Where are we up to now? And what do we need ?

Well, what a crazy couple of weeks it has been since I last posted. Where does the time go? Let me tell you about what has been happening lately.

On Thursday 6th February, I thought things were slowing down. We were still getting quilts and blankets, but not as many as usual, and our total on that day was 630. The ladies were still busy pinning quilt tops ready for quilting, but we had come to a halt the night before because we had run out of backing fabric. But then Monika arrived with two rolls of wideback fabric! These were donated by Macs Craft, and I can tell you we were very appreciative!

And then last Thursday 13th February we had the opposite, with boxes and boxes and bags of quilts and blankets arriving from all over the place! A special mention has to go to the Upper Landsdowne Social Craft Group, who sent yet another parcel down. They have been amazingly generous, and if you live up that way and are looking for a community minded craft group to join, look them up.

We had 42 quilts arrive that day and one of them would be up there in my Top 10, and that was this quilt made by my mum...

It's pretzels!! How fantastic for a TV/media/home cinema room!
Food and quilting - it's my perfect combination!!

We also received 9 lovely quilts from Axedale Quilters in Victoria...

I love this! It's made from upholstery fabric samples so it will be very hard wearing.
Great for kids, or in a caravan, as a picnic rug, or if you have pets on the lounge with you.

13 blankets from the Square Knitters at the North Shore Friendship Club...

and an outstanding 29 knitted or crochet blankets as well as packets of new linen from Batemans Bay Salvation Army!

The blankets from Batemans Bay came from the residents of three of the local retirement villages. They are simply amazing. What a fantastic and generous offering.

We also received 10 beautifully crocheted blankets all made by the same person, and donated anonymously. The quality of the work is lovely. The colour choice is lovely. If you are reading this and they are your blankets, thank you so much. I know how many hours you put into them, and they are simply beautiful.

On that Thursday alone we received 67 yarn crafted blankets (that is knitted or crochet), which is the most we have ever received in one go. We also received 42 quilts, so we are now up to 672 quilts.

Over the last two weeks I have also had the chance to volunteer at the Relief Centre and I have been spreading the word about registering for a quilt. Lots of the ladies in the group have been putting flyers out about our public open day. We had a family day out on Saturday and went to the Southern Highlands Quilt Show in Mittagong, and put some flyers around. If you haven't seen one, they look like this:

I've also had the chance to talk to people who have lost their homes about the quilts and blankets, and it has been very humbling. I can't imagine how hard it is for some of our community at the moment.

So, what do we need now?

If you still want to be a part of the quilt appeal, and haven't yet started something, I would suggest making a wallhanging. These can be little art quilts, stained glass, miniature quilts or just a few miniature blocks sewn together. They need to have a rod pocket at the back, or some other way to hang them. They are quick and easy to make, and it would be great if we had a few more. If you want to make a quilt, a gender neutral quilt would be best. That is basically a quilt that doesn't have florals in it.

If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tracey.