The Block Party Report #1

Here is the post, finally! (Beware, before you start reading - this is a really, really long post!) Last Saturday went really well! I think everyone had a great time, and we got a lot done! (Okay, not really a lot, but more than I expected!) And the totals are.... (drum roll please) ....
249 crochet blocks and 60 knitted blocks! Which brings the total number of blocks to - 309 blocks!!! That will make 8 blankets! I had hoped for 4 blankets at the most, but I had no idea we could make 8!! We didn't have enough to make a ninth blanket, so we will make two scarves with the leftovers. Each blanket takes 36 squares. And our total number of baby/toddler hats collected is ... 22 crocheted hats, and 18 knitted hats! Which brings the total number of hats to 40 baby/toddler hats! We also collected 3 baby sweaters.
13 wonderful ladies (and one wonderful man) donated squares and baby hats! 8 of those ladies attended (9 including dad, but he didn't help, he kept the other kids busy)! Thank you so much everyone for all your time and yarn and help! I really appreciate it!

We are going to be donating the blankets to a man in Ukraine named Max. His ministry works with several Ukrainian Orphanages, Abandoned Baby Hospitals, and children and adults who are handicapped. You can visit his website for more information at http://truehopeukraine.com/. We know of him through Alice S, if any of you have met her. Her website is http://www.gotoeverynation.com/.

Mrs. Pasty O getting her baby fix in

Deciding how were are going to do it

Sorting the blocks into baby colors, and non-baby colors

Laying out the design (Anna has her input too)

Laying out the other blanket

"This purple one should go here"



Let the construction begin!

I'm showing my grandma how to sew them together

Mrs. Diane P showing Cortnie how to sew them together

My mom showing Anna how to sew them together

Mrs. Diane P and Cortnie working hard

Mrs. Barb O and Mrs. Pasty O working hard

Mom working while keeping Rachel asleep

Grandma working hard

Mrs. Patsy O working hard

Mrs. Barb O working hard

Ms. Valerie W working hard making more squares

This is another blanket that we laid out near the end, but never finished sewing it up, so my mom and I are still sewing it up

Mrs. Connie G holding up one of the finished blankets (it still needs a border) that she finished up. She is a professional photographer, and she took most of these pictures. (I took this picture.) Thank you, Connie, for taking pictures for us!

Two of the finished blankets that still need borders and the ends woven in

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 - "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
This passage talks about the different parts of the body and how they work together. It is like how all the different squares in the blanket come together to make the blanket, and all the ladies that helped had to work together.
Like I said above, we collected enough squares for eight blankets and two scarves. However, we only have 4 of those blankets (and none of the scarves) sewn up. So, we are having a round two of the Block Party this coming Saturday. We aren't asking anyone to bring squares, as we have enough work to do, we just want your help. Just bring your yarn needles. If you came last Saturday, please do not feel like you have to come this Saturday. We are inviting people who were not able to make it last Saturday. I will be sending out an email this afternoon about this Saturday, so if you want that information, please email me.
Thank you to everyone that helped! I really appreciate it! Many Ukrainian babies, children, and adults will be blessed as the one "True Hope" is shared with them.