Phew - a Successful Fundraiser!

 The Sew Powerful goal was $250,000 - and it was met and even $20,000 higher. More purses were sent in than ever before.  Here are 48 I sent in, but only 30 of them were from my official Sewathon efforts.  guokdmate Ellen made purses, and they were mailed with this batch.  And in total o raised $7,800.  Obviously I know the nicest people. 

And now that the Sewathon is over, I have been thrilled to get back to a quilt I’ve been working on all summer.  It’s individually quilted squares of fabrics I love.  And now I am joining them in a quilt as you go fashion, which I also call reversible quilting.

There are a couple of designers who create fabric I love.  Marcia Derse is one such designer.  It’s hard to tell but this quilt has 10” borders all from one of her fabrics, and 4 blocks are also from this sort of collage-y fabric.  And I can’t wait to see the back - a lot of low volume fabrics.  

I know I’ll do some purses soon, and I have a whole tub of denim that I want to do something with.  And I threw some lovely stuff on the design wall.  Hmm, what to do, what to do?  

But a big thing will happen.  My left arthritic thumb is awful.  It’s so bad I’ve been working with my right hand to quilt and pin and clip.  So awkward.  But the pain - Oy.  And I don’t want to live on drugs, like I did the decade before my knees were replaced. So I’m thinking about what can I get ready to work on with my machines - I know cutting and hand quilting will be out of the picture for 6 to 8 weeks.  So, just thinking ahead…

Reporting on the Sewathon

The past 19  days of the 2025 Sew Powerful September Sewathon have been so affirming, thanks to the generosity of my friends and neighbors and acquaintances.  And apparently one of my superpowers is underestimation.  I thought maybe I could raise $500.  But I have had to up my goal a couple of times.  Currently my total is almost $4500.  My Weight Watcher group is responsible for $500 of this! I normally do 12 purses a month.  So I thought I’d do 24.  As of today my purse total is 36.

The giraffe purse is courtesy of a scarf my sister bought when we were in Kenya.  Several of the purses below have scrappy flaps.  And I have been buying webbing for straps rather than making my own.  

The busyness of purse making and fund raising almost overshadows why we are doing this and why we are so committed.  This organization has been working with Zambia for over 10 years.  In addition to working with the young girls and keeping them in school, there are adults who have meaningful employment through sewing, farming, and community development. Originally all work was done in the capital city of Lusaka.  But now the programs are spreading to a Livingston, the city that is at the base of Victoria Falls. And the administrative costs of Sew Powerfulfor all the work they are doing is about 4% - remarkable.  

It’s been a good month.  There are a few more purses to finish, and I will have to beg my neighbor Lynne for cards. She’s a genius at making cards! 

If you were one of my contributors, I thank you.  And look out-  this Sewathon is a yearly event! 🙂