Time to re-band and make more Snuggle Quilts

I've been here before ...

Summer is well and truly here - and so are the bushfires.  At the moment fires are raging in Tasmania, with 100 properties destroyed so far.  Watching the devastation brings back the awful memories of why Snuggle Quilts first began.

We've been quiet since 2011 (life became overfull) - but it's time to reband and get sewing.

What can be done RIGHT NOW?  

Labels
I have a number of quilts that only need to have labels attached and they will be ready to go.

Quilting
This is the GREATEST area of need.  It seems that we all love to piece, but not quilt - hence, there are MANY quilts that are ready for quilting.
SQ has backing and batting - I just need quilters!
I so wish we had someone with access to a professional longarm setup  and someone who could use it!
Ah ... to dream! 

Blocks-to-Tops
There is a pile of blocks to be made into quilt tops.
SQ has some fabric for sashing, borders etc - but not a huge range.

Blocks
In its simplest form, a Snuggle Quilt is made up of 9 x 121/2" blocks.  We've found this size to be manageable, quick to make and a nice size for snuggling.

Can you help?

At the moment I can't host a sewing day as a large part of my house is 'packed up' and in a mess - we're in the middle of having our family room/kitchen/laundry floors resealed!  Ugh!!!

But I DO have access to all the Snuggle Quilts supplies.

If you are able to help, please contact me (email link via Angela next to the About Me photo) and let me know what you are able to do.

A xo

Snuggle Quilts Sewing Day ... August 13th, 2011

The next Snuggle Quilts sewing day is:

Saturday, August 13th

10am - 4pm

 @ my place

Come for as little / long as you are able.

Things to be done:

• Piece blocks (blocks and fabric already here) - but you can bring more if you want
• Quilting - tops, backing and batting supplied
• A couple of quilts need binding
• A few quilts need SQ labels sewn on

Bring:

• Sewing machine - extension lead - power board if you have one
• Thread - especially neutrals ... white/cream/grey etc ... SQ has some, but not a lot
• Your sewing gear
• Something to share for lunch or to nibble with a cuppa

Let me know if you're coming

Feel free to bring a friend ... we have plenty of room!

A xo

Assembly Day #1

On February 6th this wonderful bunch of Snugglequilters met to start assembling blocks and fabric for a sewing day to be held at the end of April.

We started to work our way through the MANY sets of donated quilt blocks, matching them with sashing and backing fabric.  Each pack can now be assembled, ready for quilting.  Caroline took several completed quilt top/batting/backing sets to be quilted by a wonderful quilter who has a long-arm quilting maching.  

To say I am thankful for this quilter's offer would be an understatement!  There are many of us who are willing and eager to complete quilt tops, but finding quilters is my greatest challenge.

There are still many blocks to be assembled, and I plan to have another get-together to continue making up quilt top packs.  I think the packs are a great idea - all they need is to be sewn together - (hopefully) enabling the completion of many tops within a short period of time.  At the moment I'm thinking of the 1st or 2nd weekend of the School Holidays (April 9th or 16th).  I will keep you posted!

Until then ...

A xo

How many is enough?

As I start to get my house organised for tomorrow's Snuggle Quilts get together, I started thinking about HOW MANY quilts would be needed to give everyone, in one of Eastern Australia's disaster zones, who currently needs a snuggle - a quilt.

The number is overwhelming!

I live in suburban Melbourne - NOT an area one would consider a flood zone - but our cellar is currently flooded.  We live close to The Yarra River - it has a flood warning - as do so many of Victoria's waterways.

So much of this country is in crisis mode today ...

Queensland floods

Cyclone Yasi

 Victorian floods

 ... on top of this, Monday is the anniversary of the Black Saturday fires ...

Black Saturday Anniversary

Like I said ... it's overwhelming!

A quilt is only a small thing, in the scheme of things ... but each stitch is filled with love.  

It really is the least we can do.

A xo

If you know of other groups making gifts of love, let me know and I'll happily post a link to their site.

Snuggle Quilts Organising Day

Time to get organised to make those quilts ...

With so many completted blocks and bits and pieces that can be made into quilts, we've decided to get together to package up blocks and sashing fabric to be sewn into quilt tops.  These can then be picked up by and taken home whenever Snugglequilters are ready.

We are also running very low on batting, and need to work out how we can acquire some more.

HERE is what we plan to do ...

1. Snuggle Quilts will meet to package up the materials needed for the quilt tops and quilting.
   
   
   THIS COMING SUNDAY
   February 6th
   My house 
   2pm
   
   I know this is very short notice - but we want to be able to hand out the packs so they can get started.
2. If you know anyone/group who might be willing to donate $ or batting ... ASK them if they could help out and let me know.
3. SEW
   
   • If you need fabric ... Snuggle Quilts has a great stash ... come and get some.
   • Grab a pack and start putting a quilt top together.
   • Grab a quilt top, batting and backing and do some quilting.
4. Let me know if you are aware of who is distributing donated goods to the families affected.

I'll keep you posted as to what will happen next.

A xo

It's time for us to help the people of Queensland

I've just been listening to the morning news ... such devastation from the floods in Queensland ... and I'm figuring all that water will continue down the system until it eventually peters out (when/wherever that will be).

Queensland quilters helped us out after the Black Saturday fires - now it's our turn to help them.

Snuggle Quilts have been quiet for some time ... it's time for us to get going again.

Here's where we're at ...

1. There are MANY finished quilt tops that need quilting.
2. We have enough completed blocks to make up (perhaps) 8 or 9 quilts - they just need sashing and borders.
3. Fabric donations have seen our stash grow to a bookcase-full - plenty for us to work with.
4. There are currently 2 ENORMOUS (and I'm not kidding here) rolls of (eiderdown) thick batting in my lounge room.  It's too thick to use in our 'normal' quilts, but would be great in quilts with large blocks that had minimal quilting. 

So ... I'm thinking ...

• I will organise a sewing/organising day at my place after school gets back.
• If anyone is able to help out with 1 or 2 above NOW, let me know and we will get together what you need.
• If anyone knows of someone who has a professional quilting setup and is willing to quilt for us - that would be sensational.  Please let me know so I can contact them.

I will post more information soon.

A xo

Snuggle Quilts sewing day #2

As those on the Snuggle Quilt email list have no doubt realised ... we DIDN'T meet on July 24th ... it was the Melbourne Quilt and Craft Fair ... and we quilters were 'otherwise engaged'.

But we ARE meeting on Saturday August 28th.

If you are not on the email list, but you would like to join us on the 28th let me know and I'll give you the details.

A xo

Snuggle Quilts sewing day

It has been such a LONG time since we've worked on any Snuggle Quilts - so let's get together on July 24th.

Here's my current idea:

•  Meet for the day at my place.
  Snuggle Quilts now possesses SO much fabric that I can no longer cart it around.  At my place we have easy access to everything we need.
• Come for as long as you are able, when you are able.
  If we meet between 10-4 then those who want to make a day of it can, and others can come and go.  No pressure - just do what you can.  You can even stay beyond 4 ... I'm not going anywhere!!!
• Share morning/arvo tea and lunch.
  Chatting, eating and cuppas are VITAL to happy quilting.

What do I want to do on the day???


As I mentioned in the last post, Janet gave us a huge amount of fabric and quilt tops.  All the finished quilts found homes in the Kinglake area in time for Christmas.  My friend who distributed them said they brought much joy to their new families.

• #1 Priority
  What I still have are quilt tops sitting here waiting to be quilted.  It would be wonderful if they could make their way to their new homes too.  I have plenty of backing fabric so, on the day, we could baste to our heart's content.
• #2 Priority
  Don't worry if you're like me, and not good at the 'quilting' part. There are an enormous number of blocks to be made into quilt tops.  When we last me we sorted them into possible quilts - there are a lot of them!  So, there is plenty of opportunity to sew.

Bring along:

• Any SQ quilts you are already working on or have finished.
• Your quilting tools.
• Basting pins - if you're going to take one to quilt (if we use our own pins on the quilts we're going to do, then we don't have to worry about returning them).  No pins? No worries - we'll tack!
• Food - for morning/arvo tea and lunch (whichever you're staying for).
• Your sense of humour and willing to have a chat.   ;-)

I so hope lots can make it.  I loved the times we spent together last year - so let's keep it going ... there are lots of people who are still in need of a Snuggle!

Please let me know if you're coming - so I can be prepared.

If you'd like to grab something earlier, contact me and I'll get whatever you need to you.

A xo

The latest quilts and quilt tops

When I met up with Janet Rowe last Sunday I was TOTALLY unprepared for what awaited me ... to say the car was PACKED would be an understatement!  There was SO much, in fact, that I'm now having to completely rethink how I have all the Snuggle Quilt goodies stored at home - I have NO space left ... LOL!

 

Due to end of year craziness, we ended up having to meet before the Snuggle Quilts meeting, at a Spotlight carpark halfway-ish between our houses.  I must admit we must have been quite a sight having our 'clandestine' meeting in the corner, unloading bags and boxes of quilts and fabric!

I've taken photos of everything Janet gave us, but ... it's Christmas ... and my focus tonight is on getting quilts ready to go to their new homes.  What I wanted to do is show you the wonderful finished quilts that will go home, and the tops we aim to have quilted asap.

THANK YOU Janet and your band of quilters - these are just amazing.

... remember, my pics are not to scale ...

Finished Quilts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilt Tops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will put up photos of the REST of what is hiding in those bags and boxes after Christmas.

May Snugglequilters and all our Snuggle Quilts followers have a blessed Christmas and New Year.

A xo

Snuggle Quilts get together

Greetings Snugglequilters,

My goodness ... it has been AGES since I last posted - I can't believe it's been so long. It has also been an age since we met, and I've broken pretty much every promise I made to get together asap ... but I'm afraid school and my daughter's wedding (last week) kind of over-filled my days.

SO ... because the days in the year are fast running out ... those of us who can ... MUST get together asap ... in fact ... on Sunday December 13th - at Plenty Valley CC (where we had the quilt hanging).

'Why the rush - it's the Christmas crazy time of the year?' I hear you shouting. Well, there are several reasons (in no order of importance - just how I'm thinking tonight):

• It's nearly Christmas - and there are STILL families who haven't received quilts. I have the names of quite a few, and there are more coming - they need snuggles - and perhaps a lovely Christmas present that lets them know we are still thinking of them.
  

• Holidays are coming up for many of us, and that may mean that some who are usually time-poor will have a 'bit' more time to put towards a quilt (or 2).
  

• If Snuggle Quilts is to continue, we need to meet.
  

• On the 13th the wonderful Janet Rowe, from Wildcraft Farm (quilt and stitcheries designer http://www.wildcraftfarm.typepad.com/) can join us, as she would like to deliver a HEAP of goodies for us. Janet contacted me after reading the article about Snuggle Quilts in Nurture magazine. Here's a bit out of her email:

I live in the thick of the Dandenongs where bush fires threatened daily (Jessica's school was cancelled a few times due to the danger), so in order to keep my sanity I went on my blog and asked my followers world wide to help out - and they did (in a very big way). Unfortunately the fire threats got in the way of us being able to complete and distribute some of these quilts, my intention had always been to see if we could help the Plenty Valley School first, and it's surrounding families. It's a long story, thats why I'm wondering if you can give me a call - as I am now in the possession of a lot of items I need to get to where they are needed.

Janet has quilts, blocks and MORE that she would love to donate to Snuggle Quilts for us to finish/distribute/make into more quilts. To get an idea of what her group have done, check out her February blog posts:
http://wildcraftfarm.typepad.com/wildcraft_farm/2009/02/index.html. I can't wait to meet Janet in person, and see what she has to share with us.

That is why I REALLY hope you can all come along - even if only for a short while.

That said, given the time of year, I totally understand if you can't make it 'this' time.

Here are my (current) plans for the day:

• Get together for an afternoon of sorting out what we 'can' do.
• I'll bring the Snuggle Quilts fabric we already have (including backing fabric etc).
• I'll bring the batting offcut 'bits' we have + any other batting people have let me know they need.
• Janet can show us what she has - and we can work out who/what we will do get it organised.
• Work out what could be distributed before Christmas.
• Spend some time sewing/planning/cutting/plotting/working out who can do what/grabbing some supplies ... whatever else!!
• Work out when we will next meet.

If you can't make it on the day, but would like to be involved, email/phone me and I we can arrange to get some goodies to you.

At this time of the year, let's share our love, the way He shared with us.

PLEASE contact me with any ideas/questions etc.

A xo

The Snuggle Quilts Go Home

The July school holidays was a great time for the first batch of Snuggle Quilts to find a home. Mid Winter makes for great 'snuggling', and we wanted families to be able to snuggle beneath a quilt made with love.

Snuggle Quilts batch #1.

Small quilts

Large quilts

Middle-size quilts

Baby quilts

Kid's quilts

Lined up in the hallway, waiting to go.

In the Conference Room, ready to be picked up
(along with the gorgeous teddies).

THIS is what Snuggle Quilts is all about - having our quilts find a home. What I wasn't ready for was the emotions that hit me. Leaving them was akin to saying goodbye to an old friend. But there was also great joy - in knowing they would wrap someone else with our love.

A xo

Diamond Creek Snuggle Quilters Quilt Hanging

Every Wednesday morning a group of quilters gather in Diamond Creek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Creek,_Victoria) to share their passion. When Monica heard about Snuggle Quilts she asked the 'gals' if they'd be interested in being involved. To say their answer was 'yes' would be an understatement - they took the challenge by the horns!.

Using blocks and fabric I had been given, and adding their own touches, they produced fabulous quilts. These photos were taken at a Quilt Hanging to support the Cancer Council's Biggest Morning Tea (http://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/).

Dick and Jane

Blocks from Bristol

Noah's Ark

Dalmations

Racing cars

Australian native applique and 4 patches

Flower blocks

Butterflies and Bears

Spotty bear

Scrappy blocks

Teddies

Toy Story, bugs and critters, and flower blocks

Basting the Dalmations quilt after the quilt hanging

The 'gals' at their Quilt Hanging

I can't thank this group enough - they are dedicated, fantastic quilters, and continue to contribute to Snuggle Quilts. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

God Bless!

A xo