Annual Report

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2010

The 2010 Library Foundation Annual Report is viral! This was my first really big project as the new designer at the Foundation. It's even embedded for the first time on the website to view like a print out!
Many more neat projects to come!

Stork Droppings

 



The first project on my "new" sewing machine =
tiny snap baby bibs.

My dear friend Caprice and her husband Gavin will be receiving a tiny gift from a stork in less than a month and I wanted to make something for that tiny gift. 

So I decided on baby bibs. I cut out a template and traced it on a variety of patterns and terry-cloth. The end result is a set of tiny multi-colored snap bibs that will hopefully wipe up a lot of spills! 

Are those TOMS?

 

A lot of people know about TOMS. But I feel I must reiterate- Talk about do-gooder! 

A little background. 
A spirited fellow named Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS with one goal in mind: to give. For every pair of TOMS shoes the company sells, they will donate a pair to a child in need. We’ve heard this story and it’s great. But I’m not sure everyone understands why it is so great. One question that arises seems to be, “Why shoes?” Organizations and nonprofits could give needed clean water, clothing, medicine etc. But in poverty stricken areas like Africa- children aren’t allowed to attend school without shoes. No shoes = no school. No school = no education. No education = no opportunity. You see?

Me at the school in Maputo, Mozambique

Also, TOMS distribution centers are in Argentina, Ethiopia, and China and kids don’t make the shoes. They are audited to ensure that the employees are of age and make fair wages.  

TOMS also likes to stick around. Kids grow so fast and with that need larger sizes all the time. So Blake decided that TOMS needs to keep track of their recipients so that when they do grow out of their TOMS, they get a pair that fits.

Other awesome facts about TOMS:

• As of September 2010,  customers have given away  1,OOO,OOO pairs of shoes.

• TOMS currently gives in 23 countries.

• The shoes hand-placed on children’s feet are specially designed for their terrain and environment of where they live
• TOMS is actually an abbreviation for “Shoes for a Better Tomorrow.”

Decorating TOMS at a
"Style Your Sole" party.

  

I bought my first pair of TOMS- so should you.
TOMS.com

Creative Find!

Last weekend, I decided to pull out my Gramma Judy’s old, unfoldable, table-sewing machine I inherited this year. Thus far, it’s been used for blanket storage, clothes dryer, nightstand, DVD stand and is somewhat of an eyesore. But, last weekend I had a hankering to de-clutter my room and start sewing again. I’ve sewed various little things, a pillow here, hemmed some pants there, but I haven’t done a serious project since 2005 when I made my own prom dress. I started it three days before prom and my pattern consisted of me, tracing my body frame on a bed sheet I put on the ground. The dress was unique and cute but by the end of the night, threads were coming out and I could have literally pulled it in two pieces. Live and learn.

My good friend Caprice is having a baby shower for her unborn baby in a couple weeks and I want to make her something that she will use whether the baby comes out a boy or girl. We don’t know yet. So I decided on bibs. Mind Process: All babies eat. All babies spit up. All babies need multiple bibs and I can sew. Bingo.

I started looking for bib patterns online that I could print out and trace. (Even though I knew I could make my own bib pattern, obviously by my history of pattern making, I still needed to do some online research.) I came across this darling website called PurlSoHo.com. It’s a creative sewing, stitching, painting, crocheting, blog with tons of projects that seem to only need moderate creative skill. The bags, and clutches and simple holiday ideas are perfect for children and nieces and nephews if you don’t or can’t spend a ton on a present for them. Make a cute tote bag and fill it with little things. Skip the big toy gift they will never use. Or make a coin purse for gramma- I bet she will use it forever. Like my mother says, “It’s all about the packaging.”

Look here for ideas on how to make dinner napkins, baby gear, hats, aprons, wall art and much, much more! thepurlbee.com