Million Pillowcase Challenge

Have you heard of the Million Pillowcase Challenge? I have to say I had not. Until I went to my favorite place to buy fabric in the whole wide world Smith Owen Sewing . This Friday, May 14th, Smith Owen is challenging us to join in the Million Pillowcase Challenge to make a difference. Every pillowcase can make a difference in your community. A pillowcase can provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident.

Oh my, if you are a sewer,( as in a person who sews, not a stinky cesspool), and you live in West Michigan and have not been in Smith Owen Sewing Center…you better just get your sewing self over there.

NOT only does this shop have the fabric that you will not see anywhere else, they have the great classes, friendly staff, and it is family owned by the Owen family. This family gives back to the community in so many ways, they have gInormous hearts.

The Million Pillowcase Challenge is just one of the ways that they are giving back to their community. If you are in the West Michigan area and you want to be a part, head into Smith Owen Sewing THIS Friday (May 14th, in case you skipped over my first paragraph) and you can buy a pillowcase kit for only $10. You can sew it in the store and leave it there to donate or you can take it home, sew it and bring it back. As long as you’re buying one you might as well buy a dozen! and bring them back to the store and Smith Owen will donate them to local charities.

If you do not live in West Michigan then go here to find out where you can go in your area to be apart of the million pillowcase challenge. This challenge is taking place throughout the entire year of 2010 so if you’re thinking “GOOD GOLLY I got me way too much going on right now to sew pillowcases for charity”. NO SWEAT you have the rest of the year to do it. If your local participating fabric store has the pre-cut pillowcase patterns, it is really a cinch. Or you can get free patterns here.

I have been on a small sewing streak lately. I would NOT call myself a sewer or a quilter. I have a sewing machine that is really too nice for the likes of me….

that is one fine machine, it’s a few years old, but in it’s day it was a beauty.

I come from a line of seamstresses. But some where the thread got frayed on the way down to me. Because unlike my grandmother, and my mom who can cut their own suit pattern and make themselves a tailored suits. My grandmother was also a master upholsterer. I can only sew a straight line. Maybe a zig-zag. Button holes are iffy. I cuss up a storm if I find myself doing any sort of clothing sewing project.

My sewing days started back in the 70’s. OK so if you weren’t born yet, keep quiet! I took 4-H sewing from my friend MO-lissa’s mom, Mrs Meerman. My friends name wasn’t really MO-lissa, it was Melissa. I just liked saying MO-lissa. After our sewing lesson was done Mrs Meerman would always have some sort of deliciously, warm baked good out for us to snack on. OOOh I can smell the cookies now! See it always ends up being about the food. I didn’t even realize where this story was going and then BAM! There it was… ALL about the snacks… of course.

Here is the project I found myself doing most recently…

Is this not the cutes chicken EVER!

This quilt was a surprise for my sons teacher….who is having, you guessed it!, a baby girl. Each child decorated a square with fabric markers and then I sewed them together. You could do this for lots of different occasions. Grandparents would love a lap quilt like this.

And here is my first pillowcase….

Just in case you were questioning whether I really made it or not…here’s proof in the sewing. It took me about 25 minutes but I bet the next one I could whip up in 10- 15 minutes it was REALLY that easy! It was all cut out for me, so that saved me some time

The finished product! Somebody is going to have a happy head on this pillowcase.

Hey what do you think I should make out of this fabric? I need some ideas.

Don’t forget to the Million Pillowcase Challenge! I would love to know if you have already made a pillowcase for the challenge or if you plan on doing one. I’m just curious how many sewers do I have reading?

Cheep cheep, cheep cheep…….aww come on cricket noises, really??? I know you are out there!

LUVya!

P.S. I realize that sewer is probably not a word. It was not in Websters dictionary. But in my lil’ world it’s a word.

sewer (so-er) n. a person who sews fabric to create garments and coverings and the like.