After posting Joni's interview the other day I started thinking that it would be nice to send the survivors of the Tohoku Disaster small gifts and letters of encouragement. Next month will mark one year since the disaster and I would like to let them know that they haven not been forgotten and so i came up with this little project.
Joni said that there are 65 houses in the temporary housing area plus some people who stayed in their own damaged houses so I am think about 100 houses in all. I would like to collect 100 handmade little houses with letters to send to Joni so she can share them with the people in her community BUT I need your help.
So, if you can sew you can download the pattern below and make a little house. All the instructions are in the PDF and the houses are easy to make so even novice stitches can take part. It is a great way to use up those little scraps of favourite fabric that you don't want to throw away and can be decorated however you like.
**Please put each house and letter in a separate ziplock if you are making more than one. Thank you! **
If you don't sew then you can still help by spreading the word, FB, Pinterest, Twitter, smoke signals...
So, the goal is 100 houses by February 21st, are you in?
**UPDATE - I have answered FAQ's and added some Japanese phrases that you can use in the letters on THIS POST ***
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI will try to make it but I'm not to good at it.
I resent the mail to Joni but she didn't mail me. I really want to send some jackets.
thank you
do you want to email me your mail address and I will pass it on?
Deletejojoebi.designs 'at' gmail 'dot' com
(take out the ' marks)
What a lovely idea! I'm in :-)
ReplyDeletegreat, can't wait to see what you come up with xx
DeleteI would like to make and send in five of these! I'm from Canada. :) My friend is doing a crafty "pay it forward" but I don't have five friends to pass along that project to so I'm choosing this as my way of paying it forward!
ReplyDeleteFab! what a great way to pay-it-forward!
Deleteif you could put each one in their own bag with it's own letter that would be great, easier for Joni to distribute.
I sent you an e-mail on Monday with my photos but I haven't heard from you yet to get the mailing address and I'm starting to worry because it's after February 21. Am I too late? Please tell me I can still send you my five little houses!!!
DeleteHi annhovesian, I have sent out the address to all the emails I received, I'm not sure if yours was one of them. Could you mail me again? cheers
Deletejo
i'll make one!
ReplyDeletei'm going to make one!!
ReplyDeletethank you !! xx
DeleteI would like to contribute houses. I will mail you about logistics as I'm in Australia, but can make a few houses for you. I'll tweet about it too.
ReplyDeleteI got your mail, for anyone else reading please send them to me so I can send them as a job lot to joni, she is quite busy handing out the donated clothes so i would like to make life easier for her and send them in one lot. thanks!
DeleteThat's a fantastic plan! I was living just north of Tokyo during the quake, but since then I've moved back to Canada (Unrelated to the quake, though!) I'd love to use some of my Japanese fabric stash to let them know I think of Japan daily!
ReplyDeleteI am in Saitama so we were probably not that far apart. Thank you for getting involved.
DeleteHi, I would love to join in. Found the link through BadSkirt Amy. Love the idea. Will get sewing. I have blogged it as well with a link to you.
ReplyDeletethank you, you are all great!
DeleteCan't wait to see all these little houses, a whole town full!
I love the house design- when I first saw this post it reminded me of a house design by Pam sussman from her book 'Fabric art journals'. It is a 3D house that you can put things in. I made one for a friend of mine and called it a memory house where she can put and collect her memories.
ReplyDeleteI would love to join in but have a new baby so my sewing time is limited. Please keep posted on how it is going- I find this a wonderful idea!
the 3D houses sound very interesting, a sweet idea!
DeleteI am sure a new baby will keep you busy enough, I will be posting updates.
I am so in! Many thanks to you for doing this and to Amy (aka badskirt) for posting about it on her blog. Today I'm sewing little houses and writing letters! Will also post on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest. Bless your heart!
ReplyDeletethank you! and thank you to Amy, seems like she has sent quite a few of you over here
DeleteThank you for putting this together. I loved making my tiny house and hope it brings a smile to someone.
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial! You've been featured on the Quality Sewing Tutorials blog.
ReplyDeleteWe hand select only the best free tutorials and patterns for home sewers.
Grab a brag button!
(I mentioned too that it was a charity project...I hope you receive lots of houses to send to Japan!)
thank you!
DeleteIf you still need some houses, I'd be happy to make some! I'm thinking five...
ReplyDeleteyes please, I am sure we will find homes for all them.
DeleteI have to get started today, what a great idea. I'll try and get my little contribution across to you from India by Feb 21.
ReplyDeleteFab! and Indian house, how exciting :o)
DeleteCount me in for 1 house. Will try to come up with 2 if I have more time.
ReplyDeleteHow do I download the pattern? Pls let me know. Thanks.
Click on the link just above the instruction, it will take you to scibd where you can print it straight off or download it then print it
Deletehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/80312100/Little-House-Project-Jojoebi-Designs
How is this all going? How many houses are still needed? :) I really love the initiative! If we don't make one for this collection we will give it away to someone else.
ReplyDeleteI have just started to get some of the houses so I can actually start counting them now, I will keep you updated with new posts, don't worry!
DeleteSorry I just saw this today!!!! Will be making some houses today and ship what I have done tomorrow!
ReplyDelete