"The Craft Group" plus...

Knitting an item takes ages. Stitch by stitch the item slowly grows. Why would you bother? We do it for love! For the love of creating and for the love of the ones who will be wearing the items! So, let's take our hats off to some fantastic ladies in The Craft Group who have made nearly 70 knitted items for charity! I don't want to mention their names (mainly Kay C, Bev G) unless I miss someone but here are their lovely warm creations. We sent them off to Mission without Borders who will send them to those in need in Eastern Europe. They suggest some patterns but are happy with other items such as these...     Thank you ladies, your hearts and hands are generous.

I featured some of Lorraine's quilts and toys she made for the playgroup for disabled children HERE. I said I would feature a baby book she made. It is designed to stimulate through as many senses as possible. Such a fun, creative little book for a worthwhile cause! Good on you Lorraine!

I was sure I had posted these amazing projects by Lorraine but I just searched my own blog and I haven't featured them yet! They are so inspirational and such a worthwhile project. Two years ago, we were challenged by a lady who works with families with young children with intellectual disabilities. She said that at their playgroup, one little quilt was made by someone who works there and understands the importance of tactile stimulation for these littlies. The little quilt was wearing out and they wondered if we could make some more. The challenge was taken and some of us put on our thinking caps to start to create. You can see the beginnings of our thoughts and creations HERE. Then you can look at the lovely post of when we gave the tactile quilts to the children  HERE. Since that time, Lorraine has been inspired by the freedom and creativity involved in making these tactile quilts. Her main inspiration has been to make something which has such an positive impact on the ...

A project a day! I have so many lovely things that ladies have made and I have not put them here on the blog to show you. So, I am going to feature a new craft item, made at The Craft Group, every day for the next 2 weeks! Here I go… Project 1: Bullseye Quilt by Bev I. We have seen quite a few bullseye quilts created here at The Craft Group (just type 'bullseye' in the search box on the right to see them all). Bev made this one. I love the fresh white and red colour theme. (I am so over all things beige.) She is so generous. She donated it to us and we auctioned it off last Christmas and made over a hundred dollars for supporting women in underprivileged situations overseas. Thanks so much Bev!

Peter has a beard. Peter has a very long beard. Peter loves his beard. Peter's beard is getting TOOOO long (personal opinion here). Peter has a heart. Peter has a big heart for the underprivileged women  and their families in India. Peter thinks his beard can help raise $16,500 to fund a project. Peter likes a project run by " Compassion " to educate and equip women in India to be able to run their own businesses or become employable with their new skills. Peter thinks people love his beard too and would sponsor him by donating money if he shaves off his beard because it is such a huge sacrifice. Peter is surprised by the people who are so cruelly saying "Yeah, I'll give money if you please get rid of the beard!" Peter doesn't care about people's opinion of his beard (?) as long as they give. Peter's deadline is 16th November. Peter has a revised goal of $10 000 before he shaves it all off. Peter is only up to $8165 ...

At The Craft Group we always break for coffee and I do announcements...sales that are on... whose birthday it is. Then we do a little 4 minute "Thought from the Bible".  We follow different topics and lately we have been doing "Women of Faith".  We've interviewed some women, looked at some women in  the Bible and shared stories about people have heard about. Recently Lydia shared about a young woman who she is reading about, Katie Davis. Katie is from the States and is living in Uganda. She is now 23 but by the age of 21 had adopted 14 girls. Why would she do that? Listen to this short clip to meet her... If you want to read more about this young woman and her faith, read this book ... Buy it here. Or, really see what she is doing and thinking and believing by looking at the blog of the ministry she has started up called "Amazima"   HERE . Or her personal blog HERE . Plenty to think about. What a woman. What a God!

Did you know you can knit your little fingers off this month for charity? (NOTE ADDED LATER: SEE BELOW*) In the past, ladies at The Craft Group have made knitted items and asked me how to get them to people in need? I had trouble finding a collector and distributor because my local Guardian pharmacy, who used to take my collections, said they don't do it any more. Some of the things knitted by Bev G given to "Save the Children" Well, either the person working there had no idea or that particular chemist didn't collect. But anyway, they are still collecting and I have the website to prove it! Save the Children distribute knitted items to children in need and you can easily donate your items at your local Guardian Pharmacy.   (look here for the one closest to you). They give out a free pattern book too. In the past they have told me that the items donated don't have to be from the pattern book, they can be anything for children to wear, providing they...

What a morning we had yesterday! At The Craft Group we hosted our annual "Cancer Council Morning Tea" as part of the big Australian wide fundraising project, the Biggest Morning Tea . We did some Craft, then we had some announcements. Then Pam introduced her ex neighbour who is fighting a pretty big battle at the moment with Cancer. Bec was coming home from hospital yesterday and is really not well.  We couldn't ask her to come and speak but we still were encouraged by her. We watched a You Tube clip made by her church. It is just Bec talking and sharing where she sees "Home" to be. It's only 5 minutes long and is really worth watching... Click HERE to watch it. Then we read out an email Bec sent to me the other day. She said how much Psalm 139 meant to her lately. (I've added it below). If you are reading this Bec.... thanks for sharing your Hope with us. It was very touching and helps put life into perspective. It is really all about ...

I have mentioned the Tactile quilt project to you before. A lady from our church works as a social worker with an organisation which does, amongst other things, early intervention for babies and children with disabilities. She siad they were in need of tactile quilts for the little ones to play on. The more radical the colours and textures the better. The aim is to stimulate the senses. Making blocks for these quilts is so much fun because there are no quilting rules and no need to buy anything! We used all those bits and pieces us crafters have in the cupboard that "might just come in handy one day". Well that day has come!  These quilts are great projects which have a positive impact on the little ones we gave them to. The staff and mums invited us to a lunch to thank us for the quilts. It was rather humbling. Let's make more! They hang one on the wall and the older children walk by and feel all the different textures. The possibi...

This weekend is CELEBRATION TIME! We are celebrating The Craft Group's 20h Anniversary! 20 years is a long time for a community group to be operating and we have had, over the years, many lovely talented girls of all ages come through the door and be a part of our craft family! It has been (and Lord willing will continue to be) such a lovely group to be involved in. So... this Saturday we are having a whole day of craft (BYO) and a craft display of things people have made over the past 20 years. We are having a special "High Tea" Reunion in the afternoon with some speeches and fun. Then... when we are all crafted out we are going out for Thai for dinner. I can't wait. It will be so nice and I have heard of a few ladies who are coming who I have not seen for years. During the day we are auctioning off a quilt to raise money for a women's project overseas. At The Craft Group we have a "Swap Shop" where people put the excesses from their craft cupboar...

I've shown off some of the knitted rugs for charity before, but I want to celebrate more achievements by showing you more! Lots of girls got in and made 10" squares (esp Wendy and Elaine!) then Judy offered to join them together. This is always the job that is hard to get someone to do. Judy has a great way of joining them by crocheting the squares together. Good move Judy. Let me show them off... Thanks everyone. I had them picked up by a "Wrap with Love" local volunteer.  I'm sure they will go off an warm someones body and heart.

Carolyn is a machine. A hand sewing, quilt producing machine. She is also very generous with her skills. This fully hand sewn quilt was made by her to donate to the St George Lantern Club to raffle off to raise money for the North Rocks Deaf and Blind School. You can see Carolyn peeping around the side there. I am so impressed with the fact that she never uses a sewing machine! My very first sampler quilt was started about 14 years ago... all by hand.... and it is still sitting in my cupboard in pieces. I should get it out again. Every stitch made is a stitch closer to the finish. It's not making any progress just sitting in my craft cupboard! I was making it for my son Jacob and every time I sew something else he says... "How's my quilt going Mum?"  Oh dear, I just remembered I have told this story before and you are probably thinking... "Stop talking about it and just get the thing finished!!!" Thanks for the inspiration Carolyn! ...

I am amazed by the knitting skills of some of the humble ladies at The Craft Group! Bev G is such a gifted knitter. She handed me a bag full of items she hand knitted and wanted to donate to charity. We used to give items to Guardian Pharmacies but they don't collect for charity any more. We donated these to a collection organised by Spotlight. Does anyone know of a reputable collector in Sydney who distributes knitted items to people in need? I like to be prepared for any future knitted beauties. Good on you Bev. You are very talented and very generous!

I have just been involved in a project which is so worthwhile and really fun to do. A group of us ladies found out from our friend, Sunet about a great need for tactile quilts to be used in early intervention programs for babies and toddlers with disabilities. The research shows that stimulating the brain is good for little ones. That makes sense for all children, but for these special little ones, the stimulation has to involve as many senses as possible and be both comfortable and uncomfortable. We like to give babies lovely soft things, but for short bursts of time, it has been found to be beneficial to lie little ones with disabilities on surfaces of varying textures. The more the better... rough, smooth, scratchy, bumpy, crinkly, bright, sparkly etc etc. We all decided to make a few 10 1/2 inch squares and then bring them together to make a square floor quilt of 16 squares total. This was textile craft at its best. No rules. No need to buy anything. Just create. We could us...

At The Craft Group, I am always pesting people to make 10 inch squares for charity! Now and then someone passes me a square and I am collecting them to eventually put together a full rug. Bev G has found some time where her idle hands can be put to good use for warming up humanity. Whenever she goes travelling in the car with her husband, out comes the knitting needles. Did Bev pass me a few squares? No... a whole rug! It is made perfectly according to the size requirements of the organisation collecting them. Someone in the world will LOVE this rug Bev. Good on you!!!!! Check out "Wrap with Love Inc." by clicking here . Click  on  "Patterns" to see the exact dimensions they recommend. Go on, aim for just one 10" knitted or crocheted square this winter. You might find it therapeutic and make more! You can pass them on to me, or contact the organisation through their website to find a local collector.