporated into these 3 categories: Sewing & Quilting; Knitting; Crochet.  So, for example, if you want to make a crochet cancer hat, go to the Crochet pattern page, then look at the boxes, and you will find the patterns in a pink box on the upper right.  Do you have questions?  Please send me an email via the Contact page!  UPDATED!

Do you want to see what we’ve done so far?  Go to the Previous Projects page.  (BTW, that’s where you are right now!)

If you would like to see pictures of what we’ve already made, go to the Gallery page.  Here you can see thumbnail pics, and if you click on one, it will pop up to a larger image, and you can scroll through the pictures by clicking on the arrows in the lower corners.

Want to learn more?   Find out more About Us, and see our Mission Statement.  See the Missions We Support by making gifts for them. UPDATED!