hey, that’s me in the Craft Hope book!

Many of you know about the site for creative giving called:


It’s a place where people like you, me and other crafters can create handmade items and then Craft Hope organizes a wonderful charity to receive them. Project 9 is in the works and it couldn’t be more simple: Pillowcases!

But the real exciting news to report here is:

the CRAFT HOPE BOOK has been published and hit book stores last week! How cool is that? And why am I so excited?
Well, among a really talented group of ladies (like Soule Mama, Vickie Howell, Celine Dupuy, Karri Meng, Chris Carelton, and many more)…..is little ‘ole me! I can never thank Jade enough for asking me to be a part of it all.
Months and months ago when we still lived in California, Jade asked me to contribute a simple design for the book.
Of course I said YES.

I started with a pile of thrifted T-shirts and knits.
I paired them with light cotton gauze and turned them into burp cloths and crib sheets for babies who live in orphanages. A very easy project with a variety of options. Make 5, make 10!
And there you go! All the project info is in the book; page 108.
I won’t lie, it’s thrilling to see something I’ve designed in-print.
But what is really cool about the book, is well….. the book itself.

I know, that sounds silly. But the book is simple and at the heart of giving.

In a nut shell, here’s how you use the book:
* Rally a group of friends like you who like to craft and sew or get together with your church group or bring the book to a school service function.
* Choose a project from the book and make some.
* Send your items to a charity that needs them! On each project page you’ll find information about a charity in-need of that very item. Some charities are local, some reach overseas.

And that’s it. Giving can be simple, fun, and creative at the same time.
The projects and photos in the book are just beautiful. And there’s a wide range of ideas, not just stuff for sewers.
Hand-printed cards:
Simple blocks from Rebekah over at Yeebird:
Natural handmade soap? Very cool idea.
Is anything more sweet and simple than these white baby gowns, meant for that beautiful face on the right?
The book is enjoyable to thumb though. And aside from the feel-good stuff, I’m having a great time discovering all sorts of interesting designers who’ve contributed projects as well.

And to really kick off the fun, a book release party was in order! (when is a party not in order?) Jade (the author) found a very cool, vintage-hip, old bar downtown where we met and mingled.
it was very Austin:
there were books for reading:
friends for chatting,
tables for ping-ponging,
fans for blowing,
roach coaches for eating,
and there was…… JADE. Definitely one of my favorite Austinites. Though we didn’t act quite as silly as our Pioneer Woman night (there were now men in our presence. No more dorm room behavior) Jade is always easy to talk to and very fun to be around.
I was happy to give her a big hug, a big CONGRATS!, and a huge thank you.
Okay, time to go sew tons of pillowcases. I wonder how many I can make in an hour?…..

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