Nearing 4000!!!

Wow, have I ever been busy. I can't believe how long it has been since I posted and so much has happened. In October I was assigned Jury Duty. I was afraid I would really get behind in my sewing, but as it turned out, I had to check in twice but never had to actually report for duty. To cover myself, I went to both Wal-Mart's, Kohl's, and Target and bought all their $1-$2 pairs of shorts. I purchased nearly 650 pairs. As it was, I didn't miss any days sewing. However, I did take a week off and went to Pennsylvania to visit my son and daughter-in-law. We had a great visit. My mother-in-law visited and helped me one day. She surged some of the shorts, but since she had not surged ever before she was not real comfortable doing so, so she quit and ironed for me. Of course, I iron all the shorts after I make them and I had gotten behind on ironing, so, she got me all caught up. Thank you, Murlene, for your help. Today, Brandon Stevens and Sandi Pierce came by and cut shorts. Brandon was here about two hours and Sandi about 4 and they cut about 90 pairs of shorts. Thank you so much Brandon and Sandi for all your help today. I also enjoyed visiting with them while I sewed. It was a really nice day. To date I have completed 3889 pairs of shorts. I have sent 3000 pairs to Haiti and am holding 889 pairs and the 650ish that I purchased. So, I have shorts everywhere!!!! Even taking some time off for Thanksgiving, I will easily reach 4000 by the end of November. That will leave about 7 weeks to complete the remaining 1000 pairs, which would be easy under normal circumstances, however during that 7 weeks we have Christmas and New years. I am still striving for completion by January 18th and we will see!!!! Central Baptist Church is headed to Haiti again in December and January, they may take some shorts in Dec., if they have room, the Dec. trip is a medical trip, so they will take the shorts only if they have room. However, they will be taking a trip in late January and will be able to take shorts for sure then. Currently the January trip is set for the 28th and I should be totally finished by then. Isn't it awesome how God works things out. Also, Dr. McAlexander will be going to Haiti in the near future and he said he would take shorts with him as well. I am so grateful to have all the help getting the shorts to Haiti. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Pics from Haiti!!!

Nate and Joy Miller took shorts to Haiti last week and returned this past weekend. Today I received photos of the children looking at and wearing some of the shorts. I was so excited to see these and just couldn't wait to share them with all of you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Currently, I have made 3129 pairs of shorts. 1871 to go.

My "New" Favorite Pair of Shorts!

A couple of weeks ago Kacey Lieblong, a very precious friend, donated some of the cutest fabric that I have used all year. She donated enough to make 27 pairs of shorts. I have made shorts from most of the fabric and just wanted to share them with you. They were sent with Joy Miller today and are on their way to Haiti. Thank you so much Kacey for the awesome fabric and generous donation. My "New" Favorite Pair of Shorts is the pair made from a very small welt, light weight corduroy with flowers all over. They are just precious. That fabric would be adorable made into jumpers, pants, skirts, whatever. Precious!!! Thanks Kacey.

More shorts being taken to Haiti!!!

This morning Joy Miller came by the house and took the shorts I had made since August. She and her husband leave Saturday for Haiti. They will be there doing physical therapy with school aged children. Joy said they would have a couple of days they could do other things and they would hand deliver the shorts then. This was my first time to meet Joy. She is a precious young lady with 5 children and here she is running off to Haiti to help other children in need. What a giving person! I am so thankful for people like Joy and Nate Miller for their following God's will for their lives. Our prayers go with you this week Joy and Nate.

Best Laid Plans

September has been really busy. I have increased the number of shorts I am making to catch up from summer. Finally, I caught up and am on schedule to complete on January 18. Then, Friday I got a letter in the mail showing that I have Jury Duty in October. Well, I have done jury duty before and realize that I might not have to go in too often, but just in case, I went around to Kohl's, Target, and Wal-Mart and purchased all their shorts that were $1-$2. As I was checking out in Kohl's they told me that I had saved $1631.01, all the items I purchased were at least 80% off. Wal-Mart had several items for $1 each and Target's shorts ran about $1.50. In total, I purchased 445 pairs of shorts. If you have children that wear small sizes this is a great time to buy for next summer, however, don't go to Kohl's, Wal-Mart or Target in Jonesboro because they have been bought out. I will be counting these toward my total, but I will also continue to sew. This project is a two part project, that I will provide 5000 pairs of shorts for the children of Haiti, and that I will work till January 18. So, I will continue to sew and if I have more than 5000, then that's great with me. Either way I am prepared.

Joy and Nate Miller will be taking more shorts

In talking to friends, I am always trying to find others headed to Haiti that would not mind taking shorts. I had been told that Nate and Joy Miller would be going to Haiti around September 17. I called Joy and she said they would be glad to take more shorts. I hope to have between 5 and 6 hundred for them to take in a couple of weeks. Also, I am nearing 3000. It is exciting to see the number going up. Please pray for these that will be travelling to Haiti and for the work they will be doing. Thanks Joy and Nate for taking shorts.

E-mail From Lee Cooper

Earlier this month, Dr. Eddie and Lee Cooper took 868 pairs of shorts to Haiti. They distributed some and then divided the rest between two orphanages. Below was the e-mail Lee sent on to me on their return. Thank you so much Lee and Dr. Eddie for all your help in getting these shorts to the children of Haiti.

Rita,
It was such a blessing to be a part of distributing the shorts to the orphans in Haiti!!! You should have seen their faces!! It was such a blessing! When we arrived some of them only had shirts on and others had shorts on that they were having to hold up because they were so big. It was so wonderful to put new shorts on them that fit!!! We left the rest split between the two orphanages for the future. Each child got several pairs! I'll send pictures later! Thanks for letting us share in your ministry! By the way... We saw over 1000 patients and 150 were saved!!! Praise God!
Lee

Donated Fabric

Several people have donated fabric to the project. It has been such a blessing to see how people have been willing to help. The photos are shorts made with donated fabric. See if you can find the fabric you donated. FYI I exceeded 2500 I am now at 2683. I am trying to make more each week so I can have time off over the holidays. I have to say I am a little panicked that I might not finish by January 18. I can't believe I am thinking about the end of this project. Oh well I have always had a hard time staying focused on the here and now, I usually am looking forward or backward. Thanks to all of you that have donated fabric. When I am finished, I will post totals that will include the number of yards of fabric donated and the people who have donated in any way.

Making new friends!!!

It has been such a blessing to see how many people have rallied to help with this project. Charlene put an article in the Jonesboro Sun and I got an e-mail from a lady from Rector, Debbie Robinson, who had read the article and wanted to help. She made several pairs of shorts and sent them to me. It was a delight to know that others want to help. Pictured are photos of some of the shorts Debbie made. Aren't they adorable. Thanks Debbie for all your hard work. Her shorts were sent with Lee Cooper and have already been delivered to Haiti to be enjoyed by the children there.

Nearing the Half Way Mark!!!

I have currently made 2422 pairs of shorts, so on Thursday of this week I will be half way. This week I sent 868 pairs of shorts with Lee Cooper to Haiti. She and her husband went with Central Baptist Church to Haiti they left yesterday. They were headed to two orphanages and then to the tent cities. She was sure she would have no trouble distributing the shorts. There were 13 members going and they were all packing some of the shorts in their suitcases. Thanks Lee and all of you at CBC for taking the shorts. Lee said she would try to get a photo, so I hope to be posting one soon. 2422 down 2578 to go.

Reaching the Illusive 2000!!!

I have finally reached the illusive 2000!!! I am finishing the week with 2101 pairs of shorts. I am encouraged because I can finally see half way and when I reach half way it will be all down hill. I hope all of you have a great 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend. 2101 Down 2899 to go.

A Precious Neighbor and Friend.

My dear neighbor and friend, Linda Walters, is taking her time to cut shorts for me. She has already cut over 300 pairs. It has helped tremendously and makes my day so much easier. Thanks so much Linda for your help. As of today I have made 1950 pairs of shorts. Two thousand will come next week and half way is 2500, at the end of July, which is right around the corner. Thanks again Linda, your help is priceless.

More Shorts Sent!

Today Terri Cobb and I mailed another 800 pairs of shorts to Haiti. Terri knows a lady who knows a missionary, Roberta Edwards, stationed in Haiti. She works in an orphanage. We wanted to send her some of the shorts. I will be sending her a letter telling her that she can keep all the shorts she needs and ask her to distribute the rest of the shorts to others in need. I am excited to know that the shorts are arriving in Haiti. It has been really interesting to see how this process works. In order to send the packages to her, we had to mail them to Ft. Pierce, Fl where she has a shipping account. Then we have to send money to her account in Ft. Pierce and they will ship the packages out of Ft. Pierce on to Haiti. When they ship to Haiti, they will bill her account the amount of shipping. Also, I am sending a letter and asking for a response, so I am sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and all I need for that is regular US postage. Regular US postage will get the response letter all the way from Haiti to the US. Oh, well !!! Anyway, this process is all very interesting. I will spend June, July, and part of August making shorts to send with Lee and Eddie Cooper. Their entire family will be making a trip there in August. I visited my sister in Florida in April, had a wedding at my home on May 8th and took a week off when my husband did in May, so I have used up all of my vacation time already!!! Now, in order to make the 5000 by January 18, I must make more than 100 a week or I can't take off any more time because I had allowed only two week off all year. At the end of the week I will have made more than 1600 pairs of shorts. I can't wait to hit 2500, half way.

Help from the Neighborhood!!

Linda Walters is a dear friend that lives two doors down. Last week she called me and asked if she could help so, on Friday, she came by and picked up patterns and fabric and over the weekend she cut out 70 pairs of shorts. How precious is that!!!! Even more, she asked for more fabric and said she had more time this week and wanted to cut out more. Thank you Linda for your help and your friendship.

Fabric From Meridian, Mississippi

I have a dear friend, Debbie Boyd, that moved to Mississippi. She was such an integral part of my life that things just haven't been the same since her leaving. However, we have kept in touch and when we visit, it is if we have never been apart. I am sure all of you have had friends like this. Well, in keeping with her usual kind self, she and her precious daughter Kristin, bought and mailed some fabric from Meridian. So, Debbie and Kristin here are the shorts you have provided for those precious children of Haiti. Thank you so very much!!!

Shorts from Arizona!

In a previous blog I mentioned a friend, Cissy Lieblong, that was going to make shorts in Arizona. Well, Cissy dropped in last week and brought 21 pairs of denim shorts, 25 onesies, and one short, onesie, t-shirt trio. They are all just precious. The denim shorts are a great idea, great for either girls or boys. Cissy said her goal was to make enough shorts to give me a week off. What a precious friend!!! Thank you so much Cissy for all your hard work. The shorts are adorable and the onesies are a great idea.

Sharing Shirley's Shorts

In a previous blog, I mentioned a lady named Shirley Bridger that was helping by making shorts. She made some precious shorts with pockets. Notice how perfectly she aligned the stripes. I put a piece of paper in the pockets so you could see them more clearly. She sure does great work. I just had to share those with you. Thank you, Shirley, for all your hard work.

Ten Weeks, One Thousand Pairs!!!

This week was the completion of 10 weeks and 1000 pairs of shorts!!! I am so excited to be 1/5 of the way to completion. It has been so nice to see all the community support I am getting for this project. This week several members of Junior Auxiliary of Jonesboro, an organization in which I have been a member, donated money for the purchase of more fabric. Sandi Pierce and Lisa Moore both friends here in Jonesboro also donated money and with that money I was able to purchase 300 yards of adorable fabric and 24 five-hundred yard spools of thread. This will make at least 600 pairs of shorts. Thanks so much to all of you for your donation. The photo above are shorts made with some of the fabric I purchased with the donated funds. It is so exciting to see God's hand in this project. A few weeks ago, I was leaving Hancock fabric with a lot of elastic and a lady in line behind me noticed the elastic and asked what I was doing. I explained my goal and we continued to talk as we walked out to our vehicles. In short order, we realized that we both attended First Baptist Church. As we continued to talk, she said she might like to help. This weekend she called and she had made some shorts and I will be picking them up from her next Sunday from the Sunday School class she teaches. She also said she would like to continue to help with this project. I am so excited to have the help and it is a joy to meet such precious people like Mrs. Shirley Bridger. Thank you Shirley for taking your time to provide shorts for those in need. 1000 pairs of shorts down, 4000 to go.

An Exciting Day

God is good!!! I have mentioned my brother David in previous blogs, he is the one who has been trying to help me get an address in which I could ship the shorts. He had several options, however, at the time, they were taking only meds and he suggested that I wait to ship. I told him that I was glad to wait, I could box then up and store them until I got an opportunity to ship. Almost immediately, and I mean within the hour, I received an e-mail from one of my High School friends, Terri Cobb. She told me about an organization that she had heard about through the school in which she teaches, BIC. BIC has been collecting stuffed animals to give to the children as well, so they were also looking for a shipping source. So, Yesterday, Terri, Regina Welch, another friend from Leachville, and I delivered 765 pairs of shorts and a truckload of stuffed animals to the Churches of Christ International Relief Ministry Warehouse in Judsonia, AR. They were delighted to get the stuffed animals and the shorts. They were particularly delighted to see that the shorts were new, pressed and counted. They have a lot of used clothing donated and they will not ship out any until they go through and check each piece for wear, lost buttons, stains, etc. Then they count each item so they know exactly how many items are shipped. On the 18 of this month, next week, they will send all of their Haiti designated items to another warehouse where they will then be loaded onto a 40 foot long shipping crate, put on a ship and then be shipped to Haiti. The thing I most appreciated about the organization is that they are greatly accountable. They will receive a notice when the shipment arrives in the other port, when it is put on the ship and when it arrives in Haiti, and then when the items arrive at the Children's Home in Haiti which will be the final destination of the items we took. They took time to show us their facility and explained what they were doing all around the world. It was amazing. Last year that warehouse alone shipped out 35 forty foot crates to different destinations worldwide. They will be making two or three more shipments to Haiti this year and said they would be glad to ship the shorts for me. Also, did I mention that the shipping is free to me. It was truly an exciting day. I would like to thank Cindy Calhoun that also made shorts. She dropped them off last week and I was able to take those shorts as well. One last note, I have been buying elastic from Hancock fabric and have been paying full price, so I spoke with the local store manager, Ms. Anita, and asked if it could be discounted considering what I was doing with the elastic and she said she could not make that decision and that she would check with the district manager. Well, he was sick and in the hospital when she checked. When I went in the next week the elastic was an item chosen to be reduced to half price, so I ordered 300 yards. Then the following week Ms Anita called me and said, "I thought you would want to know that the elastic is on 1/2 price again, thought you might like to order more." I thanked her and ordered another 300 yards. That 600 yards should make about 1000-1200 pairs, then, I will order more. The photos are shorts bagged and ready for shipment and a particularly cute pair of shorts with turtles and frogs. Thanks for your support and phone calls and e-mails.

Hit 500!!!!

After todays work I have completed 550 pairs of shorts. I am getting them ready to ship. My shipping plans keep changing, but I am not discouraged. I am sure they will get to Haiti, I have all year, so I am not worried. I took a photo of the shorts it is hard to tell much about them, there are so many. I am making 9 sizes, 12 mo., 18, mo, 2,3,4,5,6 toddler and 7 and 8 child. I have made the following quantity of each size:

12 mo. 45

18 mo. 43

2T 109

3T 108

4T 62

5T 59

6T 56

7child 33

8child 35

I need to make more of the larger sizes but most of the fabric is not wide enough for the larger sizes, that is why I have fewer of them. I try to use my fabric wisely so, I may cut several 4T and then have a piece left in which I can cut two smaller sizes, so I do that so I have very little waste. Last week I received fabric from Allison Fletcher and Stephanie Harris. Thanks to both of you for the fabric. They made adorable shorts. If you have donated fabric, try to find your shorts on the table. I have made up all the donated fabric. Thanks for all your donations.

Happy Valentines Day!

Today I finished my 400th pair of shorts. I have been making 21 pairs every day, and one day 22, so in 19 days I have completed 400 pairs which means that I am right on schedule. So, tomorrow I will take the day off. Russ, my husband, has the day off too, so that worked out great. I look forward to the end of next week as that will make a total of 505 pairs and I will be more than 1/10 of the way complete. Thanks to Mary Kay Jones for donating fabric this week. 360 pairs of shorts have been made with donated fabric. Thanks to all of you for your support. 400 Down, 4600 to go. Happy Valentines Day!

Campers on Mission

I have a brother David and his wife Janet who serve with a group called Campers on Mission. They travel to different areas and help with different projects throughout the US. A member of the Florida Chapter of Campers on Mission, who is a nurse, is planning a trip to Haiti with other medical members of her church. The ministry where they will be serving in Haiti has a place in Florida where I can ship the shorts and they will distribute them in Haiti. Apparently, they have an address where they receive all their things and then they are put in a larger container and everything is shipped to Haiti at one time. I will be shipping at the end of next week. I successfully completed this week with 105 pairs of shorts which makes a total of 316 pairs in 15 work days, so I am right on for the year.
316 down, 4,684 to go!!!!

I don't like being behind.

On Friday I ran out of elastic and couldn't finish 19 pairs of shorts. However, over the weekend, I braved the ice and snow and picked up my elastic. This morning I finished the 19 pairs making Friday's total 21 and 105 for the week. Also, this morning I finished another 21 pairs for the today and started work on 22 pairs for tomorrow. I really did not like being behind this morning and I plan to make sure that I order plenty of elastic for the future. This was all really good for me because it made me realize how determined I am to get these shorts made. I completed two weeks work and have 211 pairs of shorts ready to go. 4,789 to go.

A Community Project

Yesterday, Nancy and Maggie Benton stopped in to look at the shorts. They offered their time and skills to help with the project. I am so excited to see the community anxious to help. It really is becoming a community project. Thanks Nancy and Maggie for your willingness to help it is greatly appreciated. Today I completed only two pairs of shorts!!! I ran out of elastic. I had some ordered and it did come in today, but with the ice and snow, I will wait till a better time to go get it. I sewed 19 other pairs completely, excluding the elastic of course, so on Monday I will finish those and that will complete 105 pairs for this week. I have also cut about 50 pairs for next week, so I have gotten ahead in that aspect. I will leave totals till Monday. Enjoy the snow.

Loaves and Fishes

Today was a loaves and fishes day. I cannot tell you how far my fabric stretched. It was as if it were neverending. It was great!! I want to say thank you to Zella Sisk from Oil Trough AR for donating fabric. So far this week I have completed 84 pairs of shorts. Tomorrow I should finish 21 pairs giving me a total of 105 for the week. 190 down, 4810 to go.

Thanks for the help!

I have two people that will be sewing with me. In Jonesboro, Cindy Calhoun sewed over the weekend and made several pairs of shorts. I will report her totals later. In Scottsdale, AZ Cissy Lieblong will be joining us and she will be trying to get others in AZ to sew with her as well. I think they plan to make some dresses, also. I am so excited!!! Thanks Cindy and Cissy!! I think we will get a lot done for the children of Haiti. As for the fabric, I had Janice Porter and Joanne Nally donate enough fabric to make about 200 pairs of shorts. WOW!! Thanks Ladies!! Also, Johnna Dobbs is in China this week and will be bringing back fabric for the project. Thanks, Johnna!! Your positive response and support are so very appreciated. Today I completed 22 pairs of shorts for a total of 128 pairs. Only 4,872 to go. Here is a photo of 128 pairs of shorts sorted and ready to ship.

First Week, 106 pairs of shorts

Today completed my first week. It was a great week. I completed 106 pairs of size 3T shorts for boys and girls of Haiti. If I can get in 5 extra pairs a week, that will give me an extra day each month for illness, etc. I will try to post a photo of all the shorts from this week. Thanks for your support and for following this blog. It keeps me going to know that people are keeping me accountable. 106 down 4894 to go!!

Settling in

Today was very successful. I completed 21 pairs of shorts in 3 1/2 hours. I think I have found my groove. I had done the cutting the night before, so I think tonight I will cut for tomorrow as well. That seemed to work well. I have several people that want to help. A couple of people want to help sew and some have asked to help mail. I really appreciate all the help. I can't wait to mail the first box. I will post a photo every one hundred pairs. 74 down and 4926 to go.

Saving Time

Today I approached things differently. I got up at 6, took the dog out, fed him, had breakfast, did my Bible study, and began sewing. The house was quiet, no phone calls, no barking dog. In short (ha, ha, ha) I was able to make 20 pairs of shorts in 4 hours!!!! Much better than yesterday. Last night I worked out a couple of problems that were time consuming. There was a small problem with the pattern so this morning when I cut the shorts, I made the correction and it was a breeze from there. Also, yesterday I pressed my fabric right side out and cut, then I had to switch sides to sew, today, however, I folded the fabric inside out before I cut then it was ready to sew. A third thing, I cut two pair of shorts at a time so my cutting time was cut in half. Tonight I did all my cutting for tomorrow, so in the morning I will be ready to go. Yesterday I was wondering if this was another one of those things that I would start and not finish, but after today, I realize it is something I must do.

53 pair of shorts made 4,947 to go.

Day one was busy

Today I spent 8 hours sewing and was able to complete 33 pair of shorts. It was a lot of work and I realize I have set a lofty goal, however, I am sure I can still make 5000 in a year, only 4967 t0 go. In the movie Julie and Julia I was able to identify with Julie when she said she was always starting things and never finishing. Today, I realized why that seems to happen to me too often, I always am over zealous. I always think I can do more than is physically possible. This year will, no doubt, be a challenge, however, it is achievable. Today when I tired of sewing, I thought of those children with nothing, and suddenly sewing seemed a pleasant task. My goal for tomorrow is 20.

For the children of Haiti

Watching all the devastation in Haiti this week has left me wondering how I could possibly help. My son Mark shed some light for me. As we were discussing possible college majors for him, he said he felt he needed to use the gifts God had given him. So, applying that simple rule to myself, I decided that I should look at the gifts I have been given. In short order, I realized that one gift I have is my ability to sew, it is just something I have always done well, a gift. After giving it some thought I decided that I could make shorts for the children of Haiti. Shorts are fairly easy to make. Children's shorts are particularly easy and I can use the same pattern for boys or girls. If I put elastic in the waist, the shorts will fit without having to know an exact waist size. So, I have decided, I will make a simple short, use really cute fabric to make them special. My son Matthew and my daughter-in-law Jennifer sent me the movie Julie and Julia, a very inspiring movie. After watching the movie, I decided to make this a challenge. I have decided that if I took weekends off, I could make 20 pair of shorts every day 5 days a week, 100 pair of shorts a week, for 52 weeks a year, a total of 5200 pair of shorts in a year. Allowing for impositions on my time and possible illness I am sure I will be able to make 5000 pair of shorts for the children of Haiti. So, my challenge is this: By January 18, 2011 I will have made, by myself, 5000 pair of shorts for the children of Haiti. I will begin tomorrow, January 18, 2010.