Nine For The Week.

Surprisingly I managed to finish 9 donated tops this week, probably because we didn't babysit. We missed the grandchildren terribly but it was also good to have some extra time for finishes. 

 The first pretty top was donated by Maia Butler from NSW. 

The next 2 lovely QAYG quilts were made from blocks donated by Marie Lee and the Victorian Quilter's Association. 

Laurel Box and the Stitching Sisters from Berwick (Vic) donated the lovely bright top in yellow and orange.

The next 2 QAYG quilts were made from lovely blocks donated by several different quilters .

Ann Lynch from Victoria donated the next 2 very pretty quilt tops for children. 

Diane Cutting from ACT donated the lovely quilt top in browns and yellows, and it will be great for a boy.

 Many thanks everyone for your generous donations and support. 

Hugs, Jan Mac 

Many Thanks Dianne, Margot and Jann.

It's good to get back to work again but 2 really appreciated everyone's kind words and it was lovely to hear from so many friends and former work colleagues.  

Dianne Daly (Vic) has been very busy and she dropped off 4 lovely small quilts, 2 crocheted blankets,  7 library bags in cute kid's prints,  12 beanies, 3 scarves, a headband, 2 pair of fingerless gloves, and 3 small Santa Sacks.

Margot Bailey (Vic) dropped off 29 beautifully knitted teddy bears donated by a church craft group.

Jann van's Spyker (NSW) donated 26 beautifully knitted small teddy bears.  

There's going to be lots of warm cuddles for young children in the very near future.

Thank you all so much for your generous donations and support. 

Hugs, Jan Mac xx 

 

A Special Australia Day

So this happened. Appeared in The Age written by Michael Fowler.

Janet MacFadyen’s quilts have been raffled by the Armenian embassy in Paris to pay for orphanages, and were flown to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. At the turn of the century, she would regularly drive a trailer full of them from her home in Shepparton to Puckapunyal, where dozens of citizens from war-torn Kosovo had taken refuge.

The 68-year-old has lost count of how many quilts she has also provided – via the Oz Comfort Quilts social enterprise she started in the 1990s – to domestic violence victims and people affected by natural disasters such as bushfires.

A fabric comforter may not seem essential in a crisis, but its meaning can be seen in the faces of those suddenly in possession of something carefully crafted and delivered with care.

“Domestic violence victims leave home at a moment’s notice. Often their confidence is destroyed, they’re lacking the self-esteem you would expect,” says Ms MacFadyen.

“When someone you don’t know gives you a nice quilt, for you and your kids, you think, ‘Perhaps I am worth something after all’. Women’s refuges often give them out [to women] when they are ready to leave. It’s an acknowledgement of them moving on to new things.”

A health manager in regional Victoria for decades, Ms MacFadyen made a pastime out of taking donations of fabric and finished products from fellow quilters across the world to those in need, including after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

“We donated 2300 quilts to the [badly affected] Kinglake area, driving trailer-loads of sewing kits up there,” she says.“We went to the school, where there were kids who had seen things no kid should see. But it brought them so much pleasure because each quilt is different. Lots of the boys wrapped it around themselves. It’s like a shield against the world.”

The quilts also helped the community reconnect: some locals took a stockpile and distributed them to neighbours.“Instead of outsiders coming in, it was a collaboration that I think helped the community address its grief,” Ms MacFadyen recalls.

Most of her quilts are delivered anonymously, sent to foster care homes and women’s refuges without her ever meeting the recipients.

It’s little surprise, then, that she thought her Order of Australia Medal for service to the community through charitable organisations was a prank.

“I rang them and said, ‘I’m just checking if this is a hoax.’ I really didn’t think it was real. They told me it was and to not discuss it with anyone.“I replied that even if I told anyone, who would believe me anyway? It’s just another type of social work. I don’t do it for money, I do it because I love to do it.”

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I still can't believe it and just want to thank everyone who has supported me with Oz Comfort Quilts to ensure that people in need know that we're thinking of them.

Many thanks for all your kind words. It means more than I can say.

Hugs, Jan  

Finishes and Donations.

I've been busy despite the ongoing heat and have finished more donated tops. The first one was made by Tracey Leonard (Vic) and made from heart blocks donated by Fran Williams and Jo Sharman from Tasmania. 

Diane Cutting (ACT) has donated quite a few quilt tops and this lovely bright one is one of hers.

Barbara Dawson from Victoria has donated several tops and this lovely I Spy top was another one of her beautiful creations.

Jo Lewis from Qld donated this fabulous quilt top made from 4 inch blocks which have been pieced from the tiniest of scraps.

Sandra Jahnke (Vic) has donated several sets of sheets and some pillow cases. 

Sue Taylor (Vic) has donated 4 lovely quilt tops for children as well as 2 sets of binding, 2 beautifully crocheted blankets for babies and some large pieces of fabric for backings.

 Many thanks everyone for your generous donations and support. 

Hugs, Jan Mac 

More From Bay Quilters.

Twelve more fabulous quilts donated by Bay Quilters from Victoria.  In total they donated 40 beautiful quilts and every one is beautifully made and differs in theme, colour and style. So many people will be comforted by their generous donations. 

Hugs, Jan Mac 
 

Many Thanks Bay Quilters.

The very talented group of quilters, Bay Quilters,  have donated 40 fabulous quilts and I have photographed 28 and will share the rest tomorrow.  They received a large donation of fabric from one of their members and used it up in a member's "row by row" challenge.  This resulted in 31 beautifully made large quilts, and they also included another 9 of their beautiful quilts. 

Many thanks for your very generous donations everyone. 

Hugs, Jan Mac