craft hope

One of the things I love about the Craft Hope community is the giving nature of everyone involved. You give your time, your handmade items, and your love. You carefully craft handwritten tags to accompany your gifts. You spend hours, after the children have gone to bed, working on your donations. Finishing one last thing. You go through your yarn stash. You find just the right fabric. You pull items from your own Etsy shop. To help others.

Every little thing makes a difference. It is that sweet comment, posting our button on your site, and twittering about our effort. You are spreading the word. You are showing the world you care. And that matters.

Last summer, we did a project (project 3) to benefit the Miracle Foundation. We collected blankets, beanies, booties, burp cloths, crib sheets, blocks and balls for children in orphanages in India. The first item that I received, out of the 2,809 items we collected, was a beautiful quilt by Ronit. It was the only I thing I had in my possession when I went to visit the Miracle Foundation’s headquarters downtown Austin. I sat there and held that sweet baby quilt. Thinking about my own baby soon to be born, and the new baby in India that would soon be wrapped in love by that beautiful quilt.

Caroline, the founder of the Miracle Foundation, held up the quilt and was in love. She asked if Ronit would mind making a few more to hang on the walls of the orphanages. They are concrete walls, with no decoration. Not like your home, or mine. No pictures strewn about of their families. No cheerful artwork. I quickly emailed Ronit and was greeted with an ‘of course.’ And not much longer, three beautiful quilts arrived for the children in India.

Thank you Ronit. Thank you Craft Hope community. You are the most loving, caring group of individuals I have ever been blessed to know. You are appreciated and you are making a difference.

The blankets, beanies, booties, and burp cloths arrived in India. It was a very long journey to a very good home. This is why Craft Hope exists and I am grateful for all of you.

The quilt deadline is this Sunday. I can just imagine all of the handmade quilts making their way from around the world to Canada and Michigan. A world coming together to spread a little bit of hope, to those who have lost the ability to see it.

It is amazing to see what a collective group of individuals can do to make a difference. The time that was taken. Each stitch that was made for a child.

The Miracle Foundation came on Sunday and picked up all of the handmade goodies for the children in India. There were 2,614 handmade items donated from all over the world. From the United States, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, England, Scotland, The Netherlands, and Malaysia. Just to name a few. From sewing groups, knitting groups, preschool classes, children, and adults.

:: 542 blankets ::

:: 23 balls ::

:: 532 beanies & 391 booties ::

:: 330 pillowcases ::

:: 789 hankies ::

Thank you, thank you, thank you. From the children in India, thank you. I believe we collected so much stuff they are going to have to crate it to India. I will post pictures of the children with their gifts as soon as I receive them.

Project 4 is right around the corner. I’m hoping to announce it within the next week or two. Until then, take care!

You guys have kept my mailman and UPS man very busy.  My kids have gotten used to the mail arriving around lunch time and both race out to see how many packages have arrived.  I get the ‘mama, this ones too big…  no, let me carry that one… mama, can you help us.’

Today as we were sorting through all of the handmade goodies, Keegan exclaimed ‘oh my goodness!’  For a two year old, he knows what he’s talking about.  With each package that I open, I probably say oh my goodness many times.  Then after all of the sorting has been done, we sit down and talk about the babies in India.  Daily.  They want me to tell them about who made all of these wonderfully crafted items and where they are going.  ‘Where is India mama?  Why don’t these babies have mommies?’  The second question tears at my heart every time.

Oh and the notes that come in the packages.  You are such wonderful giving individuals.  I hope you truly know how much your time and effort will be appreciated.  Even if the kids cannot thank you themselves.  Know that every stitch you make, every second out of your busy day you take… it is all appreciated and needed.

You can watch the numbers grow daily in the sidebar.  I update it every time I get a delivery so keep checking back for new numbers.  There is just under two weeks for this current project deadline.  I can’t wait to deliver all of these things to the Miracle Foundation for you.  Take care friends.

“The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.” — Mother Teresa

The children in Mexico are wearing their handmade dresses.  The dolls will soon be heading to Nicaragua.  Craft Hope is crossing borders to make a difference.  Spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time.

I am so proud to announce that project 3 is going all of the way to India!  For this project, Craft Hope has partnered with the Miracle Foundation to supply blankets, booties and beanies for newborns.

The Miracle Foundation is an organization dedicated to empowering children to reach their full potential, one orphan at a time.  They will be traveling to the Bhawani, Rourkela and Sooch Village childrens homes in August.  When speaking to Caroline Boudreaux, the founder of the Miracle Foundation, she expressed the needs of the newborns at the homes. They are desperately needing blankets, booties and beanies for these precious angels to be kept warm.

Being a pregnant mama myself right now, my heart aches for these babies.  I am calling on all of you crafty individuals out there to rally together to give them a gift they will never forget.

This project will once again combine sewers and knitters alike.  The blankets, booties and beanies can be knit, crocheted or sewn.  Your choice.  You can choose to make any one of the items or all three. 

{Update: Many of you have asked about the dimensions of the baby blanket, it can be anywhere from 26″x28″ on up.  That size is perfect for swaddling while anything any larger would be good for older babies/toddlers.  Also, please make the items out of cotton as wool will be too hot.  If you are making a baby quilt, please make it with a thin batting.}

Again, get your craft group together.  Get your children involved.  The gift you give them is priceless.

This time I am calling upon you to submit a pattern to Craft Hope to use on the site.  If you happen to already have a blanket, bootie or beanie pattern send it to us so we can link to it.  Craft Hope is run by you.  It’s in your hands.  I want you to feel like you have ownership in this process.  I’m just the middle-woman connecting you to causes that need your help.  Without you, Craft Hope would not exist.  Thank you for that.

The deadline for project 3 is July 25th.  Please leave a comment on this post and I will send you the mailing address.  It is not the same address as before so please take note of the new address when I reply to your comment.

{Project 2 received such an enormous response that Eren has dolls all over her house.  What a blessing!  She’s counting the final numbers and I’ll let you know shortly.  I’ll have pictures up soon of all of the dolls together.  She travels on July 1st so please keep her in your prayers as she delivers all of the beautiful dolls and spends time with the precious children in Nicaragua. And of course, when she returns we’ll have many more pictures to share.  A huge thank you to everyone who gave a little part of themselves to these children.}