February

In the month of February, things got crazy busy for us. I don't know quite what it was that made things so crazy: increased administration tasks at work, a bunch of yearly check-ups and dentist appointments, Aaron suddenly working more because of the short-term class. But, whatever caused it, things got nuts.

I was grateful, therefore, that I had selected a fairly straightforward project and had purchased the materials already. Because of this, I was able to get right to work.

In February, I did a project for Project Linus, which gives blankets to children in need, such as poorly newborns or those who have been put in foster care.

For this project, I serged the edge of four fleece blankets (as per their instructions on their website about what to do with fleece). Each blanket was sized for a crib blanket, so they will probably go to babies. Here's a picture of my blankets (it includes the white behind, which was a blanket):

This was a fast project, but very satisfying. I hope they help to warm the hearts of the children who get them!

If you wish to help out Project Linus in your area, or if you wish to find out more about this amazing organization, please click here: http://www.projectlinus.org/chapter.php?StateKey=CA

January Project

So, things have gotten a bit busy and I haven't had the opportunity to update on my January project.

In January, I worked for Empower Women in Africa, where I made 13 different feminine hygiene pads and 40 different inserts. Each pad requires 3 inserts to make it a "complete set," so I had to do many more of those than the actual pad. Still, for this I broke out my serger sewing machine for the first time and, voila, it was pretty much a snap from there.

Well, actually it took me nearly 3 hours a night for three weeks to complete all the cutting, pinning, and sewing, but I was really proud of what I did. Here are some pictures of it:

Each girl gets 3 pads and 9 inserts, meaning that I helped 4 girls in Africa get a complete set with the work I did here. I LOVED doing this project, and I felt wonderful being able to help my fellow sisters have a more comfortable monthly experience.

Plus, now that I know how to make them, I'm tempted to make several for my 72-hour kit. After all, they're washable, reusable, and practical. Who could say no?

If you want to learn how to make these, or to help out, just click here to get more info: http://empowerwomeninafrica.com/get-involved/