Tuesday was my 42nd birthday. Well, mine and my twin sister's. We are at a stage where I don't think we look that much alike - our hair is different lengths right now. But can you tell, am I "Thing 1" or "Thing 2"?
Having a birthday in the shop was FABULOUS! It was Knit Together day, so there were knitters there from the time I opened (yep, someone was waiting outside for me when I arrived), until almost 6 PM. They brought flowers and cookies and chocolates and a doll made just for me. And when I opened my email, what did I find? I had won the Hawthorn Threads weekly giveaway! On my birthday! What are the chances?
They mailed it right away, and my goodies arrived already - I wanted to share photos of the Amy Butler goodness, but Blogger is fighting me about adding more photos and I just don't have any fight left in me today.
I haven't been doing too much sewing for myself lately. I taught one 3-session Quiltmaking 101 class, and started teaching the second 3-session class today. I taught rag rug making to an oversized class of 10 (my classes are supposed to be 3-6 students so everyone gets individual attention). I'm teaching that series again starting this Saturday. I can't believe how popular that has been.
I took a Learn to Knit class here at my own shop and made a hat. Now I'm working on a matching scarf. I took a Beginning Crochet class here at my own shop, and have had fun learning the different stitches. We've only met once so far, so I only know 3 stitches. Crocheting seems really easy to me.
And my after school program kids have made 3 projects so far - aprons upcycled from pillowcases, snap shut coin purses and fabric composition book covers.
Now I am turning my thoughts to October and Breast Cancer Awareness and what I can do in my shop to support the cause. Any ideas out there? Right now I am thinking of having the following:
1) Knit Sessions to make Chemo Caps.
2) Drop in sessions to make paper pieced Pink Ribbon Pins to wear.
3) Drop in sessions to make quilt blocks for a quilt to raise money for cancer research - but what pattern? And how to raise the money - by raffling the final quilt or by having folks make a donation to make a block or some other way?
4) Pink Ribbon fabric for sale either as Fat Quarters or yardage with the proceeds being donated for Breast Cancer Research.
What do you think? Do any or all sound viable? Do you have other ideas? I'm going to deck out the display windows with pink ribbon stuff, and might ask the vendors if they might agree to having part or all of their sales for a particular day to be donated. I welcome any suggestions from any of you!
10 comments:
Well Happy Belated Birthday Thing 1!! Congratulations on such a success. Love all your pink ribbon ideas. Keep it simple is all I can add.
happy birthday - love the "thing 1/2" shirts who can ever forget doc. suess.
on the pink ribbon stuff - not sure what to suggest - maybe a combo of knitted hats (a lot of us do not knit but plenty that do) and quilt blocks to raffle?
I would be careful with the raffle idea. Different states have different rules about how raffles can be run. Might be better to have people donate money to make a quilt block, or offer the finished quilt to a local charity that already does (and is licensed to do) raffles.
The knit sessions sounds like a great idea, especially if it also includes learners.
Are there any local breast cancer support groups you can work with? They might jump at the opportunity and have other great suggestions.
Happy Birthday. It sounds like you had a beautiful day. I am delighted that your shop has been successful. It is obvious that it is a labor of love. I love all of your ideas for October.
Happy Birthday Erin..Arent you Thing 2?
Your ideas for the shop sound wonderful. Why don't you do a morning tea or sausage sizzle for pink ribbon month and ask for a donation from everyone that comes to it. You could ask local businesses for food donations towards the it in exchange for a sponsorship list on the food table on the day.
Howdy Thing 1. My hubby keeps wanting me to make a Thing 1 and Thing 2 costume for Halloween one year. Happy Birthday, too! All your ideas sound good to me. Glad the shop is doing so well.
Happy to hear you're doing so well in you new venture! You sound busy....and HAPPY! Yeah! :)
You be Thing 1 (I think!). I'm sure whatever you come up with will be perfect - but perhaps finding an existing cancer support group would be a good idea. Join in on their already existing advertising dollars. My daughter runs a couple of breast cancer events for a town here in the west - she has the Pink Heals pink fire truck show up http://www.pinkfiretrucks.org/ and then they do a pink pig out event in the park and everybody in town puts pink light bulbs on their porches for the month of October. There's more events I think but those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. Good luck! Lisa
Oh! and Happy Birthday to you! And your sister!!
Happy Birthday, Thing 1! I loved those pictures. Please be careful about raffles -- in most states, these are considered "gambling" and are regulated, so you need to be under an umbrella organization or otherwise be legal to "operating a gambling event." The suggestion to partner with an existing state-approved 501(c)(3) is a good one. I know all your energy will produce great results! If I just lived about 3,000 miles east, I would take your rug class in a minute.
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