October is breast cancer awareness month and I love to dedicate some time to sewing and donating. I recently finished a large T Shirt quilt and I have an entire plastic tote filled with leftover material. Throwing it away is not an option for me because I can't let all of that soft worn in material go to waste. So I thought why not create a project that recycles and goes to a great cause. The Free Beanie Pattern is here to download in my store.
Cancer patients get cold. That is just a fact. The first time I donated to my local treatment center, they actually let me tour the area where the patients receive their medication. That was an eye opening day for me. It was a large room with chairs and IV equipment. Several nurses were present and the people waited in the lobby until everything was set up for them to enter. A small area was set aside for donations. You would not believe how many crafts, magazine snacks, blankets and other wonderful things were stacked neatly and with care. So if you are unsure about your donated items being used, forget your fears! It will be loved and is most welcome. That is where this beanie comes in.
The T Shirt material is perfect for beanies because it is usually a good weight is buttery soft and has some stretch retention. This a great item to have readily available for patients to grab. The tag on the front is made using 100% polyester Grosgrain ribbon 1 1/2 inches wide. There is a graphic in the download ready to print and sublimate then heat press. Set your press to 380 degrees F for 60 seconds. The graphic is part of the Creative Commons images from Microsoft Publisher. I thought it was most appropriate for the project and month of October.
Maybe you don't want to use the graphic or you don't have a heat press and sublimation printer? No worries, Just find some cute pre printed ribbon like these above and you will have a captive audience for sure.
You will also receive a full sheet of these in the download for gift cards. Just print on card stock and attach with a small safety pin. This would be an excellent service project for your quilt guild.
How cute is this? Simple easy sewing even though it is knit. Just use a ballpoint needle and some zig zag or stretch stitching. You can also use a serger for the construction. I used my regular sewing machine and had no problems.
So use up that pile of leftover T Shirt material for a great cause. My month of October will be dedicated to this project in between other crafting. I have an instruction video below you can watch to see how easy everything comes together. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.
