Isn’t this gorgeous?

Make sure you check out ALL of the summer school classes, or I might have to put a note on your permanent record!  hee hee hee

Yes, that is actually my husband sitting in front of a sewing machine for the first time!  Harry was a little hesitant at first, but when one of the older patients, a young man of around 16, told us that he had made a pair of pants, my husband decided to rise to the challenge.  Believe it or not, Harry actually made a pillowcase by himself (with a few helpful pointers from me, of course)!

Now, it’s time to see if all of you can rise to the challenge!  Sit down and sew something out of fabric!  Post a picture of your project that you’ve made especially for this challenge in your gallery by Friday, July 3rd at 9 pm EST, leave a link on this post, and I’ll choose a random winner to receive a lovely Fiskars cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler set.  Hint:  if your project happens to be a pillowcase for the ConKerr cancer folks, your name will go in twice!  The directions can be found here!

Good luck, and happy sewing!

The pattern is basically a large rectangle, and a small one for the pocket, so I just used my Comfort-Grip Rotary Cutter and Fiskars mat to cut my fabric.   It was very simple and easy to put together, even the straps! I made one for a boy, and one for a girl. 

Now, the reason I used a pattern:

 A while back, the ladies from ConKerr Cancer  had gone to sew with some kids at a nearby school that serves low-income, challenged children.  The plan was to have the kids make a pillowcase for Conkerr Cancer, and then they could make one for themselves (after it was determined that each child had a pillow - that’s how low-income these kids are).  Well, the kids were amazing, so the ladies wanted to do something for the kids.  They have a school picnic at their teachers house at the end of the year, and were in need of towels, sunscreen, etc.  It was decided to make a tote for each child, and fill it with sunscreen, a beach towel, a book and a small toy.  We wanted all of the totes to be the same style, hence the pattern.  One of my sewing buddies, Irene, had just had surgery, so she said she’d buy the stuffings if I would make two totes.  Here are the totes all stuffed and ready to go:

We even made a special one for the teacher!  The kids loved them!

The Monday after we returned home from Greenville, I found out that a six-year old boy named Jack, who had just joined our quarter midget track,  was diagnosed with cancer.  For some reason this hit me pretty hard.  Perhaps it was because he was a racer like my son and almost the same age, or perhaps it was because I had just spent the day with some pretty sick kids and I knew what might be in store for him.  No matter what the reason was, I felt like I needed to do something.  I spoke with those lovely ladies at the Hendrick Marrow Foundation, Courtney and Pam, and told them about Jack and the fundraiser that Jack’s home track was hosting for him.  The plan was formulated to hold a bone marrow donor registration drive at the fundraiser, and the Hendrick Foundation generously agreed to cover the costs for the first 100 people that signed up.  I’m proud to say that as of June 6th, I am offically a potential bone marrow donor.  I may never be called (some folks have been on the registry for 20 years and have never been contacted), but I could also be the only match for a person in need.  There are over 4,300 transplants done a year, and only 30% of patients that need one have a match in their family.  Some folks ask how I would feel donating to a stranger.  I tell them that I just put myself in the shoes of the many parents that can’t find a match for their child, and I know that I am doing the right thing.

Right now, the Be The Match Foundation is sponsoring a registration drive, and signing up for the registry is free until June 22nd.  If you’d like more information on registering to be a donor, visit their website at www.marrow.org.  You could be a match!

If you’d like to make Jack a card, feel free to send it to me and I’ll make sure he gets them!

 Good Luck everyone!

If you have no clue what I’m talking about, here’s the blog post that will give you the 411 on the Boomerang giveaway:

http://www.fiskateers.com/blog/2009/06/06/its-big-its-beautiful-and-it-could-be-yours/

Leave your comments by Monday, June 29th at 9 pm EST! Good luck everyone! 

Just look at this beauty from down under!  Isn’t it amazing?!?  Just think of how much space you’ll have to craft, scrap, and even sew!  What’s even more amazing is that those wonderful folks from Arrow Cabinets are letting me give one away to a lucky Fiskateer!!! WAHOOOO!

Ok, while you’re catching your breath and wiping the drool off of your keyboard, I’ll give you a little 411 on the contest (ha, couldn’t resist that)!  Since this is such a huge prize (I think the retail is $999.99), I am going to make you work for it.  That’s right, you’re going to earn the Boomerang!  I will be posting a series of four challenges, some easy, maybe some not so easy-you’ll just have to play along and see! 

Before we get started, there are a few rules-you must have room for the Boomerang at your house.  One of the conditions that will be placed on the winner will be that they must post photos in their Fiskateer gallery of the Boomerang in action at their house!  International Fiskateers are eligible, but they will be responsible for freight and tariff charges if they win. 

OK, on to the first challenge:  Recruit a new Fiskateer!  This does not mean calling your Uncle Sal and asking him to do you a favor by signing up.  I want you to go somewhere crafty- your local LSS, a crop, a quilting show, another on-line crafting community - and find someone as passionate about crafting as you are.  Take a picture of your new recruit, and post it in your gallery.  If you do it on-line, have them email you a pic of themselves and post that.  Your new recruit must send me an email asking to join, along with your name and a few sentences about how you recruited them!  Once they are signed up, they need to upload a picture for their avatar.  Please make sure that you follow all of these requirements to a tee!  I will be keeping track of everything on my Boomerang spreadsheet, and I’m going to be tough!  You’ll have three weeks from today to complete this challenge, so the deadline is Friday, June 26th at 9 pm EST.  I’m giving you plenty of time, because I want your new recruit to be able to join in on the fun too!

WAHOO!

Isn’t it adorable?  There will be new projects every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Sept. 1st.  Now get on over to summer school and get your homework done, or I’ll have to put you in Fisk-a-detention!!

P.S. If you want some extra credit, don’t forget to enter the monthly sketch challenges here and here! 

Doesn’t the Potomac Bead Company look like fun?  I think Connie had some great tips and ideas, and I hope she inspired some of you to get out there and get beading!  I’m also going to add a little “inspiration” by RAK’ing some great Fiskars jewelry tools - a diagonal cutter and needle nose pliers! 

Just post a picture in your gallery of something that inspires you,  include a link in the comments here and tell us why it inspires you!  Make sure it’s posted by Thursday, June 4th at 9 pm EST, and I’ll draw a random winner! 

Brenda #5778, you’ve won the Card Challenge!

Please email me, rebecca@fiskateers.com , with your mailing addresses and I’ll get your prizes sent out! Congratulations ladies!