1. Viewmaster Blanket: all done, 2. Miss Cathie’s raffle doll 126, 3. 362/365, 4. Embroidered tea towel for Cecily, 5. Quilted Bench, 6. holiday handknits, 7. Felted Wool Pincushions, 8. Pochette – détail, 9. Just Caught Two!, 10. Purple!, 11. class sample-Charming Patchwork Quilt, 12. The best hat!, 13. Drawstring Bag, 14. ready to mail, 15. Twinkling Stars on couch, 16. New fish baby log cabin
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Kelley has been addicted to quilting for 14 years and absolutely loves piecing and quilting by hand. She lives and works in Northeast Ohio with her wonderful husband and two spunky kids. You can visit her at her blog where she podcasts and records her quilting adventures.
It all started with my owl quilt. I made it for a woman in my guild who had challenged us each to make a child-size quilt for a local charity. Unfortunately through a series of misunderstandings, which were totally on my part, I thought that I had missed the deadline to turn it over. I still wanted it to remain in the spirit of giving so I re-dedicated my owl to a cause down under that benefited victims of the floods in Queensland. Later I learned that in fact the deadline had not passed. I also learned that another woman in my guild had announced that she was rising to the challenge by making a kid-size quilt per week instead of just one for the year. This made a definite impression on me. It was such an impression that I woke up in the night thinking about it. (Also, while I still felt terrific about what I did with the quilt I felt pretty bad about flubbing the challenge.)
Now I am a working mom and besides spending my spare time on quilting I take care of all after-school events and practices, supervise homework and reading time, keep the house (kind of) clean, make meals, pay the bills, etc. I’m a pretty busy gal, as most moms are. I manage to complete maybe two quilts a year. But this stuck in my head and I woke up that night excited with an idea. I couldn’t make a quilt every week, or even every month. But could I make one every other month? Since it was already February I decided for the rest of the year I would challenge myself to complete a kid-size quilt every other month. So five quilts in ten months.
To make my challenge more interesting and because I have a quilting blog, I further decided that my quilts would be documented on the blog and must be fun, interesting, and original. No nine-patches allowed! I have been writing up tutorial-style instructions for how I made each quilt, complete with photos, templates, and yardage requirements.
So far I have reached my goal. I haven’t always delivered exactly on time but I’ve delivered. I have two of my five quilts completed – Rainbows from the Heart and Pinwheels Aplenty.
It has been enormously satisfying to make these quilts. As a quilter I feel like I’m scratching every itch: buying new fun fabrics; using up stash fabric; knocking out something fast; trying things I haven’t tried and bringing my vision to life in fabric. But by far the best thing is the feeling that maybe these quilts will make a difference for a child somewhere. These quilts aren’t going to solve world problems. But they are going to (hopefully) give a hug to the heart of a little someone that needs it.
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A few months ago, I was invited to contribute a recipe into an ebook to benefit the Red Cross. The girls at HowDoesShe did all the hard work organising this and they came up with the idea after the devastation in Japan earlier this year. Missy, Shelley and Alison introduce the project…
After literally MONTHS of creating, the “50+ Top Blogs All Time Favorite Recipes” cookbook is HERE!!! You may have seen a sneak peek of this gorgeous recipe book this past month. We hope you have been anxiously awaiting it. :) Now, until the end of August, it’s available for purchase. But wait, scratch that, it’s not a purchase. The best part is…
it’s a donation!
100% of your donation will go to the American Red Cross to help the many people who have been affected by recent natural disasters around the world.
After seeing the devastation in Japan, several top blogs teamed together wanting to somehow make a difference. More than 50 blogs donated one of their favorite recipes to be compiled into an incredible cookbook designed by chickabug (design talent was 100% donated as well). Basically a lot of people worked really hard to make something extraordinary. Now, it’s in your hands to make a difference.
This one-of-a-kind cookbook was originally only going to be offered as an E-book for a $10 donation. But after receiving feedback from readers, we realized that many of you want a physical copy. We approached our favorite publisher, Paper Coterie, who was willing to donate 100% of the supplies, and 100% of the cost of printing for this amazing cause. Are you feeling the warm tinglies yet?! We are!!! This started out as one person having an idea. Now over 50 blogs and an amazing publisher are involved and now it’s YOUR turn.
Together we can will make a difference.
The E-book is for sale here for a $1o donation. If you have a computer in your kitchen or an electronic reader, (ipad, kindle,etc.) this is the copy for you. You can just click on the recipe you want from the table of contents and it will take you right there. It’s sweet.
The hard cover cookbook is also available, (wait for it…) for only $10. You will be amazed at the quality of this book. The only extra expense you will have will be for shipping ($4 or more depending on where you live and how many copies you order).
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You can smile knowing you made a difference to someone, somewhere. And you can smile because you will have a beautiful full color recipe book with gorgeous pictures and delicious recipes to try. We truly hope you love the cookbook. We think you will. You might just want to buy one for your mom, sister, and mother-in-law for Christmas. ;)
Please share this post with your friends and family on your blog, facebook, and twitter. Let’s make this go VIRAL! How cool would that be? Here is a button to put on your blog:
and the link: http://recipestohelp.bigcartel.com/ - Remember 100% of the proceeds will be benefiting the American Red Cross.
*The American Red Cross name is used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, individual or political position. For more information about the American Red Cross, please email info@usa.redcross.org.The books be available for a little over 2 weeks – starting Monday and continuing for the rest of August. The last day to order will be August 31.
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Welcome Laura Wilson, pattern designer and artist, who lives in rural TN, USA. She blogs about sewing, motherhood, and simple living at We Wilsons.
Hello, crafty friends! Today I want to introduce you to my friend Brad Montague, co-founder of Love In Stereo, a movement of artists, fans and friends united together to make a global impact. Seeing all of the good work they do has made me want to find more ways to do good in my life and through my work. Maybe you feel that way, too? Brad has some great advice and thoughts on how to get started.
Laura: Can you tell us what Love In Stereo is all about?
Brad: Love In Stereo works to increase collaboration between artists, causes and everyday people. We do this by setting up projects in neighborhoods all over the world. Sometimes it’s a product (like an album, shirt, or handmade item). Sometimes it’s an event (like a concert, art show or film screening). We always start with a need and then work to address it in whatever creative way our community comes up with.
Laura: In what way have you found that artists are uniquely capable of doing social good?
Brad: Whether it’s creating a product to sell for good or aiding in an experience that will bring relief, artists are and always will be at the heart of all powerful social change. Artists are willing to collaborate. They can solve problems quickly and creatively, because they know their greatest resources are their relationships. This is key. Artists also have the ability to communicate in profound ways. In areas across the world affected by extreme poverty it is the artists who are the hope bringers. They are the ones telling the stories that need to be telling and affecting change in the process.
Musicians, visual artists, filmmakers, crafters – they all want to know that what they’re doing makes a difference. Traditionally artists have been used to help ‘raise awareness’. There’s some value to that, but we think artists can create work that not only inspires change, but also creates it. We want to see creativity used to meet needs and make solutions.
Laura: Is raising money the primary means of doing good? What other ways have you seen artists making an impact?
Brad: We originally started as something like a non-profit record label. (Some in the music industry would argue that all record labels are now non-profit.) The thinking was: let’s create a product and raise funds for a good cause. Nice idea. Nothing wrong with that. As we’re heading into our second year our thinking has changed. It’s more than raising awareness and raising funds. It’s about addressing a need and building a community around that need. Money will always help, but it is in no way the final answer.
We’re seeing that artists are making a big difference not just by the products they create, but by the communities they build. Whether it’s a collective like Ember Arts who come together to create beads and jewelry to aid women in Uganda or our team of friends in Florida at Humility Now who create in hopes of ending homelessness there are people all over who embody the Love In Stereo rally cry: “Together, we’re louder.”
Laura: What advice would you give an artist who wants to make an impact for a cause they care about?
Brad: There are some ridiculously talented people who read this blog. I’d love to see what ideas they might have. I’d also love to team up with them. My advice? First: Do it. Right now. Get moving on it. You have the ability to make a difference, but only if you actually do something! Second: Don’t do it alone. Allow your project to do and be more by bringing in others. Allow your friends the joy of being a part of something that does good.
Get involved with Love In Stereo:
Twitter: @love_in_stereo
Facebook.com/loveinstereo
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September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.
I want to kick start this special guest blogging series with an essay about blogging from my hometown compatriot Bianca. Bianca blogs at Sadie and Lance where she collects and recollects many fleeting crafty pursuits, cooking adventures and the odd observation. Bianca is also responsible for the goodness that is the toy society.
I’m delighted to be writing a guest post here on Whip Up. I’ve been racking my brains for what to write. Something personal was requested. Hmm tricky, I’m not usually all that personal on my blog. But after returning from an amazing craft camp weekend, with relative strangers, it’s suddenly so obvious. I want to celebrate the amazing connections this online world of craft brings.
Recently my blog ticked over into its’ sixth year. During these past five years I’ve shared many things on my blog, new (to me) craft, the odd how to, triumphs at the sewing machine, motherhood and whatever yummy food is my current flight of fancy. You know, all the usual suspects. My blog is nothing special, it is my personal notebook of my fleeting craft hobbies, started to keep in touch with my real life craft friends when I moved interstate. What is special about my blog, and no doubt yours, is the mysterious way it has brought unexpected friendships into my life, kicked me out of my social comfort zone and unlocked a whole new world of shared experience through craft.
The blurring of my online/offline lives first started when I swapped a jar of my homemade chilli jam for a jar of homegrown and homemade pesto. We sent the jars via the post. The night I received mine, I sat down to a dinner of chicken and pesto pasta – as recommended by the maker. As I ate the first mouthful I realised, that other than being an apparently talented crafter and keen cook who has a blog, I knew nothing about the person who made the main component of my dinner. It was an odd feeling.
Turns out that dinner was delicious – and the maker is now counted as one of my good friends. It was so unexpected, but at the same time so welcome. Obviously we had things in common, shared experiences, a love of craft and food and a common online craft community.
It’s not only the friends that end up spilling over into our offline lives, there are plenty of real friendships felt online too. I never imagined a connection via a computer could feel so real. But you must have felt it too? The joint celebration when a fellow blogger receives well deserved recognition for an amazing piece of work, the shared outpouring of grief when a fellow crafter suffers a personal loss, the chorus of outrage when a favourite blogger has been copied – it’s all so real.
When I started my blog, friendship was never a consideration. Now, five years down the track, it’s what keeps me blogging. The thrill of finding a new blog I “click” with, the nerves before meeting a complete – yet oddly familiar – “stranger” in person. Friends once only ever known via a series of words and images on a computer screen are now people I invite into my home for my son’s birthday party, to hang out at the park, to my birthday drinks or who I share a house with for an indulgent weekend away of craft.
I feel so lucky.
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