SSSS and Thesaurus Thursday all rolled into one!

Well folks, it appears that I actually can't make it through a day and night without sleeping sometime...which means that my choices have come down to reading all of your blogs (which I adore!) and leaving you commentary, or posting on my blog. Last night I read and commented...tonight I'm gonna spend my time posting on mine. If there is a specific post you would like me to read in timely manner then PLEASE email or comment to me and let me know. In the mean time just know that I am lurking out there in the blogosphere and do keep up with each of you as best I can.

OK, there are several posts that I sat on last night so I'm gonna play some catch up here....I'll end with Thesaurus Thursday which should get me back up to date.

First off, I promised Cookiee that I would tell you about this very wonderful opportunity to help our troops that he is promoting. I may break rules, but I try to keep promises. Please go and visit Cookie's site and read the 3rd post down titled Pinups for Vets...and then follow the links to buy one of these calendars for our wounded soldiers. Cookie has posted samples of the pictures that are in the calendar. They are tastefully done and sure to improve any soldier's (or any man's for that matter) morale without offending the ladies. Here's some information about the calendars:

Gina Elise is a model with a BA from UCLA. She has spent 2006 and 2007 on her project that combines what she knows (modeling, photography, history) to help a cause dear to her heart (hospitalized veterans and soldiers in need).

So, she created a project called Pin Ups for Vets which is co-sponsored by American Legion Post 360 of Lake Arrowhead, California. Her 2007 Pin Up Calendar sold out and now she has her 2008 Calendar available.

Gina Elise says this about her project:

Over the past year, I have heard and read incredible stories about the injured soldiers returning from military service. Their hardest battles have just begun, as they attempt to recover in Veterans Hospitals all across America . I was touched by each story, and knew that I had to try to do something to help our hospitalized Vets.

I came up with an idea to recreate a World War II style pin-up calendar that would have the dual purpose of raising money for programs that support hospitalized Veterans, and also serve as a GIFT for each and every Veteran, as they recover in a Veterans Hospital.

I always loved the beautiful pin-up photos and paintings from the World War II era that American soldiers took overseas with them to boost their morale. The troops often carried these “cheesecake” pictures with them into war to help remind them of what they were fighting for back home. One of the most famous pinup shots was taken in the 1940’s of actress Betty Grable, in a bathing suit, looking back over her shoulder.

With these old glamorous pictures as inspiration, I decided to try to recreate the feeling of these nostalgic pin-ups in my own photo shoots, and then assemble my pictures in a calendar for a fund-raiser to benefit the programs that support the hospitalized Veterans, injured in ALL wars, past and present.

Your calendar donation will go towards: eyeglasses for Veterans, the home health program, recreational therapy, spinal cord injury & amputee programs, substance abuse program, women’s Veterans’ program, chapel improvements, homeless program, reading materials and subscriptions for the Veterans, patio improvements, parking lot shuttle, courtesy cart, social relief fund, televisions, wheelchairs, and outreach programs for the visually impaired...

You can purchase a calendar for yourself, one to be sent to a soldier (any soldier or one you give the address for), or one for a hospitalized veteran. Gina will be visiting our Soldiers at Walter Reed in January and needs to bring (at least) 100 calendars with her. Purchase a calendar to give to a Soldier at Walter Reed here (option #2).


Next, I would like to share with you that Glenn is trying to raise money to send carepacks to a group of deployed soldiers. So go on over there and read about all the cool stuff he's putting in them and see if you'd like to help.


OK, on to Sarah's Simple Sewing Secrets

I have 2 ways that I use regularly to make quick and easy kiddo sized blankets. Here's the slightly more expensive but less time consuming one. The other will be next Wednesday's SSSS post.

I bought this fabric at Walmart, but you can get this stuff at most any fabric store. This is called a "panel" fabric because you see one scene. These scenes (or panels) repeat for the length of the bolt. When you buy it you have them cut the number of panels you want.

This particular panel fabric is also called a "cheater fabric" because it is printed to imitate a quilt. Blow up the picture and look closely at all the patterns in each color/piece within the panel.


But here's the way cool part.

This fabric is two sided and pre-quilted. This is how it looks in the store....straight off the bolt.

Now to turn this into a quick and easy blanket. Buy bias tape in a coordinating color, enough to go all the way around the perimeter of your panel plus about 6-10 inches. (or you can follow these instructions without sewing it together. Join (sew) all pieces of your tape together to make one LONG strip. Then open it up like this

and place the raw edge of your pre-quilted fabric inside the fold of the bias tape so that the tape is on the front and back of your fabric and there are no raw edges showing.

HINT:
Start the beginning end of the bias tape in the middle of a long side, not at a corner, then leave about 4 inches free before you start to sew. Sew, making sure you're catching both the top side of the tape and the bottom side of the tape at the same time. Work your way all the way around the panel. When you get to the side you started on, stop sewing about 6-10 inches away from where you started sewing. Lay beginning end on top of ending end of bias tape, mark where top edge overlaps, add 3/8" to bottom (ending end) and then cut. Join (sew) the two ends of the bias tape together using 1/4" seam allowance. Now fit remaining 6-10 inches of raw edge in your now whole bias tape and sew.


Here you can see the unfinished panel on the bottom and the one I made a couple of years ago (that Alligator takes to school in lieu of that quilt that STILL isn't finished) on top. (faded huh?)




Now, on to Thesaurus Thursday!

Our words for this week are:

sallet

sanative

For those who are new here today, the "rules" of Thesaurus Thursday are as follows:

First and foremost, leave as many funny definitions for either word (or both) as you can think up in the comments!! The ones that make me laugh the hardest will be given the Silly Goose Award.




Next, if you know (or think you know) the true definitions without looking them up then be sure and leave those in the comments too!! All definitions that are correct (or close enough for government work and Mighty Mom) will win the Smarty Pants Award!



Awards will be given out in Saturday's post, so don't forget to come and see if you won!