Blocks From All Over

Today's post was stuffed into our mail box and I received blocks from around the world for the Flood Quilt Appeal. I also contacted the local Member of Parliament to see if I could get some assistance with postage of the quilts to Qld and heard that areas of my own State, Victoria, are actually in pretty desperate conditions as well. Most of the flooded areas in Vic are in farming districts and they have lost stock, crops, and fences, as well as having their homes inundated by water. I guess if I stop to think about how many people need help it would be so daunting that you would just decide that you can't help everyone so why start. However, although I know I can't help everyone, for everyone who does receive a quilt made specially for them they will know that they have our support and hopefully this will give some comfort. So I've just decided to do the best I can, make as many quilts as possible and donate to as many of the affected areas as possible.
I'm on a deadline for one means of getting quilts transported to Qld as there is a truck with a crew who will be driving up to Qld every week for the next 5 weeks. So if I get the quilts to the lady who is loading the truck then that means that the cleaning crew will hand out quilts as they help people to clean their homes. They are working in the Toowoomba area at the moment, which had a large number of people who drowned in an inland tsunami.
I'm very grateful for the support of my readers and for you helping to spread the word that QAYG blocks are needed. Today I received a set of 35 QAYG blocks from Kaite and Coralie of Bathurst (NSW) and they are in very pretty pinks and pastel colours and they have included a matching bag for the quilt to be stored in. It's hard to believe that Kaite and Coralie had never made any blocks until they got involved with my bush fire quilt appeal in 2009. It's Coralie's 86th birthday tomorrow and she is an absolute star with her work making so many blocks for the quilt appeal this time as well.
The next heart blocks arrived from Anna Lemsma in Holland and she sent 5 beautiful blocks for me to make into a quilt.

I also received 4 lovely heart blocks as well as a set of 15 other blocks from Jannie Vlastuin who is also from Holland. A lovely reader from Holland, Inge Bakker-Simon, found that I was making quilts for the appeal and she offered to spread the word among her local quilting friends as well as readers of her blog. As the cost of postage can be high when sending from overseas Inge is asking for people to send me heart blocks measuring 10.5" sq and I will make them into a top and quilt it.

I also received a set of 4 QAYG blocks and some lovely fabric from a reader in New Zealand, Josie Carrad, who happened to find my blog and decided to help the appeal by making some QAYG blocks.

I finished off 3 quilts today and have started putting together another QAYG quilts so it was a productive day. I hope to do as well tomorrow.
Cheers, Jan Mac