Quilts needed please............

Remember I did the Caring with Quilts  project with the CWA.............it all started with this post and the request for a few quilts was rapidly turned into hundreds..........They were given to the people who were effected by the Warrumbungles Fire in 2013....

Well sadly we are a land of extremes and now my friend Jewells is going to get some quilts together for her friend Colleen and family from the small town of Dungog which took the brunt of the flooding in the recent storms...........if she has excess quilts (which I am sure will) she is going to give to other people in the community effected...............

She has asked for quilts single bed size or larger............
and she would also only be asking for quilts suitable for adults...........
male and female quilts..............

several people lost homes but many were flooded..................

Hope you can help..............my bloggy friends were very generous for the Caring with Quilts project so I am hoping some of you can help out the people of Dungog.

Leave a comment on my blog here and I can be in touch with Jewells or leave a comment on Jewells blog and she will be in touch...........or email her here
&&&&
thankfully Jewells is fine and not effected but it was a worry for days as they had no communication with the outside world so to hear from her yesterday once she was back on the air was great.....

This is her friend Colleens house floating away.........

Jewells maybe you could call it "Flooded with Love"..............

Sorry about 2 post in one day but this one is pretty important...............

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Caring With Quilts.................

Finally I can say the Caring with Quilts project is all but done..................one quilt left to deliver.......done....

I meant to post an update in August but as you know August and September disappeared for me and not sure who stole October and here we are well into November December..............

It all started back here on Australia Day...............

I've included some pics of my travels............many trips into the fire area..............it was such a huge area I broke it down into smaller areas/roads to deliver the quilts to everyone............days of quilt delivery were held with Chris, Sue, Liz and Janette as travelling partners on various days.......

I cannot describe how special it was to be able to deliver the quilts that you sent to me and the CWA for delivery.

Many hugs, some tears, a few cuppas etc..............

It was wonderful to personally deliver these quilts as some people had not "qualified" for much assistance..............

We were so pleased to receive so many quilts we were able to deliver quilts to every property that was affected by the fires......this resulted in many many families being assisted..........and a few other special people we found along the way.......

quilts ready for delivery .......

piles of quilts ready for sorting and packing................so many sizes, styles, colours etc

A gorgeous lady who I met from St Aidans at Exeter who delievered a bundle of quilt..........

pictured with Chris holding up some of the quilts they made.......

Above months after the fire a shed destroyed by fire.............grasses returned but not much green on the hills................

naked mountains reveal amazing scenes/rock formations we have not see before............

members of the CWA held a morning tea for one of the members and her husband who lost their home..........

a large group of ladies from Walgett joined us that day delivering a big bundle of quilts............

on a very cold day this recipient was very happy to receive a quilt for her and a neighbour

3 gorgeous happy little girls................

Early one morning i met Chris for a coffee before a big quilt delivery day and she gave me 4 quilts that she had pieced and quilted herself.............

I didn't have any streets etc to deliver too..........everyone was on a farm or hobby farm........so local knowledge was essential......

a lucky boy home sick for the day got to pick his own quilt.........I saw him again the other day with his Mum and she said he loves it...............

very late one afternoon we made it to the top of Siding Springs Observatory to deliver quilts to the permanent residents who work there...............it was freezing cold and very windy but the sun was setting and it was stunning................

very hazzy out towards the plains..........and the Caretaker was telling us how they were seeing so many big eagles since the fires......Liz who was delivering with me snapped this pic..........

Now the problem I had - a good problem might I add is that you were all so generous I had too many quilts for children under 5yrs. There was very few in the area I had to deliver to so they had been sitting in the Chookshed waiting for me to make a decision............sadly that came with the terrible fires in the Blue Mountains........I saw Rainbow Preschool at Winmalee on the TV..........
they had terrible damage at the preschool......lucky they didn't lose the building but only just.........it was very close to the back door and completely destroyed all the children's play area out the back............
The day I called in they had just got the soil samples back and everything was going ahead the day after I was there restoring the play area.........(I got the pic below from there FB page the next day)

These are some of the children from the preschool...........8 children lost there homes but I had nearly enough quilts for all the kids........Joan the Director a lovely lady was so thankful.............they still had 12 children at the preschool when they had to evacuate in a fire truck with great urgency....the fire came thru very fast.....but I was happy for all the children to receive a quilt as driving into the preschool the whole area is fire affected.............the children will never forget this........they couldn't go outside to there play area............

 A sign they have hanging out the front.........says it all really............

So to anyone who supported the project the
Baradine CWA "Caring with Quilts"
THANKYOU
the people who have received the quilts
THANK YOU  for caring
we have received some amazing thankyou letters............

Just one suggestion.............if making quilts to donate make it big enough (50x50) most of the recipients who lost there homes wanted to put them on there beds to make things look nice
Also make them uni sex/age as I struggled to have enough quilts for men and also older boys......unless you know specifically what you are making for........
2014 I would like to make a quilt or 2 for a cause....yet to find the cause or need but I am sure that will develop............
THANKYOU
Catch you later

Chookyblue

a special poem......

The following poem was written by a lady from the Southern Highlands - a church group from Bundanoon and Exeter got together and during there quilt making for "Caring with Quilts" this poem was written, I really enjoyed reading and did several times........the last paragraph sums up "Caring with Quilts" perfectly.........
I have permission to post this on my blog.

Quilts for Coonabarabran. 2013        

How do you start, to begin again? We really don’t know how.

Piece by piece - like a patchwork quilt, is all we can offer for now.

The fabric came from quilters homes, from friends and linen presses.

Matching colour tones, came easily for some, but for others it was totally guess-work.

We had a few meetings to discuss, the best way to attack it.

But in the end we all pitched in, cutting strips and squares and patches.

Ladies came from here and there, we wore tags to know our own names.

Some were from church, some from nearby, and some simply because they had heard.

Under watchful supervision, some stitching still didn’t make the grade.

If the joins in your quilt are not perfect, remember the skills of the sewer ... are the same.

Some of us who hadn’t a clue, decided to work in the kitchen.

Or nervously waited on an expert, to allow us to take the next action.

The old church hall had limited points, for irons and sewing devices.

Power boards and extension leads, were creatively used to suffice us.

Is ‘that’ a sewing machine? The question from some young children.

When a fifty year old green SINGER was heaved up to the table.

The kids whose family, rhymes with ‘quilt’, ironed squares and served us pikelets.

They kept the water up to the iron, and in between they ... squirted!

One special girl with her ‘L’s on, sewed a hem for the very first time.

She wanted it slow, but still made it go, then lit up the room with excitement.

Spectacles had to be borrowed one day, as sunnies are bad choosing colours.

The blind one stepped in for Suzy, till the one with wrong glasses felt woozy.

When loaning us his ironing board, like a surfer on his way to the sea.

Our minister drove down his road, wondering ‘why are they laughing at me?’

He tried to get us to iron his shirts, and somebody dared to say ... yes!

But only if she could cut them up, and re-join them with floral in sections.

Some teenaged girls tried seriously to pretend, they were reading and trying to study.

We knew all along they were undercover, judging who was the fuddiest old duddy.

We quilting novices heard some terms, that still need some explaining.

Like ‘stitch in a ditch’, ‘press to the dark’ and a style that mentions ‘sausages’.

A few with obvious aptitude were invited to ‘sandwich’ one day.

The rest of us were quite content with quiche and cake ... anyway.

We had some fun at your expense, dear folk from Coonabarabran.

We thought on how difficult and sad for you, to not have the things that you count on.

This quilt may not be to your decorating taste, it may not be your colour of choice.

But may it bring comfort in some tiny way, to know that strangers, have been caring.

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Caring with Quilts another update.......

Hopefully I should be wrapping up the quilt collecting this week................I have 3 lots to come in this week..........and hoping that is getting to the end of collecting..........it's just amazing........

from the top down....

1x Jindi's Cottage VIC,

3x Carol @ Parkes, 

3x R @ Orange, 

2x Marie and Mona Quambone, 

2x Kathy Sydney, 

1x Sharon Lilabelle Lane VIC, 

1x Sue @ Mother Patchwork SA, 

1x Jean Ardlethan, 

This pile on the left  is from the Coonabarabran Hospital Auxillary.............................This pile on the right unknown from the coast somewhere............they came with other goods and the quilts were passed onto the CWA to hand out so I have no contacts...........

This huge pile from the Walgett Quilters who I got to have lunch with yesterday........

lovely group of ladies..........

Tomorrow some of the CWA ladies are meeting a lady for morning tea who has travelled up from Sydney to deliver some quilts, Thursday I am meeting a lady while away doing a pick up...........Saturday me and one of the ladies who's house was destroyed are meeting with a lady from the Southern Highlands area who is passing thru to deliver some quilts........

it's a big job but soooooo worth it..............the people who have them so far are just so AMAZED and THANKFUL people have cared enough to do this...............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

GDITC ends...........

Sunday ends with breaky together.............it was a long breaky...........

more time to catch up.............

And proof the "GDITC virgins" survived the weekend and I am sure they are all on the list for 2014..........

Suze and Kate, Dzintra and Sonia

We drove thru the big January fire areas on the way home.............

lots of fuzzy wuzzy trees with their new shoots...........some still very dead..........slowly the country is coming to life...........

Houses are starting to be cleared away now...........sorry I refuse to take pics of that in respect of the owners........this is the area all the Caring with Quilts are being delivered too............

fences being rolled up and pulled down that were burnt............

new fences being errected..............I am not sure if these were BlazeAid but I know they have been very busy in the area............I ran into a volunteer at the service station and then chatting away he said there was 71 at dinner the night before so lots of people working away but more needed.............Blaze Aid has several sights operating at the moment in NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland.............some for floods and some for fires...........check out their sight and you may be able to help............The man we spoke too had never done fencing before and had been with the camp for 3 weeks and was loving it and staying for at least another 3 weeks............

You don't have to commit that much time but a few days here and there all adds up or maybe you can give them a donation to help with fencing supplies etc that they require...........

I have heard lots about them and not one bad word has been spoken...........

Check out their website 

The road thru the Warrumbungles has now opened...........you can see so much that I have never seen before............such devastation has revealed other beauties.............

Have a great Easter...............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Caring with Quilts BIG update..........

Well the last few weeks the quilts have been slowly adding up..............

The CWA ladies have a few more I have yet to account for but here is the update since about the middle of the month.............the days are blurring into one as I have been busy.............

So much so I forgot who these were from which is terrible of me...........so after a slight panic I tried to piece back in time and I have it all right I hope............

THANKS HEAPS EVERYONE

Top down

 Another one from Marilyn (that makes 2), Cathy and Raylene(2)

Another one from Maree........thats the 8th and final quilt she is donating...........very generous..............Debsway(2)

A pick up from Hatched and Patched in Bathurst..........

makers unknown (8)...........the 4th and 5th ones down are from Janelle (2)

And the weekend well.............OMG.........I had a couple of phone calls earlier in the week which meant I asked a couple of the girls going to GDITC if they could assist.................

Susan picked up 4 from Elizabeth in Mudgee, Jenny had a pick up arranged of 7 quilts, and a bag of goodies from the Moree Quilters Inc, on the way to GDITC I picked up 10 quilts from Dawn and Wendy - lovely ladies who are part of Castle Mountain Quilters and then the other 15 filling the back were from ladies at GDITC

Dawnie and Suzie, Kylie, Patricia, Kerry (3), Nicole, Betty, Dale (6) and Peg (1)

The back of the car was very full...........

Which means 91 + 53 = 144

And I know I still have some quilts to come still..........OMG........

Everyone has been so kind and generous...........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

The Adventures of Peg and Dale in the woolshed........

Hey Dale we were up bright and early this morning...........

Chooky was out mustering before sunrise but we had to whip up some scones for the shearers in the woolshed..........while Chooky was busy we couldn't quiet find her Nan's old scone cutter.......but we found the rolling pin and she told us how to make the scones.........

Here they are out of the oven ready for morning "smoko"...........

here we are down at the woolshed.......we were checking out the woolshed while they all had "smoko".......scones with jam and cream...........yummo....... we forgot to take a photo to show you..........but they were so good........

Geeze Peg we better not stay here for too long we might get a job............

better not stay here for too long either as we might get pressed into the wool bale..............

that was enough work for the day..............thank goodness Chooky didn't take us with her.......she's been out all day checking paddocks and mustering sheep...............

we checked out the quilts too.............man that pile is growing fast..........

This is the lastest addition.........

Carolyn(3), Illford/Running Stream CWA(2), Brenda(1+2), Bogee Crafters (11), G from Orange, a lady from Parkes(2)

While checking out Chooky's sewing we found this EPP she was working the other day........

not quite sure what she is working on but doesn't surprise us it is blue...........

Catch you later..............

Peg and Dale.......

+14..........

I still being contacted by people/groups who have heard about Caring with Quilts and want to be part of the project...........this is my A4 size note book and i'm starting my 3rd page now of people who are sending quilts.........so I can keep track, mark them off when I receive them and I can contact when quilts arrive.........

Look at this bundle of 14 quilts............top down.............

3 from Ana Maria and friends in Portugal.........

Another from Maree (7 now).........

Carinda Quilters - 10 quilts

A huge thanks to everyone involved.....

....I should have another bundle arriving tomorrow that have gone to the CWA ladies.............stay turned for another update...........

Debsway - see the post before this one please

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

More quilts and bit & pieces........

Mail update......more quilts for Caring with Quilts have arrived.......

thanks to Sue Vic, Susan (2) QLD  and Sandy (4).........

The CWA ladies also have a few collected in their mail and networks but not sure the total there..........this is amazing..........but I have accounted for 57........

My nine patches for the Traditional Nine Patch Swap are done............actually 2 days ago........how quick was that...........I am on the ball with one thing............

working on the stitchery for my pincushion for the SAL........nine patches joined.......

they look so tiny on the others............

A parcel in the mail..........thanks Sandy you must know it's only 17 SLEEPS until Girls Day in the Country - with Sue Daley as the tutor and I am sure we will have some EPP on the day...........

I can't wait - i'll get to see heaps of my bloggy friends...........

And thanks to Jodie and Susan who found some more of the owl fabric for me.......THANKYOU.......I have some pink I am going to put with this and make a quilt...........design to be worked out yet............but very soon.........Spotlight isn't around the corner so this was a great help.........

Looking for the next fall of rain............it's all dried up pretty quick......

....nothing forecast yet.........hoping soon.........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue