Quilting Bee Reminder

Just a reminder that this coming Saturday, there is a quilting bee to assist survivors of the bushfires.

The following information is from Sewjourn....

It’s almost impossible to imagine how it must feel to face the task of rebuilding after losing your home in the Bushfires. But we are hoping to contribute in a small way by making and donating quilts for people who have lost their homes. So please come along to our Quilting Bee. There are lots of ways you can contribute:

• Come along for all or part of the day to sew
• Donate fabric, batting or backings for use
  
• Make any 12 inch block and send it in and we will make them up into quilts on the day
  
• Make a Scrappy Log Cabin block - Emma has a good tutorial here
  
• Offer to machine quilt one or two quilts for us
  
• Offer to hand quilt a quilt
  
• Offer to hand sew a binding or two
  
• Come along to make calico bags for the quilts
  
• You might have a half-done quilt top you are happy to donate to be finished off
  
• Spread the word - please pass on to all of your crafty friends

We particularly need backings and offers of machine quilting or hand quilting (either on the day or afterwards) though and are happy to list down the businesses that support us so if you think of anyone you can ask please let me know.

When: Saturday 21st March 9.30am - 4.30pm
Where: LightHouse, Ashburton Uniting Church, 7 Ashburn Grove, Ashburton, 3147
What to bring: Your sewing supplies, fabric, lunch. Morning and afternoon tea provided.
Contact: Jan Joseland on 0409 964 755 or info@sewjourn.net.au

It would be great to see as many people come along as possible so if you are free please consider joining in…..and the bonus is not only are we helping out in some little way but it’s sure to be a really fun day!

There are appoximately 20 quilt tops that are ready to be transformed into lovely warm quilts, so please go along and help if you can.

Come One, Come All

Head on over and check out the Silly Gilly auctions right here on Ebay.

All proceeds go to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal as part of Handmade Help.

My apron is right here!

The Golden Ticket

I'm really really really hoping that this is the golden ticket!

I would love to win a fabulous piece of artwork - check out the Kaotic Kraft Kuties blog where you can buy a ticket online with all the proceeds going to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. The raffle is being drawn Wednesday night and you don't need to be there in person to win, you just need to buy a ticket (or ten).

My Creative Space

I'm not being very creative today.... too many things to do and people to see - you know the drill.

I'm hoping that this box of goodies that I'm going to drop in to Meet Me at Mikes today will inspire some creativity as part of the Re-stash a Crafter project. I've inlcuded yarn, knitting needles, sewing needles, pins, fabric, buttons and a little bit of floss.

I've searched the house for my crochet hooks because I really want to donate them too... but I can't find them anywhere. I'd better keep searching!

Bags for the boys

I didn't have the chance to make it to the fabulous bag making sewing bee on Saturday, but I did manage to whip up a few bags to contribute to the Rainbow Comfort Packs.

Four super simple drawstring bags that would be perfect for very little boys to keep their treasures...

....and two super simple tote bags for older boys. I wish I had time to make more, but I need to drop them into Nikki today so I've run out of time.

This is a before shot (I don't have an after shot), but I also have a few headbands that can be included in the bags for the girls, and I just need to have a bit of a rummage around to see if I can find anything else to include.

The next job is raiding the craft stash to gather some supplies for Re-stashing a Crafter. I'm aiming to drop a box of supplies off to Pip on Thursday, and then I'll keep working on some handmade goodness.... clothes, softies etc etc etc.....

I'm wondering whether I should give up on my crochet dreams and even donate my hooks!

I'ts so nice to be busy doing something nice for someone else!

One last thing - thanks to all of the lovely peeps who made purchases from The CurlyPops Shop last week. I was able to donate $110 to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal yesterday.
I'm continuing on with the same offer this week. I'm donating 50% of the value of all sales in the shop. Keep checking the Handmade Help blog for more ways to lend a hand.

The rescued quilt top

You may remember this quilt top that I rescued from the oppy in November last year.....

Someone has spent hours and hours lovingly constructing it......

Quilting Mick let me know that it's a bargello quilt (I had to google bargello .... sorry but I have very little idea about anything regarding proper quilts).

Anyway, it's been sitting amongst a pile of fabric ever since I bought it. But then yesterday, I saw this post over on Handmade Help calling for quilters and / or quilting supplies. I emailed the Waverley Patchworkers - info(at)waverleypatchworkers(dot)com(dot)au , and the fantastic news is that I can send them the quilt top, and one of their fabulous quilters will transform into an amazing quilt to give to a bushfire survivor.

Alls well that ends well.....

Handmade Help

Just a reminder that 50% of all sales from The CurlyPops Shop will be donated to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

Thankyou so much to the two lovely generous girls who made purchases today.

Head on over to check out the Handmade Help blog (thanks Cindy & Pip) for lots of crafty auctions and ways to help....

I also forgot to mention yesterday that if you have books that can be donated, Juddie is organising a collection. Head on over to Flightless Boyds or email - juddie1 (at) optusnet (dot) com (au)

The Toy Society is also still collecting handmade toys.... so keep sewing and stuffing!

Head on over to Nikki's You Sew Girl blog for details of her sewing bee this (EDIT) Saturday. It's a lovely way to get together with like minded people for a lovely day out, while helping at the same time.

A Crafty Community

Wowee it hasn't taken long for the entire crafty blogging community to get involved in offering some help for the victims of the Victorian bushfires.

There's a great post here from Pip regarding Childrens Comfort Packs:

You can drop any Handmade Help items at Meet Me at Mikes or Amitie Textiles to be passed on to relief agencies:

Silly Gilly is holding a charity auction (and is looking for handmade donations). I'm going to whip up a softie and send it south asap!

Cindy from Bug and Pop is also holding a charity auction (and is looking for handmade donations)... I think a tea towel apron might be heading her way.

Missie Krissie has just opened her new online shop and is donating 50% of the proceeds to the bushfire appeal until at least Wednesday.

Hollie from Hokey and Vegan and Vintage is donating 50% of the sales in her Etsy Shop to Wildlife Victoria for February

Liz aka Betty Jo from the Lino Forest is donating the proceeds from a gorgeous lino clock here

10% of all proceeds from Georgie Love for the month of February will be donated to the bushfire appeal.

Rach from Grandy and Baa is collecting handmade kids clothes (I have some tees which will be appliqued asap).

I hope I haven't missed anybody who is offering help.

Finally, I'm donating (to the Red Cross Appeal), 50% of any sales in the CurlyPops Shop from now until Sunday (15th Feb).

A little way to help - updated

It just gets worse each time I turn on the news.

There is a small way that we can use our crafty skills to help. Sarah from With A Cherry On Top and Bianca from The Toy Society are going to try to find an organisation who will take handmade toys to distribute to children who have lost everything in the bushfires. Rach from Grandy and Baa had the same idea too.

If you think you can help, please email thetoysociety@gmail.com

Updated: Rach from Grandy and Baa is collecting handmade clothes (appliqued onsies, t-shirts and skirts etc) - head on over if you can help out.

Sparkly Green Knickers is going to donate the proceeds from her Etsy Shop to the Bushfire Appeal...

Eye Spy....something delicious

Eye Spy some delicious scones (made by Liesl) that I bought home from yesterdays Thornbury Craft Bonanza at Amitie....

I haven't felt much like blogging today. I spent the day packing linen and kitchen items, with Sky News on in the background, updating the Victorian Bushfire crisis minute by minute. It's now 9.20 PM, and the latest news is that 76 people have lost their lives, and there are still more missing.

Apparently, the best way to help is to send a donation of money, or to donate blood (as there are many burns victims who will desperately need it over the next few weeks). The Red Cross Bushfire Appeal information can be found here, and you can find out how to donate blood here.

As I was packing boxes in the afternoon, there was a woosh of wind in the tree outside the kitchen door and then a big thump. This poor little Mama possum had fallen out of the tree and landed on my concrete patio. She was still alive and had a little baby in her pouch who was sucking away trying to get some milk.

I tried calling all of the wildlife rescue services, but I'm sure that they have been inundated with the bushfires, so I called the local Vet hospital instead. I packed her up in a box and took her along to the hospital. The vet was going to have a look at her and then call someone who looks after native wildlife.

Apparently, she was the fourth possum taken to their hospital today.....