May 2026

Sunshine Linus meetings are always filled with friendship, and a strong sense of community 💛🧵 This month, we welcomed new members who travelled all the way from Brisbane 😊💛  

One of the highlights of the meeting is always the bustling Sales Table 🛍️✨ filled with beautifully handmade crafts, gifts, quilts, toys, and seasonal items. The table is always well supported, and there is often something special that catches everyone’s eye.

Just some of the items available.

Plants

Produce and more ....

Another popular feature of the meeting is the much-loved Freebie Table 🧶✂️ 

Donated fabrics, wool, patterns, books and craft supplies give others the opportunity, to begin new projects or complete quilts and items for distribution 🧵💛 

Many beautiful creations begin with materials found on the Freebie Table ✨

Morning tea ☕🍰 provides a chance for everyone to relax, catch up with friends, share ideas, and admire each other’s latest projects before the important work begins.

Thank you, Ute. 

We were delighted to welcome a special guest speaker at this month’s meeting. Theo is the Chaplain at Buderim Private Hospital 😊💛

Theo

The Kanyini Bears,
ready to head out into the community.

   

Theo helps coordinate the giveaway of the beautiful Kanyini Bears knitted by Sunshine Linus for First Nations people at events including NAIDOC Week, National Reconciliation Week and Closing the Gap events 🧸✨

He shared just how popular the bears have become, especially with adolescent boys! 💛 The demand is so high that special systems have been introduced to help share the bears across the community, including set giveaway times and providing bears to teachers and community leaders for distribution. Even then, people are still lining up to receive one 😊

Theo also reminded us how important it is that the story of the Kanyini Bears goes with each bear given away 🖤💛❤️

A big thank you to The Yarners and everyone who continues to lovingly create these very special bears each month following the official pattern 🧶🧸✨

The bears are also lovingly gifted to newborn babies, helping welcome them into the world with comfort and care 👶🧸💛

Check the blog for the pattern.

SHOW AND TELL

The Show and Tell section of the meeting is always a wonderful opportunity for members to share completed items 😊🧵✨ These beautiful creations not only celebrate the hard work of our members, but also inspire others to start new projects of their own 💛

Shawls

Rugs from the ...

Yarners Group

Chris from the Touchy Feely Group modelled some of the colourful aprons and Blockenspiels used by residents in aged care facilities 😊🪗✨

 Anne prepared take-home packs for members to create their own Blockenspiels, with apron packs were also available to complete and return next month 🧵💛

Blockenspiels

Fiddle aprons are designed
to stay securely on laps.

Val with bags made by the sewing group.

In June, the blog will be highlighting the amazing Sewing Team 😊🪡💛 You may be surprised by just how many different items are created and distributed each month to local hospitals, schools  and aged care facilities 🏥✨

Claire created a beautiful story quilt for Palmview Special School 📖🧵💛 The quilt retells the story of Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan and allows children with diverse needs to engage with the story at a level that suits their individual needs 😊✨

Wombat Stew

The Sewing Team create dozens of different items each month to bring comfort, dignity and the feeling that someone cares during very difficult times 💛

Thank you!

QUILTS

     

Jenny H used a Marti Mitchell pack from the Pattern Library to create this beautiful quilt 🧵✨ The pattern has now been returned to the library, and sits along with many others, ready for members to borrow and enjoy 😊💛

The following quilts were created through a wonderful team effort, with different members contributing to the piecing, binding and quilting 🧵💛

Red and white diagonals are striking.

Three Rail Quilt

Point Quilt

Modern quilt for a child.

Made with one piece of fabric.

Creating a vibrant quilt.

Three Rail Quilt

Magic Nine Patch

Annnie 50 x 50 left over squares

Birdwing - Judie B.

Glorianne, Robyn and Chris
worked together to bring this quilt to life.

Annie'colours blend beautifully

Jenny D’s beautiful rugs. 

One is finished, and another is nearly ready to go 🧶💛✨

    

Tickets were available for the new raffle 🎟️ This month’s prizes are sure to be popular, so don’t forget to grab your tickets at next month’s meeting 😊

The new raffle
has something for everyone!

This beautiful carry-on bag was made
by one of our talented members 💛

Sunshine Linus is much more than a craft group, it is a caring community of people using their talents to provide comfort, dignity, and kindness to others 💛

See you next month! 🧵✨

IMPORTANT DATES

15 JUNE:                         Activity Day - Quilting techniques, pricing for Open Day 

29 JUNE:                         June Meeting

1 AUGUST:                     Open Day 2026

31 AUGUST:                    August Meeting

Next Meeting - Monday June 29.

 You are invited to our next Sunshine Linus meeting on Monday, June 29 😀, 2026.

We meet at the Uniting Church on Coronation Street in Nambour, with car park access via Donaldson Street. Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month, from 9:30am to 2:00pm.

New members, sponsors, and visitors are always welcome. 

Tea, coffee, and a light morning tea will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you there!.

April 2026

Every Sunshine Linus meeting is a little different, and April was no exception 😊 It was great to see such a strong turnout of new and old members and supporters. ✨

Available on the Freebie Table,
from little things …

Sunshine Linus is made up of dedicated teams who each month come together to collect items made by members in response to requests from a wide range of community organisations 🤝💖 

Our Distribution Lists and the “What we make and where it goes” link on the blog show where more than 10,000 requested items are sent each year 😊

Meet our amazing teams 💛

We have The Yarners, whose talents with wool and needles seem endless 🧶✨ From cosy rugs to adorable toys, they can create just about anything you can imagine.

Rugs

Mittens

Toys for young and old.

Beanies

Clothing as requested.

Kanyini Bears 

The Yarners receive requests for special bears that comfort and care 🧸💛 These requests come from across the community, including hospitals, Surf Life Saving Clubs, and Domestic Violence units. 

Every year, Sunshine Linus partners with Buderim Private Hospital to gift every baby born during NAIDOC Week a handmade Kanyini bear 🧸💛

Our wonderful Sensory Group 🧩🌈 make a wide range of engaging games, books, and conversation starters to inspire, comfort, and bring a sense of calm. Here are a couple of examples that featured this month.

A cuddle cushion

A special request made by Claire for
someone who loves the sea 🌊💙

Conversation Mats feature a sensory backing
with a conversation starter on the front

A story quilt for Palmview Special School.

Our Sewing Team are superheroes with a needle and thread 🪡💪 They create everything from practical clothing for patients to wear home from hospital, to equipment that helps make medical procedures more comfortable, and beautifully made gowns that provide dignity and care when it’s needed most. 

The Baby Group, provide clothes and layettes for new mums. 👶💛  Be sure to check out the “What we make and where it goes” link on the blog to see what this amazing team does😊💖

Show and Tell 🎉

Quilts are often a team effort 💛 One person might create the top, another adds the binding, and someone else completes the final quilting 🧵✨ Each quilt comes together beautifully. Quilts are shared during the Show and Tell session 😊

Other quilters create beautiful quilts from scratch using materials from the Freebie Table and bring completed quilts back to meet requests from community groups 🧵💛

One of our founding members, Judie B., reminded us that Sunshine Linus items are made to last. Our quilts aren’t just beautiful, they’re strong enough to withstand industrial washing, without any risk of coming apart 🧵🪡

Judie and Barb explained what makes a sturdy quilt.

How to make durable quilts.

The next Activity Day on June 15, where you can learn how to make strong, durable quilts that are built to last ✂️🪡✨ Come along and learn from the best! 😊

Annie

Orange Peel Quilting

Bricks on Point

Annie

Orange Stipling, walking foot stitching.

Chris will bind the quilt.

Orrawin brought in quilts that had taken three years to create, using materials from the Freebie Table 🧵💛

Orrawin with  her 2½-inch square quilt

A Potato Chip Qulit.

Luckily,  all the colours came together beautifully.

Made with orphan blocks from the Freebie Table.

Leone collects materials and wool from the Freebie Table and delivers them to craft groups in Peachester and Beerwah 🧵💛 The groups are always excited to begin new projects. Here are some of the finished pieces ready for binding and quilting ✂️✨

Strips from Peachester

From Beerwah.

Lyn found a vibrant panel and added a startling blue.

Lyn used a sawtooth pattern top and bottom.

Glorianne bought in quilts from:

Chris F.

Chris F.

An Eye Spy Quilt

A Fat Quarter pattern for a Lemonade quilt.

Annie Scrap Quilt

Potato Chip pattern from Toowoomba.

Annie's Block Pattern

Rosalie's Checks

Dinosaur Quilt

Claire with a different type of book quilt😊.

Later, Claire showed us her traditional book quilt, and this month it featured an interactive version of The Three Little Pigs, 📖🐷🐺 complete with houses, pigs, and a wolf. The story quilt helps children sequence and retell the story in their own way. This delightful book quilt will be going to Palmview Special School 💛

Three Houses

A wolf in trouble.

Also this month 

The Sales Table

It’s no wonder the Sales Table is always so well supported 🛍️💛 This month featured a range of beautifully crafted items and some very jazzy knitted slippers looked especially tempting 🧶✨ They’ll no doubt be snapped up quickly next month as the cooler weather sets in ❄️

Kookaburra Mug

A snug mug.

A big thank you to Nicky and Ute for stepping up as our new morning tea coordinators ☕🍰 We really appreciate your help! 💛

A delicious morning tea was provided

Joy with an exquisite bag she made at the retreat.

The bi-monthly raffle tickets was drawn. 🎟️ Congratulations to this month’s lucky winners, Jennifer B. Pam and Bridget! 🎉 Keep an eye out for the new raffle next month 😊

See you next month! 🧵✨

IMPORTANT DATES 📅

25 MAY:                           May Meeting

15 JUNE:                         Activity Day - Quilting techniques  

29 JUNE:                         June Meeting

1 AUGUST:                     Open Day 2026