Blessings received ... and blessings gifted to others. July/August 2023

Well gentle Reader ... here I am again with more pictures and news of recent QFO incoming and outgoing fabric hugs ... as well as some inspired handicraft stitcheries from our talented Members. So grab a cuppa and enjoy this brief update.

Our longtime QFO member Christine has not been idle in recent times and has made more magnificent table runners. One runner is made from some of the many orphan blocks stored at the Hall. 

 

And Julianne delivered some beautiful craft to the Hall this past week. Gorgeous tote bags, natty drink coasters and her famous pin cushions and equally popular pin dolls and pin cats. Very welcome items for our Spring fundraising events.

 

Our QFO Member Sandra Brazier has introduced Nola from Queensland to our Group as an offsite stitcher ... and here are three of Nolas gifted fabric 'hugs' and a lovely note to introduce her to our group of willing supporters.

 

Lovely work Nola and ever so many thanks for your kindness to us and to those who will be blessed by these beautiful quilts. 

 

Next fabric 'cab off the rank' so to speak .. is Irene and her handiwork. Irene creatively added and embroidered the cute animals to one of the many incomplete quilts stored at the hall and was clearly very pleased with the result.

Shortly afterwards trainee Gammill Operator Sharon beautifully quilted them! It won’t belong before it will join the lovely inventory of cot quilts ready to gift to a deserving child .

 

Our member Ida has been very busy too. As the following pictures demonstrate.

 

 

Ida traces her embroidered characters from children’s colouring books. Simple idea but perfectly appliquéd.

 

 

Our Cheryl has not been letting her machine gather dust either ... she sent me pictures of her handiwork ... including a delightful piece she created with a jelly roll I was able to pass onto her from a friend earlier in the year (thanks Janet) Cheryl is an absolute whizz with small piecings and has made some beautiful fabric hugs over the years. These ones are destined for the Lifes Little Treasures ministry. 

And now I come to the part where we bless others further afield with our handiwork ... please read on ...

Billanook year 11 students and 3 teachers came to visit us at the Hall last Tuesday 25/7/23. The students have to raise $10,000 each to be able to go on the volunteer working trip to Thailand in September. There they will help construct some new buildings in a village school. Besides devouring Annette’s and Christine’s scone’s, they chose 23 single and 14 cot quilts to personally give to a child in the village.

 

It is lovely to renew our association with Billanook after a far too long break for the students to travel and gift quilts to children overseas. We calculate it was 2015 when Joy Black suggested the Billanook students take QFO quilts on their volunteer trips. We have framed photos from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and now newly presented framed photos from 2019.  May our partnership with Billanook continue for many years to come.

There will be a more comprehensive story in the STAR Mail this Tuesday 1/8/23 and distributed throughout the Yarra Valley. Online the following week.

And that wraps up this Blogpost. I look forward to sharing with you again after our August gathering at the Hall. In the interim, if you've not already subscribed to our Newsletter and want in-between Blog updates as to our bits'n'bobs ... wander over to our website at https://www.quiltsfororphans.org and follow the 'prompts' to subscribe. Simples :)

Till next Blog, blessings to all and thank you to our supporters, we truly do appreciate you all.

Susan

Contact us via our Website : www.quiltsfororphans.org 

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

email: [email protected]

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

And .... we are www.quiltsfororphans.org 

On 'social media'  aka Facebook find us at https://www.facebook.com/QuiltsForOrphans/

Check out the following Links:

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

https://lifeslittletreasures.org.au

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

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

We have also stitched 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

www.jewelsofhope.org ... the project we stitch for in Lesotho Southern Africa

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

http://elishacare.blogspot.com.au/

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

The Matombo Village Project vimeo.com/217129149