Cool Ties for OQC

Wrap it up!

2011-09-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Get busy with the last of your cool ties for the 2011 season. OQC would like to receive all cool ties for 2011 by the end of September.

We are up to 704 so far, but I know we've all done more than that. I have been undergoing a huge life-change, and believe I lost count after June... all the cool ties we're sending go in the OQC packages, so the numbers aren't so important, but it is the work yet to do.

Thank you everyone for your continued hard work on this very important project!

Tally Ho

2011-06-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

Wahoo! So far this cool ties season we've shipped off 602 cool ties... a great leap towards our goal of 3000.

How is everyone doing? Have you shipped any in and forgotten to advise me?

Remember to ship them to the Indiana OQC address.

Keep up the good work, the troops are!!!

Happy 2011

2011-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to a great 2011 Cool Ties year! Many new volunteers are coming on board, so I thought this might be good time to review the basics.

First, let me be sure to thank you so much for stepping up to use your time, energy, and talents to support our troops. Even if you determine that cool ties are not the project for you, your thoughtfulness for the troops is appreciated.

Second, let me remind you that you do need to get the directions from me thru email (funtobewithlp at yahoo.com) and also let me know where you live, as I'm really hoping to get some of you together to form teams, even if you only meet once or twice. This is a project very geared towards teamwork.

Also, please remember that this is a great resource to you (the blog that is). There is lots of information here that you can use to bring the project to life for others.

Here is the description of a cool tie.

And here of some photos of cool ties.

Here is a link to a tube turning video I made.

And another cool tie turning video :)

Also, via email (funtobewithlp at yahoo.com) I can also send you a tutorial that I wrote as well as a helpful hints sheet.

Please tell others about this project and other OQC projects. The more the merrier. Many hands make light work.

I'll be updating the site for this years goals and totals shipped, so please stay tuned.

2010 Cool Tie Deadline and more!!!

2010-08-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Attention all cool tie volunteers ---

The weather will be changing shortly for our troops overseas. Please finish up the cool ties you're working on and get them mailed to OCQ by September 10th, so they can get to the troops that will still need them thru September. We're having a heat wave in CA, so who knows how the weather will be in Iraq and Afghanistan as the summer draws to a close.

If you are interested in continuing to work on cool ties during our "off season" please do so. You'll have to hold your finished product until Spring or if you're making blanks for me to fill, you can send them to me for filling and I'll hold them.

Remember also, that I have sample cool ties (in non-troop colors/patterns) available for demonstration and/or sale for fundraising, as getting the cool ties to OQC is only part of the battle. Funds for shipping are always in short supply. The cool ties "off season" is a great time to generate funds, interest and gather supplies for the next cool tie season.

There has been much interest in this project this year and that makes me excited once again to be working with such a great organization comprised talented and dedicated volunteers.

More cool ties headed to OQC

2010-08-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sending off another box of cool ties to OQC today. TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY this time!

GO TEAM!

Will be sending more soon, and I know others will be also!

Another package... headed to OQC!

2010-07-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Another package, this one with 100 cool ties is headed to OQC!

Go Team!!!

Happy July everyone!

2010-07-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Happy July everyone... we're currently at 870 cool ties toward the goal of 3000!!! and boy will it be heating up behind our sewing machines!

We're almost a 1/3 of the way to our goal, we can do this!!! :) Please be encouraged and an encouragement to your friends. The troops need us!!! Many hands make light work :)

A quick note about the project requirements. It is VITAL that our work meets the OQC specifications, if you are ever unsure about your fabric selection, your construction method or anything - please don't hesitate to email me directly (Leslie funtobewithlp@yahoo.com). I would much rather answer 1000 emails, then get even ONE cool tie that isn't acceptable to OQC.

Happy Summer!

2010-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today is officially the first day of summer! Happy summer everyone!!! As you all know, summer here means the temps are creeping up, fortuntately our cool tie production is creeping up also!

Check out the status of the thermometer!

If you're working hard, keep it up. If you're slacking, get moving. If you're feeling like you can't do it all by yourself, recruit some help!

Please remember to advise me when you ship cool ties to OQC. BTW, we should be shipping the cool ties to the Michgan mailing address: Operation Quiet Comfort, 23309 Ford Road, PMB 168,

Dearborn, MI 48128. (updated 8/23/2010)

Thanks team and keep up the good work. We have the backs of their necks :)

June... temps are rising!

2010-06-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy June everyone. The temps are finally starting to rise in CA... Excellent!!!

I have renewed motivation to crank out some cool ties. Stocked up on fabric, thread and watersorb... and look at me go!

I was so excited to be working on this project again that I injured myself in the process... :) yup, sliced right into my index finger with a rotary blade... yeouch!!! but NO, I did not bleed on the fabric, there is that instance before the blood appears...

Please don't follow my example, at least not as far as the letting of blood, but DO get involved and support our troops.

Anxious to hear from you and learn of your completed cool ties so we can inch up the cool tie thermometer as the actual thermometer rises.

May update!

2010-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, where did the Spring go? We're almost ready for summer around here, but it just keeps raining!

Thanks to our member in New Jersey, we have another 50 cool ties at OQC already (sent end of April, I'm just a tad behind in the count)!

The warmer weather (somewhere!) should be a reminder for us that our troops will soon be sweating as they stand to protect our freedoms.

GO TEAM! Get those cool ties going!!!

March 26 Update

2010-03-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

Check out the newly updated thermometer. 335 more cool ties headed to OQC HQ today from CA!

GO TEAM!

GO TEAM 2010!

2010-03-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Our momentum is gaining... we are working on increasing our numbers to hopefully blow thru our goal this year. We have more than a few scout groups interested as well as a church group or two.

How can you group help? If you want to sew - just email me for the directions. If you don't want to sew, we could use some great fundraising... cool ties aren't very pricey to make, but when you are making hundreds of them, the cost multiplies accordingly. Fabric and watersorb angels are always greatly appeciated.

We are looking forward to a great year for the cool tie team! Our troops are relying on us and we need to have their backs, or at least the backs of their necks.

GO TEAM 2010!

Gearing up for 2010 Cool Ties Project for OQC

2010-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Looking for many volunteers to work on cool ties this year. Are you a fundraiser? Are you a shopper? Are you a sewer? Are you a scout leader? Do you enjoy working in groups? Do you want to work alone? Are you an organizer???

We need you ALL to help with this project. Please email me anytime with your specialty and I'll put you to work!

Go Cool Ties Team 2010!!!

New totals updated

2009-07-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a great effort by scouts in South Carolina, our numbers are bumped up again! Wahoo! We're now just 704 short of our huge goal!

Thank you Jerilyn/Alexis and your scouts in South Carolina, I know you wanted to do more but you did great with our shortened cool tie season.

Go Team(s)!!!

Incredible!!! Wahoo!

2009-06-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

We are like the Incredibles! The team did an incredible work this season working on cool ties!

I set a very high goal, based on double what we did last year! 1755 x 2 = 3510! And including 2 shipments today (Kris in KS and me in CA) we have shipped 2806 which is 80% of that huge goal. There maybe another shipment or two before tomorrows deadline, so those can still be counted, but thought I'd get this out for you all today. Late breaking news: 100 shipped from SC on 6/30/09, included it total above.

Here is how it breaks down for you numbers types:

East Coast = 280 16% of 1755 goal and 8% of the 3510 goal ~ EC team represented by: Gerilyn/Alexis 100 4%, Nora 60 2%, Kathy 30 1%, Maggie 80 = 3%, Cricket 10 0%

West Coast = 2516 144% of 1755 goal and 72% of 3510 goal ~ WC team represented by: Jonathan 1006 36%, Leslie 576 21%, Margaret/Alivia 510 18%, Judy 140 5%, Kris 120 4%, Carol 117 4%, Susan 57 2%

I know, if we had more time in the season, we would have blasted thru this HUGE goal of 3510. I hope the funds roll into OQC to allow us to continue to make cool ties this season and ship in July and August.

Thank you Team(s) for your hard work. This work would be impossible with just a person or two. We all can work together and achieve much! You should all be very proud of your contribution.

Special thanks to: our scouts Jonathan and Alivia - we would have been in the weeds if not for you and to Kris for taking a leap of faith with her purchase of bulk watersorb.

We are a great team. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Counting down... let's GET there!

2009-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing and I know others have been too, we have ONE more week to ship to OQC - I think we might get VERY close to our BIG goal.

Thanks Susan for your in-progress ties, we got them filled and shipped... cha-ching 57 more!

And WOW, to Margaret and Alivia and the girl scouts, they met their goal of 500! cha-ching... take a look at our West Coast total! We had only counted their first 50, so the totals shot up with their efforts on the 450 that hadn't been counted. Go scouts!!!

We only have 1012 more to go for our BIG goal of 3510. We can do this! I have a workday scheduled for Saturday, I hope to get many done then, so they can be shipped Tuesday June 30th at the latest!

Our troops are counting on us. Go team(s).

Updates please...

2009-06-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been sewing lots of cool ties in my spare time. Waiting for DS to finish filling them, think he's having too much fun being DONE with high school.

Am expecting a shipment in the mail for another 50 something to be filled, as well as an update from our EC girl scouts.

Stay tuned for more updates.

New total and WC wowza!

2009-06-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

Wahoo! Just heard from Carol (WC team) that she's sending in another 56, that brings the West Coast to 1803! which is more than the whole country made last year!!! WOWZA!

Our group total is now 1983 - leaving only 1527 left to meet our goal of 3510 for this YEAR!

Remember we only have another 20 days to ship to OQC... so East Coast team it's now or never, well not really, as the troops will still need cooling after June 30th, but you know what I mean.

Go Team(s)!!! We can DO this!

WC total + 506!

2009-06-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

See below for the update to Jonathan's Eagle Scout Project. Go Team(s). More details, volunteer hours, pics and more to come!

Scout update!

2009-06-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Well in almost 5 hours... about 30 of us at any one time... made 500! ready to ship to OQC! There are some more in the works, and we will be getting together again SOON to finish up the goal of 1000!

It was terrific to see so many willing volunteers. There were runners, turners, ironers, fillers, sewers (seams-misters and seams-mistresses both)... and more! We even had waiters and waitresses, which came in really handy when our blood-sugars plummeted!

Way to go Jonathan!!! You should be proud!!!

Deadline - June 30th!

2009-06-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun. As many of you read this morning in your yahoogroup mail, OQC will not be accepting in-kind gifts after June 30th mailing deadline.

SO... our competition has to heat up, along with the weather in the desert. This is a great time to talk with friends and family and work on a cool tie EVENT. Many people don't want to help with ongoing projects, but with less than a month, this might be a perfect project to start and finish before the mailing deadline.

For those of you who haven't read Lori's message, here is a snipet "EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, please be advised we need you to complete OQC projects and send them in NO LATER THAN June 30, 2009.

Moving forward, and until further notice, we will be shipping from those items on our ready line only. Every penny will be devoted to shipping to the units we're supporting from the items we have on hand. We will not be purchasing any additional supplies at this time."

We can still get many more ties made in the next 28 days... we have many that are in progress and many more than we can still start and finish. Go team(s)!!!

Eagle Scout Project - Cool Ties

2009-06-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

Fundraising by EFI

Your Source For Fundraising Products

Update Fundraier Thermometer Here

We have a HUGE goal to meet! Yes, the goal is 1000 cool ties. We have FOUR hours to do it!!! That means 250 every hour!

There might be as many as 30 of us working on the project, the bulk of them being scouts!

The date is tomorrow, June 2nd - we'll be working from 5pm-9pm. We would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

We are all very excited and hopeful that we can do this!!! Go team(s)!!!

6/4 update - 73 more ties going in Jonathan's and WC totals. Two more workdays for his Eagle project TBD.

6/7 update - 1006 is the grand total! YEAH! I hear it was a nail-biter towards the end, but in only two work sessions and volunteer hours yet to be counted Jonathan blew right past his goal of ONE THOUSAND!!! Congratulations!!! and YEAH TEAM(S)!!!

Another tube turning video

2009-05-29T19:07:00.001-07:00

I modified a liquid medicine spoon to make a tube turning tool, it is a tube also. So you need a tie ready to turn, a tube (approx. the diameter of your pinky) and a pencil or other long smaller object that fits inside the tube. Enjoy the video. It takes a bit to get the hang of it, but once you do, it is faster than using a safety pin. You can see I'm still clumsy when it comes to getting the tube and pencil out.

If anyone would like to try a tube or a liquid medicine spoon (used for measuring an dispensing the watersorb into the cool ties), please email me your snail mail address and request. (funtobewithlp@yahoo.com)

Go Texas Cadette Girl Scouts!!!

2009-05-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

We worked on ties on Memorial Day, but folks were doing other things, so turnout was low. We will continue making them on our own.

We have 50 finished and are working on the next 50!

Margaret & Alivia

Thanks girls and ladies! Go Team(s)!!!

FAQ: What is a cool tie?

2009-05-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you watersorb for the grand idea and the following definition, you can read more about watersorb, the amazing polymer, at http://www.watersorb.com

Cool Ties have become a very popular method of keeping cool during the summer heat. Each cool tie is made with medium size polymer which is safe and non-toxic. Cool Ties work on the principal of evaporative cooling. Once the polymer is hydrated, the fabric surface of the Cool Tie draws the moisture from the polymer to the fabric surface, which evaporates resulting in an effective body cooler. In areas of high humidity where no wind is present use two or three Cool Ties, keeping one in a refrigerator or ice chest and as soon as the one being worn reaches body temperature, exchange it with the one in the cooler. Wear the Cool Tie around the neck or head and it will bring great relief from the heat!

Ilinois update

2009-05-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

This just in from Illinois:

Rolling Meadows, IL boy scout troop 96 adults, made 80 cool ties for oqc not to mention the 75 that got sent to my son unit.

Maggie Alvarado, proud mom of Josh: Army, Natasha, Jeremy: Navy[R.I.P.2-7-08], and Marcus

Rest safely tonight - our sons are on duty.
Some heros wear capes - mine wears Kevlar

Way to go East Coast! You're HOT!
Go Team(s)!!!

Cool Tie photos

2009-05-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

First pic ~ Dry cool tie - two channels with watersorb inside

Second pic ~ Hydrated cool tie - you can sort of see how the center part (the v part of the tie) is filled and hydrated with the expanded watersorb.

Third pic ~ Cool tie in use, as modeled by my son - who is my main cool tie filler dude!

Cool Ties Turning Video

2009-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here's how to turn cool ties with a safety pin. It's my first video, so be kind :)

I have also recently figured out how to turn them with a tube and a dowel - stay tuned for another video :) and I've sent my hubby to the store today to figure out how to make turning tools ourselves, so stay tuned for more updates.

Go Team(s)!

2009-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

We're UP to 23% of our goal team(s). See updated thermometers!

Thanks to a group of girl scouts, the East Coast team just got a boost! 30 ties made by 9 girls in Cadette Troop 30609 in Mercer, PA with help from one of the girl's grandmothers.

Excellent!!!

Flashback - April 2008

2009-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our first OQC Open House. We worked on a Four Freedoms Gratitude Quilt and Cool Ties! Surprise!

And we had a lot of fun, so much fun that we're still working on them a year later!

It's never too late to get involved! Your help is always appreciated. Email me anytime (funtobewithlp@yahoo.com) or post a comment here :)

Updated 2009 totals coming soon!

5/26 Tues AM Update

2009-05-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Excellent! We are making progress. I'm anxiously awaiting an update from the girl scouts who worked on cool ties yesterday, but for now, I'll just post our CA update.

On Saturday, we made 108 cool ties and on Sunday, I made another 79 - bringing our weekend total to 187! Which bring the West up to 618!

Looking forward to a boy scout eagle project on cool ties starting next week to really boost up the totals, and yes, he's in CA!

Back to email as we await more numbers from this long weekend!

2009-05-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

I just got the idea to blog about OQC - Operation Quiet Comfort and our Cool Ties for the Troops project! We have a competition going, as you can see from the thermometers to the right. The West Coast is ahead, but that might change after this weekend! Who knows?!?!

Did everyone see or hear President Obama's speech today. He encouraged us all to Support the Troops by sending a care package, card/letter or just to expess thanks to a veteran or current soldier. Wahoo!

I did my part today... we worked on over 100 cool ties, care packages and cards! Why do just ONE thing?!?!

I'll be posting about our successes this cool tie season, I can't wait to see how close we get to our goal - or maybe we'll surpass it. WOW, that might just blow my mind!

Last year OQC sent 1755 cool ties, so this year, with two coordinators, we're aiming for 3510! We CAN do this!

Comments welcome, and volunteers always needed! Many hands make light work. Come join the fun!