September Blogpost ..... gosh the year has flown!!!

Well here I am at last ... with all the news and photos from our September gathering at the Barn. Have been provided with notes from the day and will now attempt to create a post worthy of the efforts of Deborah and Gaynor who have kindly provided the 'absent on the day' blogger with notes and USB. So without further ado ... here goes :)

Present on the day were Gaynor, Deborah, Jenny, Yvonne, Christine, Val, Sandi, Maxine, Carol, Alice and Julie. 

Firstly ... remember all those tote bags we have been making for Tannar Island? well check out these photos ... and the email I got from Gaynor about them ... pretty wonderful response I think you will agree. 

25 bags were delivered to Tannar Island Vanuatu by a young man travelling by himself. Lovely photos have been received.  Last week another 165 were delivered to Samaritans Purse to be put into the Christmas shoe boxes. These will be sent to many places in the Pacific area eg - Vanuatu, PNG & Figi.   When the children open the box with all their gifts they will have their very own bag to carry them all in.   The lady in charge was so impressed with the bags - good workmanship.

Always awesome to receive positive feedback for our efforts ... do any of our stitchers recognise a bag they have made?? 

Now ... from stitching going 'out' .. we move onto stitchings coming 'in'. Our very welcome and beautiful donations. Firstly, from longtime supporter Julia Ozolins .... three gorgeous quilt tops.

Aren't they gorgeous? Thank you so very much Julia, your quilt tops are, as always, just beautiful. Such a pleasure to gaze upon!!

Now ... from Carmen Diefenbach in Tasmania, this stunning quilt top, Gaynor was particularly impressed by the incredible and perfectly blanket stitched buterflies. Such wonderful work Carmen. And thank you so much for choosing us to be the fortunate recipient of your efforts. We certainly look forward with anticipation to whatever future 'giftings' you choose to send us. 

Now, from the Grainshed Church in Swan Hill, we received some awesome donated items ... lovely tote bags :)

And many quilt tops too .... thank you so very much ladies ... your generosity enables us to help cover so many with quilts.

Now .... from Kay, who used to stitch with us regularly, until she 'upped sticks' and relocated two years ago. She arrived, bearing gifts in the form of 31 quilt tops!! Amaaaazing effort and SO appreciated Kay. Wish I'd been there to thank you personally, cannot wait to check them (and all our other giftings  next month!     

I spy some of Kays 'trademark' dramatic black sashings too!!

A last minute entry of fabric donations, received this weekend & very welcome too. Firstly from Liz Curtis (Yarra Ranges Craft Hub)

And from Chelsea Aldridge, also from the Craft Hub, another box of fabric.Both these donations will soon resurface as quilts :)

Thank you both so very much Liz and Chelsea ... donations such as these are always welcome and enable us to create even more quilts for places around the globe. Watch the Blog in months to come and see if you can spy your fabric in our quilts :)

Now, from our very own Sandi, who always turns out perfectly pieced and colour coordinated quilt tops ... this stunner!

Now onto the happy snaps of the dedicated stitchers who graced the Barn earlier this month, Maxine, Carol, Alice and Julie. Our handstitching corner is always well patronised and a perfect spot to stitch and chat as the sunshine streams through the windows.

Christine, Yvonne and the meticulous measurer Jenny .... always great at working out the math needed for perfect piecing.

Val .... who actually looks like she enjoys ironing ... that's soooo crazy!!

And when she is not ironing ... she is expertly stitching quilt tops and bindings on her machine .. as is our Sandi in the background.

 

And dear reader, that just about wraps up this months Blogpost, hope it was worth your waiting :) We meet up again at the Barn on the second Saturday of October (by my calendar that makes it October 8th. Our last gathering before our annual Quilt Fair weekend in November. Gosh we WILL be busy in the interim.

Our lunch 'Theme' will be  'Build your own Subway' ... cost will be in the vicinity of $5 from memory and many tasty fillings will be available to fill the many fresh rolls with. Have to keep the quilters well nourished eh?

I look forward to Blogging for you again soon after, and in the interim will post our usual helpful contact details and Links for your perusal. Blessings to all till next time ...

Susan

Gaynor Peterson ...phone (03)9756 7950

email: [email protected]

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

email: [email protected]

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

Check out the following Links:

http://www.facebook.com/Chelseaonesock .... for delightful retro fabric childrens clothing

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

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

 http://mrsmartinsquiltshop.typepad.com/  ...whose customer blessed us with awesome fabric

We also stitch for the following Childrens Homes ....

http://www.butterflych.org/.... for news about the Butterfly Palliative Care hospice in China

And their very own Blog ... which is beautifully written and contains inspirational stories on the children in their care. See the Link below:

http://butterflyhospice.blogspot.com.au/

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

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

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

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

http://english.chinaconcern.org/  ... more children in China that we have stitched for ...

http://www.lolachildrensfund.org/ .... in Ethiopia

http://www.fikelela.org.za/orphan.asp .... the Fikelala AIDS Project in Capetown

http://mifanmama.com/Shining_Star_2.html the Home for vision impaired children in Shanghai

http://www.austchamshanghai.com/about-us/csr/mifan-mama.aspx

http://www.thebabesproject.com.au/

 http://elishacare.blogspot.com.au/

http://rangescc.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/elisha-care/

https://jewelsofhope.wordpress.com/partners/