Welcome to our Spring 2008 update folks, Rachel has asked me to bring you up to date with our progress ... so here goes :)
We have been sooooo busy since our last Post, quilt, quilt, quilting, and this week we will be sending 152 more quilts to India, this adds to the 30 quilts we sent last year (which wrapped an entire orphanage) .... the smiles at this end from our keen quilters will surely be matched by the smiles from the children receiving this new shipment. As Rachel has indicated, we aim to give every child in each of our Homes a quilt, so that they may have something between themselves and the concrete floor that they are at present sleeping on. We are SO fortunate in this Lucky Country, that it comes as a shock to realise that there are children in the world going to sleep each night without even a covering over them. How could we not want to change this?
Here are just some of our quilters .... including Kelly, who initially responded to our article in the Patchwork and Stitching Yearbook (Vol 8 #3) earlier this year, volunteered to quilt some of our finished stitcheries .... and who is now (together with her twins Adam and Hayden) part of our team. A wonderful contribution from a very busy lady and a welcome addition indeed to our group.
Here we have Helen and Alice attaching the bindings to some quilts that are, even as I type, now on their way to India.
And here we have Jenni handfinishing the bindings to the quilts.
....... and Pauline .... ever smiling as she does the same :)
and not forgetting Inge of course ..... another of our dedicated stitchers :)
Gaynor and Rachel continue to provide so much encouragement as we work at creating the childrens quilts. We are indeed blessed to be a part of this project that sprang from their loving hearts, and I know that I certainly look forward to our alternating 'Show and Tell' and Working Bee get togethers.
Busy, busy, busy hands .... and generous hearts ... just some of our team of stitchers at a typical Working Bee day.
The hospitality provided by this mother and daughter team is just awesome ... they give, give, give in so many ways. From the always warm greeting and hug when we arrive, thru to the provision of refreshments, the encouragement for our efforts, the new quilting ideas they give ... I could go on forever ... they are an inspiration to us all..... blessings to you both ladies!!
And here they are at the 'Greeting and Farewelling Spot' ..... don't they make a charming pair?
Reg and Gaynor ..... our 'Catering Corp' .... Reg makes a mean curry :)
A well earned break as we welcome some of the Careforce team to break bread with us and learn more about our project
We continue to welcome 'Newbies' such as Tracy, who has progressed from being a self-confessed non-sewer to an eager beaver who is now the proud owner of at least 4 quilting books and regularly meets with her mother to piece together quilts. She delights in describing to me the fabrics that she has obtained for the quilts and I know that I am looking forward to our next Show and Tell .... I just KNEW she would become addicted ... and she has!! Way to go Tracy!!
Here we have Tracy, with her friend Kathryn, 'doing the math' for bindings on a quilt
Robyn, who came on crutches after a hip operation and could hardly wait to get back into the swing of things ... what an inspiration to us all!! And when it got too much for her, she sneaked in 40 winks when she thought I wasn't looking :)
Bernie who stitched and stitched and stitched ... and then stitched some more!!
Reg .... Rachels Dad .... (and Gaynors hubby of course!) who is on hand as official refreshment tester, always there to ensure the comestibles are indeed tasty :) Where would we be without him? And grandchildren Charlotte and Tom who are always ready with sewing tips and big smiles :)
Here is Joy ... having time out for a cuddle with Charlotte, our littlest helper :)
Rachel, since our last update, has mastered our wonderful 'gifting' of the quilting machine. She is rumoured to have given the local Postman a deal of visual entertainment mid-winter, when she was going full steam ahead one morning on the chilly verandah, rugged up in multiple layers of clothing to ward off the cold when he did his mail delivery. Apparently she was quite the fashion plate .... beanies, scarves,tracky dacks,skirts,jumpers and all!! Wish I'd seen the look on his face :)
Here she is on a slightly warmer day ... showing us her prowess on the 'big beastie' ... looks like fun, doesn't it? We are still in awe of the generosity that led to the donation of this machine .... God was certainly listening to us when we prayed for this blessing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We are now also blessed indeed to have been promised funding to obtain batting for our quilts, this will enable us to really power ahead with the completion of many more quilts sooner rather than later. The batting has been a major difficulty to obtain ....... generous as many folk and companies have been (and continue to be) with their donations of fabric and thread, the batting is a quilt 'ingredient' that we have found next to impossible to source gratis. Thank you, thank you, thank you C.O.M Ministry :)
And whilst on the subject of "Thank you for your generosity and kindness" we must not forget to warmly thank the following companies who have opened their hearts ... and their fabric stashes for our project ... they have been absolutely wonderful and my words alone cannot begin to convey the appreciation and gratitude that we owe them ..... may they be richly blessed indeed for all that they have enabled us to achieve for the children we are ministering to with our QFO project.
Leutenegger
Max New
Birch Crafts
A Day in the Country
Macs Crafts
Sheila Cafferky from Birch Crafts who kindly donated a bootload of wadding for our project on the day this snap was taken .
Here Gaynor shows pictures of some of the children who have already been able to snuggle under our quilts to our COM Ministry team.
Now to 'up the efforts' with our prayers for a shed large enough to house the quilting machine and our team of volunteers, as well as all our bits'n'bobs. Then Gaynor may finally be able to call her house her own again ... and we will have a permanent place for our endeavours. We will be able then to drop by at times other than our regular get-togethers for a sewing session and give Gaynor a little well earned respite. How wonderful will that be :) We know that somewhere out there is a shed large enough and appropriate enough that just wants to come and live with us .... it just hasn't worked out how to get to us yet ... but we are sure it will.
Now this is the ONLY time you will see me ironing ... up till now I have always said it's mens work (well it is in MY house !!!) But somehow it doesn't seem like work when it's for a good cause like quilting for orphans :)
And finally ........we welcome more volunteers to this project, we are most grateful for every new pair of hands and willing heart that find their way to us.We can promise you many wonderful shared moments as we work toward being able to wrap each and every orphan in our Homes in a quilt that has love in every stitch.
Please contact us if you are able to contribute in any way, shape or form to our stitching endeavours
Rachel may be contacted at P.O Box 170 Monbulk Victoria 3793, Phone 0400 587 087 or email [email protected]
... you will be assured of a grateful and heartfelt welcome .... until next time, blessings to all who read this ...
Susan