2015 Quilt Show & Open Day

On Saturday we held our second Sunshine Linus Quilt Show and Open Day. The weather was kind to us for most of the day and we welcomed over 340 visitors throughout the day.  The Quilt Show was amazing with lots of lovely quilts for all to admire.  We displayed over 130 small quilts on the pews and our visitors delighted in wandering throughout the pews being able to be up close and personal with our quilts.

The Honorable Peter Wellington MP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Qld, Member for Nicklin opened our show and welcomed visitors to the event.  Thankyou Mr Wellington for making the time to help us celebrate our special day, it was very much appreciated.
 

Peter Wellington and President Judie opening the show



The church decked with quilts

More quilts quilts quilts!



all the pews were covered

 

We had a fabulous raffle running at our Open Day.  No less than 5 great prizes.  Here's a list of our winners - congratulations to all.
 

1^st Prize               McKenna Ryan Wall hanging handmade by Sandra Wright won by Sharon Hanson   

2^nd Prize              Beautiful Children's quilt handmade by Annie Richter & Nicky McCulloch won by  Jenny Irwin         

3^rd Prize              Bright Wall hanging won by Sandra Pollock                  

4^th Prize              Beautiful handbag handmade by Sandra Wright, won by Karen from Mt Isa      
5^th Prize              Gorgeous handmade embroidered facecloths won by Lesley Alcorn                    

Some of the raffle prizes

Jenny receiving second prize from Nicky and Cynthia

Peter Wellington MP was very interested to hear about the things that we do for our community.

Peter Wellington looking at what we make

Samples of items made by members

The Sunshine Linus members gave our visitors loads of information about what we do and where it goes, and even offered free patterns for those who might be interested.

More examples of what we make

Our Book Quilts are very unique - these quilts have been made to enhance the learning experiences for our special needs students in special schools.  The teachers have liaised with our chief creator Claire Tayforth, giving a brief on what sorts of things would be of benefit.  The feedback we've received from the special schools that have received this Book Quilts has been enormously positive and productive in the learning process at the class room level.

Our sales table was brimming to overflowing with lots and lots of beautifully created items for our visitors to purchase.  We hoped to offer these items and very reasonable prices and everyone seemed to be very happy with their purchases on the day.  Thankyou to all SL members who contributed their expertise in making these lovely items for our visitors.

Cup cakes went down a treat at our Open Day and many thanks our Sunshine Linus members for all their hard work in making these delicious treats.  They looked so pretty, many visitors thought they were pincushions!  After we sorted that misunderstanding out - they sold like.... well.. cup cakes!!

delicious cupcakes!

We thank our Vendors - Patchwork Angel, Nimble Stitches, Bower Birdy, Kimz Sewing and The Sewing Basket for attending our show and providing some much needed retail therapy for our quilters and visitors.  These vendors have all contributed fabric and other resources to Sunshine Linus over the past two years and having them share our day was our way of saying thank you.  Please take the time to support our sponsors and thank them for helping Sunshine Linus.

 

Lots of more quilts to enjoy - these were members quilts on show.

 

We had a visual slide show running most of the day to highlight the sorts of things we do and especially our distribution day that happens once each month.

 

Our Thank You wall was very popular where we posted thank you cards, photos, newspaper clippings and emails that we've received from people in our community who have received our support throughout the past two years.

Mountain Quilters at Peachester have chosen Sunshine Linus to be their "charity choice" for 2016, and have made this magnificent quilt to raffle between now and their next quilt show in 2016.  All proceeds from this raffle will go to Sunshine Linus.  We are very grateful to Mountain Quilters for thinking of us, and we invite you to attend their show (see details in this blog early 2016) to support their efforts.

Win this Mountain Quilters raffle quilt and raise money for Sunshine Linus



Jenny receiving second prize from Nicky and Cynthia

Our next meeting is on Monday 31st August where we will be getting back to our core business - providing quilts and other comforts to those in need on the Sunshine Coast.  Maybe we'll see you there.

QUILT SHOW & OPEN DAY

 

SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST 2015

 

NAMBOUR UNITING CHURCH

57 CORONATION AVENUE

NAMBOUR

 

9:00AM - 3:00PM

100+ Quilts on display

Handmade Crafts & Gift Stall

Devonshire Tea

Displays & Patchwork Vendors

$5.00 admission includes Devonshire Tea

Sunshine Linus is very grateful to the Uniting Church, Nambour for their continued support for Sunshine Linus and  free use of their facilities

July 27, 2015 meeting

Our meetings just seem to be getting bigger and busier.  Thank you to all the people that contribute hand crafted items and give their time so willingly.  From all the piles of goodies, come bags ready for distribution. These disappear into cars to be spread around the Sunshine Coast and beyond.  Then we head home tired but satisfied that we have brought some comfort to people in need.

Today we had visitors from the Sunshine Coast Private Hospital at Buderim. They needed a trolley to take away their items! A teacher from Nambour Special School was smiling as she went back to her school with a new book quilt. Three people from the Bendigo Bank at Woombye saw all this happening and now know what members of their community do on the last Monday of the month. Our fourth visitor was from the Sunshine Coast Daily. Watch out for newspaper story about us and our Open Day on Saturday 22 August 2015.

Of course we had time for Show and Tell.  Here are just some of the items that came in today.

Liz found all the coloured squares for this
quilt on the freebie table

Ann M's tribute to the Irish

I call this Di's children's forest

Di put all her sister's scraps to good use

The next four children's quilts were made by Leonie's friend Lesley. Thank you Lesley for giving them to Sunshine Linus.

This was a stack of squares before Kaye N
cut off the corners!

Kaye N also likes bright colours

Another bright quilt by Kaye N

This time Kaye N added fish 

Last month we had a request for shawls for aged care patients to wrap around their shoulders. Barbara M has created these two designs.

Barbara G made lots of cute premmie dresses

Barbara G's butterfly quilt

A little boy with love Barbara G's cars

Can you see the black cat in Orrawin's creation?

Orrawin again use lots of bits in this quilt

Lee's scrappy columns

Kay F made the donated monkeys into this playful quilt

This book quilt tells the story of Handa's Surprise. In this book each animal steals a piece for fruit from Handa's basket without her knowing. Just before she gets to her friend's village a goat collides with a tangerine tree and the basket gets filled with the dropping fruit. Thus resulting in Handa's surprise. We hope that Nambour Special School children enjoy the story.

Two more weighted dogs made by Claire

When people are not sewing for Sunshine Linus they are often sewing for their families or other craft groups. Here are two quilts made by Cynthia that you may have seen at the Caloundra Quilter's Quilt Show last weekend.

Our next regular meeting is on Monday 31 August but before that is our Open Day at the Nambour Uniting Church on Saturday 22 August.  Just a reminder to members that there is an extra meeting on August 10 to get ready for the Open Day.

June 29, 2015 5th Birthday Meeting

Happy 5th Birthday to us!

When twenty ladies met five years ago and started Sunshine Linus, I'm sure they didn't envisage how the idea of making handcrafted items of support and comfort for people in our community would grow. The sixty people at yesterday's meeting came with loads of quilts, woollen and sewn clothing, various types of bags, sensory tools and other items. They all got to share our 5th Birthday cakes!

Orrawin started Show and Tell.  She collects (well is usually given) blocks and partially completed quilt tops and converts them into wonderful creations.  The appliqued flowers in this quilt will brighten any bed.

Here Orrawin has put lots of orphan blocks together to make the quilt top. The following photo is the back!

Do you see any blocks you have given Orrawin?

making spare fabric into the quilt back

Rosemary and Leone have been making touchy feely aprons.  These two made by Rosemary will distract dementia patients for hours.

 

Rosemary's batik quilt

We are often looking for quilts suitable for boys.  Jan B chose two popular boy's themes - dinosaurs and cowboys.

One of many lap quilts made by Jan

With winter upon us, warm clothing is needed.  Jo made lots of children's sweatshirts.

Jan's candy coloured quilt top

Maggie's heart quilt

It is hard to know how many people have contributed towards the goods that Sunshine Linus make and distribute.  People in other parts of Queensland often send quilt tops to us on the Sunshine Coast. Here is one of a large parcel of quilt tops we recently received from our friends in Emu Park. Thanks ladies for your gifts.

We are often asked to make particular items to meet the special needs of an individual. Margaret made several pinafore aprons with detachable sensory, noisy and grabbable items. They even come with a bag of extra attachments!

Claire made this single bed quilt from tactile fabrics. It has a fabric fringe so that the 19 year old boy can be comforted when going to bed. The hope is that he will be distracted by the quilt and not pull on the sheets and curtains.

The following communication wallets and communication boards will be used by people with poor communication skills. The client is given a series of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) cards which are attached to the wallet page or board using velcro. Just think of pictures to convey the message "I want" a drink, biscuit, sandwich or to ride my bike.

This cute fellow is a toy with a difference.  He is a weighted toy (1kg) that will be used to calm an autistic child.  I think the furry ears will also keep a child's hands busy.

Our next meeting is Monday 27 July.  See you then.