Do we need supplies? YES!!!!! Batting, fabric, yarn…
By · Comments
Your left over scrap yarn makes wonderful afghans for sick and needy patients in the hospital. Our volunteers love to work with your yarn.
It really makes a big difference to the volunteers when they come to work meetings to have nice supplies for them to work with. The saddest thing I see is folks standing around because there are limited supplies to work with and only so many machines to work on. That’s when I grab a handful of knitting needles or crochet hooks and start encouraging folks to do hand work while they wait their turn on the sergers.
We were out in the garage inventory tonight getting ready for tomorrow’s work meeting and folks even tracked me down out there to get help for a little 4 month old baby. I had toys and formula bottles to give but no clothing for her as she takes 3 to 6 mo size and will be in 6 to 9 soon – she is a big baby 
I am going to have to see what I can do to get some clothes made for her tomorrow in between working on baby burial layette sets, quilts, blankets, afghans, etc. We only work at the work rooms from 10 to 2 so there is a lot of work crammed into the day. I may just have to see what I can get sold on ebay to get her some clothes. She is okay for a few weeks and that will allow me time to sell something and find some sales.
I love this work, I love helping others and it’s fun to have the challenges of finding the need, organizing the work, working with the volunteers and seeing the fruits of our labors bless the sweet babies and their families. I am so grateful to volunteers for their donations of supplies.
We are washing a bunch of used toys to go to the hospital tomorrow in cocoons. The babies get a warm cocoon and a toy, too – mostly teddy bears and dollies
I get asked all the time what the most urgent needs are. The simple answer is:
FABRIC – flannel, flannelette, soft, minky, chenille, velour, cotton, cotton blends, PUL, muslin, broadcloth, kids print, decorator fabric, felt, sherpa, polar fleece, micro fleece, corderoy, quilters cotton, any kind of fabric.
YARN – wool, cotton, acrylic, blends, all weights and colors, eyelash, fancy, solid colors, variegated – we use everything
SEWING SUPPLIES – serger and sewing thread, scissors, pins, needles, machines – serger and sewing machines, books, patterns, sewing tools, sewing birds
KNITTING & CROCHET SUPPLIES: knitting needles (we use circulars the most), crochet hooks, stitch markers, spinning wheels, yarn winders, swifts, felting supplies and tools,
SMOCKING SUPPLIES – pleaters, thread, patterns, pleater needles, batiste, etc
TATTING SUPPLIES – shuttles, needles, winders, thread, patterns.
BATTING – oh yes, please. We are always running out of batting. Queen size is best and we also need baby quilt batting and twin size, too.
Donations are tax deductible and can be sent to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208, Boise, Idaho 83714
Please be sure to include your address so we can send you your thank you letter and tax receipt. If you want to help us save money on postage, include your email address and we can email you the letter We are also happy to mail you your letter if you would like a hard copy on file.
Thanks for being part of our Relief Share family. You are an important family member to help this old world be a better place!
Hugs
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Sewing for charity is a rewarding activity - both for the volunteers and the ones who receive the needed items.
Tomorrow is a big day. I was a bit worried about it but now everything is going to be just fine.
I have two big work meetings tomorrow and one of them needed more sewing machines than are available. It is frustrating to me to see ladies waiting in line for a chance to help sew what is needed but not enough machines to go around. The Lord knows what we need, who has it and who is willing to help his sick and needy children and take action.
Just in the nick of time, two sewing machines were delivered and will be taken to the morning work meeting so there will be enough machines. I am so relieved and VERY happy. When I let the other volunteers know that two more machines arrived, they were so excited and now instead of not getting any sleep trying to figure out how to cycle the volunteers around on the machines better, I am happily looking forward to seeing the huge auditorium filled with hustle and bustle making all kinds of marvelous things tomorrow at the LDS Stake Humanitarian work meeting.
A huge thank you to our Relief Share guardian angel – I know the angels in heaven are doing high fives over her love and support for God’s most helpless children. The morning work meeting is only once a month and now we have machines that the ladies can take home during the month to keep working.
The afternoon work meeting is going to be pretty thrilling, too. When I went to the service room on Tuesday we had a serious shortage of fabric and yarn and NO batting for quilts. One of the directors on the Relief Share board and myself worked hard last night to get a van load full of fabric and yarn ready for other LDS Humanitarian volunteers to pick up this morning and take over to the service room ready for tomorrow. It cleaned out pretty much everything I had, even all the reserves, but its going to be awesome tomorrow to see the room bustling with activity and lots of warm hats, scarves, mittens, quilts, knitted balls, clothing and bedding being made. We also have volunteers with cars and trucks ready to do donation runs as the boxes fill up with finished goods. The boxes that are shipped to Relief Share are distributed immediately to the most urgent needs.
I have to say that I am exhausted. It’s been full steam ahead since I hit the ground running when I arrived in Boise, ID less than a week ago after being in Misssouri for 4 1/2 months, and I am hoping for a wee break on Sunday as I sit in church quietly knitting and listening to more direction from God from the pulpit. I love getting my batteries recharged. The little baby hat I knitted in church is already on a baby’s head being used LOL.
Charity work is marvelous and I am so grateful for all the wonderful donors and volunteers that make this world a better place.
One of the reasons why Relief Share is so effective is we work with other charities and the synergism is amazing – so many more sick and needy receive the help they need. One of our very favorite organizations we love to work with is LDS Humanitarian Services. If you have activities in your area going on at the LDS Church, get involved. It’s amazing what hearts bound in the same charitable service can do – miracles happen.
If you want to help –
- donate to ReliefShare.org by sending a paypal donation to info@ReliefShare.org
– send a box of gently used or new items for babies, children and adults to Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr, C208, Boise, Idaho 83714 OR 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225
- send a box of supplies for our volunteers to make what is needed. Fabric, yarn, sewing, serging, quilting, knitting, crochet, tatting, embroidery and other supplies are needed.
All donations are acknowledged with a thank you letter and tax deductible receipt.
President Carol Green,
ReliefShare.org charity
2012 is going to be a banner year. Relief Share volunteers have rolled up their sleeves, opened their wallets, filled their schedules with charity work and the results of dedicated love for the babies is showing up in a plethora of donations to where it counts the most!
Donation out to Texas County Food Pantry and Crisis Center, January 12, 2012 delivered in person by Relief Share Vice President
1 receiving blanket
3 pair mens pajamas
4 baby bibs
7 baby sleepers
4 coats
4 pants
1 roll masking tape
4 tops
2 baby onesies
1 pr mittens
1 dress
2 pr socks
1 dog bed and pillow
Donation to Newborns in Need, Springfield Chapter (run by a very lovely lady, President Judy McDuffie) Mailed Jan 10, 2012
4 baby afghans
8 baby bibs
5 shirts
10 crocheted children’s soft balls
16 knitted woven children’s soft balls
3 knitted hats
6 crocheted hats
2 pr pants
1 baby sleeper
1 pr baby shoes
1 toddler blue jean jacket
12 preemie hats
1 toy
7 baby onesies
1 baby jacket
Donation to local Church for needy in area.
2 large shelves full of warm adult sweaters – many large garbage size bags full. Thank you to Susan and Phil for delivering those items to where they are needed the most.
Donations to individuals needing items the first two weeks in January 2012:
Baby cocoon for little girl
Baby clothing and accessories for little baby boy
Warm hats to needy family
Sewing supplies for grandmother to make items for grandchildren
Sewing supplies to make items for chemo patients
Toys for needy family
Donation for the babies in Texas County, Missouri
We’ve been donating to Children’s Mercy Hospital for 20 years now. It is wonderful to know our donations are very much appreciated and used to help the sick and needy children that are patients. Here is their thank you letter – it really belongs to everyone – all the donors, the volunteers and those who offer up their prayers for the children – synergism at it’s best!
- Thank you from Children’s Mercy Hospital to Relief Share
Snuggly, cuddly receiving blankets for baby.
Today was a wonderful day here at Relief Share. We were very busy in the morning getting a donation ready to go to the hospital made from the gorgeous flannel that arrived in a donation box from our Relief Share guardian angel (who wishes to remain anonymous, but is very much loved by everyone).
The flannel is darling – little dalmations romping over soft fuzzy flannel in pink and yellow, cute ducks that make you smile when you look at it. Other flannel from our inventory room was also used – in fact, we just used up ALL the flannel on hand so the hospital will have enough receiving blankets this chilly winter for the precious babies. Firemen puppies, cute green dinosaurs, pink check, white and orange polka dot, pastel plaids, cute kids prints – all cut out to 36 x 45 with rounded corners and carefully serged.
We love using the wooly nylon to make the flannel receiving blankets look more store bought and professional when we have it. So much love sewn into the baby blankets….
A large box came in to the office of baby clothing and accessories and it’s already been delivered to the crisis center, along with another box that came in from a wonderful reborner, Kimiko Stallard, who sends boxes of books, childrens clothing and accessories regularly. She also donates part of her ebay auctions to Relief Share and we appreciate her.
This afternoon we took the donation to the hospital and they were so pleased with everything in it. Thank you to all who help us help the sick and needy
New Years Resolutions…ideas on how to keep yours ;-)
By · Comments
What are your New Years resolutions? A quick search on the net shows that the number one New Years resolution is to lose weight. We had to blink twice at that one because many of the sick and needy we serve don’t have that problem. In fact, they have trouble finding the resources to get enough food to eat.
If you are trying to keep your New Years resolution of losing weight, we have some suggestions that might help
1. One day a week fast for one meal (or two) and donate the money you would have spent on those meals to charity. Give it to your church, your local food pantry or send it to Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr, C208, Boise, ID 83714. If you would have eaten something you already have in your home in your food storage – take the cans or boxes you don’t eat to your local food pantry, or donate them to a family you know could use them.
2. We all know exercise helps us lose weight. Get off the computer, stop watching the TV and dig out your sewing machine, knitting machine or serger and make some baby blankets or receiving blankets – perhaps a quilt or two to give away. It will stimulate your heart and mind at the same time and bless the lives of the sick and needy. If you prefer to hand knit or crochet – I bet there are some chemo patients that would love a hat to keep their heads warm or a prayer shawl or afghan to keep them snuggled and warm during the long hours of laying there getting chemotherapy for cancer.
3. Gaining weight, for some of us, comes from comfort eating, do something else instead! Bad day – chocolate, upset – ice cream, family party and feeling good – Grandma’s famous peach pie, special occasion – root bear floats and birthday cake…well, you get the idea. Good or bad, we tend to reach for food to complete the situation. Space abhors a vacuum. Instead of reaching for food eating food, try doing something nice for someone else. It’s hard to fork more pie in your mouth if your hands are busy sewing quilts for the crisis center and you can’t reach for the jelly beans at home on the counter if you are giving your neighbor in his wheelchair a walk in the sunshine for a much needed outing. Attend a local charity work meeting, volunteer time at the local library, or keep your hands and mind busy doing another productive service for someone – like weeding their garden when they can’t.
4. There are good weight loss products to help boost your efforts (and there are many bad ones). We recommend a supplement that compliments your efforts, not one that shocks your body into unhealthy weight loss. After a great deal of research, we found that America’s number one health weight loss supplement is HCG drops. Not all drops are good for you, though, depending on what the manufacturer has put in the bottle. The most productive, safe, and cost effective can be found at www.herbalhealthco.com – you must stick to the diet suggested, but if you do, it works well. HCGslim can help you get the body you want, healthy, strong and trim. The company also donates to Relief Share – we are grateful for that.
Good luck! We would love to hear how your New Years resolutions are coming. Please feel free to respond to this post and share!
Its so nice to be able to help. Here is the thank you letter for a donation we took to Shriners Childrens Hospital right before Christmas.
They were very appreciative.
Thank you letter from Shriners
Precious child of God.
You know, it is always a wonderful experience to take donations to where they are needed. We love to go to Shriners Childrens Hospital in St Louis as there is a good feeling at the hospital and it feels marvelous to know that the children there get the help they need at no cost to them.
This time we thought that perhaps the hospital would be inundated with donations because of Christmas. Surprise, surprise – not so. When we took our donation, the bags were immediately gone through as personnel searched for warm clothing and blankets for children in ‘same day’ surgery needed them. Families who had very little needed warm blankets to take their children home in the cold weather. It really made us appreciate the need for our donations and glad we were there to help.
Here is what we took this week – personally delivered by the President – who loves to be knee deep in all the charity work with the volunteers!
SHRINERS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL – ST LOUIS donation
Baby quilts – 5
Baby blankets – 7
Full size Quilts – 2
Games and toys – 2
Children’s pants – 7
Baby bibs – 2
Baby washcloths – new in packages 52
Socks – 1
Little girls hairbands/bows – 15
totebags/diaper bags – 2
receiving blankets – 2
fleece throw blankets – 2
soft stuffed animals – new with tags – 26
children’s shirts – 2
baby lotion – 3
doll pillows – 3
hand knitted hat – 1
baby powder – 1
body wash – 1
shampoo – 1
musical pull toy – 1
We strongly encourage folks to donate to Shriners. You can find their address by typing it in google. Simply put what you want to donate to them in a box and ship it. Items should be NEW. Their most urgents needs are for quilts – all sizes – and blankets or afghans.
Thank you to everyone who sent donations and made this gift to the sick and needy children possible. If you would like to help with donations to Shriners and other hospital and centers, please send your donations of new or gently used clean items to:
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 64583-2225
OR
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, ID 83714
All donations are acknowledged with a thank you letter/tax receipt mailed out to donors, so please include your name and address in the boxes you are shipping
Lots of love and hard work going out in this donation
When you want to talk to God, pray. When you want God to talk to you, read your scriptures….well, most of the time. Actually God can come in loud and clear just when you need him through friends and good neighbors from all over the world.
Today, God reached out and blessed us at Relief Share in a very good very welcome way. Funds are a bit tight (that is the polite way of saying non-existant) and we were getting pretty frantic about how to get donations out to where they were needed the most.
We always try to use volunteers, or ourselves at the Relief Share offices, to personally deliver the beautiful items our donors and volunteers have been working on and sent for the sick and needy. Most of the time, we are pretty effective at doing just that, however, this wonderful *cough,cough* economy has put a damper on donations this Christmas season. Folks hearts are in the right place but their money tree has had salt poured on the roots and many family’s money trees just not might make it much longer.
Relief Share is mainly funded by public donations, our Ebay auctions, flea market booth, personal donations from the Founders, and picking up quarters in the Wal Mart parking lot if we happen to see them lying there (no kidding).
Today as we realized that the winter cold is getting colder and the Relief Share bank account wasn’t matching the need to get the warm clothing, bedding and essentials to where they were needed, an angel dropped a text message in on our cell phone and asked if we had checked our account recently.
Our hearts were full of gratitude as we saw she had put a sizable amount in our paypal account so we could start shipping the waiting donations immediately. What a marvelous blessing she is to the babies and families we serve. What a wonderful boost of Christmas cheer she has given us to enable us to do what God has called us to do.
God loves everyone and encourages, through a still small voice, our action to help the sick and needy, our love in action is very much needed. There was one more donation that came through later that day from another sweet angel with enough to ship more packages to where they need to go.
Donation going out
Thank you so much for ALL of your help. It takes donors, volunteers, nurses, doctors, crisis center managers, and very precious sweet angels who continue to support this work in a myriad of ways to make miracles happen.
So, what are we sending out?
Here is a small sampling! We would post more, but are busy packing boxes and putting finishing touches on items to go!
Donation 1: (hospital donation for the obstetrical unit):
preemie baby blankets with crocheted edgings – 7 blue, 4 light pink, 1 camo pink, 2 green, 1 blue print, 21 bottles, 1 baby book, 4 baby afghans, 20 baby hats (preemie to newborn sizing), 9 baby booties, baby cocoons, hygiene items, and baby clothing
Donation 2: (County Crisis center):
Large amount of – Shoes, craft supplies for residents, toys, blankets, baby powder, pants, shirts, sweaters.
Donation 3: (Pregnancy Crisis Center)
Boxes of blankets, hats, booties/shoes, receiving blankets, pillows, socks, heart and scratch mitt sets, onesies/tshirts, baby vest for NICU, baby cocoons.
May God bless you this wonderful Christmas season and may he allow miracles to happen in your life.
Merry Christmas to you from Relief Share!
Relief Share – love in action
6078 Lundy Rd,
Houston, MO 65483-2225
God calls us to help his children. Will you?
Waiting for others to do something about the world’s pain and suffering…. something we don’t have time for at Relief Share, as our time is spent knitting, crocheting, sewing, serging, and making items to be donated out. When that is done we must take the donations to where they need to go. Think we are done? Nope. That’s when we have to ‘fill the pipeline’ and get needed supplies to do it all over again.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Supplies or donations? The answer – both. With no supplies, there aren’t any donations and with donations not being given out, there would be no need for donations. What creates the need at all? The sick and needy. What if all the sick and needy were taken care of and our efforts weren’t needed? The Bible tells us that the poor and afflicted will always be with us. What that means for us is we need to pick up our feet and work harder, longer, more productively and faster.
Sounds like a lot of effort? You betcha. But…it is worth it and it is fun and rewarding.
Do you want to help? It’s really easy – pick one:
- send donations of supplies or finished items to Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225 OR Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr C208, Boise, Idaho 83714 – there are volunteers at both locations immediately putting your donations to good use and getting them to where they are needed most urgently.
- rev up your sewing machine, knitting machine, knitting needles, crochet hooks or crafting skills and create the items that are needed. There are lots of free patterns on our blog. If you don’t see what you are looking for, email us at info@ReliefShare.org and we will send you a pattern. What is needed?
Here is a list of the most urgently needed items. You can either make them, ‘find’ them in your closets or a friend’s closet while de-cluttering, or buy them and donate by popping them into a box and mailing it or bringing it by one of our locations.
1. Baby bedding – quilts, receiving blankets (if you are making them 36″ x 45″ is marvelous, 45″ x 60″ is wonderful and any size is great), crib sheets, cocoons, anything to keep baby snuggly and warm
2. Baby clothing – onesies, shirt, outfits, sleepers, gowns, socks, booties, shoes, hats, etc
3. Baby accessories – diaper bags, tote bags, toys, nursing pillows and covers, hygiene items (shampoo, wash, diaper cream, conditioner, etc), diapers – cloth and disposable, pacifiers, boppies, bumbos, baby baths, high chairs, cribs, playpens, exersaucers, carriers, wraps, mobiles, toys, books, CDs and DVDs – anything baby.
4. Items for families – food, clothing, hygiene items, books, learning items for homeschooling families or those augmenting public school learning such as workbooks for preschool and grade school, art supplies, pens, pencils, coloring markers, paints, etc. Pots pans, dish cloths, and basic household items as we help the homeless and those in crisis centers. We love to accept donations of prayer shawls and hats for chemo patients.
5. Items for displaced animals – we help animal shelters, individuals that foster displaced animals and can use dog and cat food, veterinary supplies, equine supplies, small animal supplies – cages, flea and tick collars and liquids, milk replacement, dog and cat beds, scratching posts, collars, leashes, and more. Those old blankets make really nice animal pads as well.
5. You fill in this blank. Do you have it and don’t need it? Do you want to de-clutter your house and help someone else? We take anything you want to send and give it to where it is needed the most. Please send items that are clean and in good condition. (I really didn’t want to say that but after having to get the office fumigated because of bugs sent in a large donation of really nasty condition, I have to). Here is your mini lecture – the people who need your help are God’s children. Only send items that you would give to the Christ child, himself. Nuff said.
6. If you want to help with fundraising (this said while lifting our eyes to heaven pleading for help),
- please consider donating part of your ebay auctions to Relief Share.org – we are listed with Mission Fish on Ebay and run charity auctions through GrandmothersAttic.net (for FREE – the time and expense for the ebay auctions is from our family owned business and many items you see offered on ebay are donated from our family store – we put our money where our mouth is) – just choose us from the drop down list on ebay when you list auctions.
- Consider making a donation through Paypal to info@ReliefShare.org – just click on the donate button on this page.
- Drop us a check, money order or cash (accepted but not recommended in the mail) to Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65484-2225. We have been at this address for over 20 years doing charity work and will always be here (barring unforeseen catastrophes that have not been penciled in on our calender so not likely to happen! We will be old and grey and in a wheelchair still here working hard for many years to come.)
- Donate stocks or bonds We have a wonderful stockbroker we work with who will be more than happy to process your donation.
- Donate inventory or goods – many times you can write off the full value for tax benefits. Have a car sitting around, an airplane, a house, closing a business? Talk with your tax people or book keeper – you may find out it is cheaper to donate the items you have than sell what you have and don’t need or want. We have had donated entire inventories of craft and general merchandise stores as the work of trying to tell the left over inventory from a store closure brought a lot less in value that simply donating the inventory and claiming the full value than just pennies on the dollar. We have warehouses and garages to store the inventory as our volunteers quickly process the items to get them to where they are needed the most.
How do we get ‘it’ all done? Folks have asked us that before. It’s easy. We network with other charities and organizations to leverage volunteers and supplies so we are able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters, crisis, and pleas for help from the sick and needy. There is no corner on charity and no need to get credit for what we do. Networking is good for everyone – you included. Network with us to bless God’s children.
Jesus shows us how to be kind & loving. It is up to us to follow him and put our love for others into action.
Relief Share Founder, Carol Green, commented: “We don’t care who gets credit, as long as the need is taken care of. If we all work together, everyone is helped. The only one that really needs to get credit is God. Give ALL praise and glory to God, our Father, as He is the real source of all blessings.”
Having said all this – we want to you consider donating to your own community first. What? Yep, that’s right. Yes, we desperately want what you have to donate to us to share with the sick and needy, but if you donate locally first and strengthen the community you life in – this creates a better world for everyone. Strong caring supportive communities make a better world. So, please consider first what you can do locally, and then, please help us. We need you. The sick and the indigent need you. Please do something and do it today.
Hugs to you for reading all of this, and bigger hugs when you act on it. Thank you so much to all of you who have made miracles happen for those who are in need. Together we are making a wonderful difference in the world.
So now you have items gathered and want to send them, but need to know where they should go. Consider this information and prayerfully consider where you want your donation to go:
Carol C Green and her husband, Richard, are the Founders of Relief Share.org and NewbornsInNeed.org
A comment on Newborns in Need (NIN) from Carol Green: ” My husband and I are the founders of NIN. It is our first ‘baby’ that we helped untold numbers of babies through and our friend, Connie Edwards, took over the reigns when my genetic blood disease got the better of me for a couple of years. She is running NIN as a large successful charity started from the first baby item cut out at my kitchen table. Last year she handled over 6 million dollars in donations.
True to the dream we envisioned when we started Newborns in Need – no one is paid in all of our 50 chapters across the nation and none of the board of directors are paid – it is a work of the heart, not of the wallet. Knowing Connie, there are probably more chapters than that now.
Please check out the NIN website and find a chapter nearest you. They need your help. Now that I am back on my feet and running ReliefShare.org – I expanded my charity mission to include more than just the babies we all adore and promote both ReliefShare.org and NewbornsInNeed.org – find the locations nearest you and help today!”
Knitting a cocoon on the USM Bond machine
http://tracykm.blogspot.com/2011/02/baby-cocoon.html
Here is a wonderful tutorial on the net for making a baby cocoon on your knitting machine with an updated feature – you can seam the cocoon as you go!
Have fun and enjoy and be sure to tell them we sent you. It’s nice to know when you are appreciated for the hard work in putting up a blog post and the gal that put up that tutorial is very much appreciated.
Danny Wright at his piano.
Healing through music – a true gift from God to all of us through Danny Wright who is an international concert pianist. He has sold over 6 million albums since his debut in 1986, he is also my favorite pianist! I just have to share
Danny Wright Releases 35th Album SOUL 2 SOUL and
Launches The Danny Wright Foundation of Music.
Danny Wright’s all-original contemporary piano music interprets healing stories in the purest of ways. The best-selling pianist’s new Danny Wright Foundation of Music will provide music to critically-ill children and seniors, while also supporting musical education in Nevada’s schools.
Las Vegas, NV (October 4, 2011) — International concert pianist Danny Wright’s impressive thirty-fifth recording Soul 2 Soul (released on White Lyte Music, September 26, 2011), sets the bar high for creative and all-original music for contemporary solo piano. Wright’s lifelong training and seemingly innate ability to create moving, magical, and unprecedented aural pieces of art, are represented in this new album. A native Texan, now based in Las Vegas, Wright’s command of musical textures and tones on the wholly-instrumental Soul 2 Soul crosses contemporary, new age and Christian genres.
“This is one of my most heartfelt albums,” Wright said, “My wonderful fans have been asking for a simple solo piano album for years, and the time was just right for these songs to pour out of my soul, inspired by the beautiful people I’ve met through my music.”
On Soul 2 Soul, nearly twenty-five years of music-making has culminated in classic, inspirational and memorable melodies that flow effortlessly through the air. As producer of Soul 2 Soul, Wright – along with co-producer Cheri White – commissioned recording and engineering services from Hyman Stansky at Harbor House Studios in Keller, Texas. A year in the making, Soul 2 Soul is Wright’s first all-original album in twelve years. Wright’s previous release was Walking in Faith (distributed by Inner Knot) a collection of faith-based songs for solo piano recorded in memory of his parents, contributing to his total album sales of over six million copies worldwide.
The inspiration for Soul 2 Soul is vast, drawing from various fans’ and listeners’ stories—whether joyous or painful—and from a range of different Internet sources, concert meetings, and personal friendships. In response to their emotional stories, Wright created compositions to honor their memory or to celebrate their life, either overcoming physical obstacles or comforting those in times of need. Keep in mind, Wright creates these musical landscapes with nothing more than a Steinway piano. All vocals and additional instrumentation are set aside to allow the piano’s “voice” to tell the stories.
The sweet melody of “Adriannes Heart,” most certainly evokes Valentine’s Day imagery with love, faith, and hope for better days to come. The galaxy-titled “To the Moon and Stars and Back” is not necessarily space music, except for the fact Wright’s playing resonates beyond borders, cultures, and, perhaps, planets; this track solidifies Wright’s international (and extraterrestrial) appeal. “Friends are Friends Forever” is a celebration of friendship with a sweeping melody that carries the listener off into another world. “Sweet Jewels” is a tantalizing track with a softly-played melody; but Wright knows how to tickle the high keys in such a manner as to evoke the sparkling characteristics of gemstones tumbling out of a bag. The tragic result of a son’s motorcycle accident and his eventual awakening from a coma is the subject of “Have Faith.” “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” is titled after the name of an inspiring baby (Will) born prematurely with developmental disabilities and autism effects. “At Peace” is a tribute to co-producer and album cover artist, Cheri White, whose husband passed away in his sleep. The events, though seemingly somber, offer catharsis and healing through Wright’s uplifting musical spirit throughout the album. Other tracks include “Tara’s Theme,” “I Found You,” “Carole’s Odyssey,” and “White Lyte,” all expertly ordered and arranged to offer the type of healing and loving experience that has endeared Wright to his fans worldwide. Surely, listeners will find companionship in these spiritual interpretations of challenging events.
White’s contribution to the cover album artwork illustrates the therapeutic side of painting with a flowing stream in the middle of higher, autumn-colored bluffs and hillsides. In a way, the music flows beautifully in the middle of the natural environment, as well as between individuals. The water imagery serves as a creative flow of musical ingenuity that showcases Wright’s way of giving back to the people that inspired the new work.
As a Steinway and PianoDisc artist, Wright celebrates the sounds of piano, while steering close to fellow contemporaries Tom Barabas, George Winston, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Billy Joel, and Barbra Streisand. In fact, Streisand’s passion for music and Wright’s emotive piano compositions have inspired fans to draw parallels between their music. Recently, Wright was delighted when one of his fans told him “You play the piano like Barbra Streisand sings.”
In addition to recording Soul 2 Soul over the past year or so, Wright also co-founded the Danny Wright Foundation of Music, which produced a star-studded benefit event at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on September 18, 2011. The foundation’s mission statement is “Healing the Planet one Heart at a time.” Essentially, the foundation will provide instruments and instructors to sick children in hospitals throughout Nevada and by supporting music programs in schools. Moreover, ten-percent of all proceeds from Soul 2 Soul and other albums will be donated to the Danny Wright Foundation of Music when purchased at the foundation’s website. (www.dw-foundation.org)
Soul 2 Soul is available for purchase via iTunes and Amazon, and at fine music stores everywhere via distribution by Inner Knot and E1 Entertainment. White Lyte Music is also reissuing four of Wright’s best-selling albums including An Intimate Christmas, Real Romance, Keys From My Heart, and Walking in Faith; all albums will be available both digitally and at brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Links:
Official Artist Website: http://www.dannywright.com
CD Review: http://michaeldiamondmusic.com/2011/10/08/soul-2-soul-by-danny-wright/#more-1152
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Danny-Wright/e/B000AP9O84/ref=ntt_mus_dp_pel
Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1622935260&ref=ts
Danny Wright Foundation of Music: www.dw-foundation.org
VNR: http://Wrightwright.com/dw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125&Itemid=174
About Danny Wright
Danny Wright is an international concert pianist who has sold over 6 million albums since his debut in 1986. Wright’s talent stems from musical training from age 4, studying with some of the best piano instructors in the world. He has been named twice by Billboard Magazine as a Top 10 artist in his genre, with three of his albums in Billboard’s Top 10 New Age Albums for three consecutive years. He is currently represented by White Lyte Music LLC in Las Vegas, NV, and is founder of the Danny Wright Foundation of Music.
About The Danny Wright Foundation of Music
The Danny Wright Foundation was formed to help people through the power of music. The Mission Statement is: “Healing the planet one heart at a time. Dedicated to the enrichment of the lives of All People with the understanding and appreciation in the healing power of music. Helping people the “Wright Way.”
Patches fused in place on jeans getting mended
Your favorite pair of blue jeans (or your son or daughter’s) doesn’t have to be thrown out because of a tear or hole. Here is a fast, quick and easy way to mend your jeans.
I had a pair of jeans that needed patching and after searching the net for quite some time, I was frustrated with the lack of instructions to fix the holes and tears in my blue jeans. I did find an expensive repair place that you could send your jeans away to for fixing (no thanks, I can buy a new pair cheaper) and I found some tutorials that left the jeans looking pretty sad and homemade with the patching – also the jeans would be pretty stiff with all the sewing they wanted you to do.
This is a pretty easy no sew fix, and you don’t have to use the stiff patches you buy at Wal Mart to fuse on the knees of your jeans. You can make your own patches that are softer and a closer color to the jeans as I wanted an almost invisible fix. I didn’t want it to look like they were home made patched.
The picture shows the patches ironed on to the inside of the jeans – they are soft and flexible as they are made from flannel and the fusible web is also soft and flexible, comfortable to wear.
For those of you who are searching the net and need to fix your jeans so they look nice, here is what you need to fix it:
1. an iron – I used a small Clover mini iron for convenience, but any iron will do
2. a pair of scissors
3. a matching color piece of fabric – I used blue flannel because it is soft
4. an ironing board or other surface that is heat resistant.
5. Steam a seam (double stick fusible web) or any other fusible product like Heat N Bond, etc. I used Steam a seam because it can be fused to the fabric, then fused to the jeans. Some of the other products must be fused to both the patching fabric and jeans at the same time, making the repair process a little bit harder.
Here we go
- Wash and dry your jeans and don’t use any fabric softener. Turn the jeans inside out.
- Cut a patch out larger than the hole or tear, and fuse the Steam A Seam to it by removing the paper from the web on one side and placing on the patch.
- Hold the iron long enough for the fusible web to adhere to the patch (I used the cotton setting on my iron).
- Trim the patch so the edges are rounded – the patch will last longer and not pull away from the jeans at the corners.
- Pull away the cover paper on the Steam A Seam and place the patch over the hole or tear. Fuse the patch to the inside of the jeans over the hole or tear by pressing the iron on the patch until the web fuses all layers together.
-Turn the jeans inside out and run the iron over the jean material to make sure the patch is fused.
- Let the patch cool and wash the jeans on the cold setting on your washer and tumble try.
mended jeans - it just looks like distressing now.
Enjoy using the jeans for a lot longer. If you like this tutorial, please respond to the blog with a comment, and feel free to add any hints or tips you would like to share on this subject As you can see, the tear simply looks like it was done on
Soft comfortable mend, now looks like chic distressing.
purpose, like the more expensive jeans you buy now with the distressing.
Thank you for asking about our free patterns. Here they are – have fun! Note – you have to copy the links and paste them into your browser. We don’t know why but the hyperlinks in our wordpress blog aren’t working. However, the links work just fine if you cut and paste them
Knitted baby cocoon pattern – http://www.reliefshare.org/wordpress/index.php/2010/10/26/knitting-for-baby-cocoons/
Knitted braided woven ball – http://www.reliefshare.org/
Sewn baby cocoon pattern – http://www.reliefshare.org/
Infant demise sewn pattern – http://www.reliefshare.org/
Hugs,
Carol Green,
ReliefShare.org charity
Ebay – dec2057 auctions
Fine-Air.com blog
GrandmothersAttic.net store
Hospital donation
It always warms the heart to see the gorgeous donations of handmade and purchased items flood in for the sick and needy babies we serve.
Today it was my great privilege to assemble the donations together and personally take them to the obstetrical unit of the Texas County Memorial Hospital. In the donation were beautiful scarves made for the mothers of the babies to keep the cold out, soft plush blankets to snuggle new tiny babies in, hand knit stretchy baby cocoons in pretty colors to swaddle baby, gorgeous crocheted baby booties for the babies (some of them to be used for the burial layettes that are unfortunately, needed), bottles, rattles, baby books, toys, and lots of luscious plush soft sleepers in preemie and newborn sizes.
Donation to Texas County Memorial Hospital:
Donation for TCMHospital
6 baby booties
1 sweater
12 hats
4 blankets
1 bottle
3 nipples
1 cocoon
3 buntings
8 sleepers
1 outfit
2 rattles
1 toy
3 books
4 scarves
We have been donating to that particular hospital since 1992. There have been nursing supervisors and nurses come and go but the hospital is still welcomes us and is grateful for the donations we bring. In the past we have provided free pictures of babies to new families who can’t afford baby pictures and quickly sewn up layettes overnight for tiny preemie babies. We provide them with everything for baby as we have it available – diapers – cloth and disposable, bottles, nursing pillows, blankets, afghans, socks, booties, buntings, cocoons, hats, onesies, t-shirts, diaper bags, pacifiers, baby lotion, shampoo, baby wash, diaper ointment, baby quilts and a lot more.
If you want to help the babies, please send your donation of either purchased, handmade or gently used items to:
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
OR
ReliefShare
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, ID 83714
Carol Green
President/Founder
ReliefShare.org
Getting into the Christmas Spirit – NEED vs GREED
By · Comments
Getting into the Christmas Spirit - NEED vs GREED
I have been reading and pondering the list of “I wants” for Christmas that have been hitting the internet and the circumstances around them with some folks justifying their requests for ‘help’. I wonder how many of them Christ would have approved of.
Asking for help to bless the life of a baby, who no fault of their own, has a dire health situation thrust upon her that needs serious attention and help is a sweet, selfless kind thing to do.
Asking for MORE presents because you don’t feel that efforts of mooching has gotten enough freebies for your kids or yourself who are already getting presents at Christmas is simply not Christ-like. I am referring to a mother stating that her kids were ‘only’ getting a few presents each from Toys for Tots and that just wasn’t enough! To make it worse, she and her husband work, but she decided to ask for more Christmas presents from the public anyway. (that sound you just heard was my jaw dropping at the ingratitude and blatant greed).
What has me in such a knot? As most of you know, I run a charity. I see the worst of the worst and the most helpless and serious cases of lack. It really makes me sad to see essential donations siphoned off because of greed, when they are desperately needed.
The truth is there are people who have zero food, they aren’t even asking for a traditional Christmas dinner (though there is nothing wrong with that, food is essential) – they are asking for anything – a little bit of bread and clean drinking water. Yes, there are areas in the USA that people have to purchase their water as the drinking water is not safe. Imagine that – just wanting some water to drink and not getting it because someone decided that ‘Santa’ needed to be more generous with them and their already taken care of kids.
Let’s turn these negative comments I just made criticizing people for being greedy and selfish (yes, I admit I did that out of sheer frustration and indignation) into something positive.
If folks really want to make a difference this Christmas, here is the start of a list of some things that are actually needed and wanted:
- bottled water, food, multi-vitamins, bread, milk, fruits and vegetables
- body soap, shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, cleaners
- clean underwear, a basic outfit – a sweat suit or something warm, a coat, gloves, hats, mittens
- basic baby items like diapers, blankets, sleepers, hats, pacifiers, etc.
- a toothbrush ( and if you are feeling really frivolous, some toothpaste
as well).
- blankets, sheets, pillows
- a Christmas card. Oh, you don’t think this is an essential? Ask the folks in the old folks home whose kids – living off the money they are taking from their aged parents and going on beach vacations – never come to see. The ones the workers in the less reputable old folks home drug to make them easier to take care of and dampen their sadness and upset.
Take these items to your nearest homeless shelter, crisis center or church to donate out. Those folks, like me, work with the sick and needy all the time and know exactly where the items need to go. We stand anxiously waiting for donation boxes to arrive to immediately get the life saving food and water and clean clothing to those who have nothing.
It is best for folks to donate locally to save on shipping – the money spent shipping items can help more people, but when you have taken care of those in your area, please consider donating to other charity. There are folks in the US who desperately need your kindness and help so step up this Christmas, lengthen your stride, and please, please do something. Anything. Send essentials and whatever else you would like to send and do it wholeheartedly with your love and prayers.
This is a wonderful horrible time of year. Wonderful if a miracle happens in your world and terribly horrible when it doesn’t and suffering happens. Somehow everything is magnified at this time of year – happiness, sadness, love, hate, joy, sorrow – you can be the difference in your life and someone else’s life, if you choose to do so.
If you find this post overwhelming, please just delete it. Sometimes we need to withdraw from life to catch our breath, and that’s okay for survival, but if you are feeling able to help – do something, give something – even if it is just a kind word, a smile or a little help. One pacifier send in a package will just cost a few dollars, but to that mother whose baby needs it, it is very much important. One box of Mylicon drops for baby’s gas from Wal Mart (the generic Equate is a lot less and just as good) makes the difference between tears of joy and tears of sorrow for a family who just doesn’t have the money to get any.
If God has placed you in a position to sacrifice to bless someone else’s life and you can give more, let me share with you a secret of the universe. What you send out in love, returns back to you many times over.
Service and charity blesses the giver just as it blesses the receiver. We can be both givers AND receivers at the same time. That’s the secret and the key to happiness. The world says it like this: Spread the joy. And I say, please do.
May God bless all of you according to your actions, and may you be worthy of great blessings.
Carol Green
ReliefShare.org
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
Relief Share Director Richard Green loading up a much needed donation - everyone at home office is directly involved with helping.
The weather has turned colder and the need for warm clothing and bedding, especially for babies and children is urgent. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and donations of supplies and finished items, Relief Share was able to make a donation of a large box of essential items for families in the Ozarks who would otherwise go with out and suffer with the cold.
The donation for the Crisis Center contained:
BABY & TODDLER ITEMS
shirts – 3
pants/overalls – 13
outfits – 13
socks – 11 pair
shoes/booties – 13 pair
receiving blankets – 16
baby blankets – 6
bottles – 5
tops – 11
rattle – 1
onesies/undershirts – 6
pjs/sleepers – 9
snowsuits – 1
crib sheet – 1
jacket – 1
1 ladies sweater as well.
A huge thank you to the donors and volunteers that made this donation possible. It is everyone working together that makes miracles happen.
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
What floats your boat? (I hope it’s not sinking…)
By · Comments
Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.
Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.
In today’s world it is hard to keep your nose above water. What floats your boat? What makes you do what you do and think what you think?
Well, the short answer is ‘decisions’. Decisions are affected by two forces, and two forces only. Faith and fear. If you think you can, you can, if you think you can’t you can’t. It really is that simple. Decisions made with faith can be empowering and beneficial to everyone – those are the kind of decisions that lead to volunteering to help charities, offering to give assistance to a neighbor, smiling at strangers out of sheer happiness and wanting to share joy.
There are many many children who don’t have decent parents and many without any parents at all. I see a lot of the sad side of life because of the two national charities my husband and I founded.
It is good to always seek for happy productive people to have in your circle of friends. The sad and bad is out there, but life is a choice and reaching for peace, joy, love and happiness is always the way to find more. What we think about and seek is what we will find as our thoughts become actions and actions create our environment.
Want to be happy and have a seaworthy boat that floats? Volunteer or donate today to a charity of your choice!
If you choose to help us, our address to send donations to is:
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
and
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208,
Boise, Idaho 83714
Urgent needs:
Baby items: recieving blankets, baby quilts, clothing, diapers, pacifiers, lotion, etc
sewing and crafting supplies – yarn, fabric, thread, knitting needles, crochet hooks, etc.
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Basic Quilt Instructions
By · CommentsBASIC QUILT INSTRUCTIONS:
Pillowcase construction style quilt
Material used for quilts could include cotton, cotton blends, knits, polar fleece, flannel, etc. Any and all types of quilt battings are suitable. In the past we have used high loft, low loft, regular, all cotton, thermolam, down, and polyester batting. We have even used old blankets, towels, and old bedspreads for the middle of quilts when we ran out of regular batting. We prefer to use new batting but we will not let a baby go cold simply because we temporarily ran out of batting. Try to use something that washes well, will stay soft and not be stiff or too heavy.
We are thrilled when we receive pieced quilts, they are so beautiful and they really show the love and effort that went into them. We also love the whole cloth quilts that are so cuddly, warm and quick to make. It is your choice as to what you would like to make. Relief Share makes many different types of quilts for the babies and families.
Instructions for “pillowcase construction” quilt.
- Place top fabric and bottom fabric right sides together with batting on the bottom. Top, bottom and batting should all be the same size.
- Stitch around all four edges leaving a gap of approximately 8 inches unsewn.
- Turn quilt inside out with the batting now in the middle (some people call this the pillow case way of making a quilt).
- Whip stitch the opening closed.
- Sew approx. 1/2 inch top stitching around the edge of the quilt to stabilize and secure all three layers.
You are now ready to hand quilt, tie, or machine quilt the quilt. Tied quilts – ties should be no farther apart than 4″. Ties should always be a square knot, never just a stitch or a knot that will come out, hospital laundry is really harsh. Ties should be 1 to 1 1/2 ” depending on what you are tying with. Hand quilted quilts – try to keep your stitches fairly uniform and smaller. Tiny fingers can catch “loops” of thread. Use quilting thread for strength.
Machine Quilted Quilts -
A walking foot for your machine is nice but not necessary. Quilts can be tacked, sewn in a grid pattern, or any other design. Make sure there is enough sewing to hold the three layers together securely without the batting shifting after repeated washings.
Baby cocoons also make wonderful gifts for 'little mothers'. This is our youngest ReliefShare volunteer helping us with pictures of the latest cocoon we made.
This week has been fun with darling hand knit baby cocoons donated out to sweet new babies. One cotton/acrylic blend solid pink cocoon with a flower was donated out to a darling new little girl. Another cocoon in purple and blue swirl was donated out to a precious little baby soon to be born. Three hand knit stripe cocoons in blue and brown were donated out to the hospital in Gilbert, Arizona for babies born to families in need.
The most urgent needs right now are for baby items - quilts, receiving blankets, knitted baby cocoons, booties, baby afghans and baby clothing. These smallest of God’s children are helpless and have no way of providing essentials for themselves.
Baby cocoons are requested by the hospitals. One hospital, alone, has asked for 300 baby cocoons. We have been able to knit and donate 100 of the baby cocoons for them thus far for them and another hospital just asked for 100 more. Cocoons are a great item to knit while you are on the go or using spare moments during the day as they are done on size 7 – 16″ circular needles and is very quick and easy. For preemie/newborn sizes, cast on 70 stitches and knit for 16″ then decrease. For newborn size cocoons, cast on 80 stitches, knit for 18″ and decrease. The matching hats for the cocoons are done by casting on 60 stitches, knitting for 4″ and decreasing. Here is a link to the pattern http://www.reliefshare.org/
Relief Share could also really use help with making burial layettes. These are very precious layettes that have a burial gown, bonnet, blanket, and memorial item. The sewing on these special layettes need to be paid special attention to as this is the last little gown that baby will be snuggled in before returning home to Heavenly Father. Here is the pattern: http://www.reliefshare.org/
When the Lord touches your heart to help, many times he guides you to what is most important and will bless your life as you create the items needed. Finding joy in service brings many blessings to the giver as well as the receiver.
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Debra & Ray Cox – fine examples for all of us to follow!
By · Comments
.
At Relief Share we receive many packages of love and caring. Some are sewing, knitting and crochet supplies, some are finished items and some are notes that express the desire to help others with a few dollars tucked inside. All packages are signs of compassion, nurturing and wanting to make this world a better place for all.
Recently we received two sewing machines from a very special source. Debra and Ray Cox are long time followers of Christ and show their love for others through years of service by helping the sick and needy. Many times they put their own needs aside to take care of others.
True unconditional Christlike love is a hallmark of the very elite who understand how love is at the very center of a peaceful productive life. Through Ray and Debra’s excellent example, many others followed through the years to work with the charity chapter they ran to help hospitals and other organizations with essential items for the sick and needy.
Debra has since ‘graduated’ and returned home to live with Heavenly Father. We love her and miss her but know we will all be together again on our ‘graduation’ days as we follow her home. Ray continues her legacy of love through service, dedication, donations and caring.
May God bless them for all they do for others and may we follow in their footsteps to be better, kinder and more compassionate.
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Do You Like To Shop? Make it count….
By · Comments
If you would like to help others by knitting, crocheting, sewing, surging, tatting, embroidery, quilting, or even shopping – please ‘think outside the box’ on how you can go the extra mile to help other whose life can be made better by your love, generosity and care.
Wait, did you catch the last idea? Shopping? Yes, we meant to put that in. We have wonderful donors who LOVE to shop. Our marvelous talented shoppers take their ‘fun money’ and go shopping thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, outlet malls and clearance isles to help others with items such as baby blankets, clothing and accessories, hygiene items like soap, toothpaste, hair brushes, diaper ointment, shampoo and conditioner. Boxes of books, videos, toys, diaper bags, large print books for the elderly, movies to keep children in hospital peaceful and happy, and makeup for teens in Shriners Childrens Hospital who have spent months in hospital – many times years filled with many hospital visits and need to feel ‘normal’. That eyeshadow or lipstick on sale for .25 many not make much of a dent in your household budget, but it could mean the world to a teenager who has been staring at the hospital wall for months, stuck in her body cast and feeling left out of the world.
Children’s videos are extremely important. We have watched children who are in a great deal of pain and have had surgery after surgery settle down and calmly watch a Disney movie and let their bodies heal instead of fighting the nausea that haunts them and focusing in on the pain that washes over their days endlessly. You can give them the distraction they need by providing a toy, book, video, coloring book and crayons to allow them at least a few stolen moments away from the constant pain and drudgery of hospital life. Will you? We do hope so.
A few extra moments of your time, a couple of extra items in your shopping cart – you could be the angel of mercy for those who are suffering, sad and needing your help to feel God’s love through the gift from a stranger who cared. Please don’t wait – the pain and loneliness for the children in the hospital and the aged in the old folks homes doesn’t wait. Do something now, today.
If you only have a moment and no time to go shopping or pack a box for the sick and needy, then please just take a minute to click on the link to donate a few dollars through Paypal to Relief Share. We have volunteer shoppers who would be happy to go shopping on your behalf and take the items to those who need them.
The last donation of funds was given by a beautiful kind lady who wanted to help us with yarn. She donated $50 through Paypal. We were thrilled that she would be the answer to prayers for those who need the baby cocoons that the hospital requested to distribute to the most destitute of their patients. Because we are a charity and have a non profit status, often times we can get the needed supplies and items for a lot less when donations of money come in. Her $50 bought far more than if she had gone to the store and bought it herself. Both Relief Share volunteers and the donor were thrilled!
Carol Green
President
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
or
ReliefShare
6200 N River Pointe Dr c208
Boise, Idaho 83714
Soft woven knitted balls
One of the items that we love to make and donate is our knitted woven balls. These soft fun balls are loved by children and adults alike. Hospitals can use them to help patients who are in rehabilitation from eye surgery, burns or need hand to eye coordination activities to toss and catch the soft knitted ball without getting hurt.
The re-purposed function of the knitted woven balls are that the centers are hollow and you can put things in them without them falling out. We use the plastic containers that the knee high pantihose come in from Wal Mart – we put a jingle bell inside the round plastic containers, permanently glue the small container shut and insert it inside the ball. This makes a baby rattle that moms and babies love. The old folks love to use our balls for their animals to play with, providing hours of entertainment for shut ins.
Relief Share donates to locations all across America, we also donate internationally through other organizations as our combined efforts saves us on shipping and helps them to help others.We like to wind a ball of yarn (you can get whole skeins of yarn wound and fitting inside the balls) and insert them in the balls. When the balls are sent out, particularly to regions of the world who are in short supply of essential materials for necessary goods, the yarn can be taken out and used to knit or crochet mittens, hats, baby layettes, crib blankets, etc and the balls use for play or children, babies and curious adults.
Warning: making the balls is fun and addicting. They are like potato chips, you can’t just eat one. The first one you make will seem frustrating and complicated, but once you get the first one done, they are quick, easy and a pleasure to make. The pattern is free and so are the smiles.
If you would like to help by knitting or crocheting soft balls for the sick and needy, please email info@ReliefShare.org for the pattern. You’ll have fun and will bless the lives of others as well.
- Carol Green
- President
ReliefShare.org - 6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225 - also
- Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, Idaho 83714
Warn knitted hat - one size fits children and adult
This entry in our blog is bringing attention to the needs of those who are dealing with lack. When we think that an item will be used for a specific purpose, those who have not may use it for our intended purposes, but also have the creativity and inventiveness to re-purpose it for other needs.
We were charmed to see what our knitted hat wound up being used for by a sweet little girl who innocently showed us that there are different ways to look at and use the same things. Thinking outside the box allowed her to spend happy hours caring for her baby doll in a soft cuddly bunting pod, and when it gets cold, she can immediately pop the baby dolls ‘bed’ on her head for a cute warm hat to protect her head from the chilly weather. I guess you could look at it this way – warm weather, it’s a dolly bed – cold weather, it’s a hat.
Attention to detail makes the hat fit better and look nicer
Cute soft baby doll bed, re-purposed hat by a little girl - smart thinking.
Just a few extra minutes with a crochet hook and adding a button really puts that 'touch of love' message to recipients.
If you would like to donate knitted or crocheted hats to help the sick and needy, feel free to use your own patterns or email us at info@ReliefShare.org for our pattern shown above.
Hugs to you – may your heart always be warm, your tummy full and you be willing to help others when the spirit of God touches you to do so.
Carol Green
President
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
or
ReliefShare
6200 N River Pointe Dr c208
Boise, Idaho 83714
Cherie Blessing by Vivian Woolum of Heaven's Little Gems Nursery Boutique
This sweet baby is truly a work of love. Created by Vivian Woolum of Heavens Little Gems Nursery Boutique, she was lovingly created and “born on 9-25-1022 at 12″45 pm. Cherie Blessings weighed in at 5 lbs, 4 oz and is 18 3/4″ long. Vivian donated Cherie to help Relief Share with our charitable efforts.
Reborn babies have blessed the lives of many – collectors, mothers, hospital workers and patients. Holding Cherie in your arms, you wonder at how real she is. Every little hair on her head was hand rooted, as was her eyelashes. She has a ‘real’ baby skin complexion that takes your breath away and any second you expect her eyelashes to flutter and her eyes to open.
Vivian packaged Cherie with a beautiful hand chosen rosebud soft blanket and dressed her with love in a gorgeous one piece outfit. Cherie is wearing a lovely sweater and booties that keep her snuggly warm.
Included with Cherie is pacifiers, a Birth Certificate, darling shoes, a tummy plate, diaper, beautiful smocked bonnet, precious little polka dot knit outfit trimmed with tiny mini pink bows, a hooded sweater and sweet pink booties, and a lovely cream Early Birds one piece outfit over a tiny onesie that is just perfect for her size.
This sweet baby will be used for a visual aid in lectures, work meetings, seminars and presentations. She will also be used to test sizing for the hospital and new mothers baby items as Vivian has made her just the perfect size, weighted like a real baby. The nurses at the hospital enjoy visits with the ‘real’ babies and can use them to help education young mothers on baby care and even help ease the suffering of parents who have had to say goodbye to their little one before even saying a proper hello.
In honor of Vivian Woolum, and with gratitude for her generous donation of Cherie Blessing and her accessories – also the wonderful trims for the little burial gowns that we make for the hospital for infant demise, we have added an name on the birth certificate for Cherie Blessing. She is now ‘Vivian Cherie Blessing’.
The name she shall be called by henceforth will be “Vivian”. Each time we say her name and allow her to be used for charitable purposes, we will express our gratitude through using her name for the lovely lady who saw the need, filled the need and blessed many hearts through using her God given gift as a master reborn artist to help others.
Many times we are asked for the source of our donations, as folks want to purchase a similar item. We are pleased to share with you Vivian Woolum’s contact information so you will be able to have a reborn baby doll of your very own, made by an expert in the field.
Heaven's Little Gems Nursery Boutique
Unconditional love in action - charity work.
Relief Share has been very busy week this week.. It is wonderful to see donations like the tide, flowing in and out with a beautiful rhythm of love.
Donations out -
Donation 1 (organization that helps sick and needy)- 260 sweaters and t-shirts, 60 preemie afghans, 600 items of baby clothing, 100 bottles and nipples, 200 pounds of fabric, afghans, blankets, hats, booties, burial layettes, buntings, gowns, washcloths, cocoons, toys, 6 baby quilts and sewing supplies.
Donation 2 (for a family) – barrel of wheat, toys, puzzles, books, office supplies, clothing, suitcase, books, figurines, blankets, sweaters, t-shirts, fabric, yarn, sewing supplies, tapes
Donation 3 (for a family) – 2 large bags of sweaters, 3 boxes of food, toys, books, household items
Donation 4 (hospital) – burial layettes, 15 preemie afghans, hats, booties, baby clothing, diapers, bottles, wet wipes
Donation 5 (for a family) – food, clothing, bean bag chair
Donation 6 (for a family) – donation out, boxes of food, cases of honey
Donation 7 (for an individual) – fabric and sweaters
Donation 8 (for an individual) – fabric, food, sweaters
Donation 9 (for a family) – baby clothing and accessories
Donation 10 (for an individual) -baby clothing and blankets
It is through the generous donations from donors and volunteers of their time, talents, goods, money and love that makes miracles possible. May everyone feel hope, peace, light and love this week as we are blessed and in turn bless others.
All donations are accepted to bless the lives of the sick and needy. Items should be new or nearly new and in good condition. Our volunteers do their best to clean and repair donations but it is nice when they arrive already tidy, in working condition and clean 
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
417-260-2500
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, ID 83714
.
A much needed donation went out to the hospital. It was only possible through our wonderful donors and volunteers. Thank you so much.
13 crocheted afghans – 3 pink, 2 blue, 4 white, 2 cream, 1 yellow, 1 green
6 receiving blankets
15 fleece blankets with crocheted edges
2 packages of pampers disposable diapers
1 package of wet wipes for baby
4 large bottles – baby lotion, 2 baby oil, 1 wash/shampoo
1 pair of pacifiers – blue , 6 hats
The hospital is in need of pacifiers for the babies. If you have new, sealed in the package pacifiers you would like to donate to help soothe the babies, it is greatly appreciated. We also donated out the last of the diapers, baby lotion, baby oil, shampoo and wet wipes and baby quilts. A trip to the dollar store or other shopping center and putting in a box to ship to us would be a huge blessing to frightened young mothers worried because they have nothing for their babies. If you could see the looks of relief on their faces as they sit in the homeless shelters or crisis centers when given donations of love from strangers who care, you would know how much your efforts are needed and appreciated.
God answers many prayers through those who serve him here below. A gift of sleepers, onesies and a soft afghan brought huge smiles and bright happy tears from a mom who really didn’t know what she was going to do. Her little one is so beautiful – a precious gift of a son from Heavenly Father, and we can be partners with God as we help bless a new baby’s life in the beginning of his journey here on earth.
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
Donations through paypal help us purchase items that we can’t sew, knit or crochet. Bottles, wipes, pacifiers, formula – all these things need to be provided. Our paypal address is info@ReliefShare.org if you would care to send a donation, and all donations are tax deductible. Simply click the button below and donate whatever amount your heart tells you to. A baby is helpless and pure – you can make sure baby’s start in life is a good one with warm clothing and blankets, food and hygiene supplies. Thank you for caring.
Sewing cloth mama pads
What a wonderful time we are having at Relief Share to take care of the sick and needy. In under a week we have donated out 15 lap afghans to the wheelchair bound, boxes and bags of clothing and bedding to the sick and needy, and toys to the children who need them. Donations going out this week is a truckload of sweaters and t-shirts to Missouri residents (some of them survivors of the Joplin tornado), boppies to nursing mothers, baby cocoons to the hospital and new mothers in the area, baby clothing to 3 soon to be babies, pacifiers to the hospital, afghans, blankets, infant burial layettes, dolls and toys, books for the homebound to read and more.
Relief Share has been blessed with very generous donations of fabrics that just came in. The boxes are filled with the most delicious scrumptious high quality fabric that our volunteers are over the moon with. One of the directors kept exclaiming, “Do you know what fabric this is? It’s the very best! Oh my gosh, I LOVE this designer…come see the fabric colors! WOW, this fabric is so soft and dreamy, I can’t wait to get it sewn up for the hospital, it’s perfect for the preemie babies.”
Yes, I listed to nearly an hour of folks thrilled with the fabric sent for our sick and needy. I can’t thank the wonderful donor enough. Everyone is so grateful for her knowledge of fabric and willingness to share it with us to help those who desperately need the items that will be made.
May God bless her as plentifully and generously as she has blessed the most helpless and needy of His children. She is truly his hands and feet here on the earth answering fervent prayers for needed essentials for the babies and their families.
Donations arriving
Boxes of much needed new baby clothing has also arrived from a wonderful long time donor, Terry W. The timing was perfect, as usual, as requests for help had just been documented when her boxes showed up with everything in them for the babies. Marianne C. has sent beautiful preemie afghans for the little ones in the hospital and Shirley B made the most beautiful little burial gowns that are so precious and appreciated. Roberta M. always sends the prettiest blankets with gorgeous crocheted trim and lovely crocheted afghans along with dollies for the little ones in the hospital that love a dolly to snuggle with. Her donations are carefully and lovingly packed with the greatest of care. J. W. blesses us with lovely fabrics that are just perfect for the quilts we make for families to snuggle under. Our volunteers love working with them.
We were also blessed by a sweet lady who was willing to trade some of her yarn stash with us for supplies we didn’t need so we would have the yarn needed to knit baby cocoons, hats, booties and chemo hats and prayer shawls. Yarn is always in short supply and we are so grateful for donations of yarn of any kind and color. It’s fun when white or cream wool yarn is donated and we can color it with koolaide in the microwave for permanent coloring to make fun kids print colors.
It takes all of us working together to help answer God’s call to serve his most helpless and needy children. Great blessings are in store for those who answer the spirit’s whisperings.
All donations can be sent to Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr C208, Boise, ID 83714 or 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225. Do you know this is the same address we have had for 2 decades now? In a world that is constantly changing, it is nice to know some things don’t change. Our love for God’s children will never change and our efforts on their behalf will never cease. Your efforts combined with ours create miracles. Thank you so much.
unraveling sweaters to get yarn to knit into baby cocoons
What kind of donations are needed?
Supplies:
Sewing – fabric, thread, scissors, rotary cutters, blades, rulers, snaps, pins, needles, patterns, templates, sergers, sewing machines, etc
Knitting and crocheting – yarn (all kinds all colors), knitting needles (circular 16″ size 7 the most but all circular and straight needles, dpns) stitch counters, yarn winders, swifts, spinning wheels, patterns, books, crochet hooks, etc
Tatting – tatting shuttles, patterns, books, threads
Quilting – fabric, templates, quilters basting gun, batting (a huge need), books, patterns, etc
Embroidery – thread, hoops, patterns, books, fabric
Smocking – pleater, pleating needles, batiste, quilting thread, embroidery and kreinik thread
Office supplies – paper, envelopes, cards, pens, TP, wet wipes, canon ink. digital camera (a huge need).
new and gently used baby and childrens clothing.
basic essentials – hygiene items, shampoo, toothpaste, conditioner, combs, brushes, toothpaste, underwear (all sizes) etc.
Baby items: diaper bags, bottles, pacifiers (a huge need – all kinds for the hospital), baby oil, shampoo, lotion, diaper rash, wet ones, cloth and disposable diapers, toys, cribs, bassinets, monitors, sheets, blankets, afghans, hats.
We address a great deal of needs. Any donation that is sent is used to bless the lives of the sick and needy. All donations are accepted with a tax deductible receipt when requested.
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Infant demise burial layette sets – so important.
By · Comments
Burial layettes
It is an honor and a privilege to be able to provide God’s tiniest children with a much needed last layette set to ‘go home to Heavenly Father’ in. It is also one of the most difficult and emotional activities for volunteers to work on. Relief Share is grateful to the small handful of volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to preparing and providing infant demise gowns, hats, booties, blankets, TY beanie baby lambs, bears and deer, momento items and more. We have many volunteers, but the ones who are involved in our infant demise program are few in number. It takes a special love for God’s tiniest children and a knowledge of what the families are going through to – and this usually comes from sad experience.
Burial layettes
A humble thank you to those who have made this current donation to the St Alphonsus Foundation for the hospital possible. This particular donation to the hospital was a combination of efforts from LDS Humanitarian Services and Relief Share. Networking with other charities brings a synergy to our charitable efforts so that the number of intended burial layettes wound up being 3 times as many. Also included were gorgeous machine embroidered burp cloths and beautiful baby diaper bags made by Sara J. – one of our generous donors who just blessed us with a very large donation of gorgeous fabric to work with for the sick and needy. She is very talented as well as generous!
May God comfort the broken hearts of the families who have to say goodbye to their little ones before they have had a chance to say a proper hello. Our prayers go out for those suffering from infant death and our love for them is in every stitch sewn in these beautiful tiny layettes.
Burial layettes
If you would like to help with the supplies for these layettes, we are in need of more TY Beanie Baby lambs, deer, and bears to include in the sets, we also need knitted, crocheted, serged and sewn layette items such as newborn and preemie hats, bonnets, gowns, booties, blankets, afghans and more. It is also wonderful to receive finished items to be included in the burial layette sets.
Burial layettes
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
log cabin quilt
How does the title for this blog post hit you? That tells you how long and hard I have been searching the net to find a very simple quick log cabin quilt block pattern – one that beginners and experts alike will love.
This is a very fast and easy pattern to do. The two best websites I found tutorial patterns on are these:
http://www.quiltingassistant.com/logcabinblock.html
http://www.cabins-r-us.com/log-cabin-quilt-block-pattern.html
This quilt can be made very easily with strips of fabric. If you want to do a quilt-as-you-go quilt, sew the block on a backing of muslin with batting on top and use binding to put the squares together. This method is used in the Quilt in a Day quilt books that can be bought on half.com – one of my all time favorite quilting books by Eleanor Burns, a marvelous expert quilter:
http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ972661
Use a jelly roll (strips of fabric you can purchase at Wal Mart or other fabric stores) or use up the left over fabric you have from other projects. Your serger and rotary cutter can make sewing this quilt even faster and easier.
Relief Share has been blessed with very generous donations of fabric and supplies this past week. Ray Cox has sent many boxes of bolts of quilting fabric that are already being made up into quilts for the sick and needy. Books and a rotary rulers were also included in his boxes of love honoring his sweet wife, Debra. Her legacy of love for the sick and needy goes on through Ray’s continuing efforts to answer God’s call to help the helpless and lift up the hearts and hands that hang down from trial and adversity. The smiles on the faces of mothers who now have warm quilts and clothing for their precious bundles are the badges of honor shining brightly to mark Debra and Ray’s hard work and dedication to alleviate suffering and bless the lives of the sick and and needy.
Our Relief Share angel, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent a lovely box of orange and red quilters fabric that our volunteers fell in love with. This sweet angel seems to have a direct pipeline to heaven and manages to time her donations perfectly depending on what the most urgent need is. A box of yarn arrived from Placentia, California that is just perfect for our baby hats, cocoons, and layettes. Other donations of lace, ribbon, and sewing, knitting, crochet and serging tools also arrived to help us move forward faster with our charity work.
If you would like to help the sick and needy, please send donations to Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr., C208, Boise, Idaho 83714, also 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225. The greatest need is in Boise at this time so that is the preferred address to ship to. Most of the need in Houston is for baby items and hygiene goods, in Boise we are helping families and a larger number of people. All times of any kind – new or gently used is gratefully accepted. Clean out your closets for a good cause. All donations are tax deductible as Relief Share is a 501 (c) 3 non profit charity registered with the IRS.
May God bless you as you bless others
Carol C Green
President
info@ReliefShare.org
U-nitt.com -
By · Comments
Thanks to Julie at U-nitt.com, Relief Share will be able to help more sick and needy babies in the hospital with hats, baby cocoons, blankets, layette items and booties. We will also be able to make more hats for chemo patients, lap afghans for the wheelchair bound, knitted and crocheted blankets for Shriners Childrens Hospital and many other hospitals and keep little ones and their families snuggled in hand made items knitted or crocheted for them with love by Relief Share volunteers.
A huge thank you to U-nitt.com for your recent generous gift of discounted jumbo high speed yarn winders and donated knitting needles (circulars, straights and double pointed) and crochet hooks to the Relief Share. Your commitment to helping the sick and needy we serve weather the crises in their lives is appreciated by those who help them and, most importantly, by the most helpless who benefit from our services.
yarn winder
With the use of the yarn winders and knitting and crochet tools, our volunteers can spend more time actually working on the items needed instead of winding the yarn by a slower method or waiting for their turn to use the tools needed to create blankets, booties, hats and other items desperately needed. With the cold weather approaching, the need for warm clothing and bedding escalates as a warm blanket can mean the difference to a tiny baby of shivering in the cold and dealing with illness, even death or thriving, with their energy going for healing and growing instead of just trying to stay warm. Time is of the essence when the need is so great, and U-nitt.com is providing a very important donation to help our volunteers fill the need faster and more efficiently.
Thanks to donors like U-nitt.com, the Relief Share has provided many children and families needed items to stay warm, cuddled and happy to thrive and not just survive and now will continue to do so in a more efficient, effective and timely manner.
If you haven’t already visited U-nitt.com you need to do so – it is a wonderful site filled with quality merchandise and the customer service is second to none. U-nitt bamboo knitting needles are made of Moso bamboo, the tallest and biggest bamboo species in the world. Their selection process allows them to use only the part right under the skin of the bamboo, which is the hardest. Bamboo is a fast renewable resource and their craftsmen make it possible for knitters to enjoy the smooth, warm touch and the effortless knitting experience while contributing to our environment.
U-nitt.com bamboo knitting needles are produced with zero chemicals and are hand-crafted and polished to a nice and velvety patina finish that lasts for years. Each needle is laser printed with US and metric sizes, and each pack is in a resealable vinyl sleeve. You will enjoy using these fine products for years to come.
Bamboo needles and hooks - a dream to work with.
All U-nitt.com needles are covered under a one-year warranty against any breakage during normal use.
They also have a valuable selection of wool/ball/yarn winders. You can check them out on the yarn winders page. We LOVE our high speed jumbo yarn winder – it was very busy yesterday at the work meeting! We got a lot of yarn wound into center pull balls for the volunteers to use and it was so much fun to do.
Again, thank you U-nitt.com for all you do for our organization.
Carol C Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Info@ReliefShare.org
Relief Share – Knitted baby hat pattern for newborn – free, fun, quick, easy!
Baby hats are so easy! All you do is cast on 60 stitches on size 7 circular needles – mine are 16″ circulars and knit for 5 1/2″ to 6″ then decrease. The decrease is done by knitting the 8th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 7th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 6th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 5th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 4th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 3th stitches together, then knit the next row then knitting the 2th stitches together, then knit the next row then cut the thread long and thread a yarn needle. Run the yarn through the last few stitches and pull tight. Weave in the end. Voila! Done!
Here is a hat I finished last night. Instead of doing the top of the hat in the pattern above, I used the last few stitches to knit an icord and then knotted it. Sometimes I will do an icord loop. These hats are fun, quick and easy to knit and the hospital and homeless shelters love them.
If you knit your hats in purple and donate them, you are honoring the ‘prevent shaken baby syndrome’ effort. This is a serious problem and a simple purple hat can help hospitals work with new parents to stop this growing trend that is hurting little ones.
If you have a picture of a baby hat you did you would like to share – please email your picture to info@reliefshare.org with the pattern and we would be happy to include it on our blog.
All of us working together creates a synergy that blesses the lives of the babies we love so much and bonds us together in friendship and purpose.
If you would love to share some of your yarn stash with the volunteers to knit and crochet baby hats, cocoons, afghans and layettes – please send your donation to Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr C208, Boise, Idaho 83714 or Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225.
All donations are tax deductible. Share the love
Hugs
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Relief Share infant demise burial gown.
By · Comments
Relief Share infant demise burial gown
This is a simple, quick and easy pattern for infant demise burial gowns that are in short supply right now and very much needed.
The pattern is easy to size down to micro preemie and up all the way to newborn or even toddler. A casing at the neck with narrow elastic inside is what allows the gowns to be used for multiple sizing. The gown closure can be a snap, ties, velcro or buttons. Only one or two are needed down the back, which is completely open for easy dressing of the baby.
Lace or trim can be added. For little girls we use lace and rosebuds with ribbon and for the little boys, rick rack is added.
Material such as flannel, soft minky, cotton or other soft cuddly fabrics are used to create the little gowns. A bonnet, booties, blanket or cocoon is added to create the baby’s layette. When available, we add a soft toy such as a Ty Fleece Beanie Baby for a momento for mom and dad.
These beautiful little gowns are an honor to sew for these sweet babies who only need one last layette for them to be snuggled in. The pattern can be downloaded here: http://www.smocking.org/files/nt7n_weecare_program1.pdf IMPORTANT NOTICE: SAGA provides this Wee Care Program free of charge for your use for the donations of gowns to hospitals for the express purpose of bereavement. Any other use is a violation of the Copyright.
Instead of smocking the gown, simply gather it. You can use less fabric for a gown that is not as gathered. The hospitals are always very grateful for these burial gowns. If you would like to make and donate burial gowns to Relief Share, please send them to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, Idaho 83714
Debra Cox – God has a very special angel with him today.
By · Comments
Debra Cox - - -Aug 18, 2011
Debra Cox, our long time friend and sweet wonderful volunteer has left this world and is with Jesus today in paradise. Debra is very much missed and loved by those here on earth who are separated from her temporarily in death. When it is our turn to go home to our loving God, we will rejoice again in the company of our precious friend.
Debra passed away last night, leaving behind her cherished husband and beloved children. She still reaches out to those in need through Ray as he is donating what she had gathered in her lifetime and will now be blessing others with it.
She has a darling little granddaughter, Amber, that we will be watching grow up in the legacy of love her grandmother set for her. Our hearts and prayers go out to the entire family and all that know and love her.
Ray is such a special sweetheart. He is honoring Debra’s memory by making sure that all of her work, collections, clothing and things she left behind are being used to bless the lives of the sick and needy. In his time of sorrow and need, he is expending efforts to carry on the work that he has spent a lifetime sharing with Debra. Such an unselfish kind response to his own pain is typical of Ray.
Debra and Ray are God’s special team to answer prayers of those here on earth desperate for assistance. Even though Debra is working on other other side in paradise and Ray is working on this side on earth to help God answer prayers, they are only physically separated from death but always together forever in the life and love of the heart.
Debra’s children, grandchildren and extended family have a legacy of all the love, work and kindness both Ray and Debra have extended to the downtrodden, sick, afflicted and most helpless of God’s children. May her memory always burn brightly as a legacy of love and caring to everyone.
Prayers for Ray and Debra’s extended family are most gratefully welcomed. Thank you in advance for your love and caring for this special family in their time of separation and sorrow.
————————————————————
Here is our original post on Debra a few years back: Let us introduce you to a very special leader-servant. Her name is Debra Cox and she is very much in tune with the Holy Spirit. She has been answering prayers for many years, along with her husband Ray. In her community, babies have blankets, sleepers, soft toys, special needs filled and given love from a stranger they may never meet that loves them so much she will sacrifice even her health to provide essentials for them through local hospital and organizations.
I first met Debra years ago. Such a wonderful lady, and so kind. When told about the how the sick and needy babies in her area were suffering from the lack of essentials, her response was “Yea, Lord, I am here – send me!” She jumped right in and gathered volunteers around her to help. Most of the work she did herself, and she is very much loved by all of us.
Debra paid a very high price – her sacrifice and efforts over the years has claimed her health. Today she had surgery for cancer and while some of it was removed, she has weeks of chemotherapy to rid her body of the thousands of nodules that remain. She is no longer able to do all the compassionate service work she has done in the past, but her husband told us today that as soon as she is able, she has already targeted another area of need to address when she gets her feet under her. What a lady, what an angel, and what a fine example of being Christ-like she has set for all of us.
We know God is carefully watching over her with love and compassion and our prayers are with her. What we are calling for today, is not fabric, baby clothing, sewing supplies or hygiene supplies – though we do need those – what we need the most today are prayer for our beloved Debra, and for her comfort and peace while she goes through this earthly trial.
Soft hugs, Debra – we love you!!!!
President Carol C Green
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208
Boise, ID 83714
www.ReliefShare.org
info@ReliefShare.org
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260837720843
Yarn spinner / winder / twister
I just listed this on ebay. It is a yarn/winder/spinner/twister to make your own yarn. ReliefShare.org needs a jumbo yarn winder and the best way to get it is to sell the yarn spinner/plyer to buy one. The one we need is a lot cheaper than the one we are selling as it only takes yarn from a skein and puts it into a center pull ball for our knitting machine and for hand knitters and crocheters. The one we are selling can actually make plyed yarn from a number of different balls creating a new individual yarn. It is fun and works well but we need the other winder worse as it makes jumbo balls and we use a winder daily. We are in need of 2 or three more for the volunteers.
Please spread this link around so we can raise the funds for the jumbo yarn winders to make center pull balls that we need. If you have one you can donate – even if it isn’t a jumbo one – we would love it. Our address is Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr C208, Boise, Idaho 83714. We made 250 queen size quilts last month with donations of batting and fabric that went to the hospital – a huge thank you to everyone who participated in that effort. Now we are making baby blankets, afghans for the aged and cancer patients, baby cocoons and hats for all ages with fall approaching and winter coming on. This is when we ramp up to get everyone knitting and crocheting to meet the needs when the weather turns colder.
We got a wonderful donation of knitting needles to share with our volunteers and gorgeous yarn from our angel donor who always sense exactly what we need when we need it – I swear she has a direct connection with God – she’s amazing (yes, she is here on this list We can use any yarn you have, even scraps, as we make the wonderful scrappy afghans that the children in Shriner’s Hospital love – all the colors and types of yarn in their afghans keeps their attention away from the pain they are in and keeps them cuddled and comfortable.
President Carol C Green
info@ReliefShare.org
www.ReliefShare.org
www.ReliefShare.org/wordpress/
Dear little baby, born this day - may God be with you all the way.
Being a ‘good’ Christian. What does that mean to you? That’s the opinion that matters to the face in the mirror.
There are quite a few people who don’t go to church anymore because they were offended by their brothers and sisters who went there.
The bible says not to offend and not to be offended. Easier said than done when our emotions kick in. I’ve been horribly offended, too, and wanted the perpetrators nailed to the cross for the pain they inflicted. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair, it was unjustified – oh ya, I could really rant on in what I saw as a justified position as a victim.
Then I realized that I wasn’t a victim. I had become the sinner by refusing to forgive and wanting ‘justice’ – lets call it what is really was – I wanted revenge. Oy! Put an entirely different light on things.
Being a good Christian – and loving God enough to obey him – I took a hard look at MY behavior and realized I needed to stop playing the ‘blame game’ and justifying my non-attendance on others. I humbled myself, forgave the perpetrators (never having received an apology or even seeing any change in their behavior) and found peace.
I now attend church for the right reason (in my eyes) and that is to worship God. Church is not a social club. You don’t primarily go because of mortal friendships but you are supposed to mainly go because of eternal and spiritual friendship with your Heavenly Father and your brother Jesus Christ. It isn’t the “Church of Sally” or the “Church of Ron” – its the “Church of God” and while mortal friendships are beneficial and supportive, it is best to realize that the true purpose of church is to connect with your Creator – the one who loves and supports you the best.
Going to church allows you to strengthen your testimony and faith in God. If you can’t humble yourselves enough to forgive and going to church is counterproductive, then fine – stay away and struggle on your own for a while. However, if you can rise above the pain and misery inflicted on you by others, so you can once again enjoy basking in Gods love with others – please do go to church. Seek out and find a church that meshes with your concept of God, find one that brings peace to your soul. When you find that wonderful place – then you can reach out to others who are hurting, like you are now hurting, and bring them into your circle of love to shelter, care for, and support.
The Bible tells us to become strong first – then reach out. If we are weak and hurting, instead of helping others, we could be dragging them down as we spew anger, frustration and pain all over their life – making it harder for them, instead of being a blessing for them.
Life is a journey, not a destination right now. We live each day at a time, one footstep at a time. Most days we move forward, some days we are backsliding, but we are always going from day to day, moment to moment and praying for help so that it can be forward motion.
Let go of the insult, the anger, the indignation, the frustration – all the negative emotions associated with what is holding you back. You don’t have time or energy for it, life is short and time is fleeting. When you do that, life gets into clearer focus and it is not as hard.
What really gets our life in focus is dealing with challenges, and sometimes other’s challenges can make us very grateful that our similar challenges in the past are over and we can now help others out who are in the same situation we were that hurt so badly.
Before I start to cry again so badly I can’t see the sewing machine, I am going to get off the computer and back to sewing burial gowns. I have such a hard time making them. I lost 3 children and while God has made the loss bearable, it still stings enough to make it very hard to sew the tiny gowns and bonnets for babies whose parents never got the chance to say a decent hello before they had to say goodbye.
Please, dear friends, forget your own pain today and soften the blow for others. Speak kindly, wisely and comfortingly. There are others all around you who are drowning in sorrow. they show it in different ways – some of the evidence of pain is negative – striking out, saying or doing not nice things. Find those people and be a blessing to them. Sew a burial gown, bake a batch of muffins to feed their body as your hug feeds their soul. Give them a hug, Take them to the doctor or shopping for groceries, if thats what they need.
Listen to those who are in need of help without criticizing or even speaking if they need to unload, but most of all – listen to your Heavenly Father who loves you. He needs you most of all as the greatest blessings from heaven usually flow through hands that serve Him here below.
Off to do what has to be done now….pray for me, it’s very very very very hard. (If you need me, I’ll be there. That’s what being a ‘good Christian’ means to me, listening to my Heavenly Father and reaching out to help others as He helps me. )
Soft hugs
Carol Green
President
ReliefShare.org
(Note – this post is introspective. It is not a rant on religion but sharing why we do the things we do at Relief Share. ) We would love to hear from you on your perspective of charity work. Email us at info@ReliefShare.org
Cocoon made with Love That Yarn stripe from Hobby Lobby
Experiment with color. Enjoy the process of crafting a remarkable item to share with those less fortunate or sick. You will be doubly blessed as you put your love for your fellowman in action through service and charity.
We make so many items for the hospitals and for the sick and needy that it can get pretty hum drum to use the same yarn and colors over and over. To spice up our charity work and enjoy what we are doing again – we simply add variation and color. We either change up the pattern just a bit to make it slightly different and interesting – adding seed stitch to our knitting or using a variegated yarn instead of solid colors – and the joy in creating comes flowing back in again giving us a renewed love for the projects we are working on.
I ran across a wonderful tutorial on youtube on how to get the most from your variegated yarn. The idea was simple but brilliant. Mike suggests pulling the yarn from opposite ends to get a color reversal to double your benefit from using variegated yarns.
One of our Directors also has a marvelous way to make the most of variegated yarns. Jennifer Sundquist is an experienced knitter and crocheter and owns “The Tiny Panda” business – you can see her facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tiny-Panda/177250085656698 Her technique for working with variegated yarns is to watch how the colorway interacts with the pattern. When she sees that there is too much of a color being added to the project, she ties off some of that color and omits it from the yarn being used. By doing this simple technique, she can control how much of any color being integrated in the pattern is impacting the final result. This is especially helpful when using your own dyed yarns if the colorway turned out different than what you wanted. Don’t toss it out or put it in the back of your craft room – simply use the tying off technique to get the amount of any given color you are looking for.
Dyeing yarn with koolaid
If you are in a rut with your charity knitting and crochet by being bored with color – make your own! Another way to get the most from variegated yarn is to dye your own yarn. Wool is the best choice of yarn to work with and it can be dyed with koolaide and your microwave. Yes, it does work and the color is permanent. Jennifer has dyed some incredible colorways that are absolutely gorgeous. Using Koolaid to dye yarn to make beautiful colorway (variegated yarn)
Here is a tutorial on the internet on how to dye wool with koolaid: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/FEATdyedwool.html
Yarn dyed with koolaid - simply gorgeous
Some of the wonderful colorways you can purchase in variegated yarns are found at the major chain craft stores. My favorites are:
Hobby Lobby – the store brand of Love That Yarn is always a good choice. You can find two types of variegated yarns in that brand. The ‘stripe’ version of the yarn will give you, yes, you guessed it, stripes – but not just solid stripes. There are pretty accents in the stripes that make your finished items wonderful. The other type of variegated yarn made by Love That Yarn is the ‘ombre’ – the more traditional type of variegated yarn with spotches of color.
Ombre pattern turned in to argyle with just a tension change - how fun!
I discovered, by accident when working on a charity fundraiser cocoon, that the ombre also makes amazing patterns when you least expect it. When making a cocoon, I put extra tension on the yarn and the basic ombre or splotch coloring turned into an argyle pattern. Very beautiful and more complex coloring and completely unexpected and welcome!
Another colorway that I love to use is Caron Simply Soft. In my opinion, that is some of the best yarn to use for baby projects as it is silky and soft and drapes beautifully. I also discovered that Wal Mart has three colorways that just came out a few weeks ago, as Wal Mart is adding all their fabric departments back (yay, Wal Mart – we love you again!) and the colorways are gorgeous. They are not available at any other stores in our Boise, Idaho area yet so I quickly bought up all that I could.
If you have ideas and comments on using color with yarn in your charity or other projects, we would love to hear from you. Our email is info@ReliefShare.org
Carol C Green
President
ReliefShare.org
ReliefShare.org/wordpress
Chow dog dyed to look like Panda
Oh – just a fun aside note: Yarn isn’t the only thing people like to dye. This is a picture of the latest rage from China – people are dyeing their dogs like other animals. Its safe and fun and quite interesting, but that is an entirely different post altogether *smile*
The charity efforts this summer went light speed with all the donations pouring in and going out. I just made a large donation at a local hospital filled with preemie items, newborn baby essentials and items for the Refugee Center. Full size quilts, baby hats and cocoons, infant burial layettes, soft toys and much more is being worked on right now. Relief Share has a variety of projects that are ongoing in the sewing, knitting, crochet, serging, tatting, embroidery, doll making, toy making and other crafting departments. Something for everyone to be able to lend their time, effort and skills to.
A donation of 5 boxes of fabric just arrived from a wonderful donor. While we use most fabrics, we rarely use double knit polyester but we know that if we put our thinking caps on, we can find a use for it. We are looking for input and ideas on how to use for the benefit of the sick and needy. Please email us with your ideas – we would love to hear.
Have a wonderful summer and enjoy the gorgeous days that God has given us to be happy in.
Carol C Green
President
ReliefShare.org
Volunteer kindness - it's love in action!
Summertime tends to be a more relaxed time when we can enjoy the sunshine and take a look around to see how we can make a difference in the world. We always try to leave a place better than we found it and the earth is very much in need of those who care and do what they can to alleviate suffering and help those in need and in crisis.
Everyone has gifts and talents. We all have something we can offer each other to make life gentler, easier, more precious and kinder. What is your gift? Sewing? Crochet or knitting? Embroidery? Quilting? Tending children? Writing? Baking? Organizing? Leadership? Making others feel better about themselves? You see, there are as many wonderful gifts from God to each of us as there are God’s children here in our earthly family. Take some time today to think about how you can share your special gift with others.
Volunteers have been working hard to help others. This week boxes of much needed donations have come in filled with finished items, supplies, and love. Many donations have gone out to those who are sick and needy and they express gratitude for the help. Thank you so much to those who share from the heart what they have with those who so desperately need it.
Current projects:
- queen and baby size quilts – for the hospital and shelters
- wool dryer balls (these can save the average family approx $240 a year)
- knit hairbands for refugee children
- baby cocoons and hats for the hospital
- soft toys for refugee and homeless children
- infant burial layettes
- baby items such as diaper bags, totes, layettes, booties, hats, sweaters, onesies, cloth diapers, hygiene items (soap, lotion, rash ointment, conditioner), bottles, feeding pillows
- baby ribbon taggie blankets and toys
- backpacks with school supplies
- tote bags for foster children
- baby afghans
- prayer shawls for cancer patients
- knitted and crocheted hats for chemo patients
Some of the supplies most needed right now are: a Kam Snap press, Kam Snaps (all colors), PUL fabric for diaper covers, fabric (flannel, cotton, knit, woven, any kind, kids print), elastic for diapers, velcro, thread, sewing tools, quilting tools, crochet and knitting supplies and needles and hooks, yarn – any kind, smocking supplies, trim, lace, ribbon roses (burial layettes), ribbon (we need lots of washable ribbon of all widths, colors and patterns for the taggie blankets), USM knitting machine, claw weights, swift for making skeins into center pull balls of yarn, yarn winders, wool yarn for dryer balls, baby longies and hats and blankets.
May your summer be a fun and wonderful one, filled with friends and family and may you bless others as you enjoy all that God has given you. You may want to donate supplies to help volunteers make what is needed, or make items yourself and send them to us to distribute. You may want to help by sending funds to help us ship items to where they are needed to go or purchase needed items. You can donate through paypal by sending your donation to info@reliefshare.org or send a check or money order as well as boxes of donations to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208,
Boise, Idaho 83714
or
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
All donations are tax deductible. We are grateful for everyone doing what they can to help us help others
God bless you,
Carol C Green
President
www.ReliefShare.org
info@ReliefShare.org
Dryer balls from wool yarn.
These are dryer balls – they save money and are environmentally friendly. An average family will save approx $240 a year by using them as they don’t have to buy fabric softener or use more electricity to run the dryer longer.
The wool in the dryer balls wick away extra moisture, drying the clothes faster and with the quite soft beating motion in the dryer from the balls makes the clothing soft and keeps the static down. It is a huge plus to be free from the chemicals in fabric softeners and fabric sheets, too.
These are three I just made from wool yarn. You can make them quickly for yourself, your friends and family and to donate to charity, too.
Here is the pattern to crochet them.
1 skein yarn
1 crochet hook
With wool yarn (we recommend Fisherman’s wool yarn from Hobby Lobby – the price is good and it felts well), and a crochet hook (we like size G) make a magic ring. Here is a link to a youtube tutorial on how to do a magic ring if you don’t already know how – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLuSVyKvoUg and crochet 8 sc in the ring. Pull tight and slip stitch into the first sc to make the first ring.
For the second row, chain 2, dc in the same stitch. Follow the instructions in the bracket to the end of the row – (dc in next stitch and 2 dc in the stitch after that) dc in last stitch that you just did 2 dc in. Slip stitch in last stitch to close. This will make half of the cover – a domed shape.
Repeat row 2 for row three. That is the other half of the cover. You will now have 2 half domes that will be whip stitched together over a ball of yarn you have rolled from the same wool yarn. To roll the ball of yarn check out this tutorial on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=equs45JCHwo You will note in the picture that some of the balls have more than just three rows. You can make the balls as big or as small as you like by adding or deleting rows.
These balls are quick and easy to do. After you have them done, toss them in the washer with your laundry, pour the laundry detergent for the load right on the balls. Use hot/cold setting for the load as the temperature extremes, soap, and washer agitation will felt the balls so they work better and hold together better with use. Toss them in the dryer and leave them there permanently. I use approx 8 to 1o balls in my dryer as I tend to do full loads. If you are doing small loads you can use 5 to 6 balls.
Use up your scraps of wool yarn as well by simply tying the ends of shorter pieces – as you crochet the tied ends wind up inside the covers so you don’t see them. These dryer balls are a wonderful gift for a new mother as fabric softeners can cause allergic reactions in small babies. We make them for the refugee center and other places who are helping folks get on their feet with household goods.
The same pattern from acrylic or cotton or blended yarn makes wonderful soft toss toys for the children in hospital, homeless shelters, crisis centers and for individuals in need who would love safe toys for their children.
Do you have a variation on the dryer ball pattern? Please share, we would love to hear from you.
Carol Green
President
info@ReliefShare.org
Summer charity work at Relief Share – join in the fun!
By · Comments
Love in action - working together.
We are all enjoying the summer and being very productive. Lots of full size quilts, baby cocoons, dryer balls, soft toys, baby layettes, burial layettes, afghans, baby quilts, hats, booties, taggie blankets and more have been made and donated out to the sick and needy.
Volunteers are asking for easier access to our patterns online so we will be working on making a pattern section for folks to use in our charity work. Input is welcomed so we can make it easy, fun and quick to find the patterns you are looking for.
Thank you letters have come in from various hospitals, organizations and individuals for donations received, expressing gratitude to the volunteers for all our hard work. It’s so nice to be appreciated and know what we are doing is wanted and needed.
A big thank you to our wonderful donors who have sent and delivered fabric, batting, yarn, sewing supplies, finished items and quilting books. With everyone working together, miracles happen.
Carol Green
President
6200 N River Pointe Dr C208,
Boise, Idaho 83714
Knitting pattern for cotton dishcloth – works very well
By · Comments
Cotton knitted dishcloths
These cotton dishcloths are earth friendly and last a lot longer than synthetic mass produced dishcloths – they work better, too. They also save money when you use them instead of paper towels or wipes.
Make some for yourself and extras to donate to the refugee center, homeless shelter or crisis center in your area or send them to us at Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr E302, Boise Idaho, 83714
Materials: 1 ball of cotton yarn. We like the Peaches and Cream cotton yarn.
Knitting Needles: Size US 7 or 8.
Pattern: Cast on 3 sts.
1st row: Knit.
2nd row: K1. Increase 1 st in next st. Knit to end of row.
Rep last row to 40 – 50 sts. (depending on how big you want the dishcloth.
Next row: K2. K2tog. Knit to end of row.
Rep last row to 3 sts. Cast off.
Note: This pattern makes a darling baby afghan. Use washable acrylic yarn and knit rows until it is as big as you want, then decrease.
We hope everyone is headed for a wonderful 4th of July. Our holidays are always better when we know the sick and needy are taken care of first, so we are knitting up a storm on our Ultimate Sweater Machine today making baby cocoons!
For those of you who have a USM or another type of knitting machine, you know that it’s fun, quick and easy. For those of you considering getting an Ultimate Sweater Machine or one of the variations of it – they are available at JoAnn Fabric (be sure to use a 40% or 50% off coupon when you purchase, coupons are usually on their website).
Here are a few tips to make your knitting a lot easier, professional looking and fun!
Instead of just using the black hem that comes with the USM, do a row of double e-wrap so when you are ready to take your knitting off the machine, you don’t have to crochet it off. This youtube video by Diane Sullivan is very good as she explains slowly and clearly how to do a double e-wrap.
This video shows how to make a cast on rag – very helpful if you are making smaller items, such as the braided ball for children in the hospital.
To make the baby cocoons for the hospital, it is a lot nicer and quicker to use the Kris Krafter garter bars to decrease and make a nice rounded end. We made a couple of types of home made garter bars and they just aren’t effective and quick enough for us, when a donation of the KrisKrafter garter bars arrived, everyone was VERY excited and they are in constant use now. Expensive, but worth every penny (thank you to our sweet angel who donated them to us – we love you for it!)
So what can you make with your Sweater Machine (knitting machine)? Anything you can imagine! Send us your pictures for us to include on our blog
We make baby hats, baby cocoons, afghans, prayer shawls, braided balls, cancer patient hats and much more!
President Carol Green
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, ID 83714
What a relief – we LOVE getting the donations in for the sick and needy. When our shelves get bare as donations are all distributed, we take a deep breath in and say a heartfelt prayer that before the next request for help comes in there will be donations to fill them…and then we hit the work room and start sewing, knitting, quilting and crocheting like mad!
Receiving blankets donated by Sylvia Gonzales of Angel Cover Ministry
Sweet stuffed toys, toothbrushes and floss from Jan & Butch
This weekend we received beautiful receiving blankets, stuffed toys, toothbrushes, floss, burial gowns, household goods, baby clothing, toys, books, yarn, fabric, sewing supplies, batting, baby cocoons, totes and waterbottles.
We are delighted to share that the donations are already distributed and the sewing supplies used to make more.
Thank you so much for your love and sharing. God has commanded us to be a blessing to each other and we joyfully obey his will in bringing relief to the sick and needy through sharing our time, talents, love and funds.
Think about all the blessings you have and what you would do if they were all gone. The tornado victims were stripped of everything they had in a very short time. Gone were the beds and warm bedding, clothing and hygiene items, no longer there were the children’s toys, books to read or even a high chair to feed the baby in.
Can you really enjoy what you have when you know others are suffering and have lack? Yes, you can, but only if you share what you don’t need or want with them.
De-clutter your home for a good cause. It lightens your load as we don’t really own possessions, they are just on loan from God and we are stewards, but if we have too many possessions – they own us as we lose energy and time shuffling them from place to place with no real need for them.
If you are saving things for a rainy day, I have to tell you it’s pouring right now for those in need. Give relief through sharing. Put three boxes down as you work to clear your home. One for putting away, one for throwing out and one for charity. When the charity box is full, put a label on it and send it to: Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe, E302, Boise, Idaho 83714. Include your name, email address and mailing address so we can send you a tax deductible receipt for your kind and much needed donation.
There isn’t anything we don’t take – all is needed as we handle requests for assistance from all walks of life – hospitals, crisis centers, homeless shelters, refugee centers, animal shelters and individuals who need help. Items should be clean, new or gently used.
May you all have a wonderful week and enjoy all God has given you.
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
www.ReliefShare.org
Angel Wing Burial gowns
By · Comments
Angel Wing Burial Gown
There are times our love and sewing skills are called upon for the most tenderest of times. When a family loses their infant – when they have to say goodbye before they get a chance to say hello and share their world with the new arrival- our help is needed in providing one last tiny gown, bonnet, blanket and memorial item to help ease the pain and send the little one back to the arms of God.
Our children are only on loan from our loving Heavenly Father for a time. Some of us only get to have them for a very short while and it can be very difficult to deal with the separation.
Relief Share provides Angel Wing Burial gowns, designed by one of our special volunteers, Dot Fulton. Dot has since gone home to Heavenly Father herself, but every time a little Angel Wing Burial gown is sewn and donated, she is fondly remembered as one of the kindest sweetest ladies whose love for the babies lives on with each gown donated to help another grieving mother. These gowns were made because of requests from the hospital for a gown with sleeves that made it easy to dress baby for burial. This burial layette fits a tiny baby that weighs about 2 to 3 pounds. Mothers and fathers were so grateful for volunteers who showed love for a stranger by providing something that you couldn’t get no matter how much money you have.
These gowns were sewn by a sweet volunteer in Boise, Idaho. She added binding to the neck and sleeves as these are for little boys. When we make the gowns for little girls, there is lace added to the neckline, hem and sleeves – sometimes tatted by hands who love the babies and their families, too.
A thank you letter from a major hospital states:
- “We want to thank you for your kind donation of burial layettes. They are so beautiful. The colors are so pretty, you can certainly tell a lot of love and effort went into the creation of these lovely outfits. We make every effort to make the grieving process as painless as possible. The beauty and caring workmanship of the outfits are a comfort to the bereaved family. Hopefully this makes the memories a little less painful. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.”
Love in action seems to be the only healing power in many cases for overcoming the pain of loss suffered by those experiencing the death of an infant. The gift of a tiny burial gown for a grieving mother or father is so gratefully received. When families feel the most vulnerable and powerless, a burial layette, provided by caring hands and loving hearts is God’s strongest witness that He lives and loves us.
We can be the miracle in someone else’s life today.
Ask yourself: “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”
Please don’t wait another day, reach out to those who need YOU!
If you would like to help by making burial layettes or sending fabric, trim and supplies to help us make them, we would love it.
President Carol Green
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, Idaho 83714
What a wonderful day – thank you all so much!
By · Comments
Together we can make a wonderful difference!
Hugs
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org – you can help!
www.ReliefShare.org/wordpress/
An emergency worker carries a girl out of Academy Sports.
http://www.godvine.com/Man-Sacrifices-His-Life-to-Save-his-Wife-From-a-Tornado-453.html
As we go about our daily lives, we need to remember those whose lives were torn from them in the tornado. It’s not over for them. One step in front of the other, one minute at a time – they need our continued love and support.
Thank you to all of you who are sending batting, clothing, hygiene items and sewing supplies to Relief Share.
Our volunteers are working around the clock to make quilts to keep folks warm – in many cases that is all the bedding they have.
We are also making baby taggie comfort blankets and can use all widths of ribbon at least 4″ wide (a great way to use up the left overs from crafting).
Supplies needed: Quilt batting – queen size or larger (we can cut it down for smaller sizes when needed). Fabric – cotton (great for the all purpose, all ages, quilts), knit, minky, chenille, flannel, velour (think soft and cuddly for the babies and small children), ribbon – wide, medium and narrow widths for burial gowns and taggie blankets for babies, sewing and serger thread, yarn for baby cocoons, blankets and hats, knitting and crochet needles, quilting supplies, hygiene items like shampoo, soap, deodorant, combs, brushes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc, tote bags for refugees, baby clothing, diapers, bottles, pacifiers (anything a baby needs). Anything you send will be put to good use. All donations are tax deductible.
May God bless everyone and keep them safe and comforted.
Soft hugs,
Carol Green – info@ReliefShare.org – you can help!
donation shipping address:
Relief Share,
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302,
Boise, Idaho 83714
www.ReliefShare.org
www.ReliefShare.org/wordpress/
If you wish to donate funds to help with purchasing what is needed for the sick and afflicted, our paypal address is info@ReliefShare.org – please make a note of your email address so we can send you a thank you letter and tax deductible receipt.
Braided blue comfort ball
This is a darling knitted ball that is easy to make. Make 2 – keep one for yourself and give the other to charity!
This can be hand knitted – here are the instructions from ravelry.com – if you don’t belong, sign up – it’s free and full of wonderful people and patterns.
We completely machine knitted this ball on the Ultimate Sweater Machine (USM)from JoAnn Fabric. It takes about 2 hours.
Here is our pattern – this ball was knitted with keyplate 3 and worsted weight using a rag hem and claw weights.
Strip 1 – Knit 15 stitches wide by 10″ long. Pick up the stitches from the bottom of the strip and put them on the needles with the top of the strip. Using the cast off method, remove the strip and it will be joined into a tube.
Strip 2 – same as strip 1.
Strip 3 – knit the same as strip one, but when you are joining the tube, weave it through the other two – see instructions from ravelry on placement.
Strip 4, 5 and 6 – see instructions for strip 3.
When you have knitted the last strip and joined it, the ball will be complete. We like to roll the strips into a tube for more definition. If you find the strips are too loose, you can knit them shorter.
These balls are called ‘comfort balls’ and the children in hospital, homeless shelters and crisis centers love the soft toys. So do the adults If you want to make them for your local animal shelter, you can put a jingle bell inside of the ball inside of a plastic container like the clear balls that knee highs from Wal Mart come in. We don’t recommend bells inside of the ones going to children because of the choking hazard. This is a perfect project for all the scrap yarn you have left over! If you want to join the strips by hand with a yarn needle, you can make yourself a ‘kit’ of strips to take along to the doctor’s office or on trips. To keep the loops from unraveling, secure by putting the loops on a safety pin.
Work in progress - braided ball on USM - partially made ball on top of the machine waiting for the next strip.
The 6th strip being joined on the USM knitting machine.
We could really use donations of yarn to help us make these comfort toys. If you would like to share your stash with us, please mail donations to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302,
Boise, Idaho 83714
All donations are tax deductible, please include your email address so we can thank you
President Carol C Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Relief Share maximizes efforts by working with others.
By · Comments
LDS Humanitarian Work Room
Relief Share maximizes our efforts by working with other established charities. Many times we have what they need to provide for the sick and needy and there are many benefits to working together to be able to reach out farther and more efficiently to meet the needs of those who are in crisis, sick or needing help.
Recently Relief Share volunteers have been thrilled to work with LDS Humanitarian Services, and we invite all to come & enjoy the blessings of service at the work room in Boise, Idaho. The work room is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm and is always filled with happy productive volunteers guided by the kind & knowledgeable director, Karol Stokes. You will be sure to have a wonderful experience knitting, sewing, serging & quilting for the sick & needy.
Batting donation
We received two large shipments of batting recently – the first donation was 90 yards of batting and was used within 1 1/2 hours. The wonderful donors who gave so generously of their funds to relieve the suffering of those who need their help are such a blessing to the sick and needy. Thank you so much to those who are putting their love in action.
Relief Share just delivered another large shipment of batting on Thursday and it won’t last much longer. More batting is on the way…and we need more still. With the tornadoes, natural disasters and needs of the refugees, homeless and those in crisis – quilts are very important.
If you would like to donate batting (90″ wide is best), please ship it to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, ID 93714
Batting donation
If you would like to donate funds to purchase batting, we have donated coupons to get the batting at cheaper pricing. We accept cash, checks, money orders, credit cards and paypal. Paypal donations can be sent to info@ReliefShare.org – if you need more information or assistance in making a donation, please email us at info@ReliefShare.org
Pictures speak a thousand words – here are the pictures of the batting donations we received and pictures of the LDS Humanitarian Work rooms where we love to spend most of our time working on behalf of the sick and needy.
Batting donation
Batting donation
Here are some of the volunteers and the quilts they have made for the sick and needy. What wonderful caring people, it is a pleasure to work with them and feel of their love for all of God’s children.
Volunteers come in all sizes and ages!
Happily engaged in a good cause!
Crocheted baby cocoon pattern. Make some and share!
By · Comments
Crocheted baby cocoon and hat
Free pattern from FaveCrafts.com Swaddle your newborn with the cozy soft baby cocoon and hat, two free crochet patterns from Red Heart. These beginner crochet patterns make great gifts for new babies.
Directions are for Newborn to 3 months.
Finished Cocoon Circumference: 24″.
Finished Hat Circumference: 18″.
Materials:
- RED HEART® “Buttercup™” 1.76 oz (50 g), 72 yd (66 m) balls: 4 balls 4277 Light Mint Multi
- Crochet hook, 6.5mm [US K-10.5]
- 2 Split-lock stitch markers
- Yarn needle
GAUGE: 9 sts = 4″; 8 rounds = 4″ in sc. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.
Instructions:
COCOON
Round 1: Beginning at lower edge, ch 9; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 6 ch, 3 sc in last ch, PM in center sc of the last 3 sc, working on opposite side of ch, sc in next 6 ch, 2 sc in last ch, PM in last sc made – 18 sc. Do not join but work in continuous rounds. Move markers up each round.
Next Round: [Sc in each sc to 1 sc before marked sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in marked sc] twice – 20 sc. Repeat last round until there are 54 sc.
Body
Work even on 54 sc until 21″ from beginning.
Fasten off. Weave in ends. Fold top edge down for cuff.
HAT
Round 1: Beginning at top of hat, ch 5; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch, 3 sc in last ch, PM in center sc of the last 3 sc, working on opposite side of ch, sc in next 2 ch, 2 sc in last ch, PM in last sc made – 10 sc. Do not join but work in continuous rounds. Move markers up each round.
Next Round: [Sc in each sc to 1 sc before marked sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in marked sc] twice – 12 sc.
Repeat last round until there are 42 sc.
Body
Work even on 42 sc until 8‖ from beginning.
Fasten off.
Weave in ends. Fold bottom edge up for cuff.
Make some to share and send them to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, Idaho 83714
All donations are tax deductible – include your email address and we will email you your thank you letter and tax paperwork to print out. The babies in the hospitals, homeless shelters, and crisis centers really need the cocoons for warmth for growing and healing.
Note: Caron Simply Soft yarn, Hobby Lobby Love That Yarn, and any worsted weight yarn will do nicely. If using Red Heart, use the softer yarns
- Ted Grabenauer sleeps on his front porch on Monday, the morning after a tornado ripped the roof off his home in Joplin, Missouri.
It’s been a wild time with all the tornados and flooding. Prayers are being offered for the sick, afflicted, homeless, stricken, suffering and experiencing more difficult trials than they have ever had to deal with before. The aftermath of the nasty weather (that is not over yet) is one of shock, loss and deprivation.
Our prayers are very much needed, as there are only some areas that God can heal and handle, but as we pray like everything depends on God, we need to work like everything depends on us.
Urgents needs: QUILT BATTING! Can I say that again? QUILT BATTING! We have material for quilt tops and backs, and even have many of the quilts ready to put together but we are short on quilt batting. 90″ wide is the best size and however long you can get it. JoAnn Fabric is having a wonderful sale right now with only $5 shipping if you do it before tomorrow night. Any kind of batting, any size of batting will be gratefully accepted. Volunteers are standing by to make the life saving, warmth giving quilts that are so desperately needed but we need YOUR HELP in supplying the quilt batting.
- People walk a devastated street in Joplin, Missouri (map), on Sunday, hours after a tornado killed at least 116 people, as of Monday afternoon, and left the town in ruins.
Other urgent needs are:
- BABY CLOTHING - sleepers, socks, booties, bibs, receiving blankets, afghans, soft toys, diaper lotion cream and shampoo, diapers, formula, bottles, diaper bags – anything for a baby.
- basic simple clean clothing for toddlers, children and adults. Many of the people affected have nothing, it’s all gone – just look at the pictures on the news. New clothing is best, but gently used clothing is gratefully accepted.
- basic HYGIENE ITEMS like toilet paper, kleenex, pads, shampoo, shaving cream, razors, hair conditioner, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste – just think about what you find in a hotel room that are considered basics. Ttrash bags, face lotion, hairbrushes, combs – even makeup for the women (it helps with morale and to sustain a ‘normal’ life feeling).
- TOYS & BOOKS to keep the little ones happy in crisis shelters, tote bags are a huge help for folks to carry what little they have around with them.
- SURVIVAL ITEMS – matches, flashlights, water containers, tents, tarps, safety pins, MRE food supplies, back packs, writing supplies, batteries, etc
-FOOD. Survival type food is best – lightweight and nourishing. Dehydrated fruit like berries, trail mix, fig newtons, protein bars, water (a biggie)
- basic SEWING KITS (ask your local hotel for a few donations and send them on to us – same thing with the toiletries).
- crochet, knitting, tatting and sewing supplies. Thread, yarn and fabric.
One of the saddest items we must provide are the burial layettes for babies and children that didn’t make it through. Soft fabric in white or pastel colors is best, soft laces and trims and a little ribbon or ribbon roses are needed. Smocking and tatting supplies are needed to make that last little gown, bonnet and blanket special.
Cars smashed by the tornado rest in the parking lot of St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri, on May 23.
Please help. Don’t just sit there and listen or read the news – DO something. Fill a box today and ship it to us. The folks that need the help aren’t picky, they are suffering and desperate. If you don’t have anything to send, please send us a donation. A money order or check can be mailed to us, a paypal donation can be sent to info@reliefshare.org and even cash can be sent through the mail (not recommended but accepted).
We are a 501 (c) 3 non profit registered with the IRS. All donations are tax deductible. Please don’t wait another minute, send what you can today, even if it’s only a dollar or a box of used baby clothing. Just do something – anything – to help.
Note: You don’t have to help just through us – please consider other charities in your area if that is a better solution to helping for you. There is no corner on charity and it doesn’t matter who gets the credit for helping. There are people – even little babies suffering with hunger and cold tonight and you are the solution – please be the solution….
Our address to ship and mail to is:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, Idaho 83714
our Missouri address to ship to is
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
It is best to ship to the Boise address as we have more volunteers here to sew and help and arrangements to get the items to the needy areas fast. If you need to ship to the Missouri address because it is cheaper for you to ship there, that is okay, too.
Our email and paypal address is info@ReliefShare.org – please feel free to email with questions, we are so grateful for the help. We do what we can but it takes all of us to create the miracles to ease the suffering for others.
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Baby quilt
Relief Share is in desperate need of BATTING for quilts. There is a little baby shivering in the cold today – you can help cover them with warmth of a snuggly quilt. Please send what you can to:
Relief Share
6200 N River Pointe Dr, E302
Boise, Idaho 83714
Any size of quilt batting – baby (crib), twin, double, queen or king is needed and any kind of batting. Those that are cold don’t care what kind of batting it is, they just need to be warm to use their strength for healing instead of just staying warm.
We’ve been using polyester batting because it is the cheapest – we even split the thick batting into three to make more quilts, but we will be more than happy to take any kind of batting. These quilts go to the hospitals, refugee shelters, crisis centers, homeless shelters and also to individuals and families that need them.
I have lots of wonderful volunteers working on the quilts but all we are able to do right now is piece quilt tops as without the batting, we can’t finish them.
We now email the thank you letter and tax receipt as a .pdf file so as soon as we get donations, we can immediately let folks know they have arrived and email the letter, so please include your email in the package.
If you haven’t got batting to send, please consider sending a Paypal donation to info@ReliefShare.org and note that it’s to pay for batting – we are a non profit charity registered with the IRS so all donations are tax deductible. Please help!
President Carol Green
Spring cleaning for Relief Share.
Spring cleaning – does it fill you with dread or elation? It used to be a time of drudgery, wishing we were somewhere else and wanting the chores to be over. Not any more!
It is spring. Birds are singing, babies are being born, the earth is shaking off her dormancy of winter and bursting forth in blissful colors and sounds. It is a wonderful time to be alive and share what we have with others.
De-cluttering will lighten your load, make your heart sing with freedom and put a smile on your face in knowing you are helping others – with the “trash to treasure” mentality. What clogged your closets, littered your counters and made laundry day a form of torture can be blessing the lives of others who desperately need what you don’t want.
Clean out your closets and homes for a good cause! Here’s how:
1. Line up 4 boxes beside the area that you decide to tackle first. Box one – things you want to keep and store for later use, box two – things you are throwing out, box three – things you are currently using and want to have easy access to; and box four – things you are donating (recycling and re-using useful items keep our landfills free and earths resources not wasted).
2. Set your timer for 15 minutes, take a deep breath and start filling those boxes. For more details on the 15 minute approach, visit www.flylady.com - a wonderful website that has saved the sanity of lots of folks wanting to have a clean house and de-clutter but didn’t know where to start or how to do it.
3. Do NOT tackle the entire house in one day. Choose one area at a time – the craft, hobby, and art room is where we would love you to start Bedrooms are another wonderful place to clean out.
4. The boxes filled with new or gently used items can simply be labeled and mailed to: Relief Share, 6200 N River Pointe Dr E302, Boise, ID 83714. All donations are tax deductible and each donor will receive a thank you letter with a tax receipt. We accept anything and everything because the requests we receive for help address all situations of lack, sickness and need.
Recent donations in and out have been quilts, blankets, baby clothing, children’s and adult clothing, books, toys, fabric, yarn, sewing supplies, thread, machinery, sewing machines, sergers, knitting and crochet needles, quilting supplies, jewelry, kitchen supplies, and more. Donations that are not needed directly for immediate needs can be used for fundraisers to pay for shipping, medical expenses, items needed, etc. but most of the donations are given directly to the sick and needy.
Our number one urgent need right now is for batting to make quilts. Next to that is baby supplies – diapers, receiving blankets, clothing, hygiene items, hats, socks, undershirts, soft toys, bottles, and diaper bags – anything a baby could use. Next in line is sewing, knitting, crocheting, crafting, quilting and spinning supplies and equipment.
Recent recipients have included St. Alphonsus Hospital System, LDS Humanitarian Center, families with newborn babies who needed basic essential supplies, adults with medical conditions (blindness, tumors, cancer), refugees, and those who are caught in the economic downturn or natural disasters that are struggling with the lack of essentials like food and clothing.
YOU CAN HELP! Turn your unwanted items into much needed treasures by simply giving relief through sharing. There will probably be many boxes to share. Simply pop a box or two in the mail every week, it’s easier on the budget this way and we can go through it and get it donated out easier if it doesn’t come all at once, but if you need to send it all at once, that’s okay, too – we have garage and storage space to process it and volunteers ready and waiting to make sure everything goes out as quickly as possible to those anxiously waiting for help.
May your spring season be rewarding and blissful and after de-cluttering, may you enjoy the song of the birds, the beautiful flowers and trees and the wonderful feeling of knowing that your compassionate sharing is blessing the lives of others. Thank you for all the continuing support, together we are alleviating suffering and lifting up the hearts and hands of those who lack and need not only the items missing, but love from their fellowman in their time of need.
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org – email
ReliefShare.org – static website
ReliefShare.org/wordpress – ongoing updates on our blog
We are also on facebook Spread the word and share the love!
Love in Action – just what does that mean?
By · Comments
Unto the least of these....
Relief Share believes in ‘love in action’. For many of us, that means a lot of different things. Some of the ways we show love are by honoring those who we love and care for, doing good for them and helping them. We show love to our neighbors by serving them and treating them as we would have them treat us – with kindness. We show our love for our fellow men by setting a good example and sharing what we have with them.
Who is our neighbor, our fellow man? Acts 17:26 says “And [He] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” God has made of one blood all of the nations of the earth, we are one family – our brothers and sisters and our neighbors. Jesus has told us that we should ‘love one another’ and that we should even love our enemies. This means to love everyone (though not partaking of their sins) but loving them enough to help when help is needed.
We learn to love by forgetting ourselves and by doing good things for other people. We learn to love those we serve. Love is the sugar of life. The more love we have in our lives and the farther we extend our love to others, the sweeter and more agreeable live becomes.
We would like to recognize some of the people who are the sweet sugar in the lives of those who need help. Their donations have been a huge blessing to many.
Janet – your donation of supplies, fabric, yarn and ongoing support have helped the babies in hospitals, homeless shelters, crisis centers, medical centers, foster homes and refugee shelters. You have literally helped thousands of children, there is a special star in heaven for you.
Marianne and Michael – the beautiful little crocheted preemie blankets cover many tiny babies in the hospital. There is so much love crocheted into every single afghan. What a blessing your kindness is to the babies and their families.
Natalie – 41 pounds of the most gorgeous cone yarn is being made into baby cocoons, baby blankets, afghans, chemo hats, layettes, soft toys and sweaters. What a generous and much needed donation. Thank you so much.
Kathorine – gorgeous baby quilts, lovely soft warm cuddly baby cocoons, supplies, incredible alpaca yarn and fibre, drop spindles, amazing gifts of love. Some of the alpaca yarn you sent has been made into the most darling sweater for a little toddler, it is so soft and cuddly. The baby items have been donated out to refugees from Haiti and Africa and to the local hospitals and shelters. So much love is stitched into every baby quilt, you are greatly appreciated.
Terry – gorgeous brand new snow suits for those who are shivering and cold. It is a precious daughter of God who would think of those in other climates when our own climate becomes warmer, the 8 snow suits have gone out to Japan, where the weather turned colder after the tsunami and mothers huddled with tiny babies needing warm clothing. Now you know that 8 of them are warm and snuggly because of your love! The beautiful little preemie sleepers have been donated to the sick and needy along with the other gifts you have sent!
Gina – your pacifiers came just in time. A little girl was upset as her last paci went missing. Tears turned to smiles as the pretty paci that was just the right shape was popped in her mouth and a huge hug of thank you given. (I love it when I get the hugs from the children we love so much The donated yarn and fabric is being made into dresses, diaper bags, totes, soft toys, blankets, quilts, baby carriers, cocoons, hats, jumpers and clothing for the children. Some of our volunteers don’t have supplies or means to get them, but are happy to give service and sew, knit, crochet, tat, serge and craft for the sick and needy.
Jennifer & Kurt – the computer parts and laptop tote bag you donated was gratefully accepted by a sweet blind man. Household goods, clothing and toys have been donated to LDS Humanitarian Services, Idaho Thrift Ranch, NAC, the hospital, and needy individuals. Cleaning out your closets for a good cause and donating your excess is a beautiful way to share with those who need what you have. Thank you so much.
Kathleen – Not only did you donate much needed yarn, but you went the extra mile and sent squares for our volunteers to crochet together into afghans to snuggle the babies and needy in love. What a wonderful thing to do!
Marla – Oh, Marla, you are so unselfish and kind. Thank you so much for your ongoing love and very generous gifts that bless so many lives. Words escape me as I attempt to express my personal gratitude for decades of service, support and donations. I would pray that God would walk with you but I already knows he is there for every step you take. Your donations of your mother’s sewing and craft supplies on her passing are such a huge blessing to so many people.
There are so many more donors and volunteers – it is impossible to thank them all, but know that each and every act of kindness and generosity is recorded by the angels and carefully noticed by our Heavenly Father who loves us all. Please accept a very grateful thank you from all of us at Relief Share and know that we are glad you are on our team.
So many lives count on the kindness and generosity of others, each act of kindness is like a tiny drop of water that ripples out on the pond of life. Know that God loves each one of us, know that YOU matter (even if your name was not mentioned here, it is certainly recorded in our records and engraved on the heart that matters).
What kind of help is needed?
Donations of yarn (all kinds) , sewing supplies, knitting needles, crochet hooks, tatting shuttles and needles, sewing machines, sergers, spinning wheels, yarn winders, scissors, cutting boards, rotary cutters, fabric (all kinds), patterns, craft supplies, beads, embroidery floss, unfinished kits (these are used to help teach the youth, young mothers and aged crafting skills).
Donations of office supplies – stamps (a big need), paper, pens, pencils, markers, post it notes, etc.
Donations of funds – this is used to help with medical expenses for the sick, purchasing supplies that are not donated, shipping and other urgent cases.
Donations of finished goods: baby clothing, afghans, blankets, household goods, pacifiers, bottles, formula, diapers (cloth or disposable), hygiene items (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes, toiletries, baby diaper rash lotion, etc), diaper bags, tote bags, walker bags, lap robes, chemo hats. Everything can be new or gently used. These are just a few items mentioned. There is no donation we turn away, we have a place for all that is donated in.
Donations of items for fundraising. Please state that the items you are sending are to be used for fundraising. Unless specifically stated, all donations are used directly for the sick and needy.
Questions or comments?
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Relief Share volunteers have been very busy knitting, crocheting, sewing, serging and donating towards our baby cocoon project for the hospital. Lots of questions have been asked and answered so for convenience, we are going to put most of the answers to questions regarding this project in this post for easy accessibility.
Question: What are baby cocoons?
Answer: Baby swaddling items that can be knit, crocheted, tatted, sewn and serged from either new or recycled material. Here is a picture of a baby cocoon in use:
Baby cocoon for swaddling babies
Hand knitting pattern for “THATCHER’S COCOON” – click here.
Machine knitting pattern for the baby cocoon - click here.
Sewing and serging pattern for the baby cocoon – click here.
Crocheted pattern for the baby cocoon – click here.
The general sizes are:
XXS – 14″ long x 50 stitches wide (6″ across) – 12″ diameter
XS – 16″ long x 60 stitches wide (8″ across)
S – 18″ long x 70 stitches wide (10″ across)
M – 20″ long x 80 stitches wide (10″ across)
L – 23″ long x 80 stitches wide (12″ across)
XL – 25″ long x 80 stitches wide (12″ across)
The hospitals use the XS size the most, the the families we donate to use the S, M and L the most as well as the XL. The XXS are used by the hospital, some of them for infant demise.
Hints and tips for making cocoons have come in from many sources and the ideas volunteers have suggested are wonderful. We’ve been scouring the thrift shops and our own closets for sweaters that are soft and made from yarn that can be washed, taken apart and the yarn used to make the cocoons.
A wonderful thrift shop in Breckenridge Colorado named “For Pets Sake” donated 4 sweaters, we also purchased many of them off their $1 sale rack. Other thrift stores in Boise, Idaho, such as the Deseret Industries yielded beautiful sweaters that we got a lot of yarn from after washing them and taking them apart. We bought a large lot of yarn on craigslist from money donated by caring volunteers to help make baby cocoons, hats, blankets, and layettes. JoAnn Fabrics had a wonderful sale on yarn as well. Use your imagination to come up with sources for materials to make the cocoons from.
Babies love the cocoons and rest peacefully swaddled in them. They are so easy to use, quick and safe, and the hospitals and mother’s love them as well.
If you would love to help with our baby cocoon project, here is what is needed:
1. Volunteers to make the cocoons and send them to Relief Share, 6200 North River Pointe Dr E302, Boise, Idaho, 83714 OR Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483
2. Donations of yarn, fabric, and sewing, knitting, and crocheting supplies are needed.
3. Funds to purchase supplies and ship the items to where they are needed the most can be sent through paypal to info@reliefshare.org – all donations are tax deductible.
If you have comments, suggestions, ideas or questions, please email us at info@ReliefShare.org – we would love to hear from you. All Relief Share patterns are FREE for charity or personal use.
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Baby cocoon pattern by Heather Thompson for Relief Share
By · Comments
Baby cocoon
Thank you so much to master knitter, Heather Thompson, for this pattern to create baby cocoons.
We live in a wonderful world filled with love in action.
By · Comments
Relief Share - giving relief through sharing
This is a wonderful world filled with people who care and step up when needed. Here are some of the donations in and out lately at Relief Share to show you what we are busy doing with your help!
1. A wonderful lady has been troubled with the growth of a football size tumor on her spine. The muscles and nerves have grown into it and the doctors are trying to figure out how to remove it without doing permanent damage. She was scheduled for surgery April 11th but the doctors now want to change that appointment to more testing. This causes a problem due to the need to fly back and forth from Boise, ID to Seattle. She doesn’t have the money to pay for the flights, expenses or medical bills that are mounting up. If you want to help, please send a donation to info@ReliefShare.org through Paypal. So far $189.36 has been raised to help her. You can help, too. It doesn’t have to be much, even just a dollar or two makes a difference and sends a strong message of love and support to her. She will receive every penny of donations that come in to her and all donations are tax deductible. Add a note to your paypal donation that it is for GS
2. The local hospital (St Alphonus) has requested a dozen baby cocoons. If you would like to knit or crochet some to help out, please email info@reliefshare.org and we will be happy to email you the link to the pattern. Baby cocoons are swaddlers that calm and comfort the little ones.
3. Some recent donations IN: Aneta – fleece, trim and assorted sewing supplies; Gina – 2 reborn babies and reborning supplies; Karen – knitted baby cocoons; Marla – fabric, yarn, sewing supplies; Meri and friends – knitting machine needle bed, yarn, patterns, coupons, looms and supplies; Julie & Hartshorn Assembly of God – big box of baby clothing and supplies; Amanda – fabric; Maryse – crocheted baby hats; Sharon – crinolines, skirts and dresses; Jennifer – household goods and essentials; Michael and Marianne – preemie baby afghans; Roberta – crocheted blankets, fleece blankets, boxes and yarn; Carolyn – baby clothes, cocoon; Laura – serger thread, baby quilt, clothing; donations of funds from Doll-Fan members for GS from people who put their love in action.
4. Some of the recent donations OUT: LDS Humanitarian Services – yarn, cocoons, afghans, bedding, baby hats, computer equipment, dishes, fabric; St Alphonsus – reborn baby doll; Sylvia – 3 yards of fabric for quilt backs for charity; TCMHospital – baby clothing, bedding and baby items; TXFP – suburban full of household goods, clothing for the sick and needy, blankets, dishes, books, toys; D – diaper bag and baby clothing; A – purse; Penny – patterns to sew items for charity; other donations when out of food, blankets, cocoons, clothing, household items, dishes, toys, books, DVD player, bags, fabric.
You can help. If you sew, knit, crochet, tat, serge, craft or have supplies or equipment to donate, please email us at info@reliefshare.org or simply send your donation to:
Relief Share
6200 River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, Idaho, 83714
OR
ReliefShare
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
All donations are tax deductible – thank you for caring enough to share! Together we make miracles happen.
President Carol Green
info@reliefshare.org
Christ shows the way with charity.
Here is a wonderful quote about service.. I love the Saviour and his protecting, guiding care. When those around us get too critical, life can become burdensome. All I have to do when situations occur is remember what the Saviour did in the same type of circumstances – he turned the other cheek and lost himself in service.
He knew and understood well what his mission here on earth was. It was not about Him, it was about serving others and offering us His selfless gift of the atonement. Jesus Christ told those who would be His followers that they were to give meat to the hungry and drink to those who thirst. His is a gospel that includes taking in the stranger, loving neighbors as self, and visiting those who are sick or imprisoned. He taught that we are to love and care for each other, that we should visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflictions, and lift up those whose hands hang down and whose knees are feeble.
May this help you as much as it helped me!
President Carol C Green
ReliefShare.org
———————————————————————–
Marion D. Hanks on Christ’s Example of Service
“We rejoice in the wonderful welding in his life of principle and performance. The Savior taught precepts of spiritual perfection, and he practiced and applied them with perfection. He could with authority declare that he was the light and example the people should follow: ‘I have set an example for you… I am the light which ye shall hold up — that which ye have seen me do.’ (3 Ne. 18:16, 24.)
“What he *did*, as we read in a splendid verse in the book of Matthew, was to go ‘about all Galilee, teaching… and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of… disease.’ (Matt. 4:23.) Matthew also recorded that, as he approached the final events of his earthly ministry, Jesus taught his followers the parable of the sheep and the goats, representing the judgment to come, in which he clearly identified those who will inherit ‘life eternal’ and those who will ‘go away into everlasting punishment.’ (Matt. 25:46.) The key difference was that those who should inherit the kingdom with him had developed the habit of helping, had experienced the joy of giving and the satisfaction of serving — they had responded to the needs of the hungry, thirsty, homeless, the naked, the sick, and those in prison. Well known are his words, the words of comfort to them: ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’ (Matt. 25:40), while to those who were condemned to ‘everlasting punishment’ he made the sad pronouncement, ‘Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me’ (Matt. 25:45; italics added).
“Nothing would seem more clear than the high premium the Savior put upon selfless service to others as an indispensable element of Christian conduct and of salvation. Helping, giving, sacrificing are, or should be, as natural as growing and breathing.”
Whole cloth baby quilt
This really easy project is to make a quilt for babies – suitable for beginners, teens and those who want to get something needed made quickly and donated or given as a gift.
1. Cut two pieces fabric 36″ by 45″. This size is wonderful for newborns and can keep baby covered as it grows. I usually buy a yard and a half of fabric and know it’s the right size. Don’t worry if its a tad bigger or smaller, I have never met a baby with a yardstick yet, or one that complained about size! Use batting, I prefer the cotton batting that is thinner but warmer. If you use synthetic batting, do not use high loft – it’s too stiff. Instead, if that’s all you have to use, split the high loft batting in 2 to make 2 quilts. It’s easy to split.
2. Lay the two pieces of fabric together lining up the edges with right side of fabric facing each other and the batting on the bottom. You can either leave the corners square, or with a dinner plate, cut rounded orders – the plate helps to get them even.
3. Sew along the edge all the way around leaving a 4″ to 6″ opening. I like to serge the seams, it’s faster.
4. Turn the quilt right side out.
5. Stitch 1/4 inches in from the edge to secure the top batting and backing through the years of use so the batting won’t shift. Either tie the quilt with square knots every 4″ to secure all layers or, using a walking foot, sew a grid on the quilt making sure that there are no areas larger than 4″ that are not secured by either sewing, quilting or tying (sometimes called tacking).
Voila!
If you have ideas, suggestions, or a pattern or tips to share, please email info@ReliefShare.org – we’d love to hear from you!
Knitting tips
By · Comments
Knitting
If the yarn will not go 4x the length of the knitting laid out flat, it won’t knit to the end of the row – this hint is for machine knitting with the Bond USM machine as well as hand knitting.
When using scraps of wool to knit stripes on socks, sleeves, or both sides of the front, wind the scraps into two more or less equal balls so you’ll know how much you have for each side.
Especially when improvising, knit both sides or fronts at once, using two balls of yarn or both ends of one skein. This makes sure that both are
the same size and pattern, and prevents from knitting two right fronts or two left sleeves if the sleeves aren’t the same on both sides. Use a circular needle if possible, as it takes less space and the stitches don’t fall off as readily.
SEWING HINTS
By · Comments
Sewing
SEWING HINTS
HEMS AND EDGES
Woven Fabrics
Clean Finish all edges by serger or turning under a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Turn up 1/2 to 5/8 inch and stitch hem in place.
Knit Fabrics
Serge the edges using a 3-thread overlock stitch. Turn up 1/2 to 5/8 inches and stitch in place using a 1.0 mm zig-zag stitch. A twin needle hem is lovely. Wind woolly nylon on the bobbin by hand. Wind smoothly but do not stretch the thread. Using wooly nylon in the bobbin will keep the twin needle stitches from tunneling.
Heirloom Lace/Eyelet Edge
Place edging right sides together with the edging 1/4 inch in from the cut edge. Stitch in place. Set your machine for a 2 or 2.5 mm stitch length and a zig-zag that is wide enough to stitch off the fabric and just on the stitching line previously made. If necessary tighten the thread tension one number or just enough to make the fabric roll when you stitch. Trim any stray threads close to the stitching. Press away from edging.
Serger
Set your serger up for a 3-thread narrow rolled hem. Place the edge of the trim on the fabric so that the needle will catch it but it is not going to be rolled into the seam allowance. An 1/8 inch to the left of the knife is just about the right distance. If the seam will be seen as in around a receiving blanket use woolly nylon in the upper looper otherwise regular sewing thread is fine.
USING LACES AND TRIMS
Most of the time laces and trim 5/8 inch or less in width are more appropriate for baby clothes. Try to purchase flat laces. If you must use pregathered trims remove the heading and press flat. The heading is not suitable for use in garment construction. It’s there for the convenience of crafters who use glue. No glue on baby clothes, thank you.
English and French laces come with a built in thread for gathering. Domestic laces don’t have this feature. Since imported lace is expensive and difficult to find especially if you live in a rural area or a small community domestic lace can be gathered by stitching a loose line in the header or near the top of the trim. This thread will put out easily after the garment is finished.
HANDLING TECHNIQUES
Each fabric has it’s own unique characteristics. Some are crisp and some are soft and drapey. The crisp fabrics are usually easier to handle as they stay where you put them but tend to not ease well. The soft fabrics ease well but can slip all over the place. Knits can stretch where you don’t want them to. All in all it’s important to know what kind of fabric you’re dealing with so that you will choose the appropriate techniques
Wovens have threads running in both directions at right angles to one another. The length of the fabric will stretch little or not at all, however, there is some stretch across the width of the fabric. If it’s important to have a stable border cut it on the length of the fabric not across. Cut ALL garments on the straight of the grain. Be careful not to cut them on the diagonal unless it is part of the garment’s design. Nothing feels worse than a cross-cut garment even on a baby. Flannel, batiste, broadcloth, voile, organdy and seersucker are just a few of the fabrics suitable for babies.
Crepe, satin, and taffeta are not usually used for baby clothes unless it is for a special occasion garment such as a party dress, christening or dedication gown. Even then fine batiste or broadcloth would be preferable. If you receive donated fancy fabrics and want to use them they can be used to make burial gowns for the babies who do not survive the trauma of birth. They, too, deserve beautiful clothes.
Slippery fabrics can be tamed by placing doctor’s examination paper on your cutting table; placing the fabric on it and then pinning the pattern through all thicknesses. Tissue paper can, also, be used but tends to tear easily. Leave the paper on while you sew, the stitching will perforate the paper and it will pull away from the stitching easily. Nice neat seams. Us a .5 zig-zag on chiffon and other very soft drapey fabrics where the seams tend to pull.
Knits
There are double knits, single knits, jacquard knits, tricot and sweater knits. Single knits are what we see used to make most T-shirts. Double knits were the rage of the late 60′s and 70′s and are still around. Jacquards are actually a type of double knit. Lingerie is made of nylon tricot. Sweater knits are most often a type of single knit Cotton double knits are great for baby clothes. You can tell a double knit when both sides look alike.
When stretched the width of the fabric a knit will roll to the front. The width of the fabric is were most of the stretch is at. Some knits have little or no stretch in their length. Most knits are two-way stretch although some are four-way stretch. Regardless of whether it is two or four-way stretch please pay attention to the grain line or length direction of the fabric. Always cut the length of the garment going with the length of the knit. Occasionally you will come across a piece of stable knit with little or now stretch in either direction.
Use ribbing for cuffs and necklines and pant legs. If possible use ribbing for your neck, sleeve and leg trim. When the material is very stretchy knit self-fabric may be used in place of ribbing. Mark with pins the neck, sleeve or leg opening into equal quarters. Then mark the ribbing into quarter. Match ins and stretching slightly stitch or serge. On the small sleeves it is better to sew the ribbing to the flat seam and then sew the underarm seam being careful to keep the folded edges even when you begin or end the sewing.
MACHINE SETTINGS
Set your sewing machine for a 2 – 2.5 mm stitch length and a .5 or 1.0 mm zig-zag. Overcast seam allowance using a 3.0 zig-zag. Don’t use the stretch stitches as they are too bulky and stiff.
Set your serger for a 2.5 stitch length and a narrow 3-thread overlock. Usually only the right needle will be is used, however, there are exceptions.
NOTIONS
Your sewing basket should contain the following:
60 inch tape measure 6 inch hem gauge
bent dressmaker’s shears 6 inch sewing scissors
small embroidery scissors straight pins (our favorites are the Needles, hand & machine, woven & knit glass headed ones)
Use as short and thin a needle as you can manage. You get smaller stitches that way.
bodkin
quality sewing thread
Serger thread is a bit too linty for your sewing machine, but can be used in a pinch.
seam ripper
A tapestry needle makes a great seam ripper if you pull thread to rip seams.
small buttons & snaps for closures
zippers for some sleepers and buntings
gripper snaps
sewing machine, clean & oiled
serger, clean and oiled
iron & ironing board or mat
tissue paper or pattern copy material (i.e. Do-Sew)
GOOD LIGHTING is so important. A flexible arm lamp really helps.
The brand of sewing machine you use is not as important as how well you know how to use the machine. We have our preference (Janome) but work on several different brands regularly. Make your machine’s manual your best friend. Read it until you know all the parts and their names by heart and what they control. When an instructor, service technician or a friend tells you to use a 2.5 mm or a tri-motion stitch you should be able to know what he or she is talking about.
Thinking about a new machine or serger? We suggest that you buy more machine than you think you need or can afford. As soon as you start sewing you’ll wish you’d brought more machine. Go for a machine with needle down, memory and some of the other neat things. Buying a new machine just like what you have is no progress. The lower end machines old today are for all practical purposes the same machine of thirty years ago. The housing may be different and the foot controller may or may not be electronic but most of the change is cosmetic. Gammill Sewing Center in West Plains, Missouri will offer you exceptionally low prices if you tell them the machine you are purchasing is for charity work with Relief Share. Joe or Frank will be happy to assist you to find exactly what you need. We love them!
CONSTRUCTION
Carefully cut out your garment. When cutting make sure that before you make the next cut that the fabric is all the way back into the “V” of the shears. This avoids the jagged edge you see so often. Clean smooth edges make alignment easier. Mark all necessary construction details, i.e. dots; notches, etc. We know it seems like it takes too much time but would you rather pick your seam out later? Use tailor tacks and once you begin using them you’ll love them.
If you have it use matching thread, if not, use white. White is appropriate on all projects when the matching color isn’t available. Also, it avoids changing bobbins. When production sewing wind several bobbins at a time so you can just keep sewing. Make a mental note of about how many garments you can stitch with one bobbin.
Use production techniques whenever possible. Make full size patterns of the half patterns so that you can layout the entire garment without folding the fabric. Also, you can layer four layers of fabric right side up and cut four garments at a time. Sew all the garments’ first seam and then do all the garments’ second seam. Chain stitch between garments to keep them together and save thread. When you finish sewing all the seams you will have several garments finished instead of just one. Press the finished garment.
Use nylon zippers on garments that will be next to the baby’s skin. Reserve the metal ones for outer garments and buntings as they can irritate delicate skin.
Keep your scissor and shears sharp. Try to find someone who can sharpen them by hand and not on a grinder. Better yet, learn how to sharpen them yourself. It’s rather like sharpening a knife only you’re working with just one side. Send your pinking shears back to the manufacturer for sharpening. Keep the points of your sewing scissors protected with point protectors. A quick and easy point protector can be made by tracing around the closed points to the pivot. Cut out two pieces of felt or Ultrasuede and sew around the long edges and point with a 1/8 inch seam. Decorate before or after with embroidery or applique.
Every seamstress has her favorite way of doing something. If it works for you and gives your garment a QUALITY LOOK go for it, but if your garment looks HOMEMADE it’s time to check out a different technique. Are your seams straight? Do the intersections match neatly? When you look at your garment would you be proud to give it to one of your grand-children, or is it not quite good enough. Take a good look at your work. Can it stand improvement? If so, get help from the Internet, someone in Relief Share, an accomplished seamstress or a good sewing book. The very best is Vogue’s, Singer books are also wonderful. While these garments go to the needy, because the have so little, we need to make the best that we can. We are all God’s children and his blessings fall on all mankind
A bamboo skewer makes an excellent tool to push fabric under the presser foot. They can be found in the cooking tool section of the supermarket. The soft bamboo will not damage needles.
A gathering foot for your sewing machine will make gathers a lot easier. Set the machine for a 3 mm stitch length and tighten the thread tension 1 to 3 numbers. Sew a sample and adjust stitch length or tension. Stitch at least a half inch from the right edge of the fabric and don’t let it bunch up under the foot. A tiny bit of tension as it come out from under the back of the foot may help. As with most things practice make perfect.
Most of all, have fun!
Wonderful donations in – and out! Baby afghans and hats
By · Comments
We’ve been busy turning donations into items that are needed. Marla P, and her dad, generously donated yarn, polar fleece, sleepers and more from her mother’s craft closet and UFO bins after her sweet mother passed away. We used some of her yarn and yarn from LDS Humanitarian Services to knit up this sweet baby afghan and hat that will be taken to the work meeting and donated Thursday.
Recently we have received pretty quilted fabric from Gina, beautiful crocheted afghans and more from Roberta, baby clothes from Carolyn, baby items from Jennifer, and preemie baby afghans from Michael & Marianne. Laura, Gini and Tamara also donated very much needed items. Thank you so much!
It is lots of fun using all the colorways and different types of yarn to make into fun baby items. The sleepers Marla donated are already out and being used by two sweet babies who needed to be snuggled and warm., as is the baby items that Jennifer donated. Donations come in and go out pretty quickly at Relief Share.
After the afghans are knitted, we wash them in Tide free and clear laundry detergent to make sure they are nice and clean for the little ones who will use it – each afghan has a matching hat for a newborn as well.
The yarn in this afghan was Caron Simply Soft, Red Heart and some other worsted weight yarn in pretty colors.
Look at all the pretty colors!
The interesting thing about this baby afghan was that I worked on it at night and thought I had matched up the greens in the middle of the afghan.
You can clearly see in the picture that the greens don’t match at all. One is a warm green and the other is a cool green. I bet the baby who gets this afghan won’t mind at all
If you have left over yarn from projects, please consider donating them for us to work with to help the children and their families in the hospital, crisis centers, and homeless shelters. We are also working on projects for children in foster homes that we need donated fabric for.
All donations are very much appreciated and acknowledged with a thank you letter and tax receipt.
We accept donations of all kinds, types and sizes and love being creative in using it to the best advantage for those we serve.
Relief Share
6200 River Pointe Dr E302
Boise, Idaho, 83714
we also have a location in Missouri to send donations to:
Relief Share
706 Hwy 17 N (Box 421)
Houston, MO 65483
Jump right in, the more the merrier! Together, we can give relief through sharing. It’s our love in action
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
Thank you for donations, here are the URGENT NEEDS!
By · Comments
giving relief through sharing
I am so grateful for the support folks have given to Relief Share. Many babies and families have received help through the generosity and love shown. Warm clothing, blankets, food, hygiene supplies and other essentials have made the difference between suffering and being able to survive, and in turn, help others. The circle of love is enlarged by donors and volunteersand continues to grow to include others. Thank you.
What is needed the most right now are warm blankets and cocoons for babies and children in the crisis centers, hospitals and homeless shelters. The weather is so unpredictable, it can steal a little one’s health just through submitting them to the cold.
Urgent needs are supplies to make the blankets and cocoons: fabric, thread, yarn (all kinds) and sewing, crocheting, and knitting supples. New or gently used blankets and clothing for newborns, toddlers and children are very much needed. As an added bonus, when we send the care packages – we include toys, rattles, pacifiers, books, kids DVDs and other learning items when they are donated.
All donations receive a thank you letter and tax deductible receipt as Relief Share is a non profit approved by the IRS. Thank you again, it takes all of us working hard to create miracles.
Please take the time to pack a box and donate it today. There are babies and children shivering in the cold and you can do something about that!
Love and hugs
President Carol Green
Relief Share
6200 River Pointe Drive E302
Boise, Idaho 83714
info@ReliefShare.org
our blog – www.ReliefShare.org/wordpress/
We also have another office in Missouri
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
Knitting up a storm! – Baby blankets and hats
By · Comments
Snuggly baby afghan and hat
It’s been a very busy and fun week at Relief Share.
We’ve been knitting up a storm. Here is our latest set we made for charity. It is a USM bond knitting machine knitted baby afghan and matching hat made with scrumptious donated yarn (thanks so much to the folks who donated the yarn).
The colors are ice-cream, strawberry milkshake, tan and chocolate. This is a snuggly warm afghan and hat that will be given to the sick and needy. The afghan is the full width of the Bond knitting machine carriage with 4 extra inserts to make it wider.
It has a rolled him at the top and bottom and 4 rows of gather stitching down both sides. The stripes are narrower at the top and get wider at the bottom for interest – it looks really pretty and is very soft.
The hat was 40 stitches wide with an e-wrap cast on, knit 40 rows then begin decrease. Decrease every 8 stitches, then knit a row, decrease every 7, then knit a row (6, knit r, 5, knit r, 4, knit r, 3, knit r, 2, knit the last two rows) and with a yarn needle gather the last row and mattress stitch the seam up. This makes a longer hat so it can be pulled down over baby’s ears for warmth or rolled up when baby is newborn and smaller.
Baby hat with rolled brim and swirl decrease
This week has been very busy with Humanitarian work meetings in Boise, Idaho and lots of fun. Many baby quilts got done along with bags for foster children. LDS Humanitarian Services is an exceptionally responsive organization that assists with many needs and it was a privilege to work alongside many other dedicated ladies who love the sick and needy and want to help in any way they can.
Relief Share has been knitting, crocheting and serging up a storm to make the baby afghans, baby cocoons, hats, scarves, baby quilts, women’s matching scarves and hats, and infant demise layettes. Donations have come in from wonderful dedicated volunteers via the mail and gone out to hospitals, crisis centers, homeless shelters and individuals across the nation.
A wonderful donation of alpaca yarn and baby quilts was received from Buck Valley Alpacas. The yarn is the highest quality – so soft and hypo-allergenic for babies, it is from their herd. Two beautiful baby quilts were donated from them, also, and have already been given out to the sick and needy. We are so grateful for this generous and lovely donation to bless the lives of the sick and needy we serve. Be sure to visit www.buckvalleyalpacas.com or email KathorineWood@FrontierNet.net if you would like to purchase alpaca yarn for your own projects.
Trena Caneer - cherished volunteer
Trena Caneer
http://www.paducahsun.com/obituaries/437559-trena-caneer
Wednesday, February 16 2011
Trena Gail Caneer, 62, of Paducah passed away at 4:03 p.m. Saturday, February 12, 2011, at Western Baptist Hospital. Mrs. Caneer was a member of Broadway Church of Christ and the Sisters in Christ Sunday School Class. She taught for 27 years in the Livingston County School System and was a member of the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association.
She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Richard Caneer; one daughter, Marla Dawn Caneer Potter and husband Scott of Calvert City; one brother, Jimmy Dale Lampley and wife Marsha of Paducah; and special friends, Lucrecia Glisson, Sharon Brown, Sharon Greeno, and Noelle Craine, all of Paducah.
Trena’s daughter, Marla, has worked with us for many years helping the sick and needy. Trena just recently sent some diapers for the sweet babies we serve. She is a cherished volunteer that will be very much missed.
We will be donating baby items on Trena’s behalf and presenting her family with a certificate showing the donations made. We know she would love this.
President Carol Green
Relief Share – love in action.
Relief Share current news 2011
By · CommentsRelief Share news:
A beautiful donation of 3 lovely granny square baby quilts came in the mail from Marianne C. for our sick and needy preemie babies we serve. Marianne is a wonderful caring senior who loves to make crocheted preemie blankets. Her husband visits her at the nursing home every day and when she had finished blankets to donate, he mails them to us for the babies.
Our sincere condolences to Marla P on the passing of her beloved mother. Recently we received a donation from Marla and her mother of baby items and supplies. In the box was a donation of diapers that Marla’s mother asked to be donate to a baby. Those diapers have already been donated out to a grateful family in need. We are thankful for the blessing Marla and her mother has been, for years, to the sick and needy we serve.
The Houston Herald www.houstonherald.com published a wonderful article on Relief Share with 2 large pictures and a letter to the editor of a thank you letter from the local hospital in Houston, MO.
Two donations went out to the hospital of baby blankets, pacifiers, formula, baby cocoons, dolls and preemie receiving blankets.
Many donations for needy families were picked up at the local Relief Share offices in Houston, MO.
Relief Share is headed for Boise this week to participate in a baby quilt drive at a work meeting on Feb 22nd. If you live in the Boise area and would like to attend, email info@ReliefShare.org for more information.
Donations for the next two months (at least) should be sent to our Boise location at: Relief Share, 6200 River Pointe Dr E302, Boise, ID 83714. All donations are tax deductible and a thank you letter will be sent out with the receipt.
Urgent needs:
Machinery – knitting machines, Kris Krafter garter bars, sewing machines, sergers, knitting machine claw weights, 8mm cast on combs
Supplies: yarn, sewing and serger thread, fabric – all kinds (most used is cotton or cotton blend woven, flannel, minky, ultra suede, knit, chenille, PUL, kids print – think soft, think baby)
Items: baby clothing – undershirts, onesies, sleepers, pants, tops, gowns, christening gowns, booties, socks, shoes, jackets, sweaters, etc
Baby blankets, afghans, receiving blankets, baby hygiene items such as shampoo, lotion, diaper cream, baby oil, baby gel. Toys, learning items, rattles, combs and brushes, pacifiers, bottles, diapers (cloth and disposable), etc.
We are also collecting and donating sample or small size soap, shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste, and other personal items that can be given to hospital patients or family members staying at the hospital with patients. These type of items go to Shriners Hospital and shelters. When you are traveling, please save the soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and other toiletries you don’t use and mail them to Relief Share to donate.
Questions or comments:
Email info@ReliefShare.org
Our volunteers just delivered 211 hygiene and bath items (soap, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, etc) and 62 stuffed toys (beanie babies and dolls) to Shriners and here is the thank you letter
thank you letter
Thank you letter from Texas County Memorial Hospital
By · CommentsIt is always fun to get the thank you letters as we know our efforts made a difference Our dear volunteers and donors – this one’s for you!
Thank you letter from TCMH
A precious new baby enters the world…..meet Mason!
By · Comments
Mason at just 3 lbs 2 oz.
Ever wonder “how tiny is tiny” when we are talking about the preemie babies we make things for? A picture speaks a thousand words and this beautiful baby takes our breath away as we see his Daddy’s hand measured up against him. How tiny is tiny? REALLY tiny. Really perfect, really sweet and this little one is no different from thousands of other teeny tiny babies in that he has completely captured our hearts.
In less than one second, eyes are riveted to the picture and hearts committed to helping clothe and snuggle Mason in warm clothing and blankets. That is the power of ‘baby love’ that drives the volunteers at Relief Share.
Thank you to the volunteers who quickly responded to the call to action.
A package went out priority post for Mason filled with all kinds of goodies:
1 preemie afghan
2 crocheted incubator/carriage covers
1 blue outfit
3 preemie tops
4 preemie sleepers
1 preemie jacket
1 preemie snuggler cape
8 washcloths/also used for burp cloths and change pads for preemies
1 baby gown
1 baby bracelet
a number of knitted preemie baby hats
2 teddy bears
1 pair preemie booties
2 baby swaddling cocoons
pkg of 20 preemie disposable diapers
2 to a pk of bottle insulators
There was a lot of love put into this package.
Mason's care box.
The crocheted incubator covers were made by a precious little old lady in a old folks home in Missouri. Her husband travels 2 hours EVERY DAY to go see her and pick up what she has made to donate to us. She loves the preemies and continues to crochet for them on an ongoing basis.
Mason's care box.
I made the cocoons from a gorgeous baby blue sweater (this president loves to roll up her sleeves and participate) donated by the local Food Pantry to help us with supplies through recycling. The soft cocoons will keep Mason snuggly warm and comforted as it is like being back in the womb again.
Mason's care box.
The gown was sewn by a volunteer and has a matching crocheted hat that another volunteer made, they are from West Virginia. The bracelet was made by a third volunteer and the white blanket and booties by another.
Mason's care box.
The preemie clothing is brand new from Wal Mart and bought by yet another volunteer. Everything was donated and worked on with love. Mason has a lot of Relief Share Grannies and Aunties that love him
It is a miracle how all the hands and hearts come together in love to bless the babies and families we serve. No one is paid, we are just happy to help where we can. Now that our care package has gone out to help Mason physically, we will keep him and his family in our prayers He truly is a gift from God.
President Carol Green
info@ReliefShare.org
PS. If you love babies and want to get involved, it’s as easy as 1, 2 3……
Mason's care box.
1. Get a cardboard box
2. Fill it with anything a baby might want or need – either finished or purchased items or sewing, quilting, knitting or crocheting supplies. Items can be new or gently used.
3. Stick a label on it to Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225 and mail it.
Ta da! Done! You are now one of us, a Relief Share donor and volunteer and also counted in God’s book of heavenly acts on earth
Some of the items a baby needs:
sleepers, gowns, onesies, socks, booties, soft shoes, hats, tops, bottoms, diapers (cloth and disposable), burp cloths, diaper bags, swaddlers, cocoons, blankets, afghans, quilts, stuffed animals, crib bedding (sheets, bumper pads, blankets), moses baskets, cribs, swings, activity mats, rattles, bottles, soothers (pacifiers or dummies), bottle liners and nipples, breast feeding items, breast pumps, diaper lotion, baby shampoo, baby oil, baby bath, baby food, formula, shorties, longies, baby slings, baby carriers, car seats (for safely rules they must be new), play pens, baby music CDs, bassinettes, baby brush and comb, baby chair, bath items. Can you think of more?
Mason's care box
Some of the supplies needed:
fabric – all kinds. Minky, chenille, micro fleece, flannel, knit, cotton – think baby!
thread, scissors, pins, quilting rulers, rotary cutters, rotary cutting mat pads, cricut machines and cartridges for quilt appliques, sergers, sewing machines, knitting machines, knitting machine weights, Kris Krafter garter bars for Bond knitting machines, yarn, all kinds, colors and types, elastic, velcro, buttons, zippers, appliques, interfacing, wonder under, knitting needles, crochet needles, tatting shuttles and needles, patterns, pincushions, bias binding, trims, laces, etc.
Clean out your closet for a good cause. Recycle the items you no longer want or need – sweaters and tee shirts become baby cocoons, hats, onesies, gowns and stuffed soft toys. Cut the buttons off of old shirts – they are fun down the front of a sleeper in all colors.
Donation out – baby formula
By · Comments
Baby formula
Today we took baby formula to those needing it at the hospital. Not many know that the hospital will be able to provide formula for baby if the mother is not breastfeeding when she is in the hospital, but when baby goes home it’s up to the parents. We were thrilled that a wonderful mom who had extra cans of formula her baby didn’t use donated it for us to share.
Giving Relief through Sharing – that’s what it’s all about. There are enough resources here on the earth that hunger could be stamped out if folks were just willing to band together to share the excess and get it where it needs to go.
If you have formula, baby items (new or gently used), diaper bags, sleepers, booties, socks, onesies, bibs, burp cloths, pants, tops, shoes, hats, coats, swaddlers, cocoons, snugglies, carriers, mittens, sweaters, layette sets, afghans, blankets, quilts, soft toys, diaper rash ointment, baby lotion, soap, baby shampoo and conditioner, q-tips, cotton balls, bottles, rattles, pacifiers, crib bedding or anything for babies or toddlers that you would like to share with others, please box them up and mail them to:
Relief Share, 6078 Lundy Rd, Houston, MO 65483-2225 We will send you a thank you letter with a tax deductible receipt for your donation.
Clean out your closet for a good cause and send the items your children have outgrown and no longer need to someone else to help them with their baby
72 baby cocoons delivered to the hospital today.
By · Comments
Recycle sweaters and tee shirts turned into baby cocoons
After some very busy cutting and serging, 72 cocoons were delivered to the hospital today. It did my heart good to hear the answer to my query from the nurse. I asked her how were the cocoons working out and she said they loved them. Some of the little babies tend to have a problem keeping their heat and the cocoons helped keep them warm and snuggled. She also said it was a lot easier for new Moms to pop their babies in the cocoons to keep them snuggled up instead of trying to keep them swaddled in the blankets.
The cocoons are fun to make – they can be sewn, serged, knitted, crocheted, hand knitted, and machine knitted. If you are really energetic, you could even tat one The patterns are free and offered on our blog. You can also google for free cocoon patterns on the internet and find a ton of them. A great website for free patterns is www.ravelry.com
The cocoons in the picture are made from recycled sweaters and tee shirts, most of them donated from the local food pantry and crisis center. They are 16″ long by 10″ wide.
Here is a quick way to make a pattern. Take a piece of paper that is 16 x 10 (I buy roll ends
Shape of the cocoon
from the newspaper and it gives me lots of pattern paper to work with) and put a dinner plate on one end and trace with a pen. Cut it out so that will make one short end of the pattern rounded. Then cut a wedge on either side of the other end so that the top of the cocoon slopes in towards the baby’s neck.
Extra Long knitted and serged cocoons
Lay the pattern on the sweater so that the top of the cocoon is the bottom of the sweater – this gives you a finished edge at the neck of the cocoon. Serge around the cocoon on 3 sides with your serger. Ta da! Done.
The general sizes are:
XXS – 14″ long x 50 stitches wide (6″ across) – 12″ diameter
XS – 16″ long x 60 stitches wide (8″ across)
S – 18″ long x 70 stitches wide (10″ across)
M – 20″ long x 80 stitches wide (10″ across)
L – 23″ long x 80 stitches wide (12″ across)
XL – 25″ long x 80 stitches wide (12″ across)
I made the extra long cocoons to test and my grandson is doing really well with them. You can pull them up around the baby’s face in cold weather to keep them snuggly warm.
Long rib knit serged cocoon to snuggle baby.
If you are doing these cocoons for your local hospital or birthright center, be sure to ask them what size they want. If you are making them to help us provide the 350 cocoons the hospital has asked for (yes, we love help!), they use the 16″ long by 10″ wide the most. They also use the smaller ones as well.
Our address to send donations to of finished cocoons, knit and tee shirt material, sweaters and tees to cut up to use, thread -sewing machine and serger thread, and other sewing supplies is:
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
All donations are tax deductible. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to this project. We appreciate the donations of sewing machines, sergers, knitting machines and sewing supplies so much. It takes all of us together to make miracles happen.
Carol Green
President
info@ReliefShare.org
Angels are all around us, and there are very special angels that know just what we need. Then when they know, they give it to us. I thank God daily for my special angels who really care about what is important.
Today, those special angels sent another Ultimate Sweater Knitting Machine and some gorgeous kids print fabric to Relief Share to benefit the sick and needy. The first knitting machine that was sent has been such a huge blessing to the babies at the hospital and in needy families in the Ozarks and around the nation. It’s been used every single day and making voluminous amounts of items for the sick and needy.
Be careful what you pray for – it can be very very good. Just the other day I made a comment that I really wished I had another knitting machine here at this location as I could do twice the work. My angel must have been listening because FEDEX brought a brand new USM – the look on my face must have been priceless when my husband opened the box. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I did know to immediately ask God to bless my special Relief Share angel for her goodness and mercy to others.
Ultimate Sweater Machine - perfect for making baby cocoons and hats
There were two boxes. As I opened the second box, I knew God had a hand in the choices of fabric this angel had made. They were PERFECT for the children in the hospital and one of the prints was one I had been looking for all over the net and in every fabric store I was in for months and months.
There is a baby carrier/tote that I have been wanting to make for Shriners Childrens Hospital but couldn’t find the fabric. I found this one at the flea market someone made and needed to find the fabric to make it out of.
Take a look at the pictures – the fabric that arrived today is so perfect, you couldn’t get any better! Look at the fabric squares of the little girls – I needed the little girls to match with a fabric square in similar colors below to make the little girl’s skirts. It sounds like it’s not important, but when you are stuck in a hospital bed in a full body cast, and sometimes for months, it is something that keeps your attention and makes you smile, especially if you are just a little girl that doesn’t understand what all the pain and restraints are. This tote bag has a pocket for a baby doll and a pillow for its head and then the tote back portion behind it holds books or toys, maybe a small DVD player and a DVD of something Disney, like Barbie to keep a small child’s attention off the pain and distracted with something else positive.
Baby doll tote bag
You just sew a tote bag and sew on a mini quilt on the front of it to make the pocket for the baby to slip in to. Add a piece of narrow elastic on the bottom of the pillow to slip over the baby’s head so it will stay put when being carried by nurses. You can use a soft stuffed dolly or a vinyl and stuffed dolly like the Zapf in the picture. I bet there are mothers or grandmothers on this list that might like to make one for their children
Marvelous donated cotton kids print fabric.
Can’t you just see the smiles on the faces of the children when they see the items made with this wonderful kids print?! I can
Thank you so much, I love my precious Relief Share angels for all they do for others and especially in helping me bless the lives of the sick and needy I love and serve. I can never tell them thank you enough.
They are some of our precious members on the list, they wishes to remain anonymous, but in God’s book of life – their names are written in big bold letters as one of His most precious daughters who listens to the still small voice and answers His call to spread mercy and help where it is needed the most.
Very grateful hugs and happy thoughts,
President Carol Green,
http://www.ReliefShare.org- serving God’s tiniest children & families
info@ReliefShare.org
Relief Share
6078 Lundy Rd
Houston, MO 65483-2225
Cocoon pattern for crochet by Marla
By · CommentsPreemie/Small Newborn Baby Cocoon Pattern
by Marla
Materials:
SOFT worsted weight yarn or double baby yarn,
6oz worsted for 5-6lb
size H hook.
Note: Do NOT turn after Joining. Ch 2 at first of round counts as a DC. If you have counted correctly your 2dc space with be made in the first stitch of the 2dc stitch on the row below.
Chain 3
1: Dc 11 times in the end chain. Join with a slip stitch. (12 Dc made)
2: Ch 2, DC in same space, 2dc in each stitch around. Join. (24 DC made)
3: Ch 2, Dc in same stitch, (Dc in next stitch, 2 dc in next stitch) around. Join. (36 Dc made)
4: Ch 2, Dc in same stitch, (Dc in next 2 stitches, 2dc in next stitch) around. Join. (48 Dc made).
5: Ch 2, Dc in same stitch, (Dc in next 3 stitches, 2dc in next stitch) around. Join. (60 Dc made)
6: Ch 2, Dc in NEXT stitch and each stitch around. Join.
For 5-6lb size:
Repeat Row 6, until cocoon reaches about 17-18″
Add Edging if desired.
You may adjust pattern if needed or hook size so that cocoon measures 8″ across (16″ around) by 18″ long.
A huge thank you to Marla for crocheting up this cocoon quickly for us and sharing the pattern. She is a wonderful donor/volunteer and has been helping many many years!
The Mood of America – its a choice, YOUR choice.
By · Comments
Joy
“One day at a time – this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone: and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.”
Ida Scott Taylor
1820-1915, Author
With our challenging economy and hardship of difficult weather, there seems to be a general pervading sense of of regret, fear, hopelessness, and anxiety. In order to flip that kind of thinking over to positive thoughts of gratitude, joy, happiness, contentment, peace and understanding, priorities need to be set.
If you are going on a trip, it is wise to know where you are going, for how long, and properly prepare. The Bible tells us “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear”. In our “me, too”, “I want it right now” “It isn’t fair if I don’t have what my neighbors have” world, many blessings are missed because they are simply overlooked. It’s not that they aren’t there – they are – but in the lemmings rush to the sea, not many stop to smell the flowers that are along the way.
Have eyes to see, ears to hear with and hearts that are soft enough to take advice, constructive criticism and willingness to change, if change is needed.
May your day today be on a trip towards a better tomorrow, for it is our todays that make the future what it is. Decide now to be happy – happiness is a gift we give ourselves, not something that happens to us by default (though that can and does happen). Be pro-active in your life, and if you are feeling like a victim, realize that there are no true victims here – no one can make you feel unhappy unless you give them the power over you to do that. There are recorded histories of people incarcerated in German holocaust camps that learned how to be happy despite their circumstances.
There is a popular quote that is attributed to Jesus – “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it”. How shallow our lives would be if we had everything too easy. “The best stuff sometimes happens because we had to fight so hard to grasp hold of it to get it, to savor it, to embrace it.” – This comment was made by a young lady who had a terrible experience of rape at 18 years old. She rose above it – taking time to heal but never gave up.
You only fail when you stop trying. Just remember, you don’t have to do it alone – the Saviour is always here to help you, but he can’t help if you won’t let him. He also can’t talk to you if the yelling, screaming voices around you are so loud that you can’t focus and concentrate on the still small voice. Take time everyday to stop and meditate on your blessings. You will find that life may not be as difficult as you perceive it to be – that’s Satan’s trick.
Life IS good. God loves you. You deserve to be happy and you will be, if you decide here and now that you will do whatever it takes to reach out to the Lord and walk side by side with him. You do not have to be perfect, you only have to try. There is only one perfect person and