Quilts For Orphans

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

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

 

 

 

RSPCA Day at the Tulip Festival ... and we had plenty to wag our tails about!!!!

Hellooooo there .... just a quick update to accompany these photos .... taken at RSPCA Day at Tesselaars Tulip Festival on September 21st. Also several taken by Pauline on the 24th .... she tells me we made another $400 plus on that day too ... brilliant!!!

 

One of Paulines amazing close-ups ... aren't the tulips just beautiful?

 
 
 The good folk at Tesselaars kindly allocated Quilters for Orphans a marquee in which to display our wares and raise some funds for our project.

Here we have Christine, Gaynor, Rachel and Reg setting up our marquee ...

This is the view from our stand ... across the fields of tulip beds ... which even now are starting to become that famous blaze of colour for which Tesselaars are renowned ...

Rachel ..... pinning up our display of quilts and doggie designer jackets ....

Christine busily set to work displaying our dog mattresses .....

 And when Rachel had finished helping us she was off to make Poffertjes for the remainder of the day ... as you can see, the weather wasn't exactly on our side ... which makes our sales achievement even more impressive really ....

Pauline and Joy were able to set up a display of our quilts in the Alpaca stand .... the Alpacas were away, as apparently they aren't overly fond of dogs ... and we had PLENTY of those visiting on RSPCA day!!!

  
And I am pleased (actually over the moon!!) to announce that we raised in the vicinity of $427 on the day. This was achieved by selling several quilts a dog mattress and coat and 5 of the lovely Pet Santa Sacks made by Maxines grand daughters and their friend. How wonderful is that eh? Gaynor tells me that this amount alone will be enough to complete 60 quilts .... which is an entire Childrens Home in India ... :)

Now while we were busily setting up we met Lizzie the Airedale ... who kindly volunteered to spruik our range of doggie designer coats as she travelled around the Festival grounds. At first she wasn't toooo sure if she was willing to be our 'model' .....

 
.... but then she realised how the coat enhanced the colour of her eyes ....

.... didn't expose her 'nether regions' to the elements .....

.... made some of the other dogs just the teensiest bit envious ("polka dots are soooo last year m'dear"!!)

... and looked great from every angle ...

We soon had caught the attention of the Greyhound Adoption Program folk... who came for a closer look....

.... and a fitting .... courtesy of Gaynor ....

... just needs another few inches in length, but Gaynor assures them that these coats can be made to fit all dogs...

... mind you, George the Maremma, seen here with his little mate Max (and Kristeen .. his owner) seems to not be in need of one of our coats. Isn't he just gorgeous?

 
Some dogs were in need of gumboots .... glad this pooch wasn't getting a lift home in MY car!!!

... and here is Lizzie again, she actually won a prize as the pooch with a coat most matching her owners attire ... so they came back to show us how neat she looked when the coat was reversed ...

.... she gets a treat for her time and patience as our model ...

... she even manages to do the Paris Hilton 'over the shoulder' glance ...

 
..... before heading off home in the coat ... which her human kindly purchased from us for her ... :)

Hopefully we will continue to raise even more over the next few days that we will be at the Tulip Festival. Which will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of October ... and Friday the 8th of October. So spread the word and come along to support us .... and of course Tesselaars, who will have a wonderful display of tulips ... and bulbs to sell. Our marquee is right next to the Alpaca tent .... so when you have finished schmoozing those gorgeous creatures, pop next door and support QFO!!!

Many, many thanks to all who supported us on Tuesday ... and we look forward to successful days as the remainder of our time at the Tulip Festival in Silvan happens. Below are some more pictures taken by Pauline on the 24th .... we have items suitable for Christmas too, so why not come and get some early shopping done ....

 

So don't forget to pencil in those dates ... the weekend of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd is the Wine, Food and Blues days ... and we hope that there is plenty of sunshine there as well.

Till next Blog .... and there will be more pictures from the Festival as I will be there on the 2nd, with my trusty camera ... stay well, and keep supporting QFO.... each and every item sold at Tesselaars will have the proceeds ploughed right back into providing more quilts for more children in even more COM Homes in India. And how wonderful has it been so far ... over $800 raised ... and hopefully more to come .... :)

blessings to all,

Susan

Links to follow from our RSPCA Day : 

Greyhound Adoption Program

http://gap.grv.org.au/

Mels Mobile Dog Grooming: 5967 2519 or 0421 302 068 (for all dog grooming needs)

.... and our regular Links to those who we support ... and who support us thru their 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

http://www.prayerquilt.org/help.asp

 

 

Stitching our way into Spring ...... and some photos to share from India...

Well Hello there again ... here I am, back with another Blog to entertain you ... and hopefully encourage you to cheer us on as we stitch for he kids on the other side of the world. So, without further ado ... here I go ...

 We spent a busy day on the Saturday just gone, preparing quilts and other items for our fundraising marquee at the upcoming Tulip Festival in Silvan. Pictures of our efforts to follow further on in this Blog.

We ran the Working Bee 'solo' to a degree, as Gaynor, Rachel and Lois were busily kept occupied at MAD Day at Coldstream Airport, where the Missionary Aviation crew were holding an open day. Gaynor tells me that they raised $563.50 for QFO. This was achieved thru the sale of .... (and here I have to check my spelling) 'Poffertjes' ... those delightful little Dutch doughnuts. They also sold several quilts and raised a lot of awareness about our work, which was most encouraging.

Now there has been a slight change to the days which we will be spending at the Tulip Festival, minor changes have been made to our allocated days and I will tell you about that now, as we will need a few more folk to help us at our marquee. So I am hopeful I can 'prod' more of you to put your hands up to help Gaynor, as she will be kept busy at times on the Poffertje (there's that word again!!) Stand at the festival.

We have now been asked to hold our quilt Marquee on the following days (changed from the days offered previously). We will be at the Festival on Friday September 17th (Seniors day), Tuesday September 21st (RSPCA Day), Friday the 24th September, Friday October 1st and finally on Saturday 2nd and 3rd October ... which will be the Food, Wine and Blues component of the Tulip Festival. We will be there from 8.30am till 4 pm and hope to raise funds through the sale of the many items which have been made specifically for the quilts which we make for the children in India. So please spread the word as far and wide as you can, we would love to see some familiar faces there too.... and Gaynor would love to have more offers of assistance .... call her on 9756 7950 if you have some free time to help. And don't forget, volunteers, make sure you have collected your QFO name badge from Gaynor prior to doing your bit at the Tulip Festival. It ensures your entry to the site and our marquee.

Now ... on to all the news from our gathering on Saturday ... we had full house again, with Isobel, Jan, Christine, Alice, Kay, Yvonne, Amber, Wally, Win, Gail, Emily,Margaret and yours truly ... AND we had a surprise guest when Maxine arrived. She had driven all the way from Inverleigh, some 3 hours away ... to join in and bring along some wonderful quilted items for us to sell at the Tulip Festival. In particular I must highlight the gorgeous 'Pet Santa Sacks', made by her grand daughters and their friend for us. Many thanks to young Elizabeth, Grace and Eleanor for these cute little bags ... almost makes me want to go out and get a pet just so I can have a reason to buy a Santa Sack myself!!

 
Aren't they gorgeous ....and beautifully made too, I might add ... Maxine has taught the girls well!!

Maxine also created some lovely animal themed carry-bags, these will go down very well on RSPCA Day.

 
 We were thrilled to receive several  completed quilts from her too ... (pictured below) that will be sent to India ... and they were extremely colourful, the children will love them!!

 

 She  has been busy creating Christmas table runners ... and as the commercial retailers are bombarding us already, with shops beginning to stock all things red and green, her stitcheries should go down a treat with folk buying up early at the Tulip festival for Christmas ...

 

 

Now did you know that ...as well as quilting .. Gaynor had been the driving force behind the 'Stick Chicks, as they were fondly known. This was Gaynors pre-QFO project. And these 'Chicks' knitted beanies and scarves for the COM endeavours in Russia. So Maxine brought along some lovely knitted items for us too ... isn't she awesome!! We are truly blessed in so many ways by the folk associated with QFO, it continues to bring out the very best in everyone who is involved ..... I might add that Maxine manages to find time in her obviously busy life to also mind her grandchildren ... methinks she has managed to grab a few hours in excess of the 24 in a day that the rest of us have been allocated..... don't you agree??

 

I will now digress slightly from OUR quilting ... and show you several quilts that Maxine was kind enough to bring and show us. These she has completed for her family ... and how lucky they are to have someone as talented (and generous) in their midst. These just 'blew us away' with the craftwork in every stitch. The room was silent but for the collective 'dropping of jaws', I can tell you!!! Aren't they stunning??

 
This is a stunner ... have to show you a couple of close-ups ... just brilliant!!

  

.. and finally this quilt, which I believe, was completed for her daughters mother-in-law ... lucky lady eh?

 
   
 Now while we were admiring Maxines handiwork, the other ladies were busy behind the scenes attaching bindings to the quilts destined for our upcoming marquee at the Tulip Festival ...(have I mentioned yet that we will be at the Tulip Festival .... am I, or am I not, the Queen of overkill ??)

 Here we have Yvonne, Isobel, Wally and Win handstitching ... and obviously enjoying themselves :)

.... and our newest 'recruit' Jan .... whose smile lights up the room too .... :) 

 We also kept Christine busy, filling fabric pot-mats with lavender ... and she tells me it was quite a 'calming' and aromatic experience indeed ... these little mats release their fragrance when a warmed casserole dish or teapot is placed on them. So they are therapeutic as well as extremely useful (and decorative) items to have in your kitchen.

And not to be outdone .. our Kay had been busy off-site, creating some lovely 'bling' for us to sell at the Tulip Festival. She has created brooches for jumpers and scarves, 'danglybits' for mobile phones (I'm sure they have a name ... but I can't think of it), earrings, keyrings  ... she is extremely talented. My picture won't do justice to her talent ... but it might give you an idea of what she has made ...

 

We had a short break for lunch, always a highlight of the day ... and we had really earnt it on Saturday!! And it was a double delight, so to speak, as Ambers' young brother Daniel celebrated his 10th birthday with us .... and shared the cake!! Three cheers for bonus birthday cake eh??

 He clearly wasn't expecting this and was a little overwhelmed ... but soon recovered :)

Now on to the 'Show and Tell' part of our quilting day .... we managed to fit this in quite nicely around the tasks at hand, first 'cab off the rank' was Kay, with some of her pieces. These will go to the COM Homes in India when completed....

An interesting pattern of slightly 'tilted' pieces form the centre of this quilt ...

.... and another of Kays' signature pieces with dramatic black accents ... gosh, I sound like a fashion editor here ... almost scaring myself with pomposity!! Never mind, the moment will pass....

Emily had also been rather busy and brought these completed tops in for us to see ... these will quilt up beautifully, and I can imagine that the borders will leave a nice amount of room for some specialised quilting patterns ... nice work Emily!!

Now ... on to the promised pictures ofthe kiddies in India with the quilts sent over a little while back.And ... on a similar topic, Gaynor tells me that she has just spoken with Keith Greenwood, the founder of COM. Keith has very recently returned from another Mission trip to India, and whilst there he personally distributed our quilts to a number of Childrens Homes. Pictures of these will come through to us a little further down the track. Keith told Gaynor that the children were just so very appreciative and honoured to have these fabric 'hugs' as we call them, it is a real symbol to them of how loved they are ... and will be treasured for years to come. Isn't that just the sort of feedback that makes you want to do even MORE for these children? Now for the photos which I received a week or so back from Jill Malcolm in the COM office  ... prepare to see how happy these children are with our gifts ...

As well as quilts, small toys were also sent to the children.......

 
Celebrating Independence Day ... August 2010 ...

Inside the Childrens Home ...

   
 
... and again ... I don't think the smiles in the back row could get much wider ... do you?

I know ... it's kind of upside down .. and if I wasn't so technically challenged I'd be able to swivel it around for you, but you'll just have to stand on your head for this one ... sorry :)

But on another point .... when our own children have a room each and all the creature comforts that the Western world has to offer ... this picture kind of puts into perspective just HOW blessed we are here .... doesn't it?

The little tin boxes in the pigeonholed area behind these children hold all their worldly possessions.

Another 'head swiveller' picture ... sorry folks ... if I can fix it later I will, in the meantime enjoy the circulation boosting effects :)

  

 Ok ... deep breathe ... and everyone say "Awwwwww" ... isn't this lovely?

:)

Now .. did any of our stitchers out there recognise their handiwork ... did you see a quilt you pieced together, did you, did you? And if not yet ... don't fret, because Gaynor assures me that Keith will have photos of the most recent batch of quilts soon, so be patient .. because we will have more in Blogs to come ...

Now I will save this to draft ... and locate the email that came with these pictures. It is an email of thanks from the Childrens Home and I think it deserves to be shared with you ..

Hooray ... it worked .... I didn't lose it ... and here it is .....

Subject: Children with clothes, toys, and quilts

"Dear Glen and Keith Sir

Praise the Lord

Thank you so much  for your love, concern and prayers towards our
precious children in P.P.Padu.

We have received the quilts, toys and clothes which have been sent for
the children and distributed to the children on the occasion of 64th
Indepencence Day Celebration (15th August, 2010).

The children were really excited to receive the clothes, quilts and
toys. Uncountable happiness and smile was seen on the faces of the
children while receiving the clothes, toys and quilts.

Please do find the pics of children with clothes, quilts and toys and
pics of chidren sleeping with their quilts and toys. Thank so much for
what you are all  and COM doing for our precious children.

I praise God for COM for being a channel of blessing in the lives of
children in the differnt parts of the world.

Thank you for your continuous prayers and please be assured that you are all
in our daily prayers

With prayers

Harsha and Jyothi"

So there you are folks ... not just photos of the children with our quilts, but heartfelt appreciation from the Home for the difference we, and COM, are making in their lives.
 

Now this is where I really 'ramp it up' ... you've seen the children with the quilts, did you notice anything missing? Like perhaps a mattress?? Yes?? OK ... Christmas is just around the corner ... have you thought about 'paying it forward' .... perhaps with a gift to a child in these Homes? For a measly $10 you can provide a mattress for a child in one of these Homes ... not a huge amount surely, the price of a couple of lattes ... or perhaps you could 'gift' it in your own childs name, then show them these pictures and tell them that one of these kids will soon have a mattress that THEY have provided.

Here are the mattresses .... and how much more comfortable than the hard floor ... which was all the children had previously, with perhaps a thin woven mat if they were lucky.

The children on their new mattresses .... wouldn't you like to be responsible for one of those smiles?

Now if you would like to put smiles like these on the faces of the children who have not yet been given a mattress, simply contact Jill Malcolm at the COM office on (03)9760 8040. And if you feel compelled to provide even more, there are children to be sponsored ... school packs to be provided ... mosquito nets .. goats to provide independence for villagers, chickens to create an income for a family ... the list is well and truly as long as the proverbial piece of string. So .... what are you waiting for ... go ahead, you know you want to help :)

And on that note ... I'll wrap this edition of the QFO Blog up ... now you know that we are always open for offers of donations, fabric, batting, threads, willing stitchers to sew for and with us, you name it and we need it ...

Our workbarn is still in progress ... minor red-tape putting us in limbo at present, but it will get sorted. Our builder David Higgins has been just wonderful, donating his services ... surviving the theft of his tool trailer whilst helping erect our barn. We have had so many positive and some recent less than wonderful events along our 'journey' as they say ... so when you have finished reading this months entry, feel free to trawl back thru the 'library' of entries. See where our need was and continues to be.

And if you feel moved to help .... please do. This is a project from the heart ... and I can honestly say it is SO rewarding to the soul to be even a small part of it.

Contact Gaynor on 9756 7950 if you would like to become involved.

Or contact me on 9737 1825 or shamilton@aanet.com.au

or Rachel at

rachelbreukel@bigpond.com

Our postal address is P.O Box 170

Monbulk 3793

Victoria

And .... did I tell you that we are going to be at the Tulip Festival??

Blessings till next Blog ....

Susan

  

 
 

An idea to help our wonderful builder David ... give this idea some thought Folks ..

Hello All .... just got an email from one of our quilters Joy ... her daughter in Korea has come up with a suggestion which may just make it easier for you to donate to our wonderful builder David Higgins. As you will recall David was the recent (June 28th) victim of a miserable thief, who stole his trailer full of tools from Gaynors home.

David had kindly given of his time to erect our workbarn ... and this theft has obviously impacted upon his ability to run his business. Joys daughter thought that Folk might find it easier to make a donation to David, by allocating their Visa card points toward a voucher for tools ... I will reproduce her email ... and throw the suggestion out there for you to think about ... the vouchers can be for Mitre10 or Bowens Hardware also ... your choice ...

"Hi Mum

I have just read the quilters blog again and cannot believe that the builder
has had all his tools stolen and his trailer.  What a terrible thing to
happen.

I was thinking about how few people would have the money to donate at the
moment with the economy so tight, but thought this idea might help.

Many people get points for their visa card and then convert the points in to
luxury things.  I wonder if the lady who runs the blog and perhaps church
could suggest to people to convert their credit card points in to Bunnings
vouchers?  That way money is not actually coming out of people's pockets.
Just an idea and thought I would share it :)

Lindy"

Below is a picture of Davids trailer .... now gone ...

Many thanks to Lindy for this suggestion ... hopefully it will enable more folk to be in a position to help David ... he is certainly deserving of as much assistance as we can give him. To date he has put in 4 weeks work on our behalf, and we could not be more appreciative of his generosity of spirit.

Blessings,

Susan

 

Clouds with silver linings, Christmas in July, Creative contributions ... and Chinakidz ... :)

Well, here I am again ... with some good news (for a change!) ... a heap of photos, some special Folk to introduce to you ... quilts to admire ... people to thank ... where do I begin??

Firstly I will start with the Thank You bit ... and we have a LOT of those to share with you :) Following the theft of our builder, David Higgins', trailer full of tools from Gaynors driveway on June 28th, and the subsequent publicity through the media and COM, I am pleased to report that David has received a number of Bunnings vouchers, a cheque donated to 'David the Builder', Emerald Hire and Trader have told David that he can borrow 'whatever he needs' to complete the erection of our barn. There are also other offers still in the pipeline I believe. And, of course, I am still suggesting that anyone who reads this Blog is still MORE than welcome to trawl through their shed or pop along to Bunnings or Bowens or Mitre10 Hardware and help David by donating in some way to his toolbox. We quilters are so very appreciative of the support given to David and his family at this time .... you are all definitely part of the silver lining that was behind the cloud that happened on June 28th!

Especially I would like to thank Casey Neill from the Star News Group/Mail Newspaper Group ... and Kimberley Seedy from the Free Press Leader, Boronia ... for all the publicity that they were able to give us ... and the assistance in getting our story 'out there' following the theft. So very much appreciated ... and the kindnesses we have subsequently received are proof of the effectiveness of their help.

Gaynor was also interviewed on local radio station 97.1 to help publicise the dramas surrounding the theft ... and we thank the radio station for making this opportunity possible. I would also thank the local papers that were so kind as to draw our endeavours to public attention.

 
As a result of this, we welcomed to our get-together yesterday Jan from Monbulk, who came along to see what we were all about. And Beryl Collett drove down the mountain from Kallista with several bags of fabric from her sisters 'stash' to share with us.

 

Here we have Gaynor and Margaret with Beryl, and a small portion of the fabrics she so kindly gave us.

And speaking of donations ... we also received in the mail two beautiful quilt tops from Julia in Yarragon, just beautiful .... and I hope my pictures do them justice. Thank you SO much Julia!!! They are just scrumptious!! So much work has gone into these ....

 
Our own, home grown quilters, were not to be outdone ... and Tracy, Isobel, Kay and Win had been busy between our get-togethers too..... here are Tracys' quilt tops .... love the fishy one, Tracy!!!

 

..... and here is Isobels lovely burgundy and mustard/gold 'on the diagonal' ... quilt top ...

Not to be outdone ... Kay,Win and Margaret shared their talents too ....

 
  

 
We then welcomed Maxine ... who arrived with a bootload of quilts that she had made for us ... you may remember she did a similar trip some time back ... and again she has absolutely blown us away with her creative contributions ... here are some samples of her work ... brilliant!!!

A selection of Maxines' quilts went somewhere special at the end of our Working bee ... and I will tell you more of that in a little while ... but in the meantime ... more of her handiwork!!! 

 

 
  
 
  And I can't wait any longer to share ... my personal favourites from Maxine ... her 'quilt as you go' creations. these are SO colourful that they almost leap off the page ... what do you think?

 

An amazingly innovative use of scraps of all sizes .... aren't they brilliant?? Each of Maxines quilts has a pocket integrated into the reverse, so that the children in the COM Homes have somewhere to store a personal 'treasure' ... such as a small toy or suchlike. She thinks of everything!!

 

 And Maxine didn't just confine her talents to quilts ... she also brought along some bags ...

 
Now I must showcase another talented member of our little group ... as our luncheon theme was Christmas in July ... our very own Pauline contributed the cake below. Seems that quilting is not Paulines only talent ... she is also a creative cake decorator. Isn't this gorgeous? And I have to add ... it tasted every bit as good as it looked!!

 
We had a full house at our get-together yesterday ... and we were kept pretty busy prior to the arrival of our special guests ... I only managed to get a few snaps in to show you ... but it was stitching merrily away by all our ladies ...Pauline, Emily (1), Lois, Kay, Win, Margaret, Janagi, Isobel, Gaynor, Rachel, Karen, Noelle, Annette, Wally, Elizabeth, Wilma, Tracy, Emily (2), Elizabeth and yours truly ... packed to the seams again!!!

Here we have Kay, Win, Wally and Elizabeth ... now take note of the interesting little thingummys on the back of the sofa behind Kay and Win ... I will mention them at the end of the Blog ... a hint? Think 'Mans best friend' ....

 
... and Noelle joining in with some exchanging of tips ....

  
 And here is Noelle again, with Isobel, Maxine and Beryl ....

Soon it was time for lunch ... and we almost had to have it in two seatings, as I said earlier ... we were packed to the seams ...the queue started here folks!!!

... here's the first sitting ....

.... we parked the munchkins around the corner ....

 
.... and some ate standing up :) 

Now you may have noticed some new faces in these pictures ... and they belong to Jamie and Fiona from Korumburra, the Australian representatives for Chinakidz. They called by to share with us some of what is happening in China at the The Butterfly Homes, the very first Specialist Childrens Hospice for Palliative care in that country.

Here we have Jamie and Fiona, with Matilda and ZhiXia ...two of their four children, as they explain the awesome work that is being done in China for these beautiful children. It was truly thought provoking, emotional and uplifting stuff ... and we were inspired so much to share with you their mission. I have reproduced the brochure  below, and it shows, among other suggestions, that for a donation a cot can be sponsored in the Butterfly Hospice ... this will ensure another place for a child that would otherwise not have the personal care and love that each and every child ... particularly those so very ill, deserve. I have also reproduced the lovely Certificate of Appreciation that they brought with them for us from the Butterfly Hospice after they had received the cot quilts that I showed you in a previous Blog .... remember little 'Peter' the tiny munchkin in his little beanie, under one of our quilts? Well here is their official 'Thank You' ...

 
From Lyn and Alan Gould, Founders of Chinakidz ..... 

I would urge you to visit the website for Chinakidz and do what you can to help them. They are in need of volunteers in many areas, Fiona and Jamie have purchased a special chair for a child with cerebral palsy (the short video of this childs transformation in just 2 short weeks at the Hospice was unbelievable ... what love and attention can do for a traumatised child was just incredible!). They need more funds to enable this chair to be transported to China, they are in need of medical supplies, also someone with accountancy qualifications who is willing to donate their time to assist in setting up fundraising here. So much need ... but the smiles on the childrens faces is worth every cent and every moment that can be spared. 

 
Remember I said earlier that some of Maxines quilts were going somewhere special? Well here they are ... and they are headed to China ... here is Jamie with Maxine, and an armload of fabric 'hugs' for those beautiful kids at the Butterfly Hospice.

Charlotte joined her new first best friend ZhiXia with Maxine, Jamie and Fiona ... and the quilts :)

And here we have Fiona and Jamie, with Matilda, Harry, Joseph and ZhiXia as they prepare to return home, taking our very best wishes with them.

 

Now I also have another request ... and this one is for quilters out there ... I have an email from Dr Joyce Hill, the Director of the New Hope Foundation in Beijing, China. She has asked if we can provide quilts for cribs. There is a special proviso though. 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. Have I confused you enough? No .... ? Good :) The dimensions for the quilts are 30" x 45". All basic colours are needed. So there you go ... get stitching .... and remember ... three quilts all the same fabrics, pieced together differently if you wish to not be too bored.

The website for the New Hope Foundation is:

 http://www.hopefosterhome.com/

And finally ..... bet you have been waiting for this ... I have more pictures of our workbarn, and it is coming along nicely, despite all the obstacles that we have encountered along the way. So .... without further ado ... here are the latest pics!!

From the back ....

.... from the side/front ....

 
..... without quilters ......  
  
  ...... and WITH quilters!!!!

 
And here is Gaynor ... describing the fit-out that will happen inside ... we can't wait!!!! 

And that just about wraps this edition of the Blog up Folks ... but a final thankyou and a recommendation for an awesomely good sewing machine service 'heads up' must go to the Upwey Sewing Centre at 92 Sandells Road, Tecoma ... phone 9754 7326. If you are in the area, and in need of a good servicing for your machine ... we can highly recommend this establishment.

Now our next get-together will be on August 14th, the lunch theme ... (why does it always boil down to food? Because it helps fuel our quilters, that's why!!) ... will be Soup, Rolls and sweets. We start stitching at 9.30 am ... finish at around 3.30 ... and have a heap of fun in between.

And don't forget our marquee at the Tulip Festival in September. We start there on the 21st .... for RSPCA Day ... and on that note .... you should see the brilliant dog coats Gaynor has been making, you can catch a glimpse of them on the back of the sofa in one of the early pics in this Blog. They are velvet, they have ruffled necklines, some are reversible, some are beaded ... all are stunning!!! We are also at the Festival on the 29th and 30th September, and the 2nd and 3rd of October. Look forward to seeing you there. We will have quilts and other items for sale ... the proceeds of which will be ploughed into buying batting and other quilting supplies for our quilts for orphans. And of course I need hardly remind you that we are doing this for the children in the COM Homes in India, as well as the FreeToBeKids Foundation, also in India ... and Chinakidz in .... China!!!

And don't forget, you can contact us by emailing:

Rachel .... rachelbreukel@bigpond.com or phone 9767 7375

or Susan ... shamilton@aanet.com.au or phone 9737 1825

or phone Gaynor ... on 9756 7950

With blessings and thanks to all who support us ... and till next I write ...

Susan

 ... who will now add a VERY SMALL picture of herself ... as Tracy took it and will sulk otherwise ... just to prove I am anything but a ghost writer!!

There you go Tracy .... satisfied??  :)

 
 
 Other useful Links to those we support ... and those who support us .... are below:

www.com.org.au

www.tulipfestival.com.au

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

www.chinakidz.org

http://freetobekids.org/ 

http://mellyandme.typepad.com  for individual and beautifully crafted childrens patterns and quilting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  

  

The Thoughtful Threesome and their 100 fold gift ... more of our workbarn as it 'grows' ...and some coats for hot diggity dogs!!!

Hello again .... and as well as an update on our workbarn as it continues to take shape .. I have a special Thank You to 3 very special friends from Ringwood ... who have just completed their second awesome batch of quilt tops for us, which take their contribution to an even 100!!! How brilliant is that???

As Gaynor was overseeing the concrete pour at our Workbarn on June 28th she had visitors in the shape of Val and her friend from Ringwood ... two of the 'Three Friends' who have been busily stitching away for us, making quilt tops for the children in the COM Homes. They had previously made 40 tops ... and have now outdone themselves with a further 60. Quite an achievement!!! They also donated some lovely fabric, which had already been stacked away by the time I appeared with my camera ... the next time it will see the light of day it will be incorporated into a quilt for a lucky child in India or China .... and I am sure you will see the pictures here :)

 
All neatly stitched, folded and stacked .... this box is full of some stunners ... as you will see below!!

 
Imagine how much pleasure this quilt will give a child ... so much to see ... and so very colourful!!

 
An interesting formation ... and some lovely fabrics in this one .... 

.... and this, I thought, had a lovely "Oriental' feel about it .....

 
These ladies have a knack for thinking 'outside the square', each quilt differently pieced together ...

I found this one particularly lovely .... only wish I had the skills to produce something so clever ....

Would love to be able to showcase each of the 60 .... but think I would be here forever putting the pictures up. Am sure, however, that the 'Three Friends' will see more of their stitcheries featured when they return from being quilted .... in the meantime, a grateful Thank You from QFO to them ... for their wonderful kindness in stitching for us. We look forward to thanking them personally when they are able to join us one Working Bee day ... perhaps at our glorious 'Workbarn Opening which will be held a little way down the track'?

Speaking of the Workbarn ... here are some up-to-date pictures of where it is 'at' now ... really taking shape isn't it?

Don't panic ... there will be an actual outside staircase for us to access the mezzanine floor ... the ladder is only temporary ... this is the view from the back of the barn ....

And from the inside looking out .....

 
.... and this is the front ... really starting to take shape nicely now, isn't it?

I think there may well be some jostling for the spot under the window here ... a lovely place to set up your sewing machine!!! This is the window directly above the front door ....

Gaynor and Reg are creating a path to lead to the front of the barn so that we don't get muddy in winter ...

 Another view of the upper floor ... so much room for storage here ... and we will be sure to use every bit!

 It's OK ladies, they are only visiting not planning a takeover, this is a 'Girly Shed', Gaynor assures me ....

 
The timberwork seen here will soon be part of the interior framework necessary for attaching the plasterboard lining. The interior of the lower floor will be all open plan, to maximise the usable space and allow room for our quilting machine ....  

So there you have it ... another step closer to being able to give Gaynor and Reg back the inside of their home ... cannot wait to see it all completed and furnished, ready for us to use for our quiltmaking :)

Now while I have been busy Blogging, Gaynor has been having an absolute stitching frenzy ... making the most brilliant Doggie Couture wear imagineable!! And here are a few pictures ... couldn't source a real dog, but made do with one of Charlottes toy pooches ... the effect is similar. These coats will be available for sale at our marquee at the Tulip Festival on September 21st .... RSPCA Day. Aren't they stunning??

The one in the foreground is reversible ..... the centre one (on pooch) is black velvet .... for 'After 5' wear :)

 
An Elizabethan feel about this one ... complete with beading .... isn't it beautiful?

 
For the 'Sports Mutt' in your life ..... all geared up for the next World Cup ....

This is the black velvet number .... would look lovely on a Wee Scottie ....

This is the reversible coat ... all these coats would be suitable for smaller dogs ... such as Maltese-ShihTzu or similar.

Another reversible little number ... also comes in a slighly larger size, as you can see ....

And there you have it so far ... another 'arm' of our fundraising for our QFO project. Now don't forget to come see us at the Tulip Festival ... we would love to be able to show you the quilts which we will be selling to raise funds, the carrybags ... the doggie coats ... and many other beautifully crafted items. All proceeds going straight back into funding our Quilts for Orphans. As I mentioned in the previous Blog entry, we are now making quilts for 4 different childrens Homes, so will be kept busy stitching for quite some time to come. As long as there is a need, we will do our very best to meet it with a fabric 'hug'.

And please remember our awesome builder, David Higgins, we are still keen to make good the loss of his trailer of tools ... so very necessary for him to pursue his trade. He has so very generously, and freely,  given of his time to erect our workbarn ... only to have his trailer stolen from our site ... with all his tools on board. So we are asking still for donations in the form of tools, Bunnings, Bowens or Mitre 10 gift vouchers to help replace that which was taken.

Please feel free to contact us for further details on what you can do to help us ... either in our quiltmaking, or to help David ...  we may be reached on the numbers below ...

Gaynor Peterson .... 9756 7950

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

Rachel Breukel ... 9767 7375 or rachelbreukel@bigpond.com

And please do not forget that we have an incredible amount of furnishing suede fabric available for sale ... stunning wedding/debutante dresses ... all part of our fundraising ... and all available to view by contacting Gaynor.

Our next Working bee will be on August 14th ... look forward to sharing more with you then ...so till next Blog ... thank you so very much for your support, encouragement and donations ...

And whilst I mention supporters ... I will share Links to the people we are connected with .... please take the time to view their sites too ...

www.chinakidz.org .... the Butterfly Childrens Hospice in China ... for palliative care...

www.freetobekids.org/- .... rescuing children from slavery in India ...

www.com.org.au ..... our very own Christian Outreach Ministry ....

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

http://mellyandme.typepad.com .... for creative childrens patterns....

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

Blessings to all...

Susan

Ferntree Gully, Belgrave Mail | Star News Group Local community news

Just out this week Folks ... our article in the Local Community Newspaper concerning the recent theft of our wonderful helper David Higgins trailer and tools  ... click on the Link to view the article ....

Ferntree Gully, Belgrave Mail | Star News Group Local community news.

Susan