future

There's a future for Stitching Hope.


What's so funny is that I didn't even know about Stitching Hope two weeks ago.


More coming soon ... 

Stitching Hope: Haiti - the final product

Here are some detailed pictures of the Stitching Hope: Haiti quilt.  

This is the front, machine-quilted in a meandering pattern (you can see the effects of the quilting even though I didn't get a close-up picture):

And now the back of the quilt, that my sweet husband helped me design:

It has a small "wonky" log cabin square in the middle of a strip of navy blue print fabric.

Close-up of the square:

Right now, you all have donated $2775 towards Haiti relief - wowzers!  This shindig ends on Friday, so if you've been meaning to get your donation in go ahead and do it!  I never imagined it would get this big, and I am so excited to have such wonderful, generous friends!  Thank you all!

Thankful

Fact: one week has passed and Stitching Hope: Haiti is halfway done.
Fact: you all have donated over $2400.
Fact: you are awesome.
I can't wait to see where we end up.
I'm going to post some pictures of the quilt, including the back, which my husband helped me design.  The whole quilt just makes me think "picnic" or "build a tent fort in the living room."  If you win, and if you do either of those, you'll have to send me a picture!
I'm thankful for you all.  And I'm thankful that we didn't pledge to match every donation.
Yippee!

Stitching Hope: Haiti - keep it up!

$1,960!

Stitching Hope Update

I thought that maybe we could raise $100 for the project.  
I confess that I underestimated my AMAZING friends and family.
Turns out, we're three days into it and over $1000 (yes, you read that right) has been pledged.
I'm blown away.
Don't let that deter you from still entering the raffle.  The only way you're sure you're not going to win is if you don't enter at all.  And if you don't know me and don't want to send a stranger your $5, donate it to a charity of your choice for Haiti relief, and let me know!  You have absolutely nothing to lose, and a really awesome quilt to gain.  Plus, someone in Haiti will REALLY appreciate it!
I want to close this update with a good point that a friend of mine shared with me:
"i've spent some time talking to friends and reading news stories, and i have learned that the best thing we can do right now is donate money. haiti can only handle a certain number of people and guys like me have no skill set, but efforts ... to raise money and awareness are exactly what is needed right now."

Stitching Hope: A Haiti Relief Project

You are all aware of the devastation and destruction that has happened in Haiti due to Tuesday’s massive earthquake. For some, it may instill a sense of frustration or loss, even fear, at the scope of the damage and the poverty of a country so ill-equipped to handle it. The thought that keeps running through my mind is this: What can I do that will make a difference?

Well, I know I’m just one person but I’ve come up with a plan, and it involves you if you’re willing to jump on board. Please consider this effort to honor God and our fellow human beings as you decide what to do in response to the Haitian crisis.
I would like to raffle off a quilt.
For $5, you can have your name entered into the raffle. The winner will be chosen on Friday, January 29th, 2009 – that’s two weeks from now. If you donate $10. $15, $20, or more, your name will be entered into the raffle for that multiple of 5. All the money collected by January 29th will be donated to the Samaritan’s Purse Haiti Relief fund. Jesse and I are pledging to match every donation up to $100.  

Here are some logistics:  
1. Please mail your $5, $10, or whatever pledge to me. I don't want to give my address out on here, but if you contact me at I will send you my address.  Make sure you give me YOUR email address to be in touch with you.
2. I will NOT be able to give you any sort of tax-deduction letter/notice for this donation. HOWEVER, if you wish to have a tax deduction or desire your relief dollars to be funneled through another channel, donate to the relief agency of your choice and then let me know. I will treat it as if you entered my raffle.  
3. Likewise, if you want to pledge but find that you can’t get your money to me in time, let me know and I will assume you’ve entered the raffle based on your pledge.  
4. I chose Samaritan’s Purse for a couple of reasons. First, with the organization’s international reach and community involvement, they were among the first responders to the crisis. Second, I believe that through meeting the practical needs for water, shelter, and food for the people of Haiti, they are living out the Gospel in a very tangible way. Third, they are a hometown agency for me, since they are based in Boone, North Carolina. If you’d like to donate directly to Samaritan’s Purse or see what they are doing in Haiti right now, check out this link: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/Haiti_Donation/  

One quilt may not change the world, but I think that if we come together then we can have an impact. I've lived in a country where the majority of people live on less than $1 a day, and many of you know as well how far our American dollars can stretch in developing nations. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I really do believe that our meager $5 may be exactly what one child, one family, one neighborhood, or one village needs to make it one more day.  

The quilt measures approximately 75”x74” and is patterned in the “log cabin” style. Snuggle up on the couch in the winter or use it as a picnic blanket in the summer – it is made from new and repurposed materials and is up for lots of use. It is 100% machine washable, and will grow softer with use! I machine quilted it in a meandering pattern and hand-stitched the binding in place. Just think: this may be the only chance you ever have for getting a lovingly handmade quilt for just $5! 

Encourage your friends to donate too!  Pass along this link to anyone else you feel may be interested in joining the cause!