Quilts For Orphans

And before we knew it ... August was here .... and we were 'going bananas' at the Hall.

Well here we are again Folks ... and isn't the year just whizzing by?

We gathered at the Hall on Saturday August 10th for a day of stitching with a 'theme'. We were creating a QAYG quilt which will be part of a 'gifting' of 50 quilts from QFO to organisations in the Shire of Yarra Ranges. These will be given in turn to folk in need. As a 'back story' .. if you've seen our QFO Newsletter ... we  were recently blessed to be in receipt of a Grant from the Shire ... which was applied for by QFO/Libby and which will help meet some of the costs we incur as part of our Mission to provide fabric 'hugs' for those requiring comfort. So a very grateful Thank You to the SYR for their generosity. These quilts will be on display at Mont De Lancey in November ... before being gifted to the various organisations for delivery to those in need.

Thus with this project in mind ...  on Saturday we met with a 'theme' of 'Gone Bananas' .. and which saw us having a Makers Marathon creating a quilt with a cheery yellow colour theme. Helping us to create this quilt we welcomed our stitchers Annette, Sandi, Libby, Christine, Margaret, Sheryl, Yvonne, Cheryl, Lauretta, Kathy and Elaine.

As you can see ... Annette created an appropriate 'welcome' at the door for those attending ;)

Part of the colour palette of fabric strips we were using.

Lauretta busily stitching away ...

Christine and Margaret equally well occupied ... I think that Christine was busily finishing off last months QAYG project.

Sheryl also hard at work ... :) And in the background at the right .. you can start to see the QAYG in progress.

Annette at the ironing 'station' ... keeping us well supplied with fabric strips.

Yvonne having a breather ... it was approaching lunchtime I believe and she'd earnt some downtime :)

And ditto for Sandi ...

We were also able to share some recent donations ... this one came to us from the FernTree Gully Volunteer Quilters.who passed them onto us via Karen Martin at Mrs Martins Quilts. Thank you so very much for your kindness.

Not too sure of the 'history' of this one .. but the applique is magnificent I think you'll agree.

We also received some lovely stitched blessings from our own Members Elaine, Marg, Sandi and Christine. These items will be part of our fundraising sales when we have our upcoming presence at 'Fairs Fair' at the Truth and Liberation Church in Bayswater on October 19th  ... and we will also be at Mont De Lancey between November 2nd and 10th.

Isn't this fabric so much fun?

Another block begins :)

Taking shape almost as we watch it ..

And 'some I prepared earlier' ... for the Tuesday stitchers :) You're very welcome :)

A veritable hive of activity ..

Giftings getting ready to be despatched ... Its beyond wonderful to be able to report that we have recently gifted:

10 lap quilts to Palliative Care

90 cot quilts to the Queen Elizabeth Centre

26 lap quilts to Kirkbrae Aged Care

18 quilts to Cottage by the Sea

3 single and 12 Cot quilts to the Philippines 'Change the One'

The gifting we sent to Kirkbrae this week with Cheryl. Thanks muchly for doing delivery duty Cheryl :)

And our shelves are looking beautifully almost 'bare' ... a goodly sign that we have blessed more and more organisations with our fabric hugs :)

So good to know that as blessings have been received ... they have also been despatched. Oh what a feeling eh?

And ... Saturdays project has almost magically come together. Doesn't it look SO cheerful?

Libby and Annette tell me that quilts have recently been gifted to Palliative care and Oz Comfort Quilts. We are also making more pillowcases for Heavenly Trimmings .... an organisation established in 2015 which benefits children living with chronic illness. See their website at https://heavenlytrimmings.com 

Libby and Annette will be speaking soon at the Berwick Church of Christ Seniors Group .... letting them know all about QFO and what we have been doing since we began waaaay back in 2007. They will also soon be part of a Lilydale Rotary and the Order of Australia Association Outer Eastern Region broadcast which will be airing on Youtube in the not too distant future, speaking about our organisation and what we do. A queue for their autographs as media superstars can form behind me *wink*

And I think, dear Reader, that just about wraps up the Blog for August ... think I covered pretty much everything I was tasked with. And if I haven't ... well I can always add another Blogpost ... right? 

Till then,

Many blessings

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

Our July get together at the Hall .... and we had an unexpected visitor ..... ;)

Just popping this image here which should resonate with the ladies who joined us in the Hall on Saturday :)

But firstly I'll do the 'Roll Call' of those who came by to sew with us and enjoy the friendship and good company that was to be found on the day in Hoddles Creek.

We welcomed Annette, Pauline, Christine, Yvonne, Carmen, Kathy, Jennifer, and not one ... but two ... Margarets'.plus yours truly. A small but industrious team who soon set to work putting the finishing touches on the 'Pink variation' of the QAYG quilt that was started by our Tuesday stitchers. And for those interested in the Blue one that was put together LAST month by our Saturday stitchers ... here it is ... to to 'set the scene' as it were. Just needed the binding attached and it's done and dusted.

And the pink blocks ....

.... are coming together like THIS  .... exact 'placement' still in the works.

 

The finished quilt effect will be a different look to the Blue version ... variety being the spice of life as they say.

Margaret busy with precut joining strips for the pink blocks ... and the BIGGEST coffee cup to help keep her fuelled ;)

Meanwhile Yvonne was showing Carmen more of the 'ropes' involved with keeping the Gammill humming along nicely.

A short break for a morning cuppa ... and it looks like our blue QAYG has actually been finished ... doesn't it look good?

Meanwhile ... as she was searching for a specific piece of fabric ... Carmen discovered a 'visitor' who hadn't exactly signed in to join us on the day. Hence the opening picture at the top of this Blog. A little microbat had found its way in and Annette was soon able to return it outdoors. The jury was 'out' as to whether it was like the Monty Python parrot and merely 'pining for the fjords' or had 'ceased to be'. I prefer to think of it as just napping ;)

Later on the day a companion bat made its way inside and flew about for a bit ... fortunately well above head height and was eventually ushered out. Oh the joys of being out in the countryside eh?

Kathy, in the interim, was having a heart to heart with a slightly recalcitrant machine that was giving no joy. Fortunately we do have spare machines .. and so this one will be booked in for a looksee before returning to duty.

And here we have Margaret #2 busy at work ... with a smile as always.

An overview of our little hive (or as it seemed for a while .. a 'batcave' of activity) on Saturday ;)

I think I tried to catch Bat #2 in action ... but gosh he/she moved quickly. Perhaps its the wee black dot silhouetted against the wall near the right overhead light?

And just to keep us busy toward the end of the day ... this is what happens when a tub of fabric strips gets knocked over :)

And that pretty much winds up this short but sweet Blogpost. Libby has created a Newsletter which I think should be available to read on our Website detailing our quilt 'giftings' as well as news of our upcoming AGM in September and our Event at Mont De Lancey in November. 

Now to get back down to my sewing room to start creating some bits 'n' bobs for November.

Till next Blog .. many blessings and may your bobbins always be full and your needles sharp ... and your scissors ONLY ever used for fabric ;)

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

And .... in the blink of an eye ... it was ... June :) and a 'marathon' effort at the Hall. Plus ... a new way to fundraise for QFO.

No sooner had I despatched our May Blog into cyberspace ... than it was time to buckle down and choof the June Blog into production. Time flies when the weather outside is inclement and going for a walk is off the agenda. So here I am again ... with more 'content' .... enjoy. 

Our June Gathering Day at the Hoddles Creek hall got off to a good start. Present and correct on Saturday the 8th were: Annette, Libby, Christine, Yvonne, Pauline, Margaret (times 2) Lauretta, Elaine and yours truly ...

We were entrusted with the 'Challenge' of creating a QAYG quilt as a mini Makers Marathon team effort. And soon the machines were humming .... after Libby had given us a quick run-down on the process.

Libby had 'prepped' a swag of squares with wadding affixed to the back ... and it was going to be our job to cover the batting 'front' with striped pieces of various widths (to keep it interesting) on the other side. And at the end of the day ... join these quilted b locks together to make a whole quilt.

We also had a special 'gizmo thingummy' with which to create border 'joiny' strips to finish it all off. Don't you love how I manage to segue into tech talk like the quilting whizz that I am? No? Well it gets better ... just you wait and see ;)

And ... it's Australian Made ... what's not to love about that eh?

And awaaaay we go ..... with the 'phantom hand' selecting strips in the chosen yellow/blue colourway of the planned project.

A perfect use for all those smaller pieces of fabric and looks SO effective when all put together. Waste not want not :)

Annette ironing the 'joiny' bits ....

Lauretta and Christine trimming blocks ...

And Libby doing likewise ...

Margaret doing some slicing and dicing ...

Pauline ... busy as can be ...

Aaaand .... another Margaret ... am I confusing anyone yet?

Ta-daaaah Pauline ...

Yvonne meanwhile ... slaving over a hot Gammill ...

Lauretta ... grabbing more supplies ....

A break for some tasty comestibles .... aka lunch and snacky bits.

Elaine dropped in to collect some more fabric .... 

Libby snatched the camera whilst I was distracted ... probably unpicking <lol>

All coming together very nicely ...

 And then all of a sudden the umpire called 'stumps' or the QFO equivalent and it was time to down tools and poodle off home. All in all a day well spent, with laughter and a lot achieved. I believe the word on the streets was that the Tuesday ladies were going to be doing a QAYG in shades of pink ... I look forward to seeing how it turns out. 

And that Folks ... is a wrap .... except for one more thing (if I can transfer it from email to Blog) a new fundraising initiative that you can all participate in for minimum effort ... 

                                                  Container Deposit Scheme 

Quilts for Orphans is now registered to receive donations through the Container Deposit Scheme!
CDS Vic provides a 10-cent refund for every eligible drink container returned at refund points across Victoria. We are registered in the East Victoria Zone at Return IT refund collections and in the North Victoria Zone at Visy refund collections.

Every bottle, can and carton you return, you can choose to donate to Quilts for Orphans.
Keep the lids on and don’t crush the containers!
Click here to find a location near you to drop off: https://cdsvic.org.au/locations
Our QFO Zone ID Barcode is

You can save the image of the barcode to your phone and then at the donation point, you scan the barcode. Quilts for Orphans will come up on the screen, then you just add the bottles and cans in one by one and the donation will go direct to us!

And that dear Reader .. is a wrap for the Blog in this edition ... I look forward to sharing with you again after our July get together .. and I'm sure that there will be lots to show you. Till then...

Many blessings,

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

Mayday Mayday …. and Libby’s coverage of our May Day … aka ‘Debs Day’.

I had taken a ‘Sabbatical on our Gathering Day in May due to the arrival of our second grandchild (and no, I won’t bore you with baby spam … I save that to inflict on my personal FB audience 😉 … so the editorial ‘reins’ were handed over to the very capable Libby … who emailed me the following .. please enjoy:

                                Gathering Day – Saturday May 11

For our May Gathering Day blog – it’s been a case of better late than never!!
It’s Libby here writing this one and a burst pipe in an upstairs bathroom causing water damage in the bathroom and laundry below has taken up my time over the past few weeks!! The curve balls in life – hey!! Never mind, it could have been a great deal worse 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️!!

                                 Back to QFO and Saturday May 11!!

Deb, Deb’s sister Felicity, Yvonne, Carmen, Marg, Jennifer, Pauline, Sandi, Annette, Lauretta, Libby and hubby David had a busy day in the hall! We enjoyed a lovely lunch – soups and bread – (thank you to Annette and her grand-daughter) to thank Deb for all her work she has done to promote QFO in the local and extended community. She has maintained a market presence – which is a huge effort! With her skills and experience, Deb set the foundations for us to become incorporated, as well as all the behind the scenes work to secure the lease of the Hoddles Creek Hall. Deb is taking a slight change of direction stepping down from doing markets to now mastering ‘Gertie’ – our Gammill longarm quilting machine to quilt the quilt tops! She is continuing to do the maintenance and security liaison!
Thank you, Deb, we would not be where we are today, in continuing the journey of Gaynors QFO Ministry, without all your efforts, expertise and skills!

And to finish off this blogpost …. Libby has sent me the following image ..

                   Quilting with Gertie (our longarm quilting machine)

Yvonne has a new Gammill graduate – Sharon, one of the Tuesday ladies!
Congratulations Sharon!

Blessings to all ….. Libby. 

And now I’ll poodle off to start creating our June Blogpost … watch this space 😉 Susan. 

February 2024 ..... and we start a fresh new year of stitching and gifting from our Hall.

Welcome to the first Gathering Day Blog update ... and what a lovely day of stitching and sharing was had at the Hall in Hoddles Creek as we got together to refresh and enjoy the companionship of our QFO members.

Present on Saturday we had the company of Yvonne, Libby, Christine, Cheryl, Annette, Deborah, Carmen, Margaret, Sandi, Isobel, myself ... and a surprise and most welcome visit from one of our founding members Joy ... such a delight to see her again and make up for lost time with many heartfelt hugs. Apologies from our Sheryl who is presently recovering from a shoulder 'refurb' but will hopefully be well enough to rejoin us very soon. Heal well Sheryl.

A few items of interest to our readers .. grab your trusty calendars and make a note ... on Monday (tomorrow) our Libby will be hosting a gathering at the Hall of the 'Mates on Monday' group from Discovery Church in Mount Evelyn.  These visitors will be having their morning tea get together at QFO 'Headquarters' to see and hear firsthand what we do with our little Ministry and see our wonderful workspace as well as the fabric 'hugs' which are created here for the benefit of those we gift them to. Do hope they'll be inspired by our story and the lives we have been blessed to serve.

Then, this coming Wednesday Libby will once again put on her QFO 'hat' and chat with the presenter of 'Choice Tunes' between 2-3 pm at Yarra Valley FM (99.1 on your radio dial). Libby will be referencing 'songs that bring back memories' for herself and just why these tunes resonate with her. Promises to be a good listen indeed. 

And .... in two weeks time QFO will have a presence at the Draught Horse Festival at historic Mont De Lancey in Wandin. We will have a display of our quilts as well as craft items for sale ... and with Mothers Day not too far away (and we all know just how time flies) this will be a great opportunity for a little retail therapy for a good cause.

All funds that we raise go directly back into the purchase of supplies in order for us to be able to make more 'gifting quilts' for those in need. As we know, much fabric and supplies are gifted to us from welcome 'destashing' from our public followers .. but the batting which is the inner 'sandwich filling' of a quilt is a costly ingredient and we also find ourselves purchasing backing fabric in toning colours to 'set off' our quilts to their best advantage. Hence the need for our couple of fundraisers per year. We truly do appreciate the support from the wider community for our efforts and thank you all in advance. 

 

 

And now for a few candid snaps taken on Saturday at the Hall ... to show our dedicated team of stitchers in action ... 

Yvonne and Cheryl busy on the Gammill machine at the back of our workspace ..with Margaret and Sandi stitching away at our workstation set-up.

Annette busily driving the ironing board.

Our gorgeous Joy .... so very good to see her again ...

Christine .... always smiling ....

Libby doing Admin 'wotsits' on the computer ... 

Followed by a little pin 'sorting' ... separating the regular pins from the quilting pins.

I kept out of mischief by creating some tea bag 'wallets' for the Mont De Lancey QFO presence in a few weeks.

These bindings aren't going to attach themselves .... right? So Christine gets down to business ....

And Sandi .... another smiling face .... who does a mammoth drive from down on the Peninsula to join us ... :)

And that, dear reader, is a wrap .... till next update .... I look forward to more sharing with you as news comes to hand. Now its getting a tad warm at the laptop ... a blistering warm day as summer finally hits Melbourne with a bit of a vengeance. So I'll hit the 'save and send' but on my trusty laptop and get this out into cyberspace with alacrity before I melt.

Many blessings,

Susan

 

 

And a warm QFO welcome to 2024 .... as we look forward to another wonderful year of stitching and gifting.

Well here we are again ... a fresh year unfolding before us and a myriad of opportunities to stitch and bless others under the 'banner' of our QFO Mission Statement .. wrapping those in need of a hug in one of our 'handmade with love' quilts.

A quick 'review' of the pre festive season 'activity' undertaken by QFO happened in mid-November .. details and Link below for your listening enjoyment.

On November 15, Deb and Libby were interviewed about Quilts for Orphans by Alan Collier on the Community Connections program at Yarra Valley FM Community Radio. Here’s a link to the podcast - https://podcasts.yarravalleyfm.org.au/ep/693

And Libby will be back at Yarra Valley FM for a Choice Tunes interview on Wednesday February 14 from 2 – 3pm. Please do tune in :)

.And ..  before I go further I am happy to share with you a little of what our busy, busy, busy Libby has had under her needle over the holiday break. She has certainly been more than a little well occupied on the quilting machine as you can see. Well done Libby ... big round of applause.

I'm in receipt of our latest QFO Newsletter and I'll do a 'cheeky' cut and paste of a little of where some of our quilts have gone recently ... with a Link to the wonderful organisation we were able to bless with our handiwork. Fresh Blog content will hit cyberspace after our February Gathering Day.

24 cot quilts were delivered to Beijing in January – they are now on their way to Maria’s Big House of Hope in Henan province, a paediatric palliative care facility providing love and medical care for orphans with special needs.

Maria’s Big House of Hope was named in honour of Maria Sue, the youngest daughter of Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman who passed away in a tragic accident in 2008. Steven is a singer and songwriter and Mary Beth is a speaker and author. Here are some links to find out more about the Chapmans and Maria’s Big House of Hope.

 https://newhope.foundation/our-work/luoyang/
https://story.showhope.org/marias-big-house-of-hope
https://stevencurtischapman.com/about/
https://www.marybethchapman.com/

                                      ......... Our next Fundraising Event ..... 

Saturday 24^th Sunday 25^th February, we will be at the Draught Horse and Yesteryear Festival at Mont De Lancey Wellington Road Wandin North. Quilts and crafts for sale and volunteers are needed for manning the stall. Deb will be looking for your support so sign up for the roster soon. If you are available, please let Libby know at [email protected]

We look forward to restocking the almost empty shelves and craft items to stock the stall will also be welcome.  And in order to do that, of course we need to provide you with the dates of our Tuesday Work Set Up and Saturday Gathering Days ... and details .. so here 'tis.

As February is here we will first spring into action at the hall next Tuesday, (the 6^th) to ready stations for the Gathering Day which follows on Saturday 10^th Feb 9.30-3.00. A gold coin donation, BYO lunch, a smile and willing hands, to work with the team stitching, cutting, sewing. You’re invited to bring a plate to share for morning tea to celebrate the launching of a New Year.

Looking forward to a wonderful day of stitching and camaraderie and a catch up of what we've all been up to since we last Gathered in November. See you then,

Blessings

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

Get your Christmas shopping 'retail therapy' here ...... our upcoming Fundraiser at Mont De Lancey.

In order to continue funding our quilt gifting Ministry QFO holds several fundraising Events each year. And the following is our biggest ... it enables us to purchase batting/backing fabrics/threads and everything else necessary for the continued operation of QFO.

So please raid the pocket money and pop along to Wandin to see all that we have on offer for your Christmas gifting this year. Something for everyone with our handcrafted goodies on sale.

 

QFO Giftings update and pictures September/October 2023

                                                                    QFO Gifting

At our recent AGM, our Cheryl gave a heartfelt description of her trip to Vietnam with CHANGE THE ONE. Many third-generation Vietnamese children suffer from disabilities caused from Agent Orange which was used during the Vietnam War over 50 years ago. The team spent time rebuilding and fitting out a simple dwelling for a woman and her disabled sons, and quilts were distributed to children at Hope Special School. It was a very moving experience for Cheryl and she hopes to deliver more fabric hugs in the future.

Thank you so very much Cheryl for your continued efforts for QFO and for your heart and time taken to distribute these fabric hugs on our behalf. 

We have also been making some pillowcases for Heavenly Trimmings for their Christmas Blessing Bags for children with a chronic illness and their siblings.

And ... as the 'blessings' went out from QFO ... we were wonderfully blessed by the 'sweetest' of Thank You messages from the lovely folk at Heavenly Blessings ... how kind of you xx

And some more fabric hugs are heading to Monash Children’s Hospital!

And below ... another 'Thank You' note from the facility in Warragul that our Cheryl delivered fabric 'hugs' to from QFO.

And from our Vice President Libby ... below are the 'stats' so far on what QFO has achieved since its inception. Pretty jolly impressive and so very heartwarming.

Since QFO began in 2007, there have been over 5,500 quilts gifted! That’s 5,500 fabric hugs! So far, this financial year, QFO has gifted 253 quilts, and below is a list of where our 'hugs' were gifted. 

Billanook College Senior Students – Thailand;

Kirkbrae Aged Care; Royal Children’s Hospital –   Ward;

Life’s Little Treasures;

Change The One –Vietnam;

Fairview Village ... Warragul Aged Care;

Ukrainians resettling to Australia;

Maroondah Rotary – Refuge

Victoria and Monash Children’s Hospital – Monash Newborns).

And as we say in our Mission Statement – ‘We welcome the opportunity to change lives, one fabric hug at a time.’

And with that I will now send this Blog into cyberspace and thru the medium of technology ... onto your laptop/iPad or whatever device you choose to view it with. 

Many Blessings till next Post,

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

Rocking into October as we gather at the Hall for a day of QFO stitching and friendship.

We gathered at the Hall on Saturday October 14th .. a very small group ... comprising of our Vice President and Secretary Libby, Christine, Sheryl, Margaret and yours truly. We shared some of the items that will be available at our next fundraising Event ... at Mont De Lancey in November as well as stitching up a small storm of quilt bindings and other bits'n'bobs.

Kicking off this Blogpost with a personal 'diversification' into palm size hand painted 'quilted' rocks I had created and intend as a novelty offering on our next QFO fundraiser. Took all my concentration to 'stay inside the lines' I'd drawn ... but I managed it ;)And then, striking whilst the iron was hot .... I moved onto microwave bowl cosies and teabag wallets. Cannot believe I owned up to knowing how to use an iron :))) Shhhh ... don't tell anyone.

Later on in the day we enjoyed a wonderful array of 'Show and Tell' as we looked over the pieced and quilted fabric 'blessings' that had arrived at the Hall since our last get-together. 

Moving right along .... these table runners in festive themed fabric will also be available at our upcoming Event at Mont De Lancey.

The table runners above and the coasters below were created by Gayle Cunningham our Qld offsite stitcher. Beautiful.

And here's the poster with details of the November dates and days at Mont De Lancey.

And now for 'Show and Tell' ....... grab a cuppa ... we've lots to share with you.

Donated blocks beautifully put together by Sheryl above ..... and below ...  just the start of a magnificent number of quilt tops from long time supporter Gayle Cunningham in Queensland. Gayle has been incredibly busy indeed.

So very striking .. love the combination of red, black and white. And the lovely floral piece on the table behind is also Gayles handiwork. Doesn't the black sashing make the blocks 'pop'?

Gayle has been incredibly busy ...

Love the butterfly fabric in these two ..... above and below.

No details on the creative hands that gifted us the following two tops ... but please know that your handiwork is very much appreciated .. and thank you so very much.

This glorious fully completed quilt below... again no details on the donor but bless your creative and generous heart.

And more anonymous giftings .... so many kind and talented folk out there, beavering away on our behalf. Sew blessed.

This 'quarter log cabin' piecing above is very effective don't you think?

Love the 'honeyed' tonings in this top ....

And this nicely completed Tulip table centrepiece.

Intricate 'cubes' so very well done ... and the triangles below are stunning.

The next ones came with a name .... QFO member Elaine ... first some race cars she pieced from donated blocks.

Then some sleepy teddies ... just right for a childs bed.

... and then onto dinosaur themed fabric ... thank you Elaine.

From Lauretta ... we have this lovely top below...in floral pink shades teamed with green.

The next offerings are from the CWA at Wandin Yallock ... delightful and thank you ladies.

Brilliant mix of monochrome fabrics in the top above ... 

A lovely array of floral fabrics ...

Light and dark shades of green put together most effectively.

And ditto with the purples and mauves ... gorgeous.

Jelly roll stripes coming together nicely ...

More pretty florals ... with blues interspersed.

Beautifully put together small squares in a vast array of colours and prints.

And again with different coloured border. Thank you to each and every pair of willing (and talented) hands that have blessed us with all these wonderful tops and quilts. We truly appreciate all that you do to keep our fabric 'hugs' ministry thriving and continuing to wrap all who need it with love. Bless you all.

And now a few snaps showing an overview of our little team who gathered on Saturday ...

 

Sheryl ... caught unawares ... sorry Ma-am ... I'll do better next time ;)

Sheryls reciprocating photo skills were far better when the 'boot was on the other foot' so to speak. Thank you :)

Libby and Margaret 'footling with fabric'.

Christine ... always smiling ... and one of QFOs longest serving stitchers.

And that pretty much wraps up the second Saturday in October. A small but most effective day spent together at the Hall and we look forward now to November, We meet again on the second Saturday in November at the Hall in Hoddles Creek and I’ll be sharing another Blogpost after that. Till then,

Many blessings, 

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

 

And ... without further ado .... we 'spring' into Spring again. And a bevy of quilt pics to share.

Received a day or so ago a veritable avalanche of quilt pictures to share with you ... taken at the Hall in Hoddles Creek at the most recent QFO 'Gathering Day' on September 9th.

Please enjoy. No details on the actual stitchers of each quilt (I was AWOL on the day) ... but I'm advised that the talented contributors to this feast of piecings were:

Judith Howard

Sandra Brazier

Nola Matthews

Margret Garlick

Joy Black 

Christine Sellar.

Well done ladies and thank you so very much for your efforts for Quilts for Orphans.

All the cats .... on chairs and mats ... this will delight a child I'm sure.

Tried to 'flip' this image but technology wouldn't allow so you'll just have to tilt to see the '100' on this special quilt.

All the bubbles here ... and how cheerful they all look.

Something for the dog lover ... these cute pooches pieced into a doggy themed quilt.

A pair of moody abstract themed tops ... 

Multiple bunny rabbits as well as 'lions and tigers and bears' ... and a fox or two for good measure.

Hearts and flowers beautifully appliqued on this top ..

And a myriad of 'heffalumps' in every colour of the rainbow.

Feeling 'sheepish'? well here's a lovely selection of themed fabric artfully appliqued and pieced.

Stunning flamingo panel ...

More adorable moggies ... what's not to love about this sweet top eh?

And we see that 'lions and tigers and rabbits' fabric reappear ... in this cheerful top,

Pretty in blush pink ... something sweet for a little girl perhaps?

Another nice pairing of complementary colours ....

A slightly nautical offering with what appear to be pirate ships ...

And SO much to see in this quilt top ... dinosaurs, dogs, trains, milk and cookies ... finding something for all tastes.

Gorgeous piecing here in this striking top ....

Another 'eye spy' of dinosaurs and multi themed fabrics ... so colourful.

And this one adds donuts and watermelon to the mix ... lovely.

I think I saw a few Aussie delicacies in the form of the iconic chocolate crackles in this top. Is it tea time yet?

Aren't these tops just scrumptious? And so much to see ....

A breathtaking beautifully finished piece .... stunning fabric and such gorgeous quilting.

Looks to be several tops in this pic ... all stunning ....

Another '100 day' cot quilt for a special babe. so beautiful.

And the penultimate pic ... this gorgeous offering being held up by one of our lovely quilters . ... gorgeous.

And for those with a sweet tooth ... this array of panels pieced together to tempt ... isn't it delightful?

And that wraps up this post folks ... as well as showcasing the wonderful efforts of those who stitch so willingly and from the heart for us. We truly appreciate your support and giftings.

Till next blogpost

Many blessings,

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

http://heavenlytrimmings.com

http://www.changetheone.org which provides ongoing relief, care and assistance to people and communities in remote areas of Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.