PJ's Projects was not built alone. I have had a lot of support from family and friends. The most active supporter has been my mother. Sandra is the master crocheter for PJ's Projects. She hates pictures. Did you notice the graphic rather than a picture of her smiling face?
Sandra is a mother of three, grandmother of twelve and was a public school teacher for many years before her retirement. As many of you know, there are a lot of issues with the public school system but despite them all, dedicated teachers (including my mom) spend their time and energy to make the best out of difficult situations to educate the kids that they serve.
When time allowed, which wasn't often, she found the hobby of crocheting provided the well-deserved relaxation that she needed. She would create blankets for friends and family.
When her children became more independent (minus the numerous phone calls regarding cooking questions and babysitting requests), she found more time to pursue this hobby. She began to challenge herself with different styles and products.
Eventually, the number of her creations outnumbered the needs of those around her so she found ways to donate them to charity. She makes and donates scarves and hats to the homeless shelter to help keep those individuals warm during the cold winter days. She also delivers her homemade blankets to Shriner's Hospital to provide comfort to children after surgery or hospital stays.
When asked why she was buying SO MANY reams of yarn at the craft store, she explained about her blankets and scarves and learned an interesting story. The cashier stated that her child once received a crocheted blanket after his surgery at Shriner's Hospital. He had developmental delays and found the process of interlacing his fingers throughout the holes entertaining and relaxing for him. Now, there is no way to know if the child received one of her blankets specifically, but it helped to drive her purpose.
Later, when her daughter came up with the wild idea to start a new business of handcrafted and re-purposed items, she jumped in to help increase the inventory to a respectable level for vendor fairs and a website. She does receive compensation for the items that she sells through PJ's Projects but I can almost guarantee that 99% of the money goes directly back to the craft store for more yarn!!
When you purchase a handmade crocheted item PJ's Projects, you can be confident that it was created with loving hands!
Mary,
Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate your support.
The work she does is an inspiration in the commitment and dedication she has for her work. She does beautiful work. Her daughter has also shown her talents in her projects from refinishing futniture and wood crafts. Both are an inspiration of what can be accomplished with dedication.