Weekly Dispatches 3 May

She thought she had managed to sneak in a birthday without me noticing!!!  But no such luck, today, while I sat in my doctor's waiting room, waiting my turn to have a flu needle, I had time to scroll through some of the many blogs I rarely get time to read these days!  And so she is busted!

Happy Birthday Sue N  from all of your Aussie Hero Friends and especially from the probably hundreds of Heroes who have received your laundry bags!

The tally so far-

19  quilts this week and 36 laundry bags.

412 quilts and 905 laundry bags for 2013

1429 quilts and 2279 laundry bags in total.


Now before I forget - there will be a special post tomorrow 

night to announce first, second and third place in our ANZAC 

Day Laundry Bag Challenge.

Just  a quick one.  For the BOM for this month we have asked for the blocks to be predominantly red, white and blue.  If you have trouble as you don't have a feature fabric in those colours for the centre then feel free to use a plain white square.  If you are feeling confident with applique you can add a star or a heart, or even a small roo.  If you don't feel happy about applique, leave it blank and maybe someone else will applique something or they can just be left blank as a place for the eye to rest in the quilt.

One final announcement before the Weekly Dispatches proceed.  The next two sewing days will be as follows

at my home on Monday the 13th of May 10am till 3pm (ish)

and at Penrith Patchwork on Sunday the 19th of May 10am to 2pm.

Bring your sewing machine, your lunch and I will provide your lunch.

I probably don't mention this enough but Jeff, the owner of Penrith Patchwork, is a great supporter, donating a sewing room each month free of charge and whole bolts of material from time to time as well.  How awesome is that!

If you are interested in coming to one or both days can you please let me know so that I know how much preparation to do.

And now on with the show!

Anne sent this quilt off.  Love those autumnal colours.  What a great way to use up scraps.  And a great way to get a lot of different feels.  Make it in lots of blues with a few water creatures mixed in and you have an underwater quilt. Make it from lots of greens and some slivers of golden sunshine and you have a forrest quilt or maybe a tropical rainforest quilt.  Make it out of just two colours and it could be a footy fan's favourite accessory!  Love it!

Bev's awesome QLD laundry bag has gone off to a soon to be happy Banana Bender.

Carolyn brought this to show me at the Penrith Sewing Day and she assures me that the pins were removed after quilting and prior to posting!  LOL

September BOM Quilt.   These were all the leftover blocks, some from Kylie, and Maria and Sue N for starters.  All so different and appearing mis-matched and I was stumped and could not see them together but Gail took them away and worked her magic and then brought this gorgeous jewelled quilt back to me.

Claire's husband was kind enough to let her use this fabric that she had been saving to make a quilt for him.  He rather likes the quilt now so I suspect she will be making a similar one soon.

Debra where did you get this fabric!!!  I love it!

What an awesome quilt for a RAAFie chappie!

Evelyn has been busy with two cool quilts.

Gail started this quilt with a few of the Disappearing 9 Patch blocks from our BOMs.  

Jacqui, again, where did YOU find this fabric. Love that panel!!! 

Julie

  

KarenBet, is sending off her third quilt and I am not sure if I told you before but Karen found out about us when her own husband, currently deployed, was offered a quilt, so she has joined us to repay the favour.

Judith

This is a really great week to emphasise the value of those panels or scenery prints.  I just know the fellow who gets this quilt from Leanne M will love this.

Another quilt by Leanne and another cool panel.  Seriously I am really having panel envy!

Last weekend Leanne emailed me and said she had cut out another Eagles quilt - did I have anyone on the list who wanted one or should she use the strips for something else?  I suggested that she go ahead and sew it up as it would not be long before we had another Eagles request (well after all they are a great team from a great State!!!!!  No bias here!).  Sure as eggs, overnight on Saturday I received a very special request with a significant need for urgency.  A quick email to Leanne on Sunday morning and the quilt was pieced and quilted and in the mail by Wednesday!  Way to go Leanne!

Margaret

Millie

Su

Another busy week behind and no doubt another busy one ahead. 
Don't forget tomorrow's special post.

Till next time.............keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

QOTW 29 March

If you are fortunate enough to be with your nearest and dearest this Easter Holiday then may your weekend be safe and happy and full of joy.  Please spare a thought for our wonderful Heroes and their families that cannot be together, and that includes not just those serving overseas, but the many around Australia who are posted away from their families as well.

To those of you in Afghanistan, Dubai, South Sudan, Egypt and anywhere else that our quilts and laundry bags find you serving Australia, thank you for doing what you do so well so that we may celebrate Easter, or not celebrate it, as our own individual preference dictates.  
You make us proud!

The tally so far-

 17 quilts this week and 49 laundry bags.

297 quilts and 671 laundry bags for 2013

1314 quilts and 2036 laundry bags in total.

The first picture isn't of a Quilt of the Week yet.  Earlier this week I received an email from Miah who is a ten year old student from South Australia.  Miah wrote to me to tell me that after reading the article in the Australian Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, she decided that she wants to make a quilt for Aussie Heroes as a community service project  for school.  As soon as she got the quilt specifics from me Miah sat down and drew up her design.  It is going to be one lucky recipient who receives her original Ayre Rock design and I reckon we have some serious competition ladies with young designers like Miah coming up with such creative designs!  Stay tuned!  I have asked Miah and her mother to keep me posted and to take plenty of photos so that I can feature her in an upcoming post.

Happy stitching Miah!

And now on with Quilts of the Week.

Caroline

This was a joint effort.  Pauline made all these blocks and sent them in.  They were put together at a sewing day and Caroline then quilted and completed the quilt.  The end result is an AWESOME quilt heading off to an Essendon fan.  Hope he likes it.

Bev and Jeff

Carole S (VIC)

Cath

Deb B

Outback Debra

and the back - and yes, this is going to a Navy fellow.

Dorothy sent in these blocks and they were sent on to Jeann who created this gorgeous quilt

Another joint effort.   The blocks were made by Kylie, they were then handed to Gail who pieced the top and then the quilt was sent to Angela who quilted and bound it and sent if off.  We really do make a good team ladies!

Judith M

This quilt top came from Nancy, it was quilted by Stephanie and Southern Cross added by me.

Joan

Judith R

Margaret

Julie Ann

Liz

Louise (front)

(And back, or the other way round - can't decide!)

The next two are BOM quilts.  That is Block of the Month quilts for the uninitiated.  The blocks were put together by Louise, then the tops were passed on to Stephanie who quilted and bound them.

Stephanie wasn't content to quilt, she also made this entire awesome quilt.

If you are on the roads this weekend, please stay safe!

Till next time...........keep spreading the word and happy stitching!