The Wonderful World of Blog

I've just loaded photos of the donated quilts and finished tops and QAYG blocks which I've already assembled into quilts to donate. They are shown on my other blog at http://ozcomfortquilts.blogspot.com
I can't believe how many very generous quilters from around the world have sent QAYG blocks to donate to the bush fire survivors.
So far I've received blocks from Iceland, Finland, Singapore, USA, UK, New Zealand and from all around Australia. Some of them have been made and donated by people who have never quilted before and the response has been amazing thanks to all of you lovely people passing on the word and directions to my blogs. The QAYG tutorial is in the Feb. part of this blog.
I think I may have started a new passion for a lot of people if what they tell me is true. So many have said that they never realized how easy it is to make a few blocks using the QAYG method and even if everyone only made 2 or 3 blocks, the number of quilts we can donate will be huge.
So a very big thank you to all who have "got the word out" and please keep the message going as we will need many more blocks to have enough quilts to donate to all those affected by the fires.
The photos shows some of the blocks waiting for assembling so I'd better get back to it.
Hugs and grateful thanks to all of you generous quilters.
Jan Mac

A Treasure Chest of Blocks

This huge box contains 385 QAYG blocks all made by Coral T. and her two craft groups at the Gold Coast. They have worked so hard and have made enough for 11 quilts. The other quilt shown is one I finished today and I also managed to finish one more and half another quilt.
Then I'm going to dive into this treasure trove and get busy finishing off more quilts for Kinglake people.
I have a busy week with night shift this week as well as DH having surgery for a biopsy tomorrow.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that it will be negative.
A very big thank you to Coral and all the other fabulous quilters who have made so many QAYG blocks for the bush fire quilt appeal at oz comfort quilts. We can all make a difference with a joint effort like this.
Hugs Jan Mac

Away Too Long

My computer's video card crashed so I was offline for most of the week. It was a nuisance but at least it gave me more time at the sewing machine. I've received some fabulous quilts, tops and blocks to be donated to the bush fire survivors and they will all be appreciated.
Thanks to my angel quilters who have donated binding and the QAYG blocks, I've been busy getting more quilts finished and still have a pile of blocks to use up.
Many thanks to all of you for all your beautiful fabric as well and for trusting me to finish off the tops and blocks and donate them on your behalf.
My post office staff can't believe how many parcels I've been getting and the maximum number has been 12 so far. I've posted the details on my other blog at http://ozcomfortquilts.blogspot.com
Thank you for all your support and please spread my blogs details so that more can be reached as we still need more help.

QAYG quilts made so far

Thanks to all the donated QAYG blocks I've made 2 QS quilts and 9 single bed quilts as well as quilting a donated QS top which is not bad for a weeks work. I had used up nearly all the donated QAYG blocks and have just received more from Sunna Reyr in Iceland, Judith Hadley (USA) and Bev Dean (WA). I've only been able to make so many quilts so quickly because I had so many donated blocks as well as prepared binding strips made and donated. I've now got some more blocks to put together so I plan to get some more quilts made from them. I also spoke at a communtiy group last night and showed them hiw to make the blocks and hope they get enthused. I spoke at a craft group in Numurkah 2 weeks ago and the ladies have since made enough blocks for 2 quilts and are keen to make more. The beauty of the QAYG block is that non-quilters can make them with confidence and even if they only make a couple of blocks, I've been able to make a lot of quilts by combining all the donated blocks. It's been a fun project to get other people interested in ways to help both East timor and the bush fire survivors. These quilts will all go to Kinglake and I'll get more made for Timor when we get more given out for the bushfire areas. It's also been great to have a variety of blocks made specifically for boys, without pinks or florals, as I now have lots of quilts suitable for teen age boys and they can be hard to find for suitable quilts.
Many thanks to all of you for your help and sadly we still need a lot more quilts and QAYG blocks to have enough quilts for the people affected by the tragedy of the Victorian bushfires.

But Still We Need More Quilts

I've been busy putting QAYG blocks together and had some love redwork blocks donated, so I've combined them with the QAYG blocks to make a QS quilt. I also managed to get a single bed quilt finished yesterday so I'm keeping up with the QAYG block donations and can always use more.
I also met up with a lovely quilter from the ACT yesterday as she and her DH were on their way to visit family in Melbourne. They stopped off with some lovely quilts, sewing supplies and two sewing machines as well as books and magazines for quilters in the fire affected areas.
The generosity of quilters never ceases to amaze me and I thank you all for your donations to the fire survivors. Back to the machine!
Hugs Jan Mac

Plenty of Support

Well it's the end of another busy week and the post office staff are keeping me busy which has been great. This week I've received 45 donated quilts and 352 donated QAYG blocks as well as donated orphan blocks, tops, and fabric.
Due to a lack of time I'm sorry but I'm going to send a thank you via the list as I need to get back to finishing off quilts.
I've received quilts from:
Annabell Samuel (WA), Debbie Walker (Tas), Margo Barber (Tas), Mary Eldridge (NSW), Karen Moore (Qld), Cherrill Wynne (Qld), Terry Patterson (NSW), Kaite Matilda and her Mum (NSW), Lee-Allan Urbanski (Vic), Carol Shaw (Vic), Stawell quilters (Vic) 16 quilts, and Una G. (Vic). The last lady saw me at the post office and asked me to call at her home where she gave me 7 quilts. The response has been wonderful but we are still in need of quilts, especially the larger ones.
Christina is in need of 100 quilts in the next 2 weeks and I've been asked for 210 quilts for children and teens in the Kinglake area as well as 17 large quilts for CFA members who lost their homes while fighting fires elsewhere.
I've also received parcels of QAYG blocks from:
Janine Matthews (NSW), Carol Richardson (ACT), Beryl Redford (USA), Betty Swalling (SA), Linda Farley (WA), Terry Patterson (NSW), Margaret Attrill (NSW), Kay Pauling (USA), Carol Egan (USA), Charlene Tudor (USA), Barbara Waldrip (USA), Gay Jenkins (UK), Anne Wasson (Vic), Pam Avara (USA), Abby Fuller (USA), Janet Corcoran (USA), and Tan Lay Ngoh (Singapore). The blocks are all lovely and I'm getting them put together ASAP. This week I've made a QS and 3 single beds QAYG quilts so far.
I've also received parcels of fabric, tops, blocks etc from :
Meloday Tallon (NSW), Kelly Hamlyn-Harris (Vic), Annette Schuiling (NSW), Suzanne Nicholson (NSW), Kat McCallum (NZ), Sheila Maslen (WA), Brenda Ibbotson (NSW), Wendy Evans (WA), Hilly (Vic ). S. Xerri (NSW), Anne Hayes (Qld) and Jo Ault (Vic).

Mary-anne, Christina and I are very grateful for all your support with this project. We have started giving out quilts but will still need many more. National Quilting Day is March 21st so maybe that would be a good day for a working bee with getting more quilts finished.
I've added photos of the donated quilts to the blog at http://ozcomfortquilts.blogspot.com
Please spread the word that we need help to give out more quilts or donations of QAYG blocks as the many ladies who have spread the word about them from my blog at http://sewmanyquiltstoolittletime.blogspot.com
have helped to get blocks from around the world. People want to help and may welcome the information of how they can help in a quilty way.

As for the concerns about the floods in Queensland, I won't be asking for quilts for these people, not because they may not appreciate them but because making and distributing 7,500 quilts for the bush fire survivors is an enormous task and I am still working for East Timor as well. I have been through a flood where we were stranded for a week at home, about 10 years ago, and although it was very stressful, we knew that it was unlikely that there would be a loss of life. That is not to make light of what these communities have been enduring, but I think the worldwide response for the bush fire survivors has been to a great extent because of the tragic loss of life and not just property. We live in a beautiful country but it's not for the faint-hearted at times. I'm very grateful that I am able to help in some small way by making quilts and donating them to where they will be appreciated. I really appreciate all your help and encourage anyone who would also like to donate quilts to the flooded areas to perhaps contact the state quilter's association to see if they are in need of help.
Back to the sewing machine.
Hugs Jan Mac
Kialla Vic

QAYG Donated Blocks

The QAYG blocks have started arriving from around Australia and around the world. The blocks look fabulous and all play nicely together when the binding strips are added. Here is the first of the finished quilts from donated blocks set 5 x 7 to make a quilt for a teenaged boy. The blocks came from 4 different quilters and all blend in well.
I'm also half way through a really pretty QS quilt from donated blocks. I'm off to my paid job now but plan to get it finished ASAP>
Hugs Jan Mac

Back home and busy

I was very blessed and given a Gold Pass to the Australasian Quilt Convention held in Melbourne. The venue was the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building and although we had one very hot day I really enjoyed the experience. The car parking was cheap and ideal for the venue and the building itself is wonderful with beautiful stenciling on the ceiling.
The very best part was the opportunity to meet so many of my online friends both those I'd met previously and those I'd met for the first time. It's always fun to finally put a face to an online name and will make it even more fun when we write our emails in the future. I also met up with some of my Melbourne quilting group- Australian Quilters Association (AQA). I had very interesting classes and managed to get half a top finished to be donated to a teenaged girl. There was a large pile of parcels of quilts, tops, blocks and QAYG blocks waiting for me and I managed to get one quilt put together today. I also picked up another 10 parcels today so I'll post more when I have time to go through them. It's my DH's birthday today so I'll limit my computer time to spend time with him.