Charity Sew In April 6 - AHOPE

Last month I received an email from my friend Kerry asking me if I wanted to be part of something special.  I thought I had won a trillion dollars from a far away prince or was being recruited to sell Amway.  Kerry was inviting me to join her Ethiopia Upcyling sewing team.  Ethiopia Upcycling sewing team is a wonderful group of ladies who sew year round making all sorts of items to sell on Etsy to benefit HIV orphans in Ethoipia.  Last year they raised $5000 to benefit AHOPE.

More information about AHOPE can be found here - http://www.ahopeforchildren.org/.

Kerry and I share a fondness about adoption.  Kerry adopted her second child, Tay from Ethiopia and I'm adopted.  We both have girls born in late Spring of 2008 which is how we met.  You can read about Kerry's journey to Ethiopia and how this group got founded.

Scott, Piper, Tay and Kerry

I have been collecting burlap coffee bean bags from roasters around Houston.  Kerry and Megan (who is also involved in Ethiopia Upcycle Sewing Team) sent me bags.

You can read about Megan's adoption journey and life with her kids here:   www.blueberrybuzz.wordpress.com.

Some other sweet adoption blogs are Findingmagnolia.com, motherparadox.blogspot.com, and kevindhendricks.com/abby and you will see why adoption is a tie that binds people together. 

The Houston Modern Quilt Guild has decided to be part of this wonderful team.

A few pictures of last year's projects:

Stockings

Tote Bag

Burlap Coffee Bean Bag

Ideas for the burlap coffee bean bags include yoga mats, bags, pouches, pillows... anything you can imagine and sew.  The only requirement is that the item have burlap incorporated.

I have 16 burlap coffee bean bags.  The HMQG has a charity sew-in scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2013 to make items to benefit AHOPE and our ongoing efforts to make wheel chair lap quilts for elderly in nursing homes.

Where: St. Martins Episcopal Church
717 Sage, Houston

Time: 10 am until 4 pm

Items due for AHOPE sewing is August 31, 2013.

Helpful Links for Sewing Burlap:
http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2012/05/washing-and-cutting-burlap.html

http://paintedfurnitureideas.com/how-to-cut-burlap-so-that-it-wont-unravel/

-Karri

Is it Over??? I have the QuiltCon Blues!

QuiltCon was so amazing, it is hard to believe it is over.   But really, it will live in our hearts forever! It was so nice to be surrounded by so much beauty, skill, kindness and fun.  And that was just because I was rooming with Becca!!!  I have asked the group of us that went to all blog-in and give their reports of what they learned, were inspired by, and purchased!  Please check back over the next few weeks while we relive the madness that was QuiltCon. 

I am so glad I got there to participate in the inaugural event. Everyone I spoke with had a feeling we were doing something awesome and were lucky to be there.  I guess I should feel that way about my life but it takes something like a modern quilting conference to spark my gratitude! 

In case anyone hasn't logged on to the mothership site in a while, they have updated their look and added some new content on the Modern Quilt Guild.  Especially of interest is the list of show winners on their blog.