All is revealed!

I've been a bit slack in updating my blog of late, and when I have posted I’ve tap-danced around the subject. At the same time I've dropped veiled hints on Facebook, and I've hardly commented at all on my online quilters' groups. Sorry, friends.

However now I can reveal the exciting project that's been taking so much of my time - Stitchin' Mission®!


If you're in Sydney I'd love you to join us at St Mark's (Anglican Church) Darling Point for Stitchin' Mission® - 5 free beginner quiltmaking lessons on Sundays at 3pm on October 25, November 1, 8, 15 and 22, taught by my friend Linda Hungerford, another quilty blogger who will be visiting all the way from Des Moines, Iowa.



We've going to be making around 60-80 child-sized (36" x 48") quilts for the little ones enrolled at the new KU Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre when it opens at Liverpool in Sydney's South-West on 1st July 2010 ( but you are allowed to keep your quilt if you really want to - so why not make two?).



Pictured throughout this blog post are the sample quilts I’ve already made while I was being so quiet on-line. It’s very addictive! In my next post I'll show you the cute and jazzy quilts my friend (blogless) Di has made.




Marcia Burgess was a much-loved member of our church family who died of cancer a couple of years ago. She worked for KU (the Kindergarten Union) for many years in the area of Special Needs children, and now a new kindy is to be named in her honour.



I met Linda earlier this year when she was in Sydney, visiting her daughter, and I was excited when she told me about how she'd been running Stitchin' Missions® at churches all over her hometown for about 5 years now.



The results are impressive - have a look at her Stitchin' Mission® website and see what's been achieved by all those beginner quiltmakers! So when she told me she would be coming back in October I snaffled her up to run a Stitchin' Mission® here at St Mark's – and she very generously agreed to be snaffled!



Skype has been a fabulous way for us to get together and sort things out because Linda could hold up quilts and tools and show me what she was talking about, and we've really enjoyed the process.



Please pass the word around for me. We need beginner quiltmakers to sign up to learn the basics of making a quilt and, hopefully, be prepared to “pay forward” the gift they’ve been given (five FUN! free lessons).



However I’m also looking for Sydney-based ‘Rebekahs’ – helpers (named after the generous Rebekah in the Old Testament) who are experienced quiltmakers.



Finally I would really appreciate offers to lend us any of the following for the 5 weeks of the Stitchin' Mission®



-6 and a half inch square rulers

- 6 and a half inch x 24 inch long rulers

- large cutting boards

- rotary cutters

- sewing machines.



If you'd like more information, please leave me a comment with a way I can contact you. There's a clickable link to register through the Stitchin' Mission website too.

If you've made it this far, thank you for your interest and I'd value your prayers for this rather bold venture!