13th December 2010

HO, HO, HO,  
Christmas Greetings to everyone at Linus Sunshine Coast,

We had a great time at Linus on Monday.

Chris Potter from the Foster Children in Care on the Sunshine Coast came to our meeting and it was with much happiness that Sunshine Linus was able to give her 60 quilts to be given to foster children throughout the district. Chris told us that the department has up to 500 foster children on their books most of the time.  The group would like to continue in providing quilts and other needed things for the young in need for the future.

Some of the quilts going to Foster children.
There have been well over 100 quilts made and distributed since Linus Sunshine Coast started in June. The quilts have been given to Nambour Hospital, Foster Kids on the Coast, Many tens of knitted beanies and preemie hats, knee rugs, sitting mats for children at Kuluin school, Blankets of Love for stillborn babies, breast pump bags, and breast drainage bags for the needed people.

Chris kneeling in frontof Lorraine H

Maureen has designed some very handy little toiletry bags that we would like make and to donate to the Foster children via Chris Potter.

Maureen's little bags that will be made for toiletry bags for the foster children.

Some xray bags have been made to go to the Wesley Breast Clinic.  The fabric that has been used was donated. It is a cotton flock lined material. The size of these are 19"  x 16" These simple bags have either short or long handles/straps.

Sharron making the handles for the xray bags.

Thanks go to Leigh and her husband who have donated and fitted up a cupboard for all the quilting needs, resources and notions, eg ironing boards, irons, the rolls of wadding plus many other items. It is lockable and the church is happy for us to use the corner.

I would like to thank the church members and everyone involved at the Uniting church at Nambour for allowing us to use the great space any time. It is such a valuable place for us to be able to use as the hall is quite large and allows us to utilize the area very well.

I would like to personally thank Judie for her amazing energy and positive actions put into Linus here on the Coast and in Brisbane. Judie drives up from Brisbane every month.

Judie and Chris

I would also like to thank Sue Eagan for all the behind the scenes work she puts into every months gathering as well.

I would like to say "well done" to everyone for the great effort put into all the quilts and knitted items that are completed every month. What a wonderful team effort made by everyone.

We listen to ideas that are put forward.

We will meet again on the last Monday of the month. Next meeting will be held on 31st January 2011 at the Uniting Church in Nambour on the main road heading north of the shopping centre.

Lastly, I wish everyone great happiness for the festive season and be well rested in the new year.

BFN  Lorraine Hartley

Greetings all,

Our first gathering 27th September,at the new venue was a great hit on Monday. In case you have missed where it is. It is  at the Uniting Church Hall at Nambour. Entrance is via Donaldson Street, (not Donaldson's Dairy of Hairy Clarey fame)
Darren King the Minister of the church has allowed us the use of the hall. We are so lucky because the hall is really big has lots of tables chairs and the kitchen facilities are A1.

This is a view from the stage. The hall is so big for us to work in.

Again many quilts have been completed, donated and are ready for giving to the appropriate children / people.

A family have been given a quilt each as the new young mum delivered twins and during the process had a massive stroke.So the mum, new born twins, older siblings and the Grandmother who now has the massive job of looking after the family have a new quilt each.  We all need to keep that family in our thoughts however we do at  the time.

*At the start of the gathering Judie bought us up to where things are. A friend of Judy donated $200 which is amazing.
*Yvonne had the cords all tested and repaired and now have the correct testing done.
*We have another roll of batting to be used (it does cost heaps to buy)
*Sue went to Brian's fabrics and bought a bolt of black homespun. Brian gave Sue a discount on the cost.
*We  need a tall cupboard that we can keep our usable items for each month eg scissors (more needed) rotary cutters tape measures and all the usual quilting needs that can be used each month can be locked away and stored.

SHOW AND TELL
*Some pre- war linen has been donated some is still in its original packing. Lorraine I will try and suss how out how much we could sell it for on EBay. The starting price etc needs to be checked out too. It is very good quality and I would love to buy some.
*Sharon bought in a humidicrib cover which allows the crib to be in darkness for the baby and the outside can be any colour, brights do look good. I think *Cris is going to make a copy for us to us.
*A little quilt Judie bought in is a small quilt the Vision Australia has lent to Judie for us to look at and get ideas for making. It is a "Touchy, Feely quilt" in lots of colours and fabrics many different feeling an touching, providing for the many senses that sight impaired babies need for stimulation.
* Lee made a lovely quilt with hand stitched stars and hearts on.
* Lots of little premmie/stillborn quilts not sure who made them sorry.
* I have added Patchwork Angel as a link because Penny helped us out to start.
* On Monday we had 2 little junior quilters. Sienna and Matahra came with me to help. A big thank you to Mattie for taking all the photos and Sienna who worked on cutting the little tails of the bindings. They are always there to look after me Thanks girls.

This as a quilt as you go method of making a quilt.

There was a little group of ladies sewing on labels to completed quilts.

* Judie spent time showing us how to make weighted quilts for Autistic children. By the end of the day there was another weighted quilt finished and ready to go.

Oops Judie, Demonstrating the weighted quilts process.

Our next meeting will be on the last Monday of the month, 25th October 2010

Until next month, Happy stitching,
BFN,  Lorraine Hartley

Greetings ladies,

I think I have it together.
Here are some photos of the last gathering at Penny's Patchwork Angel.

Judie  with a weighted blanket for an Autistic person.

Not too sure of who made the quilts. Maybe in the comments column you could let me know.

 Thelma and SueJudie talking about the tub sizeSorry, not sure of name.

Look at all the quilts piled high.More quilts piled high.

Our 4th gathering has been held with many ladies from lots of surrounding areas coming to share what has been acheived over the past month. Approximatley 65 items were completed ready for distribution.

There were many quilts made for toddlers, young boys and girls, teenage boys and girls, some  premmie beanies, a new item of breast pump bags, some stillborn baby wraps, and some weighted quilts for Autistic children. Some of the quilts have had up to 9 ladies work to make the quilts complete.

Now some BIG NEWS........ We have a permanent home where we can store all the plastic fabric boxes and have our monthly gatherings .
It is at NAMBOUR UNITING CHURCH. It is at 37 Coronation Avenue Nambour 4560 Qld.It is opposite Nambour Primary school. Acess to church parking is via Donaldson Road, (behind Bob Jane T maart)

Our meetings will on the last Monday of the month. being the 27th September 2010 9.30am - 3.30pm

At the first meeting there we would like to have a  chat about we go from here, everyone is welcome  to put any ideas.

Importantly we must all say hip, hip, hooray for Penny at Patchwork Angel at Forest Glen, a very big thank you for making your shop available to us in getting Sunshine Linus Group to develop from an idea to a great group of great ladies. THANK YOU PENNY......

'Til next post I wish you happy quilting

BFN  Lorraine H