Hi (at last)
I host fabric swaps in Australia (postage costs makes OS participation impossible) where we swap FQ’s, 5″ squares and 2.5″ strips WOF. We were just getting organised to do some sewing with them in October last year when parts of Australia were ravaged by bushfires, leaving many homes destroyed and people left with nothing.
We decided that we would form another Facebook group, Nannycraft4u and Friends Charity Sew and use our squares and strips for blocks, to be made into quilts for the victims.
I decided on a simple block, that ended up about 15″ square and used 4 squares and 2 WOF strips:
To my amazement, I received blocks and donations of completed quilts, knitted rugs, wadding, finished quilt tops and money to finish quilts, from all over Australia . Australians are very good at working together after a disaster – as one of the contributors commented “It could be me next time!”
Our lounge room became a work station where my pinning tables stayed, mounted on their paint tins, for the duration. I think the only time it looked this tidy was the day we set it up!!
I had blocks all over the house as I tried to organise them into ‘like’ groups, colours, ages etc
I received a total of 156 blocks and after a lot of sorting, I made another 35 blocks to ‘balance’ and finish the quilts.
One of the group members directed me to a blog, Cook Quilt Crochet. This belongs to Tracey Greenaway, a resident of one of the areas affected by the fires. I contacted Tracey and asked if we could send our quilts to her, to add to the drive she had organised Springwood Winmalee Bushfire Quilt Appeal ,and she was happy to accept the offer.
Then it was time to get to work!! I sorted, sewed, recorded and made many a trip to Splash into Craft Ballina for supplies. Neither of the quilters was able to help as it had now drawn too close to Xmas and the end of the year – a very busy time for their businesses – so, with determination that I didn’t realise I still possessed, I set to work. I received some help with 2 members of my real life quilting group offering to quilt a quilt for me and my dear friend Sue Weingarth, handstitched the binding on all the big quilts (the smaller ones were completed on the machine)
During this time, PJ and I attended a small rally of our chapter of the CMCA, the Crocodile Wheelers. At each get together we select a charity to receive any money that we collect over the days from fines, auctions etc and I was thrilled when the group decided that our quilts deserved support. I came home armed with the necessary funds to complete the quilts!
On the 2nd March, I completed the last quilt, making a total of 22 quilts from our blocks and 3 from the donated quilt tops. Add to them the 5 donated quilts and 2 knitted rugs and we have a grand total of 32 to send to the Blue Mountains.
One of the girls wanted to see what that many quilts looked like, so I posted this photo:
I can’t show you all of the quilts but this is a sample (you can see them all in this album at Nannycraft4u)
We had 13 small: 3 blocks x 3 blocks
I packed them into 2 boxes and labelled them well:
I want to acknowledge and thank all of the contributors to the quilts, for without them, this result would not have been achievable:
Amanda Bellis
Angella Partridge
Bron Ronalds
Carmel Henry
Carol Smith
Cath Pearce
Coral Potter
Fastway Couriers Northern Rivers ph:66242669
Janet Reale
Jen Fischer
Jill Curtain
Julie Lieshout
Kelly Nash
Margie Perkins
Mary Ann McGregor
Megan Weingarth
Melynda Made
Michelle Irving
Nanny – Margie Burke
Pam Olney
Shari Mead
Sharon Betts
Shona Jones
Splash into Craft Ballina
Sue Wallis
Sue Weingarth
The Crocodile Wheelers – Chap 92 CMCA
Vicki Williams
Wendy Gontier
This has been a HUGE experience for me and I have been blown away by the generosity and support that I have received. I am truly grateful and humbled by the whole experience. I am sure that even though our quilts are ‘simple’ in design, they will be received well and I hope that the children especially, enjoy snuggling up under them.
If you would like to see just what happens here in Australia, take a look at the Appeal blog page – last count they have received over 800 quilts! Isn’t that fantastic!! Congratulations to Tracey and her team on a superb job!
Until next time
Nanny xx
You did a fantastic job with the quilts. It was a pleasure to help with the appeal……..watching the devastating effects of fire on TV from Western Australia it hit me hard, all I knew where their where families that needed help, so hence sewing being my trade, I joined the call for help…..with much thanks to Margie…..it was a hug to somebody I may never meet, but a hug none the less.
Thank you Shari! That huge parcel you sent from Western Australia played a massive part in the success of the whole appeal! <3
Congrats, Margie, on a job well done… from start to finish!!! What you have achieved is amazing. And before you say you couldn’t have done it without everybody else… It wouldn’t have happened without you and the ENORMOUS amount of time and work that you put into it. Happy to have helped in the small way that I did.
The quilt that I was going to send from here didn’t get finished in time. It’s basted and ready to quilt, but it just won’t be done by next week. I’m disappointed, but life gets in the way sometimes. When I finish it, I will donate it to a good cause somewhere.
Thank you Pam – your blocks and fabric pieces are spread throughout the quilts and will bring support and comfort to many, so please don’t be disappointed that you didnt get that one done – it is an unfortunate fact that there will always be another cause and your love and generosity will find its home when the time is right. xx
Margie, congratulations on achieving such a mammoth effort. Your generosity is boundless. I am sure your efforts and everyone else concerned are well appreciated .
Thank you Vicki! It would not have been possible without the donations to sponsor a quilt – thank you for your support! 🙂