more information

i am so excited about the response to the project! it is going to take me a bit to organize all the emails and get back to everyone, so be patient if you are waiting to help and send things! i'll get there! this morning i've been researching the answers to the questions that have arisen so i don't make mistakes putting these together. here's a clearer breakdown of what i need. i know this is long, but if you are wanting to help please read it all before deciding what you'd like to help with:

FOR THE 31 QUILTS:

• the size of the quilt needs to be just about 45 x 60 inches.
• so that means 2 pieces of good quality flannel or cotton (no other fabric type) 45" wide (that's the width of a normal bolt) by 60" (which is 1 and 2/3 yards). so i need 62 cotton or flannel fabric pieces, 45 x 60 inches. it would be good to purchase 2 pieces together so that they will coordinate.
• i need 31 pieces of bonded poly batting of the same size.
• 3 or 4 ply yarn for tying (i have all of that i need already) or they can be machine quilted.
• all materials can be found at walmart. batting and fabric often goes on sale for great prices at stores like joanns. fabric needs to be new. i know that over president's weekend batting is 50% off there. if it doesn't make sense for you to ship batting, and you won't be putting the quilt together yourself, i will take paypal donations as requested by many of you in emails (more on that below) to purchase a large quantity of batting.
• if you would like to put a whole quilt together rather than donate materials, the sewing guidelines are here. they are specific, especially the tying requirements so look before making!
• i will not put limits on donations for the quilt materials or quilts because they are delivered seperate from the newborn kits and all and as many as we make are needed and will be shipped and used.

FOR THE 31 NEWBORN KITS:

• i called this morning and was disappointed to hear that no matter how gently used the items are, layette gowns, receiving blankets, everything, needs to be brand new (sewn or purchased and never before worn). this requirement is so that they don't have to take time to check each item. they said if you have gently used items they are better utilized by donating to their thrift stores to sell and then they use the money made to purchase new items for the kits. so that makes sense i guess!
• each kit needs to be sealed in a 2 gallon ziploc. so i need 31 - 2 gallon ziplocs storage bags.
• 31 newly purchased or sewn layette gowns. no footed sleepers. accepted sewing pattern found here.
• 31 newly purchased or sewn receiving blankets between 36 and 45 square inches. if they are cotton or flannel they need to be double sided. they can also be single thickness fleece with the edges serged (i can do this on my serger if you find some fleece for a good price). directions for making receiving blankets here.
• 31 pairs booties. they need to be newly purchased or sewn (get the idea yet? :)). they need to be 0-6 month size. they can be knitted or crocheted or sewn from fleece. pattern for sewing from fleece here.
• 124 flatfold diaper flannel diapers- not prefolded or disposable, and must be newly purchased or sewn. about 25 inches square. diaper flannel is different than regular flannel and can also be purchased at walmart of joanns type store. it comes on a bolt at a 27" width. so 2 yards will make 3 diapers. they need to be serged (which i can do).
• 124 diaper safety pins.
• 62 regular sized bars of ivory or other hypo-alergenic soap.

so i am making my checklists and as people email me with what they want to donate i will check off that amount. then i will email the people that said they will get whatever i assign with the remaining needs and check those off. then i will fill in the gaps myself. i will give you my address in the confirmation emails. expect all of this to take me a little while! many people emailed asking if they could just send money because of prohibitive shipping and that would be wonderful too. i promise 1000% of the money will go to the kits. my paypal address is grantmccaleb@gmail.com. put in the message "PROJECT 31" and we'll be good to go. any materials you want to send to me unfinished is fine, i will sew or serge as needed. i can't thank those of you that emailed, and will continue to email me, enough! this project has really turned my getting older into something positive for me. i look forward to my age number getting "bigger" because it means more people to help! thank you thank you thank you!

i'm not sure about deadlines yet. i think i'll just roll with it, as long as it is done before i'm 32 and have to start over, i guess it's all good! i'll just keep you posted.

email: kellymccaleb@hotmail.com

Comments

[jwilson]

Wow, I have said it before and know I will say it again and again...you are an inspiring friend! Wasn't that conference wonderful?

I am in! I would love to use my birthday money to purchase materials and maybe it will take away some of the feelings of being OLDER ;). I am not the best at sewing but have a machine and would LOVE to get together and sew, sew sew! We'll talk!
Thanks for inspiring me yet again!
Jen

[shawn]

Kelly, I quite adore you. :) Now, what kind of trick do you do to make money multiply to 1000%? I need to learn it please.

[Jessica Higbee]

hi kelly. i know this is kinda off track of what your post was about, (love the idea, and am totally going to be sending some materials your way). i wanted to know where you shop for all your vintage childrens fabric. with all the vintage kids and kitties and all that. i love it and can never find any. could you share. thanks.
Jessica

[Rachel]

You are insane and thoughtful and an overachiever and an accomplisher and someone I admire and someone who makes me laugh ... hmm I love all the depths to you, maybe we should be friends. How do you feel about girls who dress up like themselves for Halloween and pretend that they are vampire fighting action heroes? Let me know, maybe we could hang, play gin and watch Guys and Dolls. Or we could realize that we leave over 600 miles a part and just pray to see each other some day. P.S. I checked out Bakersfield last weekend and I think you should make the move.

[brandy]

I am totally in. I am pregnant with my third baby and my friends want to throw me a shower but I dont really need a ton. So I am going to see if we can do a charity shower and have everyone bring something off your list. Yay!! Im getting excited :) Also do you have a button I can post on my blog? To direct traffic your way?

[dragonflydreamer (Susi)]

Happy Birthday, Kelly! You really are inspiring. What a way to commemerate your birthday than to give to someone less fortuneate than you. I would like to be a part of this project, but I will probably have to donate money that I make trying to sell some handmade journals, cards and other treasures. On another note, stop by my blog when you get a minute because I have an award for you.