Recap Open House March 11

Everyone,

Thanks for all who braved the parade and attended Open House!  We saw some real nice inventory turned in.  Mary is working on updating our inventory and I will have it on the website soon.  We still need everything, so instead of just keep swimming, just keep on sewing and crafting your favorite thing!  I talked about how to create that perfect pillowcase and if you would like these tips, please look at the website or email me and I will forward to you.

Speaking of the website, we would like any suggestions you have in making the website easier to navigate.  It was suggest that there be words or icons on the Stitches of Love page to click on to take you to that information instead of selecting the additional pages at the bottom.  Personally, I can never remember to click on the additional pages to find the additional information and then I get aggravated that I cannot find the information I am looking for.  Remember you always need to click on the Stitches of Love blog in the upper right hand corner of the main BTSCD page.

BREAKING NEWS!!  Thanks to the efforts of Cindy Adams, Stitches of Love is the ‘official’ charity of the National Crochet Month part group.  She was able to achieve this thru her connection on Ravelry. We are hoping to receive to receive many donations of hats for both boys and girls and purses and scarves.  Guidelines for these items have been placed on the website, but if you would like to a copy of them, please email me.

35th Ave Northern EVENT!!  I totally forgot to mention that 35th Ave Sew and Vac is highlighting Back to School Clothing Drive at their April 15 Black Bag day and will have 100 pillowcases for their customers to make for us.  We need help talking about Stitches of Love and showing their customers how to make the pillowcases on the sergers provided by the store.  If you don’t know how, we will show you–its super easy!  I would like to have 6 people per hour and you can work whatever time frame works for you.  The store is open from 9-5, so please email me with what time you can help us out.  This is a HUGE savings to us as with sales/coupons, each pillowcase costs us about $5.00 plus we have to cut and kit them.  They are doing all this for us!  So please help us out to work with their customers and hopefully receive more sewing volunteers for us.  Let me know what time works for you.

Many thanks to all of you who help other charities!  We received many reusable bags to be donated to Sue Hulton to be used for diaper bags for the Moms at the Phoenix Indian Hospital. We will be collecting these bags on an ongoing basis for her.  We are still collecting new packages of socks and underwear for Judy’s House and the following for Family Promise: paper towels, toilet paper, deodorant, feminine products, new packages of ladies underwear and any travel sizes soap/shampoo products.  I am sure they would take larger packages also.

We talked about sewing machine tips…..when is the last time you cleaned your bobbin area and changed your needle??  You will be shocked at how better your machine runs after you do this!

Will Mobile Sharpening will be with us on June, 10 so bring your scissors to the June meeting.

Yarn it Forward–it seems Cindy has answered all your questions regarding yarn so we will not be having a special event for her after the meetings or the following Monday.  If you have any questions or issues, she will be available after each Open House to help you.  Just let us know at the meeting so she will hang around to help you.

We are continuing our Third Thursday Terrors on the Thursday after Open House from 9:30-2:30, please join us for any time, we have tons of fun!!

We also are sewing the 4th Sunday of every month at 35th Ave Sew and Vac at 3548 W. Northern from 10-3, please join us all day or for a little bit. Bring your own project and help us with a special project.

April 4 is Arizona Gives Day so if you can, please donate to BTSCD and designate Stitches of Love to receive your donation.  I know we receive $30,000 from Legacy Foundation (of which we are very grateful) but we actually spend about $20,000 more to have fabric, yarn and other supplies on the shelf for you to create our special items.  If you do not receive an email with the link to donate, either go to the BTSCD website or email me for the link.

2016 tax time is quickly approaching so please remember to complete our In-Kind tax form with the amount of $$ you spent on creating items for the kids.  The form is on the website or you can email me and I will send it to you.  To make it even easier if you sent me your amount, I will complete the form for you and turn in to BTSCD.

Many thanks to all of you for everything you do for the kids.  Please remember that one item makes one child very happy!

Sandy