20 Scarves Gifted to the Homeless on Christmas Day

on Christmas Day, Holy Needles donated 20 handmade scarves to the homeless in Tucson who were present for breakfast at the Z Mansion, organized by Tom Hill.

(faces are blurred to protect the i.d.)

185 Items Created for Children in Mexico & for Samaritans Purse

Holy Needles members created 165 items (149 scarves & 16 hats) for children, the poorest of the poor, in La Mesa, Mexico.  They also created another 20 scarves for Samaritan's Purse (sent wherever they are needed, USA or elsewhere).  

Fellowship at the Holy Needles Meetings

Sharing our creations.  Getting prepared for another delivery.  Learning how to crochet.

Fundraiser Success!! Quilts and More Raffled and Sold.

On September 24, 2011, at Casas Church Women's Breakaway (retreat), Holy Needles donated 3 long beautiful scarves to women at the retreat.  Holy Needles also raffled off 3 quilts, created and donated by members, and also sold a variety of items created by members. 

Funds received allowed Holy Needles to buy much-needed soft yarn, a large amount of fleece (for blankets), a couple rotary cutters, a large self-healing mat (for cutting fleece), and a number of skip-stitch blades used to cut holes into fleece (every 3/8") for crocheting an edge. 

THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated to Holy Needles.  There are many newborns who will now have something to go home with when they leave the hospital.

Elaine & Kim helped at the Holy Needles table.

the winner of the Candy Land quilt was Christy Holden

the winner of the Christmas season quilt was Vi Bernard

the winner of the holly and birds prayer quilt was Diane Stephens

 

40 Items Distributed to the Homeless in Tucson... Scarves and Hats.

40 Scarves and hats were donated to the homeless in Tucson, during the weekly breakfast at the Z Mansion.

Using the Skip-Stitch Blade to Create Blanket Borders...

This is a great tool for putting holes into fleece edge, to be able to crochet a border.  The tool is a blade for a 45mm rotary cutter. 

It's called a skip stitch blade.  check it out at http://www.skipstitch.com/products.htm

Also, check out a You Tube video on using this blade.  It's not done quite the way we do it... we put holes 3/8" - 1/2" from the edge.  Also, place the clear straight edge over the edge of the fleece, so that you can use the measurements on the straight edge as your guide. (Maybe someday we'll create a video!)

Polartec's HUGE Donation Has Holy Needles Expanding its Ministry!

We are now cutting fleece for chemo patients... to cover themselves while they are receiving chemo treatments.  We are also cutting fleece to provide blankets for the homeless!  Holy Needles is now helping Tucson region's newborns, homebound, cancer patients, and homeless, as well as Samaritan's Purse programs worldwide!  We are so grateful to be able to give to so many in need!

Jaxie & Pat cut fleece off a roll, while Linda & Amy work on crocheting projects!

several scarves ready to ship to Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child program

Joyce cuts poncho style shawls for homebound.

Kathy cuts yard pieces of fleece to create baby blankets and lap blankets (trimmed with a crocheted border).

 

#grateful

Flowers!!!

How beautiful!  Pam & her sister created these felt flowers, and they make wonderful decor for the fleece scarves and the fleece blankets!  Thank you, ladies, for your awesome talent!

Consider Creating an Applique...

link to how to create an applique...


http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/techniques/applique/hand-stitched-needle-turn_1.html

The Blanket Stitch... Perfect For Edging Fleece!

Here's some references to making the blanket stitch... great stitch to edge the shawl/lap blanket, a scarf, or any blanket, or use your imagination!!

Creating a Shawl/Lap Blanket for Casas Homebound

WOW! Holy Needler's are off & running with creating lap blankets for the homebound/elderly!  Holy Needles is involved in a joint venture with the Rohring On Homebound ministry at Casas Church.  When someone visits a 'homebound' Casas member, in a private home, a group home, or an assisted living facility, they can gift the person with a lap blanket. 

Besides lap blankets (as seen in the prior blog entries), Holy Needler's can also create/decorate shawls, which can do double duty as a lap blanket as well. 

Our member, Joyce, has altered a pattern to create a nice looking, functional shawl/blanket!  Thank you Joyce! 

Come join us at a Holy Needles meeting, or work strictly from home if you can't make a meeting... grab a piece of fleece and decorate it as you wish.  Edge with a nice blanket stitch, or create a nice single crochet edge, or bind the edge in fabric, or combine fleece with other fabric, or ??? ... you are free to use your creative mind!  

These items for homebound will also have a Casas Church label sewn on them.  Thank you to Cecilia, who will be machine embroidering Casas Church for us, creating sew-on patches! 

Joyce is busy laying her pattern on a cut piece of fleece.

Joyce is busy, busy, busy working on cutting the fleece.  She cut out at least 10 shawl/blankets, and with the remaining pieces, she will create about 40 scarves for donation to Samaritan's Purse worldwide programs!

Join Holy Needles in Making Scarves for Samaritan's Purse!

We will be making scarves for Samaritan's Purse!! I am compiling a handout of ideas... to make scarves out of fleece. When Casas collects & ships shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse, they will collect our created scarves and ship them to Samaritan's Purse as well.
Stay tuned for more info... meanwhile, come by one of our upcoming meetings and take home a cut of fleece to work with.

Meanwhile, here's a start to ideas for fleece scarves...


FLEECE SCARVES

Dimensions of scarf:
children up thru age 8: 4-5" wide x 36 long
kids ages 9-12: 5-6" wide x 44-48" long
women/unisex: 5-8" wide x 54-60" long
men: 8-9" wide x 30 long

the polartec fleece is 70" wide. we can cut pieces according to the length of the scarf, and cut as many scarves as can get out of 70" width (8-17)

fringe:…. Cut fringe ½ - 1” wide, 3” long for child, 4” long for adult, or 1” or 2” long for a short fringe

options to consider:
o make knots on fringe,
o pony beads knotted onto fringe
o punch small holes along edges ( ends) & insert fringe (tassels) of yarn
o punch small holes in corners & attach 2 pom poms
o punch small holes in corners & bring together with one large pom pom
o glue &/or sew on appliqué(s) or crocheted flowers
o crochet edges (all 4 edges or less)

Cut longer piece, fold up both ends into pockets… stitch closed with any creative method.

Cut 2 strips, 3” wide. Cut fringe into both strips, 2” x ½” lengthwise. Tie fringe together in knots.

On a 5” wide strip of fleece, sew seam lengthwise. Cut 2” fringe in ½” – 1” strips on BOTH sides of the seam.