Quilts For Orphans

Sew ..... here we are again ... a fresh New Year and heaps more to do!!

Hello again Folks ... here I am again, reporting on our first Quilting Working Bee for 2012 and we had an absolutely full barn ... AWESOME!!!

 We welcome 4 new stitchers to our gathering, and I can report that they all enjoyed spending time with us. Welcome to Jill, Maxine, Maria and Carol .... and we look forward to many more such get togethers and your creative input to our happy little band of Quilters for Orphans!

Here we have Yvonne with three of our new stitchers .. Maxine, Carol and Maria .. and our own Alice.

Maxine and Carol  hard at work .... and loving it by the look of things:)

We also had in attendance our 'regulars' .. Lois, Christine, Pauline, Win, Jenny, Joy, Isobel, Jan, Karen, Val, Gaynor, Annette, Emily ... and yours truly. Almost standing room only!!

Now I proceed any further with pics of our gathering ...I must thank Sarah J Home Decor in far off Queensland. Sarah kindly donated a box of scrumptious fabric just before Christmas .. which I resisted opening until Saturday. Well worth the wait ... there were many ladies just itching to create with the gorgeous novelty prints ... I have a few pictures below, but they barely do justice to the delights that were in the package. Just lovely ... thanks again Sarah!!

"Oooohhhh .... shiny " .... or the haberdashery equivalent of ....:)

Truly blessed with this beautiful fabric ......

Sooooo many ideas for quilts ... with fabric this wonderful!

Now the next 'Thank You', hot off the press ... is to Helen Van Dijk and her 90 year old mother Eunice. Helen created 3 lovely quilts for the New Hope Foundation in China ... and Eunice stitched the bindings on them. Brilliant!

Next 'Thank You' is to a quartet of stitchers from far and wide ... who sent us 'blocks' which were then assembled and quilted by our own Yvonne. The finished quilt is below ... together with the names of the talented stitchers...

 

 This quilt was 'blocked' by R.Phillips (Springwood N.S.W), Denise Taunton (Canberra), Nerida Small (Tanunda South Australia) & Lorraine Bradley who made her comtribution all the way from Louisiana U.S.A. Awesome effort, and doesn't it look grand with Yvonnes custom quilting to set it off. A stunner!

 Next Thank You is a double-header ... to Yvonne our custom quilter .. .and to Sue Abernethy from New Zealand ...who sent us a quilt top quite some time ago ... which has finally worked its way to the top of Yvonnes 'quilting In-Tray' and is now almost ready to wing its way across to a child in India.

Hearts, Flowers and fairies .. a winning combination ....

And Yvonnes floral custom quilting matches it nicely ...

Next ..another trio of quilts, headed to the New Hope Foundation, from Sue Nagle in Happy Valley S.A.

How cute is this fabric eh?

And backed with Aussie fabric .... to show it was indeed 'Made in Australia' :)

Still more ThankYou messages to give out .... honestly we were blessed beyond measure in the time between the last Working Bee and this one!!

Now to thank two of our Vals friends. Firstly to Louise who kindly donated two large bags of wadding ... the most hard to 'source for free' component of our quilts. And also to Veronica who donated tubs and tubs of fabric for our cause. Thank you SO much ladies!

Isn't that just the nicest sight a quilter can feast her eyes upon?

Now a little bit of our regular 'Show and Tell' segment of the Blog. And lots of stitching had been done over the Christmas break .... as the next batch of pictures will show ....

This quilt top ... and the next one ... are the handiwork of our talented stitcher Win ...

A pretty use of fabric which will surely delight a young girl in India ...

Next we have two 'tops' stitched by Jennys friend Cheryl ... many thanks ... and your work is lovely!!

What a stunner!

And another dramatic piece .... reminiscent of a stained glass window ...

Not to be outdone ... Jenny produced her own quilt efforts ... and some wall hangings which will grace the walls of the newest China group that we will be stitching for ... The I.C.C (International China Concern), which is being set up on the same premises as Chinakidz.

Aren't these lovely? Now for the wall hangings...

Created using 'blocks' which found their way to us  a little while back ...

The kiddies will surely get a 'buzz' out of this honey of a wall hanging. Yep ... bad puns abound here:)

Very clever use of 'orphaned' blocks that find their way to us ..... the children in China will LOVE these!

And another stunner from one of Jennys friends ... so much work in this beauty!

My mind went blank here ... it may be one from our Christine ... or another from Jenny ...

But I do know that THIS one IS Christines .... isn't it destined to be popular with a budding archaelogist?

And a colourful crazy patch from Jan .... so many different fabrics for a child to study in these 'blocks'.

And finally ... our Joy ... with a combination of flora AND fauna!!!

While all this was going on Win was busily stitching away ....

As was Val .....

Jan and Karen selected fabrics for their next quilts....

Pauline and Christine were cutting and matching binding fabric to 'almost finished' quilts ...

Pauline .... hard at work ... and always smiling....

.... and ditto for Christine :)

 

A hive of activity ....

 

Jill and Lois busily plying their needles in one corner of our 'conversation stitching pit'....

While Yvonne, Maxine, Carol, Maria and Alice are well occupied across the way....

Isobel and Joy discussing our next project .... details will be at the end of this Blog Post ...

Well after all that effort ... we'd earnt lunch ... and it was Quiche and Salad ... yummy!!

Delish!! But wait ... there was more! We also celebrated not one, but TWO, birthdays .. so we ate cake!

 

 And the strawberries very nearly make it a health food .... well that's MY logic anyway!

And here are the Birthday Girls ..... Isobel and Pauline .....

Making sure they eat their dinner so they can qualify for cake!

Karen tries to pull a 'swifty' ... but I can see the piece of quiche she has in her other hand. No dessert till its all gone my girl!

Almost packing up time I guess ... and Isobel farewells Carol, one of our new stitchers ...

But Emily isn't ready to leave just yet ...

And that's where the photos finish for THIS Blog entry, as I was soon caught up in stitching bindings and had to quit my job as a moonlighting paparazzi ... for the time being anyway!

 But I still have a few things to share with you ... firstly.... we are now going to be stitching for the I.C.C (International China Concern) Home for disabled babies and children ... situated in the same building as the Butterfly Hospice. Their immediate need is for cot bumpers ...  like the one pictured below: This project is the brainchild of our own Isobel, who has such a heart for the babies in China.

The dimensions are as follow: 63cm wide (the width of the cot). With sides 60cm each side ... to keep out draughts. The depth of the 'bumpers' is 20cm.

The cots are grouped in bedrooms of 6 children, with a 'colourway' of Red/Pink ... and Blue/Green.

They also require cot sheet sets in these colours. The mattresses that these sheets are to fit are sized 63cm wide x 110cm long ... with a depth (for tucking the sheeets in) of 5cm. So the sheet size will have to be 115cm wide x 150cm long. They will also require a matching pillowcase that is 25cm x 40cm.

Finally, there is also a need for floor cushions. Any size cover will do, this is to make it comfortable for the children to lay on the floor at playtime, I'm guessing. There is no need for the floor cushions to be filled, as they will be sourcing their own inserts over there.

So.... there you go stitchers .. a nice, fairly easy task for those that have a mind to help make the lives of the disabled babies in the I.C.C Home just that little bit prettier.

 Now, before I sign off... I want to share with you an inspirational filmclip, shared with me by COMs Jill Malcolm. She thought it was just wonderful, and I think you will too. I'll not spoil the surprise, just click on the Link below:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lfaSmDxVZQ

 Pretty wonderful huh?

We next meet on March 10th ... our scrumptious lunch theme will be cold meats/Seafood and salads. For those joining us on the day, a small plate to share will be appreciated ...

Our contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson ... phone (03)9756 7950

And Gaynor NOW also has email ... gaynorpeterson@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .....phone (03)9737 1825

or email:  shamilton@aanet.com.au

Our postal address (for donations) is now P.O Box 398 Monbulk Victoria 3793

 And don't forget to support the Blogs and organisations that we both support and publicize for their connection to us ... 

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a59784e7a45314d6a673d0d0a&sb=1

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au/   .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for  in China ...

 www.zoehopeproject.blogspot.com  giving hope to children in Zambia.

 and of course ... our latest project

   http://english.chinaconcern.org/

 And finally .......

Our Link to Treasure Corner Opshop in Wray Crescent Mount Evelyn .... the brainchild of Helen Greenwood so many years ago, the start of the support for COM Homes in India is listed below. Well worth a visit for the many bargains available, proceeds from the sales go toward the Childrens Homes in India ... 26 so far have been built through funds raised by this shop, an amazing achievement indeed. 

 http://opshop.org/review/810

Till my next Blogpost ... happy stitching Folks and I'll be reporting back to you after our next Working Bee, we meet at 9.30 am at Gaynors .. look forward to seeing you there!

 

Blessings to all,

 

Susan  

Ta-Daaaaa .... it's the 2102 Calendar and lunch menu list :)

Okeydokey Folks .... get out your pens/crayons/filofaxes(!!) and start writing ... here are the dates of our Quilters Working Bees for 2012 ... as well as the suggestions for tasty comestibles with which to fuel our busy bodies on the day ... ready??

All mornings start at 9.30ish, we play sewing ladies till around 3.30 .... though there is no compulsion to stay the entire day if you have other things planned ... and it is suggested that you bring a plate to share on the themes suggested for the appropriate days. How simple is that?

February 11th ............. Quiche and salad ..... (sweet or savoury)

March 10th     ............. Cold meats/seafood and salads.

April 14th       ............. Indian  theme ... curries and pappadums ... yum!!!

May 12th        ............. Italian  .... because a little garlic keeps the colds at bay!

June 9th         ............. Chinese .... to remember the children in China we stitch for.

July 14th        .............  Christmas in July .... of course!!

August 11th    ............. Soups and rolls ... very warming in winter.

September 8th ............ Casseroles ..... always a winner!

October 13th   ............. Take Out ..... cost around $6 per head

November 10th ............ BBQ and salad ..... always a hit!

December 8th ............. Our Breakup .... yet to be decided ....

 

 So there you go ... dig out the recipe books, oil your sewing machines, strap on the stitching pinny of enthusiasm ... and I look forward to another awesome year of creating fabric hugs for children on the other side of the world. And we have some new projects in the pipeline too, which will be revealed in February. See you then!!

 Remember our contact details:

 Gaynor Peterson ... phone (03)9756 7950

And Gaynor NOW also has email ... gaynorpeterson@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .....phone (03)9737 1825

or email:  shamilton@aanet.com.au

Our postal address (for donations) is now P.O Box 398 Monbulk Victoria 3793

 And don't forget to support the Blogs and organisations that we both support and publicize for their connection to us ... 

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a59784e7a45314d6a673d0d0a&sb=1

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au/   .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for  in China ...

and also now .... www.zoehopeproject.blogspot.com  giving hope to children in Zambia.

 And finally .......

Our Link to Treasure Corner Opshop in Wray Crescent Mount Evelyn .... the brainchild of Helen Greenwood so many years ago, the start of the support for COM Homes in India is listed below. Well worth a visit for the many bargains available, proceeds from the sales go toward the Childrens Homes in India ... 26 so far have been built through funds raised by this shop, an amazing achievement indeed. 

 http://opshop.org/review/810

 

Our last Working Bee for the year .... but it doesn't mean we are not going to be stitching still :)

Well here we are again ... it's November and yesterday was our last 'Official' Working Bee at the Barn ... and we were certainly kept busy.

We had a slightly smaller gathering than usual ... which obviously meant MORE cream apple slice for everyone ... have to say Reg was pretty chuffed at THAT!! Present were Jenny, Jan, Val, Joy, Isobel, Amber, Yvonne, Pauline, Christine, Karen, Rachel, Emily  ... and Lois, Alice and tracy ... who all dropped in but were unable to stay for very long.

We received via Jenny a wonderful donation of 5 bags of fabric and 4 bolts of plain fabric from Eva ... so many thanks to her for her kindness. I have taken pictures of this 'windfall' and am trying a new way of presenting the photoshoot from our Working Bee. Hopefully a 'slide show' which will make this Blog a trifle shorter in total length and therefore easier to view ... IF it works:)  To 'freeze' each picture, simply hold your mouse over the photo and the slide show will pause for you.

http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-0355-4cbe-8a2e?se=6

Quilts For Orphans November 2011 Slideshow: Susan’s trip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Monbulk was created by TripAdvisor. See another Monbulk slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

 OK .... looks like I was kind of successful in pasting the slideshow Link ... so make sure your speakers are on too, as it even comes with music (I hope!!). You will have to 'click' on the 'Quilts for Orphans November 2011 Slideshow' title, just under the screen when it comes up on your computer. It was trial and error till I figured this out ... but it DOES work, I assure you:)

And a further bit of news is that our last Quilters get together for the year will be held at The Barn on Saturday December 10th ... from 11am to 3pm. This will be our Christmas Breakup lunch and husbands are invited too. Cost will be $12.50 per head, and Gaynor has asked if we could each bring a folding chair. Phone Gaynor on 9756 7950 to book, so that the numbers for catering purposes can be arranged. 

I have tentatively worked out the dates for NEXT years Working Bees ... and will be posting them here after consultation with Gaynor. Looks to be that the first one will be on February 11th ... so pencil THAT into your diaries now. An update of ALL the dates for 2012 will follow ... as well as the food themes for the Working Bee lunches.

Our contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson ... phone (03)9756 7950

And Gaynor NOW also has email ... gaynorpeterson@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .....phone (03)9737 1825

or email:  shamilton@aanet.com.au

Our postal address (for donations) is now P.O Box 398 Monbulk Victoria 3793

 And don't forget to support the Blogs and organisations that we both support and publicize for their connection to us ... 

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a59784e7a45314d6a673d0d0a&sb=1

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au/   .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for  in China ...

and also now .... www.zoehopeproject.blogspot.com  giving hope to children in Zambia.

 And finally .......

Our Link to Treasure Corner Opshop in Wray Crescent Mount Evelyn .... the brainchild of Helen Greenwood so many years ago, the start of the support for COM Homes in India is listed below. Well worth a visit for the many bargains available, proceeds from the sales go toward the Childrens Homes in India ... 26 so far have been built through funds raised by this shop, an amazing achievement indeed. 

 http://opshop.org/review/810

So .... till next I put fingers to keyboard and dazzle you with my 'puter skills, happy reading, happy stitching ... and keep that support and encouragement coming in!! Please don't also forget that you can arrange child sponsorship for the kiddies in the COM Homes by contacting Jill Malcom at Christian Outreach Ministry (COM) on 9760 8040 and it's not too late to think about perhaps even doing a Christmas 'gifting' thru COM this year, instead of buying the family the usual socks/ties/teatowels. Think about making a donation on a family members behalf and give a child in a COM a gift instead!!!

Blessings to all till next Blog,

 

Susan

Nearly Christmas ..... and our penultimate Blog update :)

 Well Hello there!! Here I am again with a quick QFO update ... have had a few things happening since I last appeared here ..., a trip last week to the beautiful Mont De Lancey in Wandin North, where we had a fundraising stall and were able to share with people about Quilts for Orphans. Always good to let people know what we can do for children on the other side of the world .... and how they can help, with their support of our fundraising ventures. Each 'for sale' quilt/tote bag/custom quilted table runner sold generates funding for more wadding for the quilts we send around the globe.

Our friend Leanne Ingamells made a recent trip to China with ICC (International China Concern) and was also able to visit the Chinakidz Butterfly Hospice where she took some pictures of the little ones for me ... including one of a babe sleeping under a quilt made by us!! These I will share with you in a moment .. and I am also able to tell you that Fiona from Chinakidz has given me a Link to the Blog which is now put out by them. Please check it out ... am sure you will find it a fascinating read:)

 <http://butterflyhospice.blogspot.com/> butterflyhospice.blogspot.com

So what will I share first? Perhaps the pictures taken by Leanne .... it is always wonderful to see where our quilts end up ... proof positive of the journey of our fabric 'hugs' ... and the little lives that they are making just that wee bit more comfortable.

How sweet is this? One of the quilts made by us ... and now keeping this little one 'in the pink':)

 

 These little ones are SO precious .... and Chinakidz does an awesome job indeed!

Plenty of love to share at the Butterfly Hospice .....

How cute is this little Munchkin:)

Just cute as can be .....:)

Now onto the weekend we spent at Mont de Lancey ..... surely one of the prettiest  homesteads in the area, and also the site of a marvellous gallery ... full of local history and memorabilia. One of THE nicest places to be able to have a QFO a stall ... and we thank the Mont De Lancey folk for allowing us space to set up. Hopefully this will not be the last time we are able to be their 'guests':)

Mont De Lancey Homestead ....

... and our display, in the nearby Gallery ...showcasing the talents of our quilters ...

Gaynor in the Gallery .... a lovely spot ...

Custom quilted runners .... Mont De Lancey was holding a weekend for draught horses & Clydesdales. This particular runner was hand painted and then quilted ....

 
Farm themed fabric tote bags .... these were VERY popular!!

'Horses for courses' .... and quilts for horse lovers .....

 
We had a group of spinners nearby ..... fascinating to watch in action ....

Cannot remember what this particular device was called... but it was being used with silk thread ...

A Christmas custom quilted runner ...... with hand beading ....

 
More of our Christmas themed crafts for sale ..... placemats were popular ... and our Santa Sacks:)

Now I have created a Slideshow of Mont de Lancey for those who are interested in the venue ... have amalgamated it with a previous trip of my own ... in order to give a few more views of the homestead itself. Enjoy!!! Just click on the Link below....

 

 http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-03a6-751c-b37f?share=1&cs=a&lb=1

 

8 December 2011 Slideshow: Susan’s trip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Wandin North (near Seville) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Seville slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

 

8 December 2011 Slideshow: Susan’s trip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Wandin North (near Seville) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Seville slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

Now I will put this Blog to bed ... as it were ... and leave you with the anticipation of a further update following our Christmas get together this coming Saturday ... December 10th at the Barn.

Our contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson ... phone (03)9756 7950

And Gaynor NOW also has email ... gaynorpeterson@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .....phone (03)9737 1825

or email:  shamilton@aanet.com.au

 

And in the meantime .. please view the Blogs and associated sites that support us and that we have links to.

Till next week ... blessings to all,

 

Susan

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a59784e7a45314d6a673d0d0a&sb=1

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au/   .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for  in China ...

and also now .... www.zoehopeproject.blogspot.com  giving hope to children in Zambia.

 

 

Quilters for Orphans ... who we are ... what we do ... and why we do it ...

I have been asked to write a 'Cover page' for this little Blog .. in order for readers to understand a little more about us ... so I will attempt to do so, with a little 'cutting and pasting' of words from one of our founders, Rachel Breukel' .... and the previous CEO of Christian Outreach Ministry, Glen Cox. I will also attach Links to the organisations that we are helping to support with our fabric 'Hugs' ...and provide the dimensions of the quilts we create so that those willing to donate quilt tops can readily see how they may help us. So without further ado ... here goes ... reprinted from December 2008 ... and in Rachels words....

Who the Quilters for Orphans are .....

'Each month, fifteen to twenty women gather together in someones' house to continue their efforts  in providing Indian orphans with quilts. After the tsunami in Indonesia their passion was awakened to help others. Being told that the orphans in India simply slept on the floor, they decided they would do something about it. Making that decision was the easy bit. Fulfilling it is a task of mammoth proportions! The story goes on .....

"There are 25 ladies on our books, and we meet on a Saturday each month. Making quilts for orphans sounded simple at the time. Then we realised how many kids there were. We are making over 2000 quilts. For anyone who has made one quilt .... .well you understand the gravity of this challenge. However, we have also found out that a quilt is a sign of status in India, which encourages us even more in what we are doing.

The next container Christian Outreach Ministry (COM) sends to India carries some 100+ completed quilts. That's another 2 orphan homes worth. Something extra special about this is that the kids from Careforce Church have been creating cards for each of the quilts. On the back of each quilt is a pocket. In each pocket is a handmade card with a Bible verse, picture and the name and age of the child who made it. Then it is laminated so that it can last forever. How cool is that? Every single quilt will have a card in it.

 Personally I feel like a 'real grown up'. Being involved in something tangible and having a direct input into a childs life and their future is something difficult to put into words. My vision for the future is to see a quilt that was made by us in the arms of the son or daughter of the child who received that quilt so many years ago. I would love to see a family photo of a child of God whose life was impacted by a group of women in a far away land, all with one mission in their hearts: to send a God inspired, long distance, never ending present of a HUG. We like to think that our quilts are like a mothers arms, willing to go around them for any reason and at any time.

In October of last year I was contacted by the magazine 'Patchwork and Stitching', to do a story on us. It is one of the largest magazines of its kind in Australia. In that article I mentioned that if anyone had a quilting machine lying around that we'd be happy to get it out of their way. Within 5 days of the magazine hitting the newsstands I was contacted by a lady with a machine. She text messaged me saying 'read your emails'. I did. She wrote that she had a machine in her garage if I was interested. I rang her to say it was price dependant and that we had no funds to work with. She very sweetly said "I would really rather donate it". That did me in. The tears flowed and flowed. Within 3 days we had picked it up. God had answered a prayer we had dared to pray! A quilting machine! Not just the machine, a frame (3.6 metres long) and a table. (Editors note: these machines are worth LOTS of money!)

Our group has great fellowship. Women have responded to the magazine and joined in our workdays. They are people from different walks of life and religions. There are even ladies interstate sewing and posting their work to us.

At this point we have no financial backing. Everything is donated, whether that be by the ladies themselves or wherever we might beg from. I quite enjoy asking for stuff (it really pays to be thick skinned. The worst reaction I can get is  'No'). I've found that most people, if given the chance, really like to be generous. Never say "they'll never give us anything". How do you know? God does indeed work in mysterious ways AND he doesn't always use the people we expect to do HIS work. One of the most charitable givers is quite a colourful character. (I could be quite offended really, but I like him. Who are we to judge?). Fabric, cotton and time is donated. Whenever we run out, I start begging again. We are always running out of batting (the inside layer). It is very expensive to buy. Some has been donated by Birch Haberdashery and Mac' Crafts. The ladies also put their own money toward it. Our greatest need at this point is a studio. At the moment everything is cramped in and outside of Mum and Dads house. Basically we are waiting/praying for God to tell someone to donate us a shed. It needs to be at least 9mx12m. Pride is not an issue. We'll accept donations from anyone. We are even happy to advertise the generous giver. We have the land and most of the interior bits and pieces, but we need a concrete slab and work benches. We also need room for storage (thus the large size).

We are hoping to have quite a few things for sale during Missions Month at Careforce Church in October. We will have displays around the church. There will be quilts for sale with all proceeds going toward batting. The need is great. The challenge will be ongoing. Unfortunately there will always be orphaned children. Fortunately we will continue as long as needed. If you would like to help us in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us."

                                                                                Rachel Breukel

So there you are folks ... in Rachels own words the QFO story. Obviously the October 2008 Missions Month has been and gone and our shed is so very nearly a completed reality.... but the rest of Rachels story is still as relevant as when she spoke to the church magazine. Just thought it would be nice to share her obvious passion with the rest of our Blog readers.

Now to share from our previous COM CEO, Glen Cox .... from May 2010

 The Why:

   No matter what path we follow in life....it is our passion/calling (the why) that ultimately drives us. To travel to a developing country like India & walk through the streets/slums in the big cities & the village roads of rural communities you can't help but observe the obvious need that exists among the children of this great land.

  To understand that literally millions (indeed 100's of millions) of Indians never get a chance to be educated or have any hope of breaking out of the cycle of poverty is something that strikes you as soon as you spend a few hours in these communities. You ask yourself.....'What can I do?' or 'What difference could I ever make?'.....The feeling can be overwhelming if not daunting!

   It touches your heart & indeed often challenges your whole world view on the important role we have as coming from a society that takes all we have for granted. Often 'messes up your hair' big time as we seek to understand what our purpose in life ultimately distills down to.

  The realisation that we can make a difference...even if it is to a single child in India can be profound & life changing for us & the child concerned.

  This is what COM has done both through its support for on average 1250 children every year for the past 25+years. The running of the opportunity shop(s) in Mt Evelyn has effectively supplied the capital required for each of the 25 homes over the past 25 years & continues to allow development & growth of this vital part part of God's plan to see us 'rescue' the widows & particularly the fatherless in this context.

In addition to this to see the outworking of peoples concern, care & love for these children by seeing a project develop that is going to provide each of these children with a handmade quilt is yet another example of how we have been able to engage in a meaningful way with these amazing children.

   Making a difference in the life of child & giving them an opportunity that they may never have had if COM had not turned up is the real heart beat of both the shops established in Mt Evelyn & the Quilting group.....it is the why!

Glen Cox

So there we are ... who and what we are ... now to add a tiny bit more ... the details of our quilt sizes for those willing to get out their sewing machines after reading this ... and our contact details and related Links.

Quilt top sizes for India and China... updated and current as of November 2010 .. for India we require tops sized 65" x 45" ... it seems that the children in India now require extra length, as these quilts will be their for life and they don't stay 'munchkin size' forever ... and we are also using new double width wadding for our quilt 'insides'.

For the children in the New Hope Foundation in China the requirements are a little different. The quilts must be in matching sets of three. The reasons for this are that the nannys in this fosterhome are each responsible for 3 babies. These babies are in rooms of a specific colour, and for ease of identification the beds/quilts are colour co-ordinated with the rooms. In other words, green cribs and quilts in the green room, pink in the pink room etc. Now the quilts can be pieced together in different styles, but the fabrics MUST be the same for each set of three quilts. The dimensions for these quilts are 30" x 45". All basic colours are needed. The website for the New Hope Foundation is:

 Now our QFO Contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson .... (03)9756 7950

Susan Hamilton .... (03)9737 1825 ... shamilton@aanet.com.au

.... and finally ....Links to those that we support and that support us through publicity Links in their own Blogs:

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for ...

******************************************************************************************************

       ***********   IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR ******************

Now to see the latest Blog entry from now on as well as those leading up to the latest, simply go to the top right hand side of this page and click on the 'Archive' tab for the relevant month ... simple as can be ... blessings to you, and thank you for reading ..

 

Susan

eBay,eBay,eBay,eBay ..... yep .... we are going global:)

Ok Folks .... just a very quick 'Heads up' ... young Fiona.... Gaynors extremely 'puter and eBay savvy daughter in law ... has put some of our fundraising quilts on eBay. This will hopefully attract a few 'nibbles' from far and wide and generate funding for us. We hope to be able to purchase more wadding and supplies with which to create even more of our fabric hugs for India, China and now Zambia.

Here is Fiona and Gaynor .... at our last get together earlier this month.....

Please share the Link around so that we can continue our worthwhile stitching and put even more smiles on even more little faces around the world.

Go to:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CATS-DOGS-FROGS-PATCHWORK-QUILT-147cm-x-110cm-/170715799295?pt=AU_BABY_BEDDING&hash=item27bf745eff

.... to see just one sample of the quilts that Fiona has put up for sale on our behalf. The others are all on the same page ... I truly hope that this little venture will be a way of getting our quilts out there whilst spreading the word on what we are doing for the children.

 
Some of the children that we have already provided quilts for .... 26 COM Homes in India alone and we have managed to create quilts for almost all of the children already ... but we naturally will be providing the new children arriving in the Homes in future with quilts too. As well as the children in the Butterfly Hospice and now Zoe Hope Project in Zambia. This quilting for orphans is an ongoing project so funding will continue to be a pressing need for us.

Hope to be able to report on some eBay success in my next Post ... till then, blessings to all,

Susan

 

Marching thru March .... halfway to our initial Goal ... woohoo!!!

Well here I am again Folks, with all the news thats fit to print, heaps of photos and lots of thanks for the donations that have dropped into our laps since my last blog update.

Thanks also to the Mount Evelyn Mail ... who featured us in a news article this week ... I will share the Link with you here. Click on it to read the story of our Workbarn .... and many thanks to the paper for taking the time to come out and interview Gaynor. Much appreciated folks!!

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/mail/mtevelyn/283/story/129757.html 

Now if you click also on picture #61327 in the Star News Gallery tab at the top of the page in the above Link, you will see the accompanying picture of Gaynor and Yvonne that went with this article. There are also several other pictures taken on the same interview session.

Furthermore ... I have managed to get the COM Opshop 'Treasure Corner' onto the Web .... this shop also supports the children in the COM Homes, thru sales generated from the goods donated. The shop is wonderful and has attracted much positive feedback from the local community. The other outlet for pre-loved goodies is FANS (For A New Season), just a few doors up in Wray Crescent. Please support these outlets in order to do even more for the children half a world away!

http://opshop.org/review/810

 We were extremely blessed this month to receive a parcel from Gayle Cunningham in Rockhampton. Gayle managed, despite all the dramas in Queensland earlier this year, to complete 21 quilt tops for us and they were STUNNING!!! Many thanks Gayle, these quilts will be treasured by the recipients and your handiwork was just beautiful. I took pictures of a selection, so that our readers can see just how lovely they are :)

 
Isn't this a beautiful piece of fabric panel .... and the borders match it so nicely.

 
A little child in India will have a heap of fun examining all the pictures on this fabric....

 
This really blew us away .... so much work in the piecing ...

 
Gayles letter,telling us of the pleasure she got from creating for us,thank you SO much too Gayle!!

 
What a stunner .... each block made up of crazy piecing!!

 
This is Gayles contribution to QFO ... a magnificent effort indeed!!

Now I also received some fabric from a friend. Teresa, a tennis player that I see weekly at work, asked if we would like some fabric she has had in her stash for many years. Naturally I said 'yes' ... and she presented me with a deal of fabric which will soon reappear as quilts. Many thanks Teresa for your generosity!!! The fabric is pictured below ....

 
Gaynor also received a parcel from Julia in Yarragon, who had put together three lovely quilts, all in the same fabrics .... I'm thinking that this delightful trio will soon be 'fabric hugging' three wee babies in the New Hope Foundation Home in China. Thanks and blessings Julia, the quilts are delightful!!

 

 
Our get-together this month was the first 'real' sit and stitch since moving into our barn .... and how lovely was it, to sit in our new 'home' .... comfy as can be and put our heads down and tails up as we merrily bound quilts for the children in India. There is a container heading to India in a couple of weeks, so we were kept extremely busy with binding and handstitching pockets on the quilts destined for the COM Homes.

 
Part of our new workbarn, with a display board showing the children in India with our quilts. We have made and sent close to 900 quilts now .... nearly halfway to our target of 2000, which Gaynor set at the start of the QFO project.

This is the sit and handstitch corner ... a 'before' shot ... looking a tad empty .... but very pretty :)

 

 
.... looks a bit 'busier' now eh?

 
Just two of our happy band of stitchers .... Win and Kay ... honestly, where would we be without wonderful ladies such as these. So much has been achieved since QFO began .... and so many children on the other side of the world now sleep happily under our fabric 'hugs' thanks to the efforts of our willing stitchers.

This month we had a full house (or workbarn!), with Jan, Jenny,Win,Yvonne,Rachel (and Charlotte),Kay,Christine,Isobel (and Layla),Margaret,Joy,Karen,Gaynor,Amber,Alice,Annette,Tracy .... and yours truly in attendance. Sounds crowded ... but we fitted in nicely and had a wonderful day.

Now no Blog update would be complete without our 'Show and Tell' section, so before I start a run through of our Working Bee, I will showcase some of the work from our talented stitchers ... starting with Kay ....she had been EXTREMELY busy, presenting us with 11 quilt tops, where does she find the time?

 

 
Assembled from donated 'pieces' and painstakingly put together by Kay ....
 
Isn't this combination of colours just stunning??

 
 
 
Imagine the ironing that went into the preparation of this work .... so much piecing!!

 
One of Kays trademark 'dramatic' pieces .... love this one!!!

 
Another masterpiece .... and again, so much ironing of the 'piecing' ...

 
 
Love the colours in this one too .... very pretty :)

 
'Show and Tell' always gets an audience ....

 
..... Amber busily stitching away ... we must feature her handiwork soon I think. She is always at the machine and is one of our most dedicated workers ... in the background is the shelving unit full of quilts to be 'bound' before being loaded into the container going to India soon.

 
Jan was busy between our get-togethers. She created this lovely 'chevron' effect quilt. Isn't it lovely, and so much work has gone into it ...

 
... . and this colourful quilt ... is this what they call an 'eye-spy' pattern I wonder?

 
Win had been busy too, with this lovely blue and peach quilt ... these quilts will look even lovelier when accentuated with some of Yvonnes specialty quilting to finish them off ..

 .... just as Tracys quilt has been embellished .... see below ....

 
.... an all-over floral  pattern completes this pretty quilt just beautifully!

 
Christine had been extremely creative with this quilt .... how effective is this use of strip piecing!

 
And this is another colourful offering from our Christine ...

 
... as well as this vibrant offering ....

 
We had a newcomer drop by ... Jenny brought along a quilt pieced from furnishing fabric, this will look lovely when quilted and the electric blue sashing and border was really stunning.

 
Margaret brought along this quilt top, pieced by a lady at church for us .... many thanks :)

We soon got down to business ... so much binding and hand stitching of little pockets to be done ... the time flew!!

 
Jenny and Yvonne stitch and chat ....

 
Rachel busies herself at our custom built cutting table .....

 
Margaret and Joy machine away merrily ... on another table specially made for us ...

 

 
Whilst Emily, Isobel, Kay and Christine are kept busy under the watchful eye of young Layla ...

 
.... and Alice, Win and Yvonne sew pockets on the quilts.  
These are some bears which have been kindly donated to QFO. A few minor 'nose' jobs to repair stitching and these brand new bears will be heading to India and the arms of some lucky children in the COM Homes. We are so blessed by the generosity of folk who support us in so many ways ...

Soon it was time for a break. Lunch this month was quiche & salad. Stitching is hungry work you know!!

 
The queue for the lunch munchies starts just behind Charlotte and Layla ....

 
..... and there was something special about to happen this particular lunchtime ...

 
Someone (actually some TWO) were about to celebrate birthdays .... Reg was very nearly three score years and ten ..

 
While young Tracy tells us she is 21 ..... again!!

 
Joy provided the scrumdiddlyumptious cake ..... with a mixed berry and cream filling ...

 
And proving that sometimes 'two heads ARE better than one' .... they BOTH blew out the candles before the Fire Brigade got wind of the special occasion!!

And that just about concludes this months update .... our next gathering will be on Saturday April 9th at our Workbarn. Lunch 'theme' will be seafood and salad and we look forward to another day of stitching and convivial company. We are ALWAYS happy to receive donations of fabric, threads or offers to stitch for us. We also offer for sale, as part of our fundraising  ...(which is so necessary in order to generate funds to obtain batting for the 'innards' of our quilts) .... wedding/debutante dresses, furnishing fabric at almost give away prices .... and a selection of quilts specially made for sale by us. 

 Now our QFO Contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson .... 9756 7950

Rachel Breukel ... rachelbreukel@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .... 9737 1825 ... shamilton@aanet.com.au

.... and finally ....Links to those that we support and that support us through publicity Links in their own Blogs:

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for ...

Blessings till next Blog ....

 

Susan

A very Happy New Year to you all ..... as well as a belated Christmas update

Yes I know ... I've been a tad preoccupied and not Blogging as I should have in recent weeks. Would a promise to take my stitching and sit on the naughty step get me back into your good graces I wonder?

Have good excuse ... Father Christmas brought me a brand spanking new hip ... and suggested that a spell away from sitting down at the computer was the 'payoff' ... that's my excuse and I'm going to get as much mileage out of it as I can ... OK? But now down to business ... and Blogging.

Firstly an update, complete with pictures, of our Christmas get-together at the Chapel Restaurant in December. Thirty people attended the Christmas breakup lunch on December 11th ... and the photographs here were taken courtesy of Pauline, who did a magnificent job in my absence. Hospital food and company had nothing on the good time that appears to have been enjoyed by our little group ... I'll certainly not miss NEXT years!!!

 
Here we have the founders of Christian Outreach Ministry, Keith and Helen Greenwood ... with Reg Peterson (honorary QFO member) and his grandchildren Tom and Charlotte.

 
Joy and Charlotte .... doesn't the meal look scrumptious? The Chapel restaurant did us proud!!

 
Yvonne and Amber ..... almost didn't recognise either, without a needle or sewing machine in sight!

 
Rachel .... one of the QFO founders ...... with Yvonnes husband Don.

 
One of our admirable Builders ..... without this wonderful man and his brother, our workbarn would still be in pieces on the ground .... they have worked like Trojans for us.

 
Margaret and husband David....

 
Lois and her husband ....

 
Christine and Emily ....

 
Our builder, David Higgins ... with his son. This is one wonderful and selfless man ... who has had quite a year whilst involved with our project, but has still managed to not lose his enthusiasm for what we are achieving for the children in India .... !!!

 
Helen, Gaynor and David with his lad ... the Chapel restaurant is just delightful ....

 
Noelle, Alice and Annette enjoying their Christmas repast ....

 
Our photographer ... Pauline :)

 
Kay and husband Bob ....

 
Dessert option 1 ...... mouthwateringly delicious .....

 
Option 2 didn't look too shabby either .....

 
Gaynor taking centre stage ... with an update on what we have achieved this year .... 

 
... and Helen Greenwood speaking on behalf of the Christian Outreach Ministry... which she co-founded.

And that just about takes care of the pictorial part of this Blog, am sure you'll agree that a wonderful time was had by all our hardworking stitchers ... and  full marks to the staff at the Chapel restaurant for the wonderful meal they served on the day.

Now, an update on what we have been able to do in the time we have been stitching for the children in India and China ....Gaynor tells me that we have so far created and despatched 812 quilts, with a further 75 due to go to India very soon. What an amazing number of fabric hugs to have come out of our little group ... as well as from the number of wonderful stitchers that we have 'offsite', who create for us despite being distance challenged and not often to join us at Monbulk at our monthly Working bees. Thanks particularly to Lyn and Maxine who use their wonderful quilting machines to custom quilt for us, as well as making quilts with their own fabric for us ... how awesome are these ladies!! Thanks also to the 'Three Friends' who have stitched an abundance of quilt 'tops' for us ... and many others who have (often anonymously) despatched parcels of 'tops' or completed quilts to us ... you know who you are, and we thank you for your generosity!!

The number of quilts so far produced takes us almost to the halfway mark of what we initially set out to achieve ... which was 2000 quilts. Watch this space Folks ... with our new workspace almost completed, there will be NO stopping us in the months  ahead!!

I must thank also Fiona  ....who Pauline tells me has forwarded (via her friend Judith from a Chat and Craft group in Mount Waverley), an amount of fabric triangles and backing fabric with which we will be able to produce some lovely quilts. Many thanks ladies!!

Now our Workbarn is almost at completion, so our next Working Bee will actually NOT be a stitchfest as usual ... but a 'MOVING IN DAY'. Yes, you heard correctly ... on Saturday February 12th from 9.30 onward we will officially take up residence and be putting all hands to the pump, so to speak, and be moving into our Barn. This will be an amazing moment .... we have had a long, and at times heartbreaking 'journey' to get this far. But it has been done ... so we invite all our quilters to come that day .... leave your sewing machines behind ... and help us 'set up house'. Lunch that day will be a BYO cold meat and salad affair. So bring a plate and willing hands ... I will update the full years dates (and the all-important lunch 'themes') for our Working Bees as soon as I have them to hand.

In the meantime I look forward to catching up with our stitchers on February 12th ... cannot wait to be able to report back here with pictures of our BIG DAY!!

Now don't forget what we are all doing this for, I probably do not need to remind you, but am sure there will be new readers out there who may be wondering what we are all about. We are a group of stitchers who create quilts (aka fabric 'hugs') for the children in the COM Homes in India, also the rescued children in the Freetobekids Homes in Kolkatta, the children in the Chinakidz 'Butterfly House' palliative care Hospice in China and finally the New Hope Foundation, also in China.

 
This is pretty much how we started off ...

 
 My how we've grown.....!!!!

 

The children in India with our quilts ....

 

Compare this to how children in our lucky country live .... time to count your blessings Folks....

 
This is why we are doing what we do ... children in India with our fabric hugs ....

 We've been doing this for the last 3 or so years, and are totally reliant on donations of fabric/thread and time to achieve our aim of a quilt for each child in need. These children have so little, and we are so blessed by comparison ... it is an absolute privilege to be involved with this project and I cannot speak highly enough of the ladies who have done so much for us since we started. So read through the Blog updates on this site, spread the word ... offer to help, if you feel so inclined. Always room for another pair of willing hands ... and I will provide the Links below that show who we are doing all of this for ... as well as contact phone numbers should you wish to get involved with QFO :)

 

Blessings to all till next Blog entry,

 

Susan

Now our QFO Contact details are as follow:

Gaynor Peterson .... 9756 7950

Rachel Breukel ... rachelbreukel@bigpond.com

Susan Hamilton .... 9737 1825 ... shamilton@aanet.com.au

.... and finally ....Links to those that we support and that support us through publicity Links in their own Blogs:

www.chinakidz.org  .... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

www.freetobekids.org/- .... the rescue organisation that frees children from slavery and exploitation

www.com.org.au .... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry in Mount Evelyn

http://kayleenwest.com.au .... for Art with a positive spirit

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... creative clothing etc for children

 www.hopefosterhome.com ... the latest group of babies we are creating crib quilts for ...

 

 

 

 

 

November ... and where has the year gone??

Goodness gracious me ... we are very nearly at the end of our Quilting year ... and hasn't it flown? A year of highs and lows ... mostly highs thank goodness ... and I am pleased to report that our workbarn is so very close to completion ... we should be 'in residence', so to speak, by Christmas!! Just imagine how much more we will be able to achieve for the children in India and China when we are operating out of a dedicated workspace!!!

See the pictures below which show how much has happened since my last Blog entry ...

 
We can now access the loft from the verandah ... and what awesome workmanship we have here!!

 
Here we have Gaynor surveying our new storage area ...

 
Looking toward the front ... I think we all want to set up our sewing machines by this window!!

 
This is the view from the window ... lovely, isn't it?

 
Gaynor, Christine and Lois ... checking out the ground floor ... which now has doors ...

 
.... and will soon have wallpaper and workbenches  and be filled with happy quilters .... :)

 
.... like Jan ... who has been VERY busy since our last get-together ...

 
Isn't this colourful ... and made completely from fabric 'scraps' .... how effective!!

 
Yvonne has also been busy ... quilting for us on her new machine ... check out not only the front...

 
... but also the reverse of this quilt ... isn't the custom quilting stunning?

 
Another beautiful quilt .... we have some extremely talented stitchers helping us, don't we?

 
.... and another lovely piece of 'piecing' .....

 
.... and the reverse ... every bit as nice as the front I think you'll agree ...

 
 
... another lovely 'pairing' of quilt top and custom quilting to finish it off ....

 
 
... and a close up ..... many hours of work have gone into this 'finishing off'  ...

 
This originally came to us as a number of 'blocks' with houses pieced on them. Kay then assembled them together to create this lovely quilt ... and most beautifully too ... now quilted, it only needs binding :)

 
This beauty is almost Queen size ... an absolute stunner ... with much work put into the 'piecing' ..

 
Soon we were all hard at work ..getting into our regular routine. Here we have Joy, Isobel and Emily ...

 
.... Amber, Yvonne and Robyn ...

 
.... and Lois ... all happily attaching bindings to the many quilts yet to be completed ...

 
While Win measured and cut fabric, Joy handstitched bindings and Margaret kept busy in the corner...  
.... Gaynor made busy in the kitchen .... lunch today was a Barbeque ... but we had to 'earn' it first :)

 
Alice and Annette did their bit outside ... though it was a 'tad' chilly they tell us ...

 
... it still didn't stop them from producing these pieces ...

 
Soon we all felt we had worked hard enough to warrant a 'refuelling', and with Reg manning the Barbeque we soon took time out for lunch ...

 
 
... and delicious it was too!!

Speaking of meals ... we now making arrangements for our final Quilters 'meet up' for the year ... which will not be a Working Bee ... rather, it will be a Christmas luncheon at Careforces very own 'Chapel restaurant' in Lilydale.

Situated at 42-44 Castella Street Lilydale .. we have made a booking for noon on December 11th. The Chapel will be providing us with a choice of two main courses, two desserts, fruit juice .. and tea/coffee for $23 per head. Please let Gaynor know by November 30th if you will be attending, so that numbers can be finalised ... her phone number is 9756 7950.

And that almost winds up the penultimate Blog entry for 2010 .. very little remains for me to add, other than to thank each and every person involved with our project. From those who stitch 'off-site' for us, those who go through their 'stash' and donate fabric, those who support our fundraising throughout the year. Without your kindness and generosity we would not have achieved as much as we have been able to for the children in need of our fabric 'hugs' on the other side of the globe.

Of course we give a HUGE Thank You to our awesome builders who have donated time, effort and energy into raising our Workbarn ... despite setbacks along the way, you were always willing to do your very best for us ... warmest thanks and blessings to you.  You are truly wonderful people indeed!

Now ... I will 'create' a cover page for this Blog ... which will explain what we are doing, why we are doing it .. and how YOU can help us ... this cover page will remain at the front of the Blog from now on .. so simply access my updates by clicking on the appropriate months archive 'tabs' on the top right hand side of the page.

Till next time ... blessings to all ...

 Susan

 Please don't forget that we still have many items still available for sale as part of our fundraising. All money generated is ploughed straight back into creating quilts for the children and into finishing off our dedicated workspace for this project. We still have many beautiful wedding/debutante dresses for sale. All brand new ... each one absolutely stunning. We also have tote bags, many, many rolls of mock suede furnishing fabric in an array of colours, dog coats in sizes x-small (9" measured from collar to base of tail ... suit chihuahua) small (13") Medium (14 and 1/2") and large (20 and 1/2"). We have dog cushions in Warwick fabric, small bags that would delight a little girl for Christmas ... and these items are able to be viewed by contacting Gaynor.

You can also gladden the heart of a child in India by contacting Jill Malcolm at Christian Outreach Ministry on (03)9760 8040 to organise either child sponsorship or the purchase of an item which will make a childs life that much more blessed. You can purchase a mattress for as little as $10... school satchels and supplies, chickens to enable a family to escape the cycle of poverty by generating an income through the sale of eggs. You could buy a goat ... there are as many items that can make such an immeasurable difference to a life on the other side of the world ... why not call Jill at COM now!!!

Christmas is just around the corner ... and it's not to late to give a gift that will REALLY make a difference.

 

We tiptoed through the Tulips a few more times, raising funds along the way ....

Well here I am again ... with more 'Tales from the Tulip garden' ... spent a lovely couple of days over this weekend at Tesselaars Tulip Festival in Silvan. The weather was a little brighter than on RSPCA Day ... as my pictures here will show ...

 
Some of the 'locals' passing by. I loved the costumes, authentic right down to the wonderful wooden footwear.

 
Here we have a couple of the lovely young workers at the festival ... aren't the outfits beautiful?

 
.... and a couple of the lads as well ...

I am pleased to report that so far we have raised in the vicinity of $1300 from the sale of quilts, bags, table runners, doggy wear and other items made by the quilters. Congratulations ladies!!! We still have another day or so of sales at the festival .. so I will report back with the grand total in my next Blog entry.


Here we have Christine ... taking a breather from a hectic sales session .... and I can report back to our lovely quilters that contibuted many beautiful handmade items for sale, that each of you was responsible for some of our total sales ... as your individual offerings were eagerly snapped up!!

 
 
 
This money raised will go a HUGE way toward obtaining batting for our quilts for the children in India ... Gaynor tells me that we will be able to kit out at LEAST 2 of the COM Childrens Homes with quilts. That's over 100 more children able to snuggle under our fabric 'hugs' in the very near future ... AWESOME!!!!

 

Here are Joy, Isobel, Margaret and Tracy ... just part of the willing team of ladies who volunteered to do duty at the marquee over the days we were at the Festival .... thank you muchly:)

 
 

I cannot thank the Tesselaar family enough for their generosity in allocating us a marquee free of charge ... this has been an absolute bonus to us ... and they deserve to be richly blessed for this philanthropic gesture. We have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their Tulip Festival ... the views from our marquee overlooking the tulip fields made each day spent there so very enjoyable.

 
Special thanks also to Elaine of Tesselaars staff, who checked in with us as she passed by on her busy way ... and gave us much positive encouragement ... your cheery smile made my  day as you passed by on your busy way:) Now .... did I capture you in my happy snaps I wonder?

 
Think I managed to catch Elaine on the left here ... she was an absolute dynamo ... and always smiling! 
 
Here we have Isobel and Joy enjoying the sunshine .... and the view ... a little later and the tourists almost outnumbered the blooms!!

 
 
We met many wonderful visitors to the festival and were able to share with them what we are trying to achieve for the children in India ... as well as for the children in the Butterfly Hospice in China. The feedback we received was all positive and encouraging ... and offers of quilts from other quilters for onforwarding to India were also made. This was so very heartening ... and unexpected!!! Aren't quilters amazing folk? Thank you so very much to all who took the time to chat ... and hopefully you will have been able to check out this Blog too ... I enjoyed sharing this Link with as many as I could, and look forward to your feedback should you care to comment.

 
And while we were busy 'talking up' the QFO endeavours ... our wonderful (and tireless!) Gaynor was spending her time over a hot Poffertje pan ... .feeding the many visitors to the festival. Where she gets her energy from I do not know!!!

 
I confess ... I managed to sneak away for a minute to capture these Alpacas on film ... they were our near neighbours at the Festival ... and adorable as could be. I should have asked the owner if he was interested in any of our pet coats!!

 
 
The place was packed to the rafters ... (had there been any rafters!) ... this Festival is incredibly popular.

 
... but soon it was nearly hometime ... and the Tulip fields started emptying ...

 
 
... and Gaynor, Joy, Christine .... and Reg ... started to pack up for the day. I believe that we are going to be at the Festival for one more day ... this coming Friday the 8th of October. Will let you know via this Blog if this is not to be ...

And so I leave you, dear reader ... till next Blog entry ... just a small taste of how we have been spending our time since our last Working Bee .... and not forgetting to remind you that our NEXT Working Bee will be held this coming Saturday ... at Gaynors as always. We will start at 9.30am ... stitch away merrily till around 3.30 ... and work our way toward making more quilts for those children across the other side of the world.

And do not forget ... Global Impact Month is nearly upon us, starting on Sunday October 10th ... this is the time of year at Careforce Church Mount Evelyn where we share all that Christian Outreach Ministry (COM) is about. So look forward to showing you the small part that QFO plays in this as we do our bit for those in India and other places ...

 Look forward to 'chatting' with you again .... and in the meantime, we are contactable in the following ways:

Gaynor Peterson ... P.O Box 170 Monbulk 3793 Victoria. Phone 9756 7950

Susan Hamilton ... shamilton@aanet.com.au  Phone 9737 1825

Rachel Breukel .... rachelbreukel@bigpond.com

We are always happy to receive offers of help/fabric/thread with which to stitch our fabric quilted 'hugs' for the children in our COM Homes ... as well as the quilts we make for the little ones in the Butterfly Hospice in China and FreeToBeKids in Kolkatta India. Links to the organisations that we help ... and those which help us with publicity through their own Blogs are listed below.

www.chinakidz.org

www.freetobekids.org/-

www.com.org.au

http://kayleenwest.com.au

http://mellyandme.typepad.com

Blessings till my next Blog ...

 

Susan