2012 Report Card on Di

Quilting

Three words describe Di’s quilt-making efforts this year: Can do better.

In the entire year she has finished just six quilts.

These were the Whirligig quilt, Daisy a Day, Ben and Sunny’s Wedding Quilt, two Blankets of Love for RPA Newborn Care and one child-sized quilt for the Marcia Burgess Kindy for autistic little ones. The seventh “quilt” here is really just a cushion top, her entry in the Dots on Dots blog hop in September, and as such doesn’t really count – it’s just there to complete the collage.

Perhaps if she were to spend less time reading blogs, pinning to Pinterest and playing Words with Friends she might be able to turn more of those quilts floating round in her imagination into reality. Somehow, though, I don’t think that’s going to happen since Di loves keeping in touch with her cyber-friends all over the world and gathering quilt-making inspiration from the blogs she follows.

She could also benefit from not setting such unrealistic goals for herself. Just a thought.

Smaller Items

Di has scored better in this area, with around 40 finishes.

The friends who helped Ben and Sunny’s wedding day in August go smoothly were very happy with their “thank you” gifts of cathedral windows pincushions.

In June Di’s efforts were boosted by an extremely productive collaboration with Di B. She made sock monkeys and owls, crocheted teddy bears, travel trays, luggage labels, applique baby singlets, tea towels, golfers’ hand towels, baby shoes and a growth chart. Together Team Di, along with others on the Rose Bay Committee, were able to raise $3,500 from craft table sales for St Luke’s Hospital.

In a strong finish to the year Team Di (and a friend) knitted seven fat googly-eyed sheep for their neighbouring church, St John’s Darlinghurst, to use in their Messy Christmas Nativity Trail.

The observation must be made that without Di B urging and encouraging her Di would not be nearly so generous and outward-focused and could easily spend far too much time navel-gazing.

Final Comments

The last four months have not been easy for Di J, and she has lost the plot somewhat, as far as her handwork is concerned.

However she has received so much love and support from her family, friends and fellow bloggers that we are hoping to see her finding renewed joy in her all her creative endeavours over the coming year.

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May God bless you all in 2013!

Retail Therapy

We have just a few items left from our hugely successful craft stall for St Luke’s Care last week and, rather than find space to store them till next year’s fundraiser, we decided to offer them to you!

We felt the easiest and fairest way to do this was to list them on eBay as fixed price – “Buy it Now” – items, and you can find them  here.

We’re in Sydney (Australia) but we’ll be very happy to post to most overseas destinations, and the good news is that shipping won’t cost too much because our goodies are all quite lightweight.

So, do you fancy a little retail therapy ?

Speaking of shopping, as part of our ‘recovery program’ after the fundraiser, Di B and I tootled out to Patchwork Products last week.

With the end-of-financial-year sale in full swing it was a great chance to stock up on new fabrics for St Mark’s Quilters to make into Blankets of Love for RPA Newborn Care, and kindy quilts for the tots at The Marcia.

A few of these came home with me too, for a Top Secret Project!

Now you know why we need the storage space

Di

Thank you!

Brrrrrr!! Big Ted and I nearly froze our little socks off as we set out very early on Monday morning for the Card Day organised by the Rose Bay Committee for St Luke’s Care.

After sewing, knitting, and stuffing* toys for weeks (and weeks!) Di B and I had stuffed* her car to the limit with our treasures, tables, hangers and all the paraphernalia  for our stall, and we were just a little excited once we had it all laid out. So excited, in fact, that we completely forgot to ask someone to take a photo of the two of us on the day!

We had lots of help…

Others on the Committee had made those cute little monster softies, and cooked delicious meringues, cheese biscuits, marmalades and chutneys, and Di B’s mum, Margaret, had made jars and jars of her lemon butter and green tomato pickles (and she grew the lemons and tomatoes herself!).

Two of our St Mark’s Quilters (also Committee members) helped too - Di C donated four beautifully made baby quilts, and Moo made four of her baby playmats in bright fun fabrics, as she does every year.

Thank you everyone!

Even the job of keeping our money safe through the day was made easier with the multi-pocketed sewing aprons Linda gave us a couple of years ago.

Finally, you – yes YOU, my wonderful bloggy friends – are to be thanked for all your encouraging comments, support, prayers and general warm fuzzies. Mwah!!! XXXX

The craft stall was a HUGE success this year, and raised MUCH more for St Luke’s than it ever has before. Indeed, the entire fundraising event yielded a great result and will enable the hospital to buy more hand-held scanners to use with their state-of-the-art computerised sterilising system.

* * * * *

And another Thank You, this time to all of you who were kind enough to vote for my quilt “Alhambra Romance” in the “Favourite Applique Quilt” section of the latest Bloggers’ Quilt Festival run by Amy of Amy’s Creative Side. My quilt didn’t win, but it was a thrill just to have made it into the finalists.

Amy will be featuring interviews on her blog with some of the entrants, and if you keep watching one day you might see a mention of someone you know

Di

* Just quietly, we were rather stuffed by the end of the day too!

For “techie babes” - and tiny babes

Covers for Kindles and Ipads

 

Applique baby singlets

 

Beanies

Patchwork balls for little hands

Owl Backpack Buddies

Sock Monkeys

 

And bears (do we have bears!)

… and anything else we can finish before tomorrow’s big day

Di

These should brighten up a few kitchens

Appliqued Tea Towels

Insulated Heat-resistant Trivets

‘Cupcake’ Potholders

…and Owls

Oven Gloves (yes, that is potato-print fabric)

And Oven Mitts

And what self-respecting market stall would be without a pretty covered coathanger (or 30!)

Di

Only 4 more sleeps (3 if I don’t get to bed soon!)

With Monday’s fundraiser fast approaching we’re putting those final touches to our stall goodies, tying bows, and wrapping what we can in cellophane and colourful curling ribbons.

In addition to yesterday’s items we have gifts for golfers -

Golfers’ Hand Towels

Clip-on Water Bottle Holders

For bridge players -

Cards Compendium

For the dining table -

Christmas Table Runners

Placemats

Drink Coasters

 

Even a couple of really useful over the shoulder tote bags -

But wait, there’s even more

Di

A peek at more St Luke’s craft stall goodies made by “Team Di”

Some of our items are soft and pastel, like this sweet little baby beanie that Di B’s mum, Margaret, knitted.

Di B’s elegant covered coathanger hides a secret…

See, there’s a hidden compartment for precious items – jewelry, money, …love letters perhaps?

Our customers won’t make spectacles of themselves with one of these quietly classy glasses cases. 

I’ve made some little gift sets for travellers, combining two pretty luggage tags with a tray for keeping together all your coins, jewelry, keys, spectacles etc  on your hotel bedside table at the end of the day.

The travel tray stores flat when not in use, and of course weighs almost nothing. I found the pattern for the tray here, at Angie’s Bits ‘n Pieces, and Angie has kindly allowed me to make them for our fundraiser for St Luke’s Care.

And just look at the braid on this bath towel and face washer set. That Di B – she’s such a quack-up! 

 

Di J

(ducking for cover)