Heads at Ease pillowcase project - our motto is: ALL OR NONE

Sue that is so cool!!! 

I do have a friend who has a friend who is in Afghanistan.  She asked me to make a pc for her friend-should I found out who else is there?  What other info would I need?  Thanks!

Sue that is AWESOME.

Thank you!  I was so surprise and while it's in my house, it is a gift for all of us!

I have to move the rug behind the frame-it's patriotic snow peeps.

Mrsb, we need to know how there are, a male/female breakdown is nice, and who would be the POC-point of contact to hand out and give us an address to mail to.  You can email me that information.  I would also be delighted to contact them direct if she wants to share that info with me.

Thanks!  The pcs don't do us any good sitting in our houses-our troops need them!

I can a call from The Quilter's Market today-they have another 150-175 pcs ready to be picked and still more pc kits going out to be sewn!

boy I was typing terrible. hope you can figure out my "shorthand"  haha.

Thanks Sue, I'll see what I can find out when I see her today.  :)

that would be great!

new photos and note in the Nimitz

New numbers are posted and a hearty welcome to:

williti and LibraryLady!   

We have finished wave 4 to the Nimitz and will begin Wave 5 on Friday!  And then, we are will be done-well, I'll give it a couple of weeks before I'd say for sure.

You never know, a group might be missed.  haha

mornin' all!  boy, this month is slipping!   Hope you all are enjoying the summer.

I have posted some more notes in the Nimitz thread.    Very thankful ship.

Today we begin Wave 5 for it!

Good morning Sue!  I have 19 completed and about 40 cut out, pinned and ready to be sewn together.  My husband and I are going on vacation this thursday so I don't think I can get them mailed out until after we get back.  I will let you know when I have more completed and you can let me know what the next step is.  :)

thank you mrsb!  We are almost done with the Nimitz.  Everyone has mailed but me and 1 other for tomorrow.  WOW, that was quite an adventure.

We have another group lined up which will start next week. So mailing when yu get home is jut fine!  I will forward you some other info tomorrow.

Thanks!

Hi!  My name is Tina.  I've been reading a lot of the old messages, looking and the wonderful pictures and getting inspired by all of them.  You ladies are wonderful!!!  

My life is totally crazy right now but I can make time to pop out a few pcs here and there.  I'm not much of a seamstress but I'm pretty sure I won't embarrass the group with my skill level.  (fingers crossed)  Any way, I made a quick trip to JoAnn's tonight and bought some fabric to get started.  I figured that I would sew as I am able and when I have enough (how much is enough?) to send I would jump in and let you know.  How does that sound??

Hi Tina,

that sounds fabulous!  Dori likes to say that her seams have character, mine do too!

I would recommend at least 10 and then you could fill a medium flat rate box with some other things.

Please personal message me your email address.

And thank you for your kind words!

Sounds good to me too.  I bought enough fabric for 4 last night so we will see how that goes.  I need to make one to get an idea of how long it takes then I'll be able to budget my time better.

Hi williti!  I just started here recently too!  They are very easy to make and I must say are a bit addicting!  I can't seem to stay out of Joanns and Hobby Lobby!  :)

got your email address Tina and will send you info.  Ah yes, the fabric store.  Ummm, I often have to wear blinders in there.  haha

FYI... The patriotic fabric is on sale right now and there is a very large selection.  I'm in Ohio and the JoAnn's here also take Michael's coupons, so that helps out with my addictions.

Thanks for the info williti!  What kind of Michael's coupons does Joanns take?  I may have to look into that!

This is VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!!!

I spoke to the mail lady here and she gave me a heads up. We MUST make sure that all FPO/APO addresses have the zip+4 on them or they will start returning them to sender. The Post office does know that the last 4 digits are not coming up on the click and ship labels even though we put them in as we are doing them. WE MUST WRITE IN the last 4 digits. This is being worked on to fix that problem. The DOD mail is changing locations as of the 19th of July. They will no longer be going to the east or west coasts before going to the FPO/APO addresses, they will be ALL going to Chicago, IL then out to the troops.

mrsb and williti, If your local Wal-Mart has a sewing center the fabric is the same as Joann's and is a lot cheaper. They use the same suppliers and because Wal-Mart sells more they can sell it for less. I buy most of my fabric there and I also buy from Fabrics.com when I am looking for something special, like any place you have to watch the price but they are always having a sale of some kind.

Thank you Maryellen!!  I'll have to check it out.  :)

thanks for that information Maryellen!  we don't want our boxes returned!

re Jo-Ann's and coupons:  Jo-Ann's will take any coupons but will only honor them on a couple of conditions (I am the coupon queen)

1.  other stores - on like kind merchandise.  In other words, if a coupon says off on only some kind of craft product, you can't use it for fabric.

2.  all the coupons must have a different number code on it.  So you could use 1 from the computer, 1 from the newspaper, 1 or more from your flyer ALL at 1 time as long as they have different codes.

Now, as anything in life, your area may be different and things may have changed but that's how mind works.

Check the thread list we have a new ship.

woohoo!  a new ship!  and I have added the lastest mailing wave to the Nimitz.

check it out!

A young marine on the Nimitz died very recently.  I mailed pcs to that unit!  Heartbreaking! please pray for his family!

I received this in the mail today, do you think it will make good pillowcases Hahaha.

that is a treasure for you!  make a lap quilt or something!

I am going to make covers for my surger and sewing machine, andmaybe a back pliiow for my sewing chair. Thanks Sue, You know everytime I look at this I will think of you and the blessing you are to all of us.

sounds like a great plan for it.  And thanks for the kind words,.

I am catching up on thank you notes tonight alittle bit.

Good morning all!  My pillowcases are coming along nicely.  I have 3 finished and 4 more pinned and ready to sew!  Right now I think the main thing that will hold me back is purchasing the fabric.  I have two teens still at home so I don't have a lot of expendable income but I do have a little.  Any ideas out there to help the cause??

Williti, if you PM Sue she has fabrib, it is $16.00 a large flat rate box and she can stuff the boxes pretty full. Also if you have a Wal-Mart with a fabric center they have fabric a lot cheaper than Joanns or other fabric stores.

thanks, Maryellen.  Will do!

I have lots of fabric that was just donated to HAE.  do I have your email address?

if not, then pm that to me.

I don't always remember people's real name vs the N4M name.  sorry.

Let friends (church, work, family etc) know what you are doing and they will probably be happy to help out with fabric also--also our local clothing/food facility for need often gets fabric donations that they are happy to pass on to good causes....

Sue, my real name is Tina.  I have been going by williti since I worked for local government.  First 5 letters of your last name (Williams) followed by first 2 letters of your first name (Tina).

Be on the lookout for mail from Ohio.  You have some $$ coming your way!  ;)

I have more to say but have to pick up my daughter from dance class... NOW!!!  Yowza!!!!

thanks Willitit.  I thought that I had it.  just sent you the email

Welcome to jbr with the Truman!  Happy to have you join us!

We are mailing to the USS Princeton this week.

Sue, Here are the pillowcases I am shipping out today.

Hi Jodi,

they look great!  thank you!

Working on an army unit next.

Sue,

 I have two army themed pcs in my stash. Would you like them to send to your army unit?

sure.  we are mailing to one next week.  this is the 1st of many for that division.  so you can save them for the future or mail them to me.  thanks!

got a call from the QM today.  There are several hundred pillowcases waiting for me again  Oh my!  what a blessing.

Crew member Marilu in TX sent this to me today.  It does look like me when I pack a box.

Hello, angels!

Just wanted to check in and let you know I'm ready to start cranking out the pillowcases.  I have all my (Sue's) fabric washed, folded, sorted and will start cutting and sewing in about 3 weeks.  Why the delay?  Well, thanks for asking.  (lol)  My sailor son will be home on leave very soon and will be here for 2-1/2 weeks!!!  I can't wait to see him again.  It will be his first time home since he left for BC in January.  When he leaves Ohio again, he will be going to Hawaii for 4-1/2 years so I'm not sure when we will next see each other.

Williti, how exciting for you!!!  I guess you'll just have to make a trip out to Hawaii to visit him!!!  We will see our son in Groton in October, can hardly wait!!!

mrsb, I would love to visit Hawaii and see his sub come "home" after his first deployment.  I don't know anything about his schedule expect that the Charlotte is an attack sub and usually gone for 6 months at a time.  My heart breaks just thinking about it.

williti, I'm sure mine will too, when the time comes for him to deploy.  Not for a while though.  I guess BC and A school is supposed to get us ready for that but it will still be hard.  

Williti and mrsb, That first deployment is the hardest on the family, thats when you learn so much about the communications and that there will be days or even weeks when you don't hear from them. I know that when my daughter went out on the Bush, it was her first deployment and the Ships Maiden voyage. All I can tell you is to email them often because they will get it when they get time and to make sure the care pacakges go out on a regular basis. Make sure that they have an AT&T ship to shore phone card which you can order them online or they can get them at the ship's store. It was very hard on me, it was my baby girl going so far from home. But I will let you in on one thing, when they come home from that first deployment them come home with a new look on things and they have grown up so much it can be scary. I am Proud of them all, they are doing what most people their age run from. My daughter is 4 1/2 years in and reelisted for 4 more. Remember we are all here for you, you can cry on our shoulders anytime you need to.

Maryellen, thank you so much for your encouraging words.  Even though they brought tears to my eyes AGAIN!!!  Do you know if the ship to shore phone cards are used on subs???  I think I read somewhere that subs do not have stores so I will need to get him one online.

I don't think they can use them on the subs but they call use them when they get into port. If hes on a sub then get him the AT&T phone card. Before you send it to him make sure you take and write down all the information and card number. That way mom can reload it for him if need be.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Williti,
My son spent 4 years on a fast attack sub. So, if there is anything I can help you with, just ask. The first thing you need to do when he gets to his boat is contact the ombudsman and make sure your son puts you on their list. That way you might be able to put together a half way pkg.
Lots of stuff about subs is very different from surface ships.
Lyn

Maryellen and LLovesmysailor, thank you so much for your insight and encouraging words.  I fear deployment will be much like BC, only worse!  But I am so thankful to be HERE with all of you!  Don't know what we would do without you!  :)