What I had in mind

Sounds painful!

The envelopes arrived this morning. I got the labels at a local store. This afternoon we printed out the address labels for each Hower and for forwarding to Carol too. Tomorrow we'll print out the letter I want to include in each package and then we'll get everything packed up. Friday afternoon after work we'll go to the post office and get them all posted

Way to go Jools.

Today's update...

Everything is all packed up and ready to go Tomorrow afternoon we'll go to the post office and get all the packages sent away.

I have included a quick explanation letter for Guen and marked her package private hoping that she doesn't open it in front of Carol. I have also sent one to John on the off chance he has 5 mins to spare to make a little scribble for Carol

Over the next few days I'll get in touch with people like Biinha, Thorleif, Findy and a few others to see if they want to join in and get pieces posted out to them.

For Moff and Atalante, I have enclosed airmail and customs stickers so you can be prepared when you get to the post office I would have done this for everyone but the customs slips will be different for each country I guess.

For those who want to know I have just put "art material" on the customs sticker, let's hope they're not too curious

I have put 2 pieces in Janet, Canuck Girl and Dragonlady's packages, one each for them and one each for #2 of 2, Me2v3 and Livel, it saves a little on time and postage

ALERT

Keep an eye on the handicraft thread on the JH forum. Carol is thinking of making a quilt and wants to ask Howers to help with the squares, to save on postage you could include a square with your wall hanging piece

I got a message from Guen. She's really excited about the project and said she would check in here, but I think her computer time is very limited right now. I asked if she had a friend close by that we could send stuff to so her mom wouldn't see it, but I haven't heard back.

But if we send her a note--I'll have #2 text her, she gets those quicker----she and her aunt can be on the lookout for the package and head it off at the pass--or the mailbox.

Janet, that's great, thanks to you and #2

I included a little note about the project in Guen's package as I wasn't sure she'd got the message from #2. I've asked her not to mention anything to Carol and we'll just have to hope that Carol doesn't ask Guen too many questions

Watch those mail boxes folks, we have posted out this afternoon all the packages that were prepared

I had a PM from Thorleif and he is joining in too so a piece has been sent to him.

I have a few others to ask but will give it a couple of days as I am quite busy with other things right now, unless someone else wants to send requests out of course. I think now the first bunch of stuff has been posted it's not so important to get the rest out in such a hurry

I think Carol's sister is the one who collects the mail in the house.

And Guen might not yet have a friend she's close enough for these things, they only moved there a short while ago.

Julie, if you've started sending things out, it's time for a thread reserved to "I've received" - "I've sent" posts, no?


Many many thanks for all your work, to you and Graeme, and thanks to Janet and #2 as well.

Alanna wrote:I think Carol's sister is the one who collects the mail in the house.
Julie, if you've started sending things out, it's time for a thread reserved to "I've received" - "I've sent" posts, no?

I'd say so, similar to the gift bonanza thread over at JH.com then we can keep track of where we stand.

Graeme

Excellent.
And my dad is on the project to help me over the weekend construct the hanger, he is more than eager to help.

Inki, that's great news The pink ribbon is included in your package btw

Fantastic.
So, saying I will PROBABLY finish the hanger over the course of the busy week (I am blitzing to finish my costume this week, help my sister finish hers, and make a real quick Knight-who-says-Ni helmet for my bro this week!) and if I did have it done,
on, oh, the First week of November...

What would be my 'deadline' to send that (and the Ribbon) to Carol? I suppose the hanger board is
something to have BEFORE the pieces arrive.

Inki as soon as you have the ribbon and the hanger together and packed up then I'd say send them away. Once they arrive with Carol we can start sending our pieces

I think this calls for a happy dance! Woo hoo!

A big thank you and hugs to Graeme and Jools who made this all possible in a 'blick of an eye' timespan. Wonderful job you two.

Juliejools wrote:ALERT

Keep an eye on the handicraft thread on the JH forum. Carol is thinking of making a quilt and wants to ask Howers to help with the squares, to save on postage you could include a square with your wall hanging piece

I searched handicraft thread but couldn't find any reference to that, I never did patchwork in my life nor do know how you do that, what's the dimensions of the squares should be and what kind of material should the fabric be?

Thanks!

Nadine, it was just something she was thinking of and I don't think she has any set plans just yet, I just posted it as she mentioned it to me in a PM asking what I thought of the idea. I couldn't really say that "no-one would be interested as we're all doing something else for you" could I?

No, I think it's a good idea. When I saw nothingin the Handicraft thread I thought it was in a PM, she'd mentioned the patchwork to me too but in a more general way. If she does put it in the Handicraft thread, why not? That'd be fun.
(I don't know a thing about patchwork either but I believe Carol would give indications to tissue and dimensions.)

It was common in the "old days" for groups of people to contribute squares to a quilt, they don't have to be actual patchwork patterns, but many times there were autograph quilts, with just signatures on each smaller fabric section that is then pieced and quilted together. You can paint onto fabric, too, particularly if it's more of a decorative quilt than one that will be used on a bed and washed a lot. I don't know what she has in mind exactly. A woman taught at my school once whose mother is a master quilter, and she had the students in her Grade 2 class draw original outline pictures that were then transferred to fabric, and I believe the lines were stitched over with thread, and then she sewed them all together into a quilt that is hanging on the wall outside the school office. Once when I was studying pioneers with my Grade 3 class, I had them each bring a small piece of fabric that had a story connected to it, and I cut squares from them and made a story quilt to go with the stories the kids wrote....a piece from one of their baby blankets, or something that reminded them of their grandma, or one that had their favorite cartoon character on it, etc. There's so many things you can do with a quilt! I think it will be fun!

I wish I had my older photo albums here - when my mom and I were in a Bed and Breakfast in Victoria the landlady had a lovely quilt on our bed, and she told us it was her husband's (a priest) former congregation who'd made it from him when he moved away - everyone had contributed a part, so it ws a very diverse quilt, and my mom was so fascinated she took pictures of it.

Did someone say quilts?

Finally, we're speaking my art language.

I had a PM from Carol in the "other place" and she's mentioned a quilt again but I guess she has to get all her tests done and chemo started first before she has chance to organise anything.

I'd joined in a quilt-thingy, I'm good at embroidery and such.
So when Carol is up to doing something, I'll be happy to join that too.

And if she's not able to organize something, I am sure we will be. We seem go at that kind of stuff.

I had a message from Carol the other day saying she had some fabric squares but I understand she starts treatment today so I guess she'll be a while before she gets much organised. Then again knowing Carol maybe she'll do it soon, it's up to her really. I know the ladies at the hospital gave her a quilt already