The Lollipop Forest I Spy Quilt has come home and is celebrating the release of the book it was written for: Craft Hope: Handmade Crafts for a Cause by Jade Sims.
Jade is the founder of Craft Hope, a website dedicated to making a difference in the world by matching crafters with charities that need the handmade items they create. Sewists, knitters, crafters, and quilters have answered the call in amazing abundance. Generously creating and giving to each new call to create that’s made on the Craft Hope website.
Jade assembled a very impressive group of contributors for the book including Kaari Meng (French General), Jhoanna Monte (One Red Robin), Malka Dubrawsky (Stitch in Dye), Rebeka Lambert (Artsy Crafty Babe), Manda McGrory (Tree Fall Design), Amanda Soule (Soule Mama), Blair Stocker (Wise Craft) and many, many, many more talented designers!
Each project in the book is paired with a charity. The charity’s mission is profiled along with details about the type of handmade items that they are most in need of. My quilt was paired with Project Night Night which donates more than 25,000 canvas tote bags each year to homeless children. Each bag includes a blanket, an age-appropriate book, and a stuffed animal.
The side copy of the book contains Hope Notes, quotes from individuals sharing what crafting for charity means to them.
“My friend, who is 94 years old, knitted approximately 100 small hats. She loves to make them as it passes her time in the retirement home. She knows that it takes her one hour to make one hat. I buy the yarn for her and she makes the hats. Barbara, United States”
I also found useful a section at the beginning of the book entitled Crafting Hope with Care. It covers important reminders about making sure that what you make is both appropriate and useful to a charity before sending the item. It also encourages involvement with organizations in your local community.
I’m excited to see Jade’s book come to life. I hope it shines an even brighter spotlight on the giving going on at Craft Hope. Here’s your to do list:
- Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this book (I’ll leave comments open until Friday, October 1). Tell me about something you’ve made for charity. Winner announced, thank you!
- Visit the Craft Hope website and find a project that fits your maker gifts like a glove.
- Download the Lollipop Forest I Spy Quilt pattern. Make one for a child in your life and another to give. Enjoy!
I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of this book. My charity work is primarily knitting, but I love the quilt project, count me in!!
I just donate to the “usual” causes, which are mostly children’s charities. Baby quilts, kid quilts, some pillowcases. I’ve also made a couple of quilts for charity auctions. In groups at church and with friends, I’ve made quilts for local organization and charities. One auction was on Saturday for hunger relief. Only brought in $225, but that will feed a lot of people. I think a quilt is something that every age can appreciate in their own way…..it’s comforting and huggable and what’s not to love!?
this looks like a wonderful book. i have made cage comforters for the local animal shelter, and charity quilts for kids.
What a nice giveaway Thanks
I made pillowcases for CraftHopes last charity conkerr cancer!
Awesome giveaway. I’ve made clothes and quilts for Women’s Shelters.
What a wonderful concept! Thanks for writing about the book and giving us the website for contact.
What a neat book and great idea. Currently my daughters and I are making pillowcase for Con-Kerr Cancer, we are each making 10. All three of us wonder who will get the pillowcases and we hope it helps a little bit. Thanks!
What a neat book and a wonderful way for crafters/sewists to give! I just completed a fun decorated child’s chair to donate for a raffle to raise money for a local homeless/abused women’s shelter. The chair is painted in sea colors and “dressed” in a quilted back and attached mermaid tail with quilted scales. Cute!
Creativity for great causes! What a neat idea! For the last three years I’ve been making something special for Halloween to give to each of the military and civilian personnel working in the Dover Air Force Base flight line tower where my son is an air traffic controller. They look forward to their surprises every year and are wondering what they are getting this year! Well, this year I’m making little Halloween treat bags out of Sheri Berry’s Costume Club fat quarters and Boo Bears fat quarters from RJR Fabrics. I’ve finished the 35 bags for the tower and they are so so cute! They turned out so cute that my husband wants 45 treat bags to give away to each of his employees in the Edwards Air Force Base Public Affairs office! They’re so adorable that I’ll probably end up making more than 100 to give away!
Thanks for the opportunity to win such a great book.
I have made bookbags and pillowcases for charity.
What a beautiful book. Thanks for a chance to win one. I have made small quilts for Project Linus and Chemo caps for kids at Ronald McDonald house in Seattle. My past home ec students helped make these items as community service learning projects in class.
My first comment is that I am loving your blog. Less postings, but what you post is always interesting, informative, well written…I always learn something.
Give to charity? Right now, I give my time and monetary contributions. I hope to donate baby quilts someday when I no longer work and have the time to sew 24/7.
Thanks Kathy.
Thank you for another lovely giveaway. I enjoyed reading your summary about the background for the book. My last charity project was making lap quilts for the church, both to use there and to donate to facilities outside. Take care. mlwright29 (at) hotmail (dot) com
To help brighten the Christmas of the homeless and seniors, I have made fabric “sacks” that are then taken by fellow coworkers to fill and return. Each bag is made for a specific gender and age group. Those that took bags for children found it very special to have their own children help to select the gifts, both essentials and toys, that would go into the bags. The last year I did this, my company filled over 400 sacks.
What a wonderful book! I am pregnant and on day 26 of being on bed rest. I love to sew and would love to give back to parents who may not be prepared for their little bundle of joy. I’d love to make preemie-size baby kimonos (as seen in the Craft Hope book) and donate them to the hospital here (and maybe a few other hospitals).
Also, for the last 18 years, my grandmother (who is 85 years old) has been sewing dolls and animals for the less fortunate kids in her area. I am so proud of her and she is my inspiration to give back to the community!
wow the projects in this book look amazing! can’t wait to get a copy of my own!
What a beautiful book-I have made some neck “gators” for the troops-it’s such a great feeling to make something for someone!
I make quilts for the shut-ins at church. Many are elderly and widowed, and it is just a joy to give them something that tells them they are loved, and not forgotten!
Thanks for the give away – but even if I don’t win, I am so buying this book.
I have been wanting to get this book. It is currently on my Amazon wishlist for Christmas.
I have joined in many of the Craft Hope projects: sock monkeys, quilts, bean bags, scarves, and pillowcases. I love what Jade is doing! It is so wonderful! Thanks for the free pattern, and the giveaway!
We have a great local organization that gives out dolls dressed in handmade clothes as part of their holiday distribution to families in need and I try to dress a few each year!
I love the idea of being able to give back in such a personal way. I love daydreaming about how the item will be used as I create it and wondering about it once it leaves my hands. This book looks amazing and I can’t wait to check it out!
very good blog this week.
Looks like a wonderful book. A few years ago my knitting group made baby blankets and sent them to a friend of mine who is a midwife in Africa. It was a great way to give and use our talents.
I read about the ConKerr cancer project on the Craft Hope website and just tried making pillowcases for the first time. I made 6 using a pattern on the Film in the Fridge website. I think they turned out well! Would love to win the Craft Hope book!
I won the book from another lovely crafter in this book op hope. Great projects!!!
I love Craft Hope! Thanks for the chance to win the book. Love your quilt pattern!
Thanks for the download! Love the quilt, and will be making one for Project Linus.
I added this to my Amazon wish list, but in all honesty I’m going to buy it I’m not lucky enough to win this copy. I love the concept of Craft Hope and can’t wait to start a charity project with my daughter.
what a fabulous introduction to what looks like an inspiring book! thanks!
What a beautiful book for a great cause!
Love the book; what a great idea. And the projects all look fun and easy.
Thank you so much both Jade and Kathy. I have been wanting to give back to people who are less fortunate than I am. But so many and not being able to choose. Now I can create and see where to send whatever I make. Thanks so much for sharing.
Charlye Stevens
What a wonderful book and an awesome idea! I have recently made a custom scrapbook for a raffle that benefits a local childrens hospital. I would love to get more involved
What a touching idea for a book. This year I hostessed a “Sew for Haiti” day. We made nearly 60 skirts for a girls home. We not only had a great time, we were deeply touched to know that our “gift to sew” would bring joy to some much deserving children.
I have participated in the Craft
What a lovely book with such wonderful ideas! I would love to be a part of crafting for hope!
My comment deleted half of the response! Weird!
I have participated in the Craft Hope projects before. I made a scarf for the Foster Kids project and washcloths for the project after the oil spill. Love Craft Hope! Thanks for the chance at a book!
What a great book with such wonderful causes. Thanks for the chance to win.
I have knitted a few caps for chemo patients and new borns. I have also donated fabrics and yarns to various groups including Iraqi Bundles of Love.
I’ve made quilts and turtle pillows for The Painted Turtle Camp for kids with conditions that require care and lots of pillowcases for the One Million Pillowcase challenge. And a mini quilt for Ami simms Alzheimers auctions. I love having the chance to do something for someone else while indulging in my favorite pastime, sewing!
What a wonderful book! I was just looking for something like this earlier this week! And even better that you have a pattern inside. Great to see encouragement toward charitable giving.
Our local quilt guild donates children’s quilts to the local Blanket Brigade that gives each child a quilted blanket when they enter our local hospital for surgery or an illness. It is a wonderful gift and many letters are received from the parents or even the child, thanking us for the quilt.
What a great book and wonderful project. My ‘book club’ (we occasionally even talk about the books we read) would like to start a project together. i’m hoping this book can give us ideas on how to start.
Oh, WOW!! That looks great! I think I need that book!
) I’ve committed to send 100 blankets to Project Linus and Brady’s Smile over the next year. I’m interested in the section you mentioned called Crafting Hope with Care.
It’s so exciting that your quilt in such a fabulous book!
What a great book! My grade 4 class made quilts for a local Early Years centre a few years ago – since then I’ve been unable to manage to make much on my own (except two babies…), but maybe I can find something in Jade’s book (and then to find the time… it is getting better!).
This looks like a great book! I usually do the quilty thing, I made quilt tops for the bushfire appeal and the irish flood victims and generally send blocks whenever a request is made but it would be great to do e.g. a doll or a smaller thing than a quilt and know it is going to the right place!
Book looks great – good job!
The Lollipop Forest quilt is adorable; what a great way to use my smaller pieces of fabric! The book looks like a “must have!” Thanks for the chance to win.
I love this book. I’ve been looking around here recently for charities that will take handmade goods and there doesn’t seem to be that many. I will definitely call the animal shelters and other great suggestions in the comments above, so THANKS!
k
Would love to own a copy of the Craft Hope book. I’ve enjoyed participating in a few of the projects that they have asked help with. Truly gratifying!
Beautiful book!! Thanks for the op to win one.
cokelush at gmail