A Pile of Quilts

I spent yesterday finishing off the bindings on some quilts as well as sewing 2 more QAYG quilts together. I also spent the afternoon packing all the quilts I was sending to Emerald Qld as I thought the truck would be going last night or today. I was surprised when I counted that I had 63 ready to go in various sizes. I thought it was more like 50. Then I found out today that the truck won't be going to Qld until Tuesday night which means that I have more time to get some more made and I'll give the final total then.
In the meantime I managed to quilt another 4 donated tops this afternoon and now I have the bindings to finish as well as another QAYG quilt to finish for the Homeless Connect day in Melbourne in a couple of weeks.
Check out my other blog for more photos of the finished quilts from yesterday and today and check back soon as there will be more finishes very soon.
Hugs Jan Mac

Quilters Work Together

More donations of beautiful QAYG blocks have been delivered here. The first one was a large box containing 44 QAYG blocks made by Karen Ruby from the US, and her group, The Dixie Chicks. I happen to play a lot of Dixie Chicks music so I love the name of their group too. The blocks are in a variety of fabric and will make some colourful quilts.
Bev Slater from New Zealand also sent 4 lovely QAYG blocks made in kid's prints and they are lovely and bright.

I also received a parcel of fabric from Karen Pantony (Vic) and the fabric will be ideal for blocks and bindings.
There were also 3 large boxes of QAYG blocks delivered from Dru Ketchion and the Stitch'n Sistas who managed to make 9 sets of 35 blocks and binding to join them together. There's only 12 in the group but they have been very busy to get so many made. They also received donations of fabric and batting from patchwork shops- Two Mad Cows in Moe and Maggie Robertson Designs in Traralgon.
These blocks will make many lovely quilts and I'll be getting them finished ASAP. I also received an email from Ana in Portugal and she is requesting QAYG blocks to be made into quilts for Christchurch New Zealand. Cat from Catalina's Cottage is working with me to get finished quilts delivered to the earthquake survivors in Christchurch as well and she is also asking for QAYG blocks. We're just waiting for final details of transport to New Zealand but I am also happy to receive finished quilts and will get them to either Qld or New Zealand.
I have a lot of boxes to pack tomorrow as I am sending another shipment of quilts to Emerald this weekend. I'm also working on quilts for New Zealand and I want my NZ readers to know that you haven't been forgotten. It's time for my paid job today and I'd rather be quilting but it helps to pay for the donations and postage and I've already would my bobbins for tomorrow's quilting adventures.
Thank you all for your interest and support.
Hugs Jan Mac

Prayers For New Zealand

The damaging earthquake in Christchurch with the large loss of life has been shocking and our hearts go out to you and I pray that many more people are found alive and rescued. I'm looking into how to send finished quilts over to Christchurch to aid in their recovery efforts. Thank you to everyone who emailed and asked about quilts for NZ as well as the flood victims in Australia.
I spent the day quilting 7 donated tops and now have to finish the bindings on them so they'll be shown on my other blog tomorrow.
In the meantime some wonderfully generous quilters have sent more QAYG blocks and they will make some lovely quilts for people in need of comfort and warmth.
Marielle Flipse and Gerda Verwoort from Holland sent 3 QAYG blocks and their best wishes, and Edwina Hempstalk from New Zealand sent 24 QAYG blocks in a range of colours.
Also from New Zealand, Christine Singleton sent 46 QAYG blocks which is enough for 2 quilts for children and she has used a lot of kid's prints. Margaret Frost (WA) has again been very busy and has sent another 20 QAYG blocks, while B. Langton (Vic) sent 12 floral QAYG blocks as well as enough binding to sash the blocks for a QAYG quilt.
Anne Brennan and her friends from Morwell (Vic) must have had a sewing day as well and they sent 67 QAYG blocks in a variety of fabric to make some pretty quilts.
Nanette Gilbert (NSW) sent some beautiful orphan blocks and fabric to make more tops and Susan Stamp (NSW) sent a lovely patchwork book, batting, blocks and fabric.
You have all been so supportive and generous with your donations that it has enabled me to make and donate a lot more quilts.
I have managed to organize transport for the quilts to Emerald in Qld and they will be going on the weekend so I'm trying to get as many finished as possible for the first shipment. The ladies from Emerald who have helped me with the arrangements are very excited about being able to give so many quilts out next week so I'll be sure to post the numbers in the shipment when they've gone.
I'm going to take a break now after about 11 hours of sewing today and get an early start on the bindings tomorrow. Now that I have transport for the quilts to reach Qld I'm also happy to receive any finished quilts and send them with the shipments.
Once again a heartfelt thank you for all your support and keep our Kiwi friends and neighbours in your thoughts and prayers and perhaps make a QAYG block or two, or even a quilt so we can support them in their recovery.
Hugs Jan Mac

Something a Little Different

I've been busy finishing off QAYG quilts but also decided to work on some knitted beanies and make scarves for a Homeless Connect Day which will be held soon. The beanies are easy to knit and I can often get one finished each day while watching TV in the evenings.
I also quilted 3 baby quilts yesterday as well as 2 other tops which I still need to bind. The baby quilts will go to an organization which helps teenage mothers and the other two will go to Qld for the flood victims.
It looks like I have the delivery of quilts to Emerald in Qld almost covered and will be able to send them quilts in bulk next week.

I've also been making more 12.5" QAYG blocks to make another quilt for the Homeless and I'm using all those scraps of non-quilting fabric which seem to litter the sewing room. I figure that I'm cleaning at the same time that I'm making blocks. My wise DH says that when I'm cleaning my sewing room I'm just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic! He may be right but I'm going to keep at it and who knows maybe it will be tidy and stay that way one day. LOL
Cheers, and have a good sewing day while I'm at my paid job.
Jan Mac

A Wealth of Donated Blocks

The parcels of QAYG blocks are still arriving and I'm very busy getting them all sewn together. I think that I have solved my delivery problem for quilts to Emerald in Qld so I'm making sure that I get the blocks made with light-weight batting finished so they can go on the next delivery up there.
The huge pile of blocks shown first consist of 90 QAYG blocks made by Iris Bradbury and her quilting group- the Southern Village quilters in WA., and these will make some lovely quilts.

The next blocks shown are from Fay Morris in Israel, who read about this quilt project on the UK magazine Popular Patchwork's website, and she has sent 4 QAYG blocks as well as some cute kid's fabric. Ruth Crocombe from Sth Africa also sent 4 lovely QAYG blocks and they will play nicely with the other donated blocks. I love this design because it's an easy way to use blocks from all different quilters and the joining strips make them blend together well.
The last two photos show the 48 QAYG blocks sent by Delys Rogers in WA and she also sent some bindings, fabric and some orphan blocks.
All of these lovely donations will be finished up very quickly and off to their new owners so keep any eye on my other blog for the finished quilts made from these blocks.
Thank you all for helping me to get so many quilts made and donated to those who need them.
Hugs Jan Mac

Generous Donations

These beautiful QAYG blocks were all donated by generous quilters from overseas as well as across Australia and will help to make some lovely quilts.
The first 2 blocks came from S. Poole in the UK and the next 6 QAYG blocks were donated by Twan Renwick from Sth Africa. I will be adding the different countries to the labels and I know that the people will love to see how far the blocks have traveled.
Jeanette Chowne (NSW) sent 4 lovely QAYG blocks and Ann Birch (Vic) sent 16 lovely QAYG blocks.
The two quilt tops were made and donated by Yvonne Williams in WA and she also sent binding for the quilts and Sue Fisher (Vic) sent 8 lovely QAYG blocks in a variety of prints.
I'm busy with paid work for the next few days but I'm still making time to either put QAYG blocks together or prepare backings for the donated tops.
I'm also organizing delivery to Qld as the Vic areas have asked me to hold off on delivery for a few weeks until they are able to deal with more donations.
Hugs and thanks, Jan Mac

Monday's Mail Delivery

The postman has been very busy with deliveries today and I've been busy finishing off quilts which are shown on my other blog.
Margaret Clancy who is currently living in Port Morseby (New Guinea) has very kindly sent 11 beautiful QAYG blocks and she plans to make some more when she is able to return to Qld to pick up more supplies. Shirley Earles from New Zealand sent 6 lovely QAYG blocks and an anonymous donor from New Zealand sent 2 quilt tops, many orphan blocks as well as some lovely fabric for more quilts.









Kelly Hamlyn- Harris (Vic) has again been very busy and she has sent 5 lovely QAYG blocks as well as a large amount of binding. Ros Bush (Qld) has sent 12 lovely QAYG blocks and Lesley Gillespie from the UK sent 3 beautiful quilt tops and one set of matching binding. Jan Skipper from New Zealand sent 20 lovely QAYG blocks as well as more fabric strips and a large box came from a group called, Material Women. They are from WA and they sent 73 lovely QAYG blocks as well as binding.

All of the donations are very gratefully received and the pile of quilts is mounting so I hope to deliver more this week. I've been hearing about many of the smaller communities in Qld who seem to have been forgotten despite losing 80 to 100% of their possessions. I'm planning to post more quilts up there but if anyone has contacts with a courier or transport company who could help with delivering a larger number of quilts please let me know. The quilt blocks and tops you've donated are all beautiful and will make some fabulous quilts to bring comfort.
Many, many thanks again, Jan Mac

More Parcels Unpacked

I received a huge box of QAYG blocks from Penny Berens and her quilting group, the Annapolis Valley Quilt Guild and in a week they managed to make 126 blocks. They are lovely and will make some beautiful quilts.
Cathy Bruton (Vic) sent a set of 35 QAYG blocks as well as binding and they are lovely bright fabrics and will be loved by a child or teen. I also received 2 large parcels from Jan Stokes (SA) and she sent lot of wool and fabric. In fact one was the largest ball of wool I've ever seen so some serious knitting and crocheting will be taking place to get it made up and donated.
Irene Carter from the UK sent 21 QAYG blocks and they are really lovely and in a range of colours. I can't wait to get to work with all the new blocks that have arrived this week so keep an eye out for finished quilts on my other blog and you may be able to spot some of your blocks.
I also received 9 QAYG blocks from Cheryl Tobin (Vic) and they are in pretty pinks and brights and will play very nicely with the other donated blocks.
Today I also met up with Lesley Lowe from Kyabram today and she delivered a huge pile of tops, with batting and backings from the Kyvalley and Girgarre Quilters. I spent the day quilting and finished 5 and a half quilts so I have some binding to do before I can show the finished quilts.
Paid work tomorrow and I plan to bind some quilts before work but I may not get them photographed for the blog until the day after.
Thanks to all the very generous donations I have quite a pile of quilts to deliver very soon.
Many, many thanks, Jan Mac

More Parcels Arrived

Lesley Tunnecliffe (WA) sent a large parcel of 24 QAYG blocks and Margaret Maguire (SA) also sent 14 QAYG blocks and they will be used with other donated blocks to make some colourful quilts.





Mandy Collins (NSW) sent 8 lovely QAYG blocks, some binding and 6 Stack and Slash blocks with fabric to finish them into a top. Sharne Gregory (England) sent 6 lovely QAYG blocks in bright colours with pinks and aqua fabrics. Margaret Frost (WA) sent a large parcel of a set of 35 QAYG blocks as well as2 sets of navy bindings which will make a lovely quilt.
Thanks to all of your generous donations I'll soon have more quilts to send off to the people who lost their homes to the floods.
More tomorrow, Hugs Jan Mac

Arrivals Monday - Part Three

Margaret Harris (NSW) sent another two parcels with a quilt top, 3 finished quilts (shown on the other blog) as well as 37 lovely QAYG blocks so Margaret has been sewing up a storm for the quilt appeal.
Kelly Hamlyn-Harris (Vic) sent another parcel with some lovely thread to match the bindings she'd previously donated.





Bettine Lambie (Tas) sent a large box stacked with prepared bindings as well as some blocks and fabric and the bindings are already being used for today's quilt finishes. The pink and purple QAYG blocks are in bright colours and Lyn van Dyke (Vic) sent 10 of them and they will play very nicely with the others I've received.
I've also received a large parcel from Jenny Hall in New Zealand and will show those donations tomorrow. The sewing machine is calling me! Many, many thanks for all your generous donations to help those so badly affected by the floods across Australia.
Hugs Jan Mac