Sunday, December 12, 2010

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED FOR COMMENTS!  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING! The winner will be posted Saturday morning.....after I wake UP!!


I am so glad you are here to visit!  I am really excited as this is my first giveaway ( I am pretty new to blog land!)  I am grateful to Sew Mama Sew for running this because I was struggling to find a way to do a giveaway and this is perfect.

There is a little history to this giveaway but I know you are busy so I will keep it short and sweet.

This is Hazel:
If you want to read back a bit in my blog you will find labels for Hazel.  Hazel is a dear friend of mine from British Columbia were I spent 12 years. She is almost 87 years old and a life long quilter. Well, she is no longer able to quilt and I have been blessed with her stash!!  There is so much that I am absolutely unable to use it all and it would be un"Hazel" like to keep it all to myself anyway.  She is a very giving lady and I wish to honour her by continuing this trend.  So for today's giveaway I am giving away some of her fabrics.  Many of the pieces that I was given are vintage and many are quite beautiful and unique. 

I am doing this giveaway not only to share what Hazel has given me in fabric but also in character. I would like to see Hazels generosity and spirit spread as far as possible outside of my community.

So here is the deal:
I am giving away these three pieces of fabric.  They are at least 2 meters each, one of them is three.  The colours are brilliant and the feel of the striped orange one is divine! The others are lovely too of course but there is just something about that one!
Here is the HOW to and the FINE print ;-) 

1). Leave me a comment on this post telling me what is your favourite thing to do, at this time of year, to show the spirit of giving?

2). If you do any type of crafting for charity of any sort (or would like to) and you are willing to share a little bit of what I send to you by making a little something for a charity or group in need in your area tell me about it in the same comment and I will include with the 3 pieces, a box full of assorted other fabrics.  Many that match the first three.  Some are large, some are scraps all are useful for something!  It doesn't matter to me if you make a pillow case, a doll dress, a snack bag, a hair band, a pin cushion, a mug rug,  a soft stuffed animal or if you trim a tea towel!  What ever it is you wish to donate, if you will share....I will share:  


So that is it...one comment either way, seems easy right?  Right!!  It is Christmas!!!  So take a minute and think about how you can share the love, then tell me all about it!  

Post your comment here by the 17th, winner will be chosen by my children (who are successful "givers in training"!)  Your parcel will be in the mail by the 20th... as long as you make sure I have a way to contact you!!  PLEASE.....If you are unsure if your email is linked, or you don't have a blog, leave it in the comment.

You are welcome to follow my blog if you like or if you wish to just visit for today, I am happy you dropped by.

Have a great day!

108 comments:

Lisa said...

wow mamma this is great - you didn't tell me you were going to do this - wonderful idea! Hazel is a doll and i think its a wonderful way to share what is has given you...and to keep the giving going around. Can't wait to read the comments and hear what the kids think and who they choose.

Hugs, Beesley - Merry Ho Ho

Crystal said...

How generous of you and how sweet to do it in Hazel's honour!

One of my favourite ways to give at this time of year is to make a special basket of homemade baking, drink mixes and fresh fruit - and then leave it anonymously for a family with very young children, where Mama is often very, very busy. This year I've sewed and tucked in a Christmas pennant banner that she can hang up in the house.

Ammieloris said...

Thank you and thanks to Hazel. She sounds like a wonderful, inspiring woman and friend.

My favorite thing to do this time of year is to make time for my family, especially when things can get a little crazy. I'm trying not to get too caught up in the Greedies, and am looking for ways to serve others, remember Christ, and play with my toddler!

Thanks for the giveaway! (I'm giving away something, too, if you're interested, at my blog: skemommlenskedaddle.blogspot.com)

ammieloris at hotmail dot com

Oh, and I love to knit baby hats and sew little stuffed animals--seahorses, elephants, kangaroos, doggies, bunnies, monsters, robots--for charity.

Farah said...

what lovely fabrics! I love sewing for my family this time of year, as well as baking and other crafting for holiday gifts. I haven't had the time to do much this year, but am hoping i will have some time before Christmas comes.

The Sewing Dork said...

This time of year, one of my favorite things to do is hand out gift cards to random people I see downtown in our big, cold city. People who look poorly prepared for the winter or who are obviously homeless. They always say thank you and it starts my work day out nicely.
cynsaw2@yahoo.ca

Marilyn said...

What a wonderful way to honour your friend. Every year I make goodies to share with all the people who help us during the year - girls at the bank and post office, etc. And every year I make gifts for the "Give Me Shelter" campaign at Global TV Edmonton. This campaign asks for gifts for women and children who are spending Christmas in shelters because they are escaping abusive situations. This year I made various "kits" in colourful bags - crayons, oil pastels, pencil crayons c/w sketch books for kids, and large shopping bag style bags for the moms with everything needed to embroider or knit or stitch a project. I'm sure my google account email is connected, but if not you can reach me through my website contact. www.fiberantics.com

Annmarie said...

Every Tuesday I quilt with 5 ladies - the youngest is 75 and the oldest is 86! I have learned so much from them. So HUGS to Hazel!
Each year I make 3 or 4 huge batches of Nuts & Bolts (Chex mix) to give to friends & neighbors. It seems everyone bakes cookies to give away so my gift is always appreciated.

Every year I also buy up fleece at rummage sales & thrift shops so at Christmas I can make up 5 - 10 fleece blankets to give to the local women's shelter. the beautiful fabrics in hyour giveaway would work too! Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

I had a "hazel" myself, a family friend quit quilting and gave me a ton of fabric. I've been using it to make knotted quilts to give out at work (I work in two homeless shelters). Thanks for the giveaway chance!

Anonymous said...

I take my kids to the thrift store to do their christmas shopping. Just love seeing them grap funny treasures for their friends and family. Good times. And such beautiful vintage fabrics here. Thanks for sharing.

Mary said...

Thanks for sharing your Hazel story :) After the craziness of the holidays settles, I plan to crochet scarves and make mini-quilts for residents of the hospice center where my grandmother spent her last few days. It is located in a rural area, and some of the residents do not get a lot of visitors (or do not have a lot of personal items for their rooms).

I would be honored to use any and all fabric from this giveaway for that purpose :)

sweet limes said...

I love that you are connecting this to giving since that's what Christmas is all about in my eyes.

My favourite thing to do at this time of year is inviting a few people who don't have family (or family close by) for Christmas dinner and other festivities so they don't have to be alone for the holidays. So far I have a lady from my local fabric store coming, a lady and her mother down the street, and a gentleman our family has known for about a year who has no family to speak of. I do this because I have no family other than my own husband and kids, and I used to hate spending the time alone.

Charity. Love that you asked this because I love talking about the charity I do. I had a daughter who was still born at 40 weeks and the hospital gave me the most darling little gown to dress her in because it was all so unexpected and my bag with her supplies got lost in the shuffle. Turns out they have a small supply of these on hand for those sorts of situations. I make gown after gown all year round and on my daughters birthday I take them to the hospital she was born and hand them over to the nursing staff there. I want the mother's in similar situations to have something they can hold onto after their little one dies and leaves their arms empty. I know how much it meant to me and I want to offer that little bit of love and comfort to other mother's like me.

limes.sweet(at)gmail(dot)com

janimal said...

This was so lovely to read. Thanks for sharing Hazel with us!

My husband and I started a Hanukkah tradition of giving when we were dating. For one night of Hanukkah, our gift for each other is a shopping trip to buy Toys For Tots. We fill a cart with toys and then drop them off. We look forward to it every year and is honestly our best gift. We are continuing this tradition every year with our daughter and each year she will have the gift of toy donation also. We want her to grow up with an understanding of how important and rewarding it is to be kind and generous to others.

Many years I make items for the homeless shelter where I volunteer. This year I haven't been able to - but hopefully in a few weeks I can get back to it. The weather will be cold and our residents can always use fleece scarves, blankets, etc.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Morgan said...

I like to go caroling. Giving the gift of Christmas cheer. My kids were so excited that we're going this evening for family night!

I've been wanting to make some flannel-backed blankets for premature babies and sick kids at a local hospital. And your fabric pieces would be great for that -- given with love all along the way.

Thanks for the inspiring message today.

Lisa said...

I like to help a family in need each year. This year, I was hoping to make some things to cheer up a out of work family who is having a rough time around the holidays. The mom seems so down in the dumps I thought a few homemade towels, a sack full of baked goods, and a toy for her son would bring some cheer! Thanks for the give away!

Rachel Bates said...

I would be glad to share some of this fabric with my group of quilters that make quilts for hospice and Children's hospital.

Sophia said...

For the past several years, I have helped "adopt" a family in need for Christmas. I also donate toys to Toys for Tots. If I win this fabric, I would give it to my sewing group who makes walker bags for senior citizens in our area.

Sheila said...

Wow! What a generous giveaway! Those fabrics look lovely!

Unfortunately, my life is pretty busy these days, so I don't have a lot of time to give, but I have been putting together a large box full of food to take to the local food bank. Everybody deserves to have a bountiful holiday meal. :)

My local quilting guild makes blankets for Project Linus, so if you included the extra fabric, we would use it to make blankets for children in crisis.

Kimberly said...

Our family participates in Operation Christmas Child. You fill a shoebox with goodies for a child in another country. We have started involving our oldest in that she now uses her own money and picks out items for her own shoebox to send. She really enjoys it.
Thanks for the giveaway!

Maggie said...

I make (knit, crochet and sew) baby blankets for moms of newborns in the Philippines.

Megan said...

How cool! I used to sew with a group called "Helping Hands." They made little diaper bags for first time moms in the church, quilts for babies in the hospital, and so much more. If I won this prize, I would donate the fabric to them to create something beautiful with!

barneyn said...

wow this is really great! i love fabric! I like to crochet hats for boys and girls and hand them out! its really cold here so i think they love them!

Now, i am going to crochet hats to give out to foster kids or adoption agencies for kids :) thanks!

nelly dot barney at yahoo dot com

Joelle said...

My "Hazel" is my Grandmother. She too is in BC, a lifelong quilter and at 91 is still going strong. She makes quilts and donates them to the salvation army and to children in intensive care that have nobody to keep them warm. I would gift the stash to her so she can continue with the wonderful work that she does.
joellehaston at shaw dot ca

Karyli said...

My favorite thing to do this time of year is spend time with family and do sewing projects for gifts.
The fabric you are sharing is wonderful. Some great ladies and I have recently started a quilt group and we are making a plan for charity quilting throughout the coming year. Hazel's fabric would be a perfect complement for our giving goals. Thank you!

Kristin said...

we serve at a soup kitchen year round, but I do love doing it at Christmas...it's fun to bring Christmas cookies to share with the people who come.

Eema-le said...

I love making things for friend this time of year. The plan is to bake/make a bunch of treats and package them up in pretty boxes for everyone to enjoy.

ErikaM said...

Thank you! My grandmother used to make blankets and sweatshirts for people in need. I hope to follow in her footsteps soon. Right now, I'll have to settle for making gifts from the heart for friends.

Lori said...

I knit mittens and donate them to various charities that make up Christmas boxes for needy families. I also make string quilts for the local women's shelter.

Amanda said...

I'm planning on collecting handmade baby blankets Next year!! A big production! :) This would be great!! Thanks! And thanks Hazel!

Amanda
amandaandandy@yahoo.com

Denise said...

I love quilting & baking, so the majority of my gifts this year will be quilts and cookies, lol.

I also do 'charity' work for Quilts For Kids, so it'd be great to have a bit extra to work with to quilt and give to them :)

Dianna said...

We like to go to the grocery store and pick up a whole cart of food for the food bank.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely story for a giveaway. This time of year seems to be food bank time, and though my budget is severely limited (due to long term unemployment), I'm careful to pick up a few extra cans of whatever is on sale when I go to the grocery store.

One of my favorite things to do, year round, is put change in expired parking meters (assuming the person doesn't already have a ticket). I like doing it all the more for it's anonymity.

And my favorite yarn shop has been collecting handsewn pillowcases for the cancer ward at a nearby hospital- should I win, I might have to make a few myself.

corvus.melloriATgmailDOTcom

Nancy Markosky said...

At school, we raise money for the month of November and December by selling specialty coffee and goodies to buy Christmas gifts for some of our families who are struggling. I would like to use the fabric to make a quilt for one or two of these kids that have nothing. It sad to see some of our families strugging so with this sad economy.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful heart you have! My daughters always gave their baby dolls and barbies to a local women and children shelter at Christmas and we always made clothes for the dolls. Now that my daughters are grown, I've moved up and now I alter and refashion shirts and pants for the children so they can have the "boutique" clothing with ruffles and frills. Most of them show up with only what they are wearing. All three of those fabrics would work great!!

Lynne said...

Wow! Great idea! Every year we donate to the food cupboard. As well, our school has teamed up with a local centre to collect warm clothing. I've made mitts and hats this year and hope to make lots more. Thanks for the great giveaway!

pamdux said...

At this time of year my favorite thing to do is sew. I will sew just about anything but my favorite right now is embroidered quilts. And my favorite thing to help others at this time of year is to work with my church and have a service where the community is invited and we give away gift cards and cash to the kids in the area for Christmas. This is the second year and we gave away $1000.00 in cash and gift cards to the kids. We hope to make it even more next year. The kids and their parents really enjoy this and look forward to it. I help with the costumes, this year we did the Grinch. pamspinks.blogspot.com

the beloved pilgrim said...

My Great grandmother was able to quilt until she was 98, so I think Hazel is amazing. The kind of giving I like best is when someone is not expecting or asking for it. I watch for opportunities all year long to make it Christmas everyday. email: monkey2377(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Your posts about Hazel are beautiful. My mother is a quilter, and so was my grandmother. As well, my grandmother used to makenearly all of her children's clothing. She would look at an item in the catalogue and then make an approximation of it for one of her sons or daughters. She really was great at 'eyeballing' it. While I'm not a quilter (yet), I do sew quite a lot and am learning to alter garments and hopefully I will become good at sewing clothing from scratch, like my Nan. During this time of year, I donate painted scallop shells and glass jars to be sold at the church Christmas sale, in order to raise money for the building fund (it's an old church and needs some repairs). I will be posting photos of the painted shells on my blog within the next day or so. My mother and cousin started a group in town called "Companion Stitchers" and they often donate things they make to the hospital gift shop, which in turn donates all profits to the hospital to buy or replace medical equipment. If I win, I will gladly use the fabric to create something beautiful for the gift shop in hopes that it will brighten someone's day and provide funds for the hospital.

You can reach me by commenting at my blog. Happy Holidays!

Mike and Jess said...

What a great give away! Giving seems to change year to year, and this year I've been baking for college students in finals and helping with a youth fitness program that recently took its winter recess.

I'm just now starting to get to the point with my sewing that I can give the end product away - quite fun - and recently found a group that provides quilts for soldiers and marines being med-evaced from a combat zone to a hospital in a safe zone. I'm a vet and know those flights can be so cold. I'm looking forward to making a quilt for this group. It's called operation quiet comfort.

Caren said...

I love your generosity! I have started making gifts for families with special needs children (seizure disorders of all types and autism) and my 4-yr-old is "helping" me (ok, so he slows some things down, but he IS getting pretty good at ironing my fabrics)! I've never tried quilting, thats a bit overwhelming for me, but kids clothes and "stuffies" and cloth activity books are in my pile of to-do's! As for my favorite thing to do this time of year, I love to make Christmas presents! This year it's tote bags and the previously mentioned kids items :) email: carenadamsatjunodotcom

Jody said...

I love the Hazel story!

In the past I've bought presents for families that needed a little help in celebrating the holidays. This year I'm not working so my time is what I have to give.

I would love to make pillow cases for foster children in our area &/or for the James Cancer Hospital at OSU...adding a little color and comfort to their current situations.

And this would be . . . . said...

My favorite dish is dressing. We make double as it is everyone's favorite.

Charity. . .. I have really wanted to do a quilt for Margaret's Hope Chest - this charity donates birthday quilts for children of prisoners.

JuneBug said...

This is how I would (start to) share the love. I have lots of friends that wish they knew how to sew. My daughter does too. It's becoming a lost art. I would like to teach the people in my life how to sew! And I would use some of that fabric to do so. It's not a charity, but I could teach the lessons by making cat beds for the local SPCA. Or burp cloths for the Women & Children's center. Those are my first thoughts!

jshen37 at gmail dot com

Serena said...

I like to give to those who don't have as much things that can help them to provide for themselves (like chickens to families in third world countries). Thank you for the giveaway!

Sara said...

A lovely way to honor your friend...

I (along with my quilt guild) make quilts for those who are ill or facing a hardship in our community...so, I would be using a lot of these fabrics in my star blocks that we make and put together for a quilt.

nhsarab at yahoo dot com

Mary said...

I am sure that Hazel will be thrilled to know that her fabrics are being put to such wonderful use.

Our guild makes quilts for 12 different organizations in our area and any scraps are most welcome. We give away about 300 quilts at Christmas and again in June each year.

rkjrk5@aol.com

whimsygal said...

hugs to you BOTH!!! what a great story and friendship! i would love to make dolls for the local food bank to hand out to kids over the holidays (or whenever!!!)...I want to share the love!!

MJ said...

Wonderful woman and a great story! My husband and I have 3 very big gardens... for fun... and we share our "bounty" with all our neighbors. We take special care of our senior neighbors and bring them bags upon bags of veggies... they love it and it's helps their budgets.

Tulle and Torts said...

I enjoyed your post! I hope to be able to send in a scarf to the Holiday Knitting Donation Drive - which provides something warm for homeless in the Bay Area. I would absolutely find a way to incorporate some of the fabric into something to be donated :)

p.s. I'm participating in Giveaway Day too, so please feel free to stop by!

Dreaming Monet said...

hazel is just a marvelous woman, i can tell. thank you so much for the chance to win. i make doll clothes for waldorf dolls and have a shop for them - if i won, i would make some doll clothes and donate them. you are right, there is something very special about those fabrics and the orange one calls to me clearly - quilt! quilt! quilt!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Hazel would be passed on. I use any given fabrics in charity quilts only. My charities are Hospice, Veterans Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, children's Cancer Ward (Cooperstown Hosp.) and local women's abuse housing.

Stephanie Zito said...

Wonderful giveaway! During Christmas I love to give gifts to my kids teachers and busdrivers as well as my mailman and courier man to show them how much I appreciate them all year long!
stephanie_guse@sympatico.ca

Dusty said...

What a sweet tribute!

I haven't had a chance to do charity sewing yet, but when my son had surgery recently, the children's hospital had a basket of the shower cap type hats they want the kids to wear into the OR. They were in various fun prints and he got to pick one out and bring it home. So, I'm planning on making up a bunch of those to donate.

Aimee said...

I make donations to Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army & Food Banks at this time of year. I also belong to a craft group that has been making different items for charity. We have some newborn quilts, afghans, & hats to drop off at the local hospital & some hats & lap quilts for the local veteran's home.

Cat said...

Bake! Cookies, pie, cake, bread!

Kathy H said...

What a nice giveaway to honor your friend Hazel. At this time of year, I make pillowcases for Conkerr Cancer. They give them to children hospitalized for cancer treatments. When I make a few for friends and family, I try to make them some also. So that is what I would make with the fabric. Thanks for the chance to win and Merry Christmas.

Katie said...

What an awesome giveaway! I love making handmade gifts (coffee sleeves, ornaments, handbags, etc) but I've really wanted to get involved with a neat charity a local quilting shop does. They hold a monthly class to help beginner sewers and the project is a little girl's dress...all the finished dresses are shipped to an orphanage in Haiti each month! How neat!

momma b said...

i love the angel trees in the entry of walmart. i take a few off and it gives me an excuse to shop for kid toys and not feel guilty, because it's putting a smile on someone elses face :)
dkburroughs21(at)aol(dot)com

Vesuviusmama said...

I love making handmade gifts for loved ones, but I also like to take my cub scout den (I'm currently a Bear den leader) out Christmas caroling at local nursing homes. I am a member of our local quilting guild, and we make comfort quilts that we give to community members going through a tough time. I average about 1 - 2 completed quilts a year that I donate, but as a guild, we do many, many more. If I win, I would love to have the extra fabric to help me with this year's donated quilts. Thanks for the chance to win!

Dana Gaffney said...

Most of my stash goes to charity quilting. I just finished a quilt for Margaret's Hope Chest and five before that to Quilts for Kids. I love the thought of wrapping a hug around children who are having a rough time. I do this all year long, but the need seems to go up during the holidays. Good for you to spread the goodness of Hazel.

Heather Grow said...

I make gifts for my niece and little brothers and sisters. In fact, they make requests which really flatters me.

I have been into making pillowcase dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World. Scraps make great pockets, straps and other embellishments.

Donna Joy said...

Hazel reminds me of my grandma who taught me to quilt. We shared many happy times together picking fabrics for quilts. Now I have been teaching kids to sew. These are children in a community school, one year we used fabric from a collection of used jeans, and from my stash to make little cat and dog quilts for our local humane society. We made the quilts so that they would fit into the cages. Now the kids want to make a quilt for themselves or as a gift for their mom's. So it would be wonderful to have some fabric for the kids to use. They can't afford to buy fabric. We had several older sewing machines donated from garage sales, so we just need more fabric and you should see how excited
The kids are about sewing. I even have made stuffed toys with kids from grade 4. I have great fun working with the kids. Thanks for sharing Hazel's fabric.

Janet said...

How sweet! I love that orange stripe. I would definitely use any fabrics you sent. I am part of a quilt group in my little town. We make quilts, sell them to make money, then give the money to other organizations in town that need money. Our latest donation is to buy presents for the Santa party. We also make quilts for people in town that need them, sick people, pregnant women and sometimes just for someone who we think deserves it.
Thanks for a chance to enter.

Em said...

This time of year I like to make and give away treats and sweets. Fudge and chocolates and things. Yum. So good (but so bad for the waistline)

I have done a couple blanket for the Linus project. It's an organization that donates new, handmade blankets to hospitals. Children who have a traumatic experience or a chronic illness are given a security blanket to use during their stay and to take home when they leave.

Deb said...

I would love to enter your giveaway, and I'd be happy to make something to give away if I won the box of fabric. Something that I like to do in the spirit of giving: My husband and I usually give extra money during the Christmas season to missionaries that we support during the year. We don't have enough extra to give to every one of them, so it's extra special going through all the names and determining who needs it the most. Thank your for your giveaway.

Lisa said...

This is great timing - I'm about to launch a project with a friend encouraging people to craft supplies for animal shelters. We visited www.bestfriends.org recently - the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the US and it was so inspiring! Would happily use some fabric to make pet beds and blankets for the animals at Best Friends and my local shelter!

Anne said...

What a generous giveaway, and what lovely fabrics! I do benefit quilting for wounded veterans, battered women's shelters, and a crisis pregnancy center in Boston. I give away finished quilts all the time, but I admire your ability to give away fabric!

Amy said...

My favorite thing to do to show charity is to make goodies and sing Christmas carols to sick and lonely people.

Jennifer said...

I like to make candy to give away. If I won, I would like to make a bag to donate. I have a friend who works for the Department of Children and Family Services and she has several kids who move their stuff in plastic bags. I would like to make a large tote for one of them.

Jenny said...

love your giving spirit! this year i made a stocking for an orphanage and loaded it with some goodies (it was part of my online quilting bee) it is such an incredible feeling to give to those with nothing, huh? i could use the extra fabric...my guild makes charity quilts for Camp Watcha Wanna Do here in my town ... its a camp for children survivors of cancer...lots could be made for those kids!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story! It's nice to see some people so giving! I would love to win these fabulous fabrics & as you say that orange one is divine!I am a member of a quilting guild and yes we do do things for charity, right now we are making some caps for people whom are undergoing Chemo therapy, so I sure could use some nice vibrant colors!
Thanks for the lovely chance!
jackie m.
jcmpmorrison(at)gmail(dot)com

dianne said...

I like being a part of Xmas lunches, teas and little parties for organizations at this time of year. I buy most of my sewing/crafting supplies from MCC(Mennonite Central Committee) and would be willing to sew a few items to donate to their store. I live in a small prairie city so their work is important and I like to support them.
jmclean at mts dot net

Vanessa said...

I love to get my kids excited to give away the toys they no longer use! thanks for the chance to win some beautiful fabrics

Lynn said...

During this time of year I like to double my crafty giving. I make cards for Operation Write Home, a group that makes handmade cards to send to our troops overseas so they have something to write home on. And I am wanting to pick up where my Nanna and Mom left off, they both knitted and sewed quilts for the homeless and for women's shelters. I miss them both so much and I would pick up where they set the needles down.

Nanbon44 said...

I would put Hazel's fabrics to use in my charity quilts, I just finished 7 for a nursing home and you can see them on my southern Style Blog
please enter my name in your lovely drawing...
ladycolmn(at)aol(dot)com
bonnie in Florida USA...

Meredith said...

I become santa for another family. I make and buy all sorts of things. I make nice quilts and and am good with house items and doll clothes.

kt said...

We always donate new toys to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. This year we also participated in a used toy drive and gave away some of our loved but outgrown toys. Thanks for the chance to win!
ktyoung1(at)gmail(dot)com

Dorian said...

What a wonderful thing to do in Hazel's memory. I'm sure she loves hearing of this. I guess my favorite thing to do, this time of year and always, is make things. Whether it's fabric related or from my kitchen. I love baking and giving treats to family and friends.

I am associated with a wonderful group of women on thequiltandneedle.com, we have 3 charity organizations that we make quilts for all year long. This year we've joined QOV, and are making for Veteran's. Along with our other 2 charity groups.

Thanks for a chance of winning. Merry Christmas!

Jingle said...

This is so sweet! What a wonderful post! I like to celebrate a spirit of giving all year! I like to give away good stuff on Freecycle (you know...the stuff that goes as soon as you post it!) It's SO MUCH FUN!!!! I also love to find a local charity to help out whenever I can. This year we helped purchase gifts for families that couldn't do it. I would love to use the fabric to create dolls and other fun items for charity! I haven't had the chance to do that yet, but I've been hearing about some lately and I would love to do that!
jinglesells at gmail dot com

A Plain Path said...

I'm finally getting to your giveaway! What fun to participate!! I love that you are not only want to share fabric, but the character of an amazing lady. What a dear friend you are to her as well!

I do love sharing and giving and in the past have done a few years of sewing for gifts we send to missionary wives overseas. I've also done some sewing for the nursing home with my daughter's 4-H group. I've given a sewing machine, notions and some fabric to someone who wanted to learn, but didn't have the means to get started. And this year also, my neice is working in a home for troubled girls. One of the classes they love is their sewing class taught by a sweet, older lady. They predominately use fabric from donations, but when they don't have much of it the teacher will buy some. My neice is coming on the 23rd and I promised my entire stash, several bins of fabric, to the girls home. I know they will love it and get much use out of it!!! I'll be down to just a few pieces of fabric next week and that will be the first for me in a long time. haha! But, I'll rebuild and my stash will bring them great joy! I'm so thrilled!!

Carla G said...

Wow Hazel sounds like such an inspiring lady! I wish my grandmothers were still around to teach me to quilt - I remember them quilting together, but I wasn't old enough to help yet, they use to make quilts for our church to give out to people in the community that were in need. Our church has been needing sewing help & supplies to make quilts lately, so I would love to donate some fabric & hopefully I will have some time to spend helping sew in the new year. Right now I don't have a lot of time to give, but my kids have the 12 days of giving at school for the local food bank and they have been taking in the item of the day every day - and most times they are the only ones in their classes that bring the items.
I'm in Northern BC too! Thank you for a chance to win such a great giveaway!

Unknown said...

I love to give simple things to everyone I can: homemade candy wrapped with a ribbon, simple crocheted ornaments, handmade card, or just some hugs.

Mama Lusco said...

I love to share fresh eggs from our chickens and baked goods with neighbors this time of year. mamalusco at ortelco dot net

Melissa said...

Thank you for sharing. Hazel sounds like a wonderful woman. You are lucky to have her in your life.
I love to make and give things to as many people as I can. Currently I am crocheting chemo caps for children. I'm hoping to make enough to fill a large flat rate box stuffed full. My next project is to make some quilts for a silent auction to benefit my church. We are a very small congregation in a small rural town, and we need to raise money to avoid having to close our doors. I would love to put the fabric to use for this project.

Desiree said...

Giving this time of year: We always give a little to compassion international by pickign out a gift from their catalog. We also give 15% of my shop earnings to them through my husbands work (because they do matching funds so it doubles!)

I just started giving to the mercy house on a monthy basis. They are starting a house in kenya for pregnant women. It will be a safe place they can go and get medical care and training for the future. Here is their website: http://themercyhousekenya.org/

Also my shop as stated above gives 15% to compassion international. The rest is used as an adoption fundraiser for my family. We are going to start the process in Sept. when our son is one. For the time being we are trying to raise as much as we can.

Thank you for the chance to win!

simply.simon.sisters(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Cid
I like to bake cookies and give them to young mothers I know who do not have the time to bake.
Thank you for the giveaway.
cidtwoatcoxdotnet

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing to do this time of year is to give blood. We really don't have a lot of extra money at this point in our live, but I do have my health and am more than happy to give blood to those who are not as fortunate. As far as crafting for charity, I am very excited to be starting a sewing class for young ladies at a local church. The class will be free to the girls and will hopefully give them positive ways to express themselves as they develop into young ladies.

Debbie said...

What a wonderful way to keep on giving!

Well I have recently donated a quilt to Pet Partners Network here in NC. They are an animal rescue group trying to get a No Kill shelter in the County.

What would I make to give away with that fabric.... oh I dont know! So much possibilities :)
Well I know of a couple families personally that need some extra help this year and I will make doll blankets or actual quilt for them (or whatever they need/want)

Elizabeth said...

I try to always give to the Salvation Army bell ringers at the stores.

If I won, I would make some things for the Childrens Advocacy Center--a safe place for children who are experiencing family violence...

Anya said...

My friends and I get together monthly to make charity quilts, mostly for Project Linus, but once in a while for other organizations as well. Thanks so much for the chance!

Natasha said...

I've been studying for exams and I'm so excited to have some spare time to quilt over the holidays. If I win, I'd use the fabric to make a few simple baby quilts and minkie-backed blankies to give to young moms at the pregnancy crisis center!

natasha.moes(a)gmail (dot) com

Digital Misfit said...

I have been doing quite a bit of embroidery (and embroidery pattern design). I finished making a bunch of feltie plush ornaments for friends and family abroad. I love sewing for others.
Unfortunately, I would not be able to help you spread Hazel's generosity far outside of your community as I also live in the Soo (east end).
Hugs,
Heidi
heidig@gmail.com

Kylie Carlson said...

This is a great giveaway, I've been participating in the Pillowcase challenge with ConKerr Cancer by making a pillowcase each week. This next year my goal is to make one kid's quilt each month for the local shelter. Anyone looking for craft charity ideas visit the Craft Hope Blog. kcarlson1152[at]hotmail.com

Unknown said...

I love playing with yarn during this time of year, its so cozy and I can knit/crochet with the family around and still feel a part of everything.

please take a peek at my giveaway, if you get the chance...
http://crissybell.blogspot.com
crissybell17(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

joycemosby@yahoo.com

It is not technically a charity but a lot of the fabric I collect from freecycle and other sources goes to my home ec class. I teach in a small rural school where a lot of families are struggling. I teach them to sew anything from quillows to pjs.

Unknown said...

I love to crochet handmade gifts for friends and family, as well as make homemade goodies for our neighbors.

kissyjensen at gmail dot com

Tawny said...

What a sweet story! I actually just finished making 10 comforters (all in the month of September) for our local Shelter. They were all kids themed so that the shelter could give them away to families at Christmastime so they would have something warm and cozy under the tree. :) You can read more about the project on my blog http://tawnykw.blogspot.com (look under tag "pay it forward month")

Garilyn S said...

Thanks for the chance to win. We love to bake extra and give some to our neighbors. We're a little behind this year, but hope to deliver Monday or Tuesday!
We also sew quick baby/toddler blankets/quilts for a mission to give out to needy families. This past summer, the ladies made 25 within one week! It was so much fun, we hope to do something similar this summer!
blessed.mama4 at yahoo.com

DangAndBlast! said...

I do mainly handmade gifts, for one. Also, the ladies at church make blankets and such... although only with yarn (for grownups) or flannel (for babies), so... but I suppose I could change that and make quilts for charity too? And the local cancer hospital (MD Anderson) loves to get bright pillowcases for the kids.

emtdlb said...

I love giving-from just the change in the bucket for the Salvation Army or suprising someone with an anomyous gift. My kids are learning the joy of giving rather than receiving this year and it is so fun to watch. I am starting to sew quilts for the Newborns in Need who give a layette set to every new parent in the NICU. Even to the point of a set for some of the parents to take when the child doesn't make it. There are at least 8 hospitals they deal with, and are such sweet, caring people. Can't wait. Thanks for the chance!

Unknown said...

I love to give things anonymously! And I be more than willing to make a charity item for our community. There is always such a need.

MoeWest said...

Thanks for the great giveaway and Merry Christmas to you. Hazel looks like a lovely lady. We give to the Salvation Army to support needy families. Some years we pick a family (through a charity) and buy gifts according to their wish list. That is fun to do. My sewing for charity this year has been to contribute to the pillowcase challenge.

crazyestonian said...

Such a sweet story behind this giveaway!
I try to get something handmade out to everyone special in my life. In addition, we do giving tree gifts (where they ask for clothes and toys) and I make something special together with my daughter. I also knit bears for Mother Bear Project as bears are the most special thing for my daughter. She helps along by stuffing and finger-knitting scarves. I did a couple sewing charities this year through craft hope. What might it be in the coming year? I am hoping to make a couple blankets for the linus project. I am also knitting and crocheting blanket squares for kids affected by hiv/aids in Africa.

Tottery said...

Thank you for sharing Hazel with us!

My favorite thing to do this time of year is just something unexpected for someone. It could range from anything like an unexpected gift, or a gift basket.

My friend is donating 52 quilts to her local children's hospital this year and will continue to donate more in the upcoming year. I think she would definitely appreciate some fabric. You can check out her blog and her progress at http://quiltforthekids.blogspot.com/

thetottery(at)gmail(dot)com

only a lover said...

reading this post definitely inspires me. my grandmother and her quilts inspired me to learn to quilt myself. i'd love to do something like that for one of the girls i used to work with at an after school program in my area. maybe inspire her to do something different...something creative.

thanks for sharing with us :)

Kelly O. said...

this is wonderful!
I also have an older friend that quilts and I have learned so much from her--she is a thread/fibre artist as well.

I'd love to make more for charity but my stash is measely so I've exhausted all my options at the moment, but if you're willing to share I'd love to make more wheel chair blankets as my quilt guild has been working on lately.

At this time of year the kiddos and I go on a shopping spree at the grocery store so that we can give food to a shelter near us.

I think this is a GREAT giveaway!
Merry Christmas!

Susanne said...

What a generous giveaway! I try to handmake as many gifts as possible, and though my children are too young right now, I plan to instill the idea that making something is far more valuable to the recipient and giver than anything you can buy at the store.

I have been meaning to go through my stash and make up some pillowcases or even some simple clothes to give to charity, perhaps a local women's shelter. Thanks for the chance to win!
susanne(dot)ruder(at)gmail(dot)com

Crystal Hendrix said...

Hazel seems like a sweet lady! I like to make things for people all year round and not just leave it to this time of year, so in my church whenever a new baby is born I make them a small quilt. I also have been working on making all my family members a quilt. I just like to give :D

If you have time I am having a giveaway on my blog too :D
http://hendrixville.blogspot.com/

LauraH said...

My family and I like to help a family in need by either getting them Christmas gifts or helping them pay bills or whatever they need. Several of friends over the past have also helped and it makes it really nice for all involved!

Merry Christmas!