Quilts For Orphans

As we enjoy Autumn and yet it still feels 'summery' .... April 2025 ...what's that all about eh?

Well another day at the Hall done and dusted ... and here is the Blog as written proof that we achieved great things on a sunny Saturday ... right?

We assembled a very happy gathering, comprising Yvonne, Sheilagh, Claudia, Christine, Lauretta, Annette, Libby, Carmen, Margaret and myself .. and soon the machines were humming and the rotary cutters were being applied to the quilt we were all contributing to under Libbys watchful eye :)

Libby, Annette and Lauretta in a huddle .... as they discuss placement of the strips already pieced.

We will continue with our FLOWER (Fabric hugs to Love Others with Warmth, Empathy and Reassurance) Project, which is proudly supported by the Yarra Ranges Council Monthly Grant for Connected and Vibrant Communities. We will be making some Skinny 16 Patch blocks using batik fabric to create a single size quilt top. Stacey Lee has created a video demonstrating how to make the block: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KEYF7GzwJY  
This is based on a free pattern called Stretched 16 Patch from Leila Gardunia: https://www.leilagardunia.com/free-library 

Longtime quilting pals Margaret and Carmen selecting fabric for another quilt to be finished.

Yvonne and Sheilagh .. loading the Gammill for another session of quilting.

A spot of 'ooohing and aaaahing' over the wonderful donated pieces that have arrived at the Hall since I last blogged. 

We've received so many generous giftings in recent weeks ... and take this opportunity to thank the Lorne Quilters as well as Gail Cunningham, Anna, Janet Hill ....  and the kind person who sent us three wonderful boxes of quilt 'kits' that arrived with no name attached ... from Campbelltown ... truly so very generous. Please know that we are SO very appreciative of your kindness, and in awe of the talented stitchers who so very willingly remember us when they are creating. Bless you all.

The 'mystery' boxes .... we were SO thrilled to open this kind donation.

Some stunningly accurate piecing here .... beautifully put together.

This one put us in mind of a stained glass window. 

Love all the mini printed florals in this top.

Stunningly 'abstract' ... and so very effective.

Isn't this just lovely? So many sea creatures in these blocks.

This was from Janet Hill .... the piecing is stunning.

Sheilagh industriously focused on the quilting here .... the fabric is just so very pretty .... a panel of hydrangeas.

And the finished piece ... just needs binding and its done and dusted. Beautifully done Sheilagh !!

Margaret back on deck after a spell away ... lovely to see her return :)

Newest 'recruit' Claudia .... a ray of sunshine .... and very talented too.

Lauretta busily putting our strips together ... we've decided that this quilt top will be a 'Skinny 16 Patch' piecing.

Trialling new eyewear ... apparently they terrify my husband .... <lol> heavy duty serious look ;)

One of our 'originals' from the very start ... Christine is an expert at cutting and trimming, among other talents.

And it all starts to take shape.

Not too shabby eh? Final placement yet to be sorted, but it's looking pretty sweet I think. So pretty.

                                                            Recent Quilt Giftings

We have donated 48 cot quilts to the DPV Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies program which is based in the Northern Suburbs and 5 quilts to a displaced family from Ukraine who arrived in Melbourne recently.

And from the Nannas Home Basics Facebook group ... who co-ordinated the handover to Asha and Gina from the DPV Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies support group ... a very appreciative Thank You to QFO for facilitating this kind gifting of quilts.

https://www.dpvhealth.org.au/all-services/community-support/healthy-mothers-healthy-babies/

 

Busy morning today, we welcomed Asha and Gina from DPV who collected the first donation of items donated by our Nannas craft ladies and quilts donated by Quilts for Orphans in Hoddles Creek and Ferntree Gully Quilters.

 

Its always SO good to be able to share our fabric 'hugs' to those who will so very much appreciate a kindness at any time, and particularly as winter approaches. 

 

And now we give thanks for the life and the kindness of one of our offsite stitchers who sadly passed away very recently. For many years QFO was truly blessed to receive regular packages from Julia Ozolins who stitched beautifully and from the heart. Libby attended the service for her passing and kindly shared these tributes to Julia with us on Saturday.

Vale dear Julia and thank you for blessing us over many years with your handiwork and kindness. 

 

 

                                                    

                                                                     A Tapestry Of Julia

 

In the field of green where daffodils play, She spun her bright yarns and brightened the day.

With quilts made of sunshine, her laughter would soar, She stitched up our hearts, then she’d craft even more.

Her pets thought they ruled, with their curious eyes, ‘Just one more quilt, dear’, she’d say with a sigh.

In yellow, she shimmered, a beacon of cheer, Now she’s off to the great fabric shop up here!

She’d dye all her wool in shades bold and bright, Creating new colours, a joyful delight.

With each gentle spin, here creativity flowed, Like daffodils blooming wherever she strode.

Her sewing machine hummed a whimsical tune, As she crafted her magic morning, night and noon.

She’d host crafty gatherings, laughter and fun, With tea and some biscuits, her warmth was second to none.

So let’s raise up our needles and toast to her flair, For every bright stitch and the love she would share. Though we’ll miss her bright smile and her crafty delight, We know she’s in heaven, sewing stars every night!

In fields of laughter, she’s stitching up glee, Creating new quilts for the world that we’ll see.

With threads made of sunshine and love stitched so tight We’ll cherish her spirit, our dear shining light.

 

Created by Markus Ozolins

 

 

Thank you ... and your family Markus ... for sharing your dear Mum with us ... she has truly blessed so many with her handiwork over the years and QFO appreciated her generosity and heart so very much. Such a kind lady who will be dearly missed.

 

 

Blessings 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

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.

As we march into March on a long weekend .... and a seemingly endless summer.

We gathered together at the Hall on a rather warm Autumn Saturday .. March 8th .. when it actually felt like high summer. Thank goodness for the air con that kept us cool. Phew!!

We welcomed Libby, Annette, Christine, Yvonne, Carmen, Claudia, Cheryl and yours truly ... for a day of happy stitching. A small group (long weekend tempted many away I imagine) but much was achieved during the day nonetheless.

Libby and Carmen at the Gammill .... 

Libby and new member Claudia were also kept busy with QAYG blocks for the Yarra Ranges supported  project. Details are below of the projected number of quilts we plan to complete with the funding assistance.

March sees the launch of Project FLOWER (Fabric hugs to Love Others with Warmth, Empathy and Reassurance), which is proudly supported by the Yarra Ranges Council Monthly Grant for Connected and Vibrant Communities.

We have almost finished the navy scrappy block quilt top we started last Gathering Day and have 2 more projects to work on - a cream and blue scrappy block quilt top and a quilt as you go lap quilt in purple tones. 

Our goal is to complete 35 single bed size quilts for Billanook College’s Service Project to Thailand, 35 single bed size quilts for Southern Cross Kids Camp – Mount Evelyn and 55 lap quilts for Kirkbrae Aged Care over the 4 months.

We have also been blessed with some wonderful donated quilt tops from offsite supporters ... the generosity of others is so very heartwarming and we thank you one and all.

This magnificent needleturn appliqued quilt top came to us via a destashing and is absolutely awesome. Words simply fail to do it justice. So much work .. and to be blessed by having it find its way to us ... goodness me!!

We also received some donations which came 'un-named' .. but if you were the folk who gifted them to us ... a warm and sincere thank you for your kindness. I believe long time stitcher Sandra Brazier was among those who shared with us ... but I hadn't had a coffee when I was note taking, so apologies Sandra for not itemising your gifting by name. I promise I'll 'do better' next time'

First a pair of whales .. which I envisage will make a wonderful centre panel on a nautical themed quilt top. 

This lovely Christmas piece, complete with all the 'bells and whistles' was also recently gifted to us. I envisage it being a rather wonderful wall hanging. Really something special.

And from Nola Matthews ... another of our off-site supporters ..

Just before lunch Libby shared with us a video of the famous 'Rajah' quilt .. created onboard the convict ships from the 1840s.

Details of this historic treasure (almost 200 years old!!) may be found by following the Link below in your browser.

https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/quilts/the-rajah-quilt/

A short break for lunch .. and a spot of 'Show and Tell'.

Claudia busily affixing the border to the navy QAYG top.

Cheryl putting the finishing touches to some small quilts for Lifes Little Treasures .

Claudia holding up the fantastic blue QAYG with its border attached. Pretty stunning eh?

And finally Libby at the end of the day :)

                        ......... STOP PRESS .......

Victorian Quilters Summer Gathering is on Saturday March 15 at the Mulgrave Community Centre. Rivka Waxman, a member of Waverley Quilters, will be the guest speaker – see flyer below for further details.

And on that note .... I'll wind up this months Blogpost and get it off into cyberspace whilst I still have enough energy to hit the 'send' button.

Have I mentioned I don't do well in hot weather? <lol>

Blessings to 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

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.

New Year ... new Blogpost ... and all of a sudden its 2025 for QFO.

Well Folks ... we decided to start off the New Year with a party of sorts ... 2025 being the 18th (can you believe it?) Birthday of Quilts for Orphans. 

From its beginnings as a vision in the hearts of Gaynor and her daughter Rachel back in October of 2007 ... leading to our gathering in Gaynors then Macclesfield home, where we began to stitch quilts for the COM Homes in India. We later moved a few short metres from her loungeroom to a purpose built Barn on her property, then after Gaynor and Reg relocated to their 'seachange' home another move saw QFO relocate to temporary accommodation in 'The Shed' of Joanne and husband Kym a little further afield and then to our Hall here in Hoddles Creek. So many memories, so many stitchers joining us in our journey to create fabric 'hugs' for those both locally and globally in need of comfort. What a journey in every sense of the word it has been and continues to be :)

 

Our very first Blog photo taken in Gaynors loungeroom back in 2007. We've certainly grown a tad since then :) 

We decorated the entrance at the Hoddles Creek Hall on Saturday and assembled for our first Gathering Day for 2025 :) Please ignore the dates on the following photos .. what can I say? New camera and it seems to have pre-set itself ... time travelling back to February 2024. 'Go figure' as they say :) If i could face palm rest assured I would :)

I missed the balloon blowing .. but was appreciative of the efforts of those who went the extra mile with the required huffing and puffing to create the balloon display... all most colourful and welcoming.

Our theme for the day was Let’s Party – sewing quilt blocks for a Community Quilt. You'll remember that last year we created for the Shire of Yarra Ranges. An update from Libby is below, as well as details of our next community Project.

Fabric Hugs for the Yarra Ranges Project Update:

Our goal for this project last year was to make 50 quilts to gift to those in need in our local area. As a vibrant and connected group, we actually completed over 100 quilts which was a phenomenal effort!  We have been able to gift 5 quilts to Lifestyle Yarra Junction Aged Care for ladies who had celebrated their 98th birthdays, 19 quilts to  Open Door Community Relief, 15 quilts to Advent Aged Care – Warburton, 19 quilts to Maroondah Rotary for Refuge Victoria and 24 quilts to Walmsley Aged Care – Kilsyth. We still have some quilts from this project available for distribution for emergency relief and Billanook College’s Service Project to Thailand.

From March to June, our focus will be a project named FLOWER (Fabric hugs to Love Others with Warmth, Empathy and Reassurance). Our goal will be to complete 35 single bed size quilts for Billanook College’s Service Project to Thailand, 35 single bed size quilts for Southern Cross Kids Camp – Mount Evelyn and 55 lap quilts for Kirkbrae Aged Care.

It's certainly a busy start to our QFO year I'm sure you'll agree. 

Stitching with us on February 8th we welcomed Annette and Libby of course, as well as Deborah, Claudia (a new face and most welcome too) Yvonne, Carmen, Sheryl, Christine, Sandi, Sheilagh, Jes (another welcome new face) and Libbys aunt-in-law Rachel who was visiting on holiday.

Of course in order to work we need fuel in the form of sugar .. right? And Annette and Libby did us proud :)

Sandi was eagerly wielding the iron as we continued creating blocks for more quilts to gift. 

Claudia happily cutting  for us ...

Carmen and Yvonne 'driving' the Gammill.

Sheilagh and Christine, busily applying themselves with slicing and dicing fabric for our project.

A break before lunch for a video presention by Libby .. of a recent delivery of some QFO quilts to the Ukraine by Roedie Rap who has been connected to us thru giftings of quilts to be taken on his Mission trips abroad over the years. I have also included a posting by Libby about this, which she included in her most recent QFO Newsletter.

Delivery of quilts to Ukraine

A friend of QFO, Roedie, was able to take 2 quilts to Ukraine when he went over in October last year. The following is from the team in Ukraine who distributed these to two special grandmothers who live in the Chernobyl Zone -

A Gift That Warmed the Soul:
‘We delivered an incredible gift from our friends in Australia – a magnificent quilt handmade by some wonderful women. Every stitch is filled with love and care, a heartfelt gesture of support for Ukrainians fighting for survival in this unjust war. Honestly, it’s impossible to take your eyes off its beauty – such vibrant colours, such exquisite craftsmanship! It’s one of the most unique and beautiful things I have ever seen. 
Why did we choose this particular grandmother to receive this gift?
She is a widow, and it’s hard to describe just how much good she haas done for others. She has an amazing sense of humour, a deep love for God and people, and her life’s motto is to do good. We chose her because we believe that goodness always has a way of coming back.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.”
A huge thank you Roedie and your friends for this heartfelt gift. The quilt not only warmed the grandmother physically but also filled her heart with love and warmth brought all the way from Australia. May the Lord bless you abundantly!’

    

‘A Christmas gift has found it’s way to the home of our dear widow, Grandma Valentina. This wonderful and beautiful quilt was lovingly handcrafted by kind-hearted women from Australia. There were only two such quilts. One had already been gifted to another grandmother, while the second waited for the moment when God would show us who it was meant for. One day, the story of Grandma Valentina came to my heart – a story of woman who did something extraordinary. She shared her love with a child who was not her own, taking an orphan into her family and dedicating her life to her. Grandma Valentina had lost her husband, but even with the pain in her heart, she found the strength to love and raise a little girl who had no future and was destined for an orphanage. She surrounded her with warmth, care and love, protecting her from life’s hardships, much like this quilt provides warmth and shelter. Today, we wrap this beautiful quilt around Grandma Valentina herself  as a symbol of our respect and gratitude for the selfless love she gave to that little girl. 
Thank you, Roedie, and your friends in Australia for your kindness and generosity. This gift is a reminder of how love can warm not just the body, but the soul as well. 

Matthew 25:34-36: ‘Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; I needed clothes, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you looked after me; I was in prison, and you came to visit me’.

On behalf of the QFO ladies .. thanks SO very much Roedie, for the work that you do and the transporting of our handiwork to those in need on the other side of the globe. It truly is heart warming.

And now .. a little Show and Tell ... some of the quilts created by our members stitching offsite for us. Firstly from Margaret. Absolutely loving the green shade in this, highlighting the blocks. Just gorgeous.

And from Julia Ozolins, who has been stitching for us for quite some years .. these two lovely tops. Stunning! How lovely to see your handiwork again Julia .... :)

And Julias second quilt top.

A break for lunch ... and cake :)

What's better than ONE cake .... why TWO of course :) All the more to share around ...

And of course .... party poppers :)

Much jollity around the party table :)

A 'reflective moment' before stitching resumes.

Back to work .... with Deborah 'moonboot scooting' around. 

Sandi on stitching duty ... 

I can see Claudia (and her cheeky 'rabbit ears')  fitting in brilliantly with the QFO team :):):)

Libby tells me that as well as creating quilts and other items to gift where needed, we have also been able to 'share the love' by meeting a request by Yarra Junction Primary school who were in need of needles/pins/fabric/threads for their own crafting endeavours. As we have often been blessed by the 'destashing' donations we receive ... its been equally wonderful to be able to 'pay it forward' thus and share a little of the love that has been shown to us.

Apologies for the delay in blogging .. combination of heat and a couple of Doctors appointments served to distract the 'scribe' in me momentarily. Thankfully cooler weather is just around the corner .. as is our upcoming presence at the Mont De Lancey Draughthorse Festival. QFO will have a selection of handcrafted goodies ... we cant wait to show you our creative efforts. This will be the first of our fundraising efforts for the year .. and the venue is just delightful. There is a cafe on site, so make a day of it. You'll not be disappointed. 

Pop the details into your calendar: Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd, 10 am – 4 pm. Immerse yourself in the lost trades and life in the 1880s at the beautiful Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead in Wandin. 

And that pretty much winds up this months Blog .... once again apologies for the lateness. I'll be putting 'room for improvement' on my noticeboard and 'do more betterer' next time ;)

Meanwhile, many blessings till next time and I'll get this into cyberspace. Watch our Facebook page for updates and further details on what we are up to .. and of course our all singing/all dancing website.

Blessings 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

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 now we are in October .. and can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner?

Well .. here we are with another Blog update, following our Gathering Day' on October 12th ... where we had a small but enthusiastic group of stitchers intent on creating another quilt for the Shire of Yarra Ranges 'Fabric Hugs for the Yarra Ranges project' organised by Libby earlier this year.

On Saturday we had Lauretta, Carmen, Yvonne, Margaret, Christine, Sheilagh, Gabby and yours truly kept quite busy and very soon all the machines and the Gammill were humming away ... interspersed with laughter and much busyness as we created our proverbial 'socks off'.

This months Project quilt was a Friendship Star pattern and by the days end it was coming along quite nicely. We also now have a Tuesday secondary 'QFO Gathering Day' at the Hall which is apparently quite well attended and I believe that they will be busy working on completing the quilt. Thank you ladies :)

Libby gave a talk on the origins of the Friendship Star 'block' as well as an informative presentation of some other early quilt patterns. Great talk Libby and we all enjoyed the history behind these fabric creations. Apologies for any 'fuzziness' in the images ... you'll be pleased to know I have now updated my decade old camera with a new one ... so hopefully quality control will kick in for future Blogs ;) I can only hape ;)

And behind the colour choice for this months quilt project?

And 'linking in' to QFO and the very start of our little Ministry ... which is now in its 17th year since Gaynor and Reg opened their hearts and their home to the idea of creating fabric 'hugs'.

And now here we are .. carrying on Gaynors vision .. in our Hall at Hoddles Creek. where Libby tells me that in recent months we have so far this financial year, gifted 169 quilts  .... to the following organisations ... Life's Little Treasures, Queen Elizabeth Centre, Kirkbrae Aged Care, quilts to palliative care, also to Cottage By The Sea and Change the One – Philippines, as well as two quilts recently taken to the Ukraine by Roedie Rap.

Feeling SO blessed to be part of this wonderful group :)

And now a few 'happy snaps' of Saturdays cheerful stitchers .... Christine, one of our earliest members.

Gabby, Sheilagh and Margaret.

Lauretta ....

Gabby ....

Carmen ... who was a HUGE help in wielding the measuring ruler when my limited spatial skills 'left the building'.

Christine again ... in full 'happy place' mode .... sorry for the slight fuzziness. Lets call it an 'aura' eh?

Gabby again .. :) Before a break for lunch and a welcome cuppa :)

Sheilagh, Libby and Gabby ...

Libby with some progress pieces from our 'Blooming Florals' SYR Project quilt.

Still deciding the best colour option for the sashing that will go between these blocks ....

Some rather scrumptious fabrics which will be used to create some craft items for our upcoming presence at the last two fundraising QFO efforts for the year.

Thanks ever so much Carmen for your help in cutting these out for me.

And at days end ... here is our Friendship Star quilt  ... ready for its finishing touches. Look out for this (and others) created for the SYR Project at our upcoming presence next month at Mont De Lancey.

And in anticipation of Christmas QFO will have a small stall/table at the upcoming Ethical Community Market 'Fairs Fair''at the TLC Church in Bayswater North this coming Saturday October 19th .... so save the date ... drop by and say Hi :)

And a BIG Thank you to our creative crafters Kay, Sheilagh, Julianne, Christine, Elaine and (dare I say) myself .. for the contributions gifted to QFO for these fundraisers. So very much ch appreciated. Take a bow 👏👏👏

Aaaaand thats pretty much a 'wrap' for this Blogpost .... other than a look at the sweetest handcrafted adornments on our little Christmas Tree at our entry this morning. Libby tells me that they were handstitched .. and are just gorgeous.

And so .... this Blog will now wend its merry way to your computer/ipad or phone and i will now take a restorative coffee break. 

Look forward to sharing with you again ...  Libby advises that we will not be having Gathering Day at the hall on Saturday November 9 - however we will have some sewing machines set up at Mont de Lancey to sew some pillow cases for Heavenly Trimmings.

Tuesdays at the Hall will continue up until Tuesday December 10, then we will be in recess over Christmas and January.

We will resume our activities at the hall on Tuesday February 4 and Gathering Day on Saturday February 8 2025.

Till next update ... 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.

 

Spring was in the air .... as we gathered at the Hall on September 14th 2024.

We had a lovely ... almost full ... Hall on Saturday the 14th as we settled in to create another of our 'Fabric Hugs for the Yarra Ranges' Project that Libby and Annette co-ordinated. The 'theme' this month being 'Bloomin' Wonderful'.

The quilts being created will be displayed at Mont De Lancey in November .. and then will be gifted to organisations in the Shire of Yarra Ranges ...  who will distribute them to those in need. 

Present to help us in our stitching efforts on Saturday were: Carmen, Sheryl, Sandi, Cheryl, Margaret, Libby, Christine, Yvonne, Annette, Deborah, Gabby, Joy, Ann, Pauline, Elaine and yours truly.

We also welcomed our AGM Guest Speaker Marion Stott from the Mooroolbark History Group who arrived with her husband Lloyd. 

Annette brought along some beautiful potted tulips as part of the 'theme' for the month .... and they got a thorough drenching on our outside ramp during the day as the skies gave us a jolly good deluge mid afternoon. Thankfully our roof held up against the onslaught ;)

The workspace started filling fast.

A hive of activity indeed.

Ann ... one  of our newest Members ... trimming blocks for the latest quilt.

Libby getting the laptop set up for the Zoom component of the AGM.

Stitching is hungry work, and we had a splendid array of shared 'tasty comestibles' to fuel our attendees at morning tea :)

Yvonne, Carmen, Elaine and Margaret refuelling :)

All intently listening as the AGM commences ... 

Zoom seemed to be working just nicely :)

With feedback from the organisations we have been able to 'bless' during the year with our quilts.

AGM in 'full swing' ... with the election process seeing Libby as our new President (and Secretary) whilst Annette did a nifty segue into the role of Vice President. So it is safe to say that QFO continues to be in good hands during the year ahead'.

Next we heard from our Guest Speaker Marion Stott ... who has an extensive background in volunteering within the community .... covering organisations such as the CWA (started by her ancestor) and how it influenced her life of service to others with Nursing Mothers Association, Montessori, Gymbaroo etc. She is also the recent recipient of an OAM which she kindly brought along to show us. We also heard of her family history and her interest in ancestry/genealogy. 

Lloyd Stott, Marion Stott with Annette and Libby.

Marions OAM :) Which, for her, was a highlight during our period of Lockdowns. 

Marion then read a couple of excerpts from a publication relating to the Mooroolbark War Memorials .. with reference to those who volunteered and gave their all in past conflicts. All most interesting.

Marion was then treated to a tour of the Hall ... with special attention being paid to our Gammill quilting machine.

Gabby demonstrating an 'oopsy' piecing faux pas :) Easily enough fixed ... right?

Sheryl, Libby and Gabby with three of the completed quilts for the SYR project ... and aren't they just so colourful? And a group effort by all the QFO stitchers. Can't wait to see what else we create for this gifting.

Some of the sweet smaller cot quilts we have been gifted by off-site stitchers for our 'Lifes Little Treasures' outreach. The '100' is a nod to the milestone 100 days these very premature babies have reached since their early birthing. 

A rather stunning tote bag created by our Sandi .. using some really neat sewing themed fabric ... for part of our upcoming fundraising efforts.

Sandi is also a dab hand at beautifully pieced table runners .... I think for a lot of our followers Christmas gifts should be well sorted by years end ... right? See you at our upcoming 'Events'.

A progress shot of our themed quilt top blocks so far ... looking good.

A rare moment in time. Yours truly wielding an iron. Screenshot it if you must for 'posterity'. its not likely to happen again.

How good is this idea folks? Forget the twiddly little plastic water containers that come with your iron. Dig out an unused teapot and use it for your iron refills. Simple and most effective. I believe this was an idea of Annettes ... neat eh?

A mid afternoon 'visitor' cruised by the Hall ... think he was waiting to be invited in to do some 'pinning' for us on our quilts.

And soon it was time to start packing up .... 

Placement yet to be fine-tuned ... but you get the idea.

Now before I finalise this months Blog ... I'll add some pics I received from Libby during the week ... of giftings and talks that she and Annette have attended in recent weeks.

Donna from Cottage by the Sea ... collecting some quilts, crochet/knitted blankets and Beanies. And another gifting for Lifes Little Treasures.

Libby and Annette recently visited Kirkbrae Community Group to share our QFO story. And as part of their talk Annette shared stories of that quintessential early Australian 'quilt' ... the Wagga.. Some of the ladies in the group could remember a family member creating a Wagga many years ago and they had some fascinating stories to tell also.

https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/nwm/collection/waggaproject/documents/item/8d997d870d9447b.aspx 

And now a big Thank You to some of our 'in house' .. and offsite .. quilters who have generously stitched and gifted for us .... BIG thanks to Trudi, The Lorne Quilters, Margaret, Sandi, Elaine, Christine, Lauretta and Susan for the wonderful items they have made for us.

A warm thank you to each and every stitcher who spent time and energy creating for us ... your selflessness is truly appreciated. You are all just wonderful and help keep the wheels of gifting our fabric 'hugs' turning throughout the year. Bless you all.

And on that note I will wind this up and get it out into cyberspace for your reading enjoyment. And get myself back into the sewing room here to churn out a few 'bits'n'bobs' myself for the cause ;)

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.