Monday, March 27, 2017

27 March 2017

 Fewer quilts were presented at Show and Tell but many were added to the distribution tables, along with an increase in knitted goods. Well done to those hardy souls who have managed to knit/crochet in the heat and humidity of our summer.

Val showed how a variety of knitted/crocheted squares could be assembled into a knee rug. 
Knitted socks  in strong colours for kidney patient use were produced, as well as berets and beanies and lots of rugs and shawls. 


Touchy feely bracelets, masses of weighted cushions, fiddle bags and feeling friends crowded the tables.


 Dorothy has used to good effect two panels from the donated freebies plus a cute bunny which became the centre piece of the tartan quilt below.





Glorianne likewise used a donated kit – Hearts and Panache – also creating a Star Wars themed quilt for a young boy.



Our friends from Bribie Quilters supplied a variety of designs including a quilt using paper-pieced animal motifs.



Lyn P assembled a wheelchair quilt made from left-over squares. 

Anne’s meticulous work this month included a pattern purchased on a recent trip to New Zealand and a red, black and white log cabin, the fabrics for which she has carefully chosen from our donations over some time.


 New member Dee returned three quilts with beautiful quilting designs, yet to be bound. 



President Kaye continues to quilt many items each month which others complete with appropriate binding. Our team of binding makers make the job easier for those finishing off these quilts as a member is able to select a length of binding from several bins of different colours.


Boxes of quilts that had been bound but lacked labels arrived from Warwick  and the labelling was completed by a large team of stitchers today while other members were kept busy putting strings onto our swing labels for the small goods, each of which are labelled by Sunshine Linus before distribution.

Next meeting is Monday, 24th April from 9.30am.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

What we make and where it goes

WHAT WE MAKE AT SUNSHINE LINUS  

AND WHERE IT GOES  

Sunshine Linus provides handmade items to give comfort to people in need.  We ask organisations to give us a wish list and we do our best to fill it.  

We make no charge for the items that we donate (although we are happy to accept donations) and  our fundraising primarily goes towards providing materials such as wadding, foam, towelling etc to  make more items.  

We supply items to a wide variety of people. We distribute to  

● Aged care facilities and hospital units, especially those with dementia patients  ● Special schools and guidance officers who work with students with special needs  ● Disability support groups and their clients  

● Community support groups such as the Salvation Army; Community Centres; Domestic  Violence services;Young parent support groups; Homeless support groups; the Sunshine  Coast Reconciliation group; and Police Stations  

● Hospital units including those for cancer and kidney patients; emergency; maternity and  babies; palliative care and children.  

● Individuals in need 

WHAT WE MAKE 

WHERE IT GOES

SENSORY 

Touchy feely items  

Items which have various textures and fabrics along with familiar items attached - zips,keys, toys etc. They are designed to keep hands occupied. 

They include mats, cubes, cloth books, cushions, muffs, mittens, tablecloths, aprons and vests 

Tactile mats  

Like touchy feely mats but with only 4 squares of different textures/colours (quieter and more calming for users) Blockenspeils  

‘Magic’ folding cubes (cloth covered foam blocks) Rice feely bags  

Rice bags with a clear plastic window containing small objects hidden by the rice. 

Marble mazes  

A marble enclosed between two pieces of fabric which have been stitched to form a maze. 

Balloon cover  

A fabric cover in which a balloon is inflated 

Soft balls and Puzzle balls  

Fabric or knitted or crocheted 

Noughts and Crosses sets  

Bottle top counters in a drawstring bag with the grid sewn or embroidered on one side of the bag. 

Squeezies and Hearts  

Rectangular or heart palm sized shapes made of textured material (or knitted or crocheted) and stuffed with soft or crinkly filling. 

Cardholders  

For those who have difficulty in holding a hand of cards.Two padded and covered CDs held together with a button. The cards are slipped between the CDs.

These sensory items go to go to  

● aged care especially for those with  dementia  

● hospitals - emergency and aged care  units  

● special schools and guidance counsellors  ● creches for parent support groups  

● disability support group clients  

Hospitals, aged care, police stations,  

community support groups  

Palliative care, aged care  

Aged Care 



SEWN 

Turbans and cancer hats  

Treatment bags  

For patients to carry quilts, clothes etc while in treatment 

Breast drainage bags, breast pillows  and Nikki bags  

Wheelchair and wheelie walker bags  Toiletry bags  

Hospital Gowns  

Towelling topped pillowcases  

For outpatients whose medication causes excessive salivation 

Heat pack covers  

Clothing protectors  

Especially ones that don’t look like bibs 

Aprons  

Overnight Bags and Shopping bags  Children’s clothes  

Adult clothes  

Activity bags  

Book bags with pencils, books -activity & reading and small toy designed to occupy children 

Gift bags and small gift items  

Hand Towels, covered coat hangers etc 

Santa Sacks  

Ostomy take home bags  

Small zip up bag for Stoma patients to keep spares and information with them 

Ponchos  

Eye masks  

Hero Capes for children  

Toys  

Drawstring cover bags for urinary drainage  bags  

Seatbelt port protectors  

These are fitted over a seatbelt to stop the belt rubbing on the ports for chemo patients have fitted in their chest.

Hospitals  

Hospitals  

Hospitals  

Aged care  

Hospitals, community support groups  

Palliative care and children’s wards  

Health Clinics  

Hospitals  

Aged care, Special schools, Disability groups  

Aged care, Special schools, Disability groups  Community groups  

Community groups  

Community groups  

Police stations and Community groups  

Community groups  

Community groups  

Hospitals  

Community groups  

Hospitals  

Hospitals and Health Clinics  

Hospitals, community support groups, aged care  Aged care  

Hospitals 



QUILTS 

Body quilts  

Quilts that tuck under the feet and go up to the chest Bed topper quilts  

Quilts that cover the top of a mattress without hanging over the sides mainly in single bed size. 

Renal quilts  

Similar to body quilts but with a pocket for the feet that the quilt will fold into to make it into a carry bag. 

Single Bed quilts  

Lap / Cot quilts  

Queen size quilts 

Hospital units e.g. for cancer patients in  treatment chairs.  

Aged care, palliative care, community support  Renal patients undergoing treatment  

Aged care, palliative care, community support  Aged care, hospitals, community support groups  

Community support groups, Raffle quilts for other groups’ fundraising

KNITTED / CROCHETED 

Lap rugs and shawls  

Bed Topper rugs  

Blankets  

Beanies and Scarves  

Fingerless gloves and mittens  

Teddies / toys  

Kanyini bears  

Bears in indigenous flag colours. 

Children’s clothes  

- jumpers, cardigans, socks 

Adult clothes  

- jumpers, cardigans, socks 

Crochet bottle holders  

Worry worms  

Small curly worms able to be carried by younger patients to alleviate anxiety

Elderly patients in hospital and aged care  Elderly patients in hospital and aged care  Various community support groups  

Community support  

Hospitals, aged care, community support  

Hospitals (emergency and children’s units)  Community support  

For NAIDOC week and Reconciliation group  Community support groups  

Community support groups  

Hospitals  

Hospitals 

BABY 

Baby packs  

Toddler packs  

Cot blankets  

Beanies/caps - full term and premmie  Gowns - full term and premmie  

Angel Packs and Pods - for stillborns  Peanut pillows  

Incubator covers 

Hospitals and community support groups  Hospitals and community support groups  Community support groups  

Hospitals  

Hospitals  

Hospitals and Funeral Services  

Hospitals  

Hospitals 


SPECIAL REQUEST  

Book quilts  

Educational quilts and toys  

Weighted animal toys  

Weighted blankets and cushions  

Sensory wall hangings  

Body socks  

Custom sensory items 

Special Schools  

Special Schools and Guidance counsellors  Special Schools, Disability groups, Aged care  Special Schools, Disability groups  

Aged Care, Special Schools  

Special Schools, Disability groups  

Anyone 


During the Pandemic we also made very large quantities of Scrub caps and 3 layer face masks.