Canberra Quilters Inc. -
Quilts For Others (QFO)
When Mirinjani Nursing Home opened some years ago, members of Canberra Quilters provided lap quilts for each of the residents; later, colourful single bed and cot quilts were sent to a Mother Theresa orphanage in India and quilts were also made for refugees from Kosova. During the 1998 and 1999 Exhibitions, under the banner of Community Quilts, quilts were made and donated to the Canberra Family Support Service and Marymead.
In 2000, Quilts for Others was established by Fran Stephenson, Carolyn Grabham and Kathryn Hailey to enable such projects to be supported on a continuing basis. Fabric and batting has been generously donated by members and local quilt shops, and funds raised through the Little Red Hen Auction in March 2001 providing some much needed working capital. In 2000 and 2001 Mini Jumbuck donated Nu-Wool batting for our use - particularly during the exhibition.
At the 2000 Exhibition, Q.F.O. organised the Great Quilt Race, which resulted in quilts being donated to CAPO, CanTeen and the ACT Hospice, as well as for lucky door prizes. In December 2000 14 quilts were given to Cranleigh Special School and a similar number to St. John's Care (an emergency assistance program of the Anglican Church based in Reid dealing with the homeless, displaced, elderly, victims of domestic violence.)
In 2001 raffle quilts were donated to Brindabella Nursing Home, the Multiple Sclerosis Society (2), Canberra Quilters Morning Tea in aid of Cancer Research, Ward 6A at The Canberra Hospital, CAPO, the Anderson Baby Memorial Morning Tea to raise funds for Palliative Care, Sharing Places, Goodwin Homes and the Epilepsy Society. In addition, 10 quilts were presented to Villagio Sant' Antonio Nursing Home at Page, six to the Salvation Army and three to St. Vincent de Paul. As part of our ongoing support for Marymead we presented them with 13 quilts at our December Meeting.
Three or four working bees are held at halls during the year when a lot of pinning, quilting, cutting and sewing is achieved. Frequent smaller working bees are held in the convenors' home to sort fabric and assemble kits. These kits are available at the evening meetings throughout the year.
At Canberra Quilters 2000 Exhibition, thanks to the generosity of Bernina in loaning us three sewing machines, we worked on a number of quilts. Two machines were kept busy piecing and one quilting. A number of quilts were finished off and some new ones started. We tried to demonstrate all aspects of patchwork and quilting so had people cutting, sewing, quilting, pinning, hand sewing and even tying a quilt.
In February 2002 we presented a Raffle Quilt to Canberra Legacy, and the Canberra Quota Club were given a quilt to auction at a dinner/auction to raise funds for the hearing impaired children attending the Shepherd Centre in Hughes. Our major project at the moment is the making of a number of Quilts for Malkara Special School. Six are to be used as exercise mats, two cot sized quilts are being made using different textured fabrics to encourage sensory response and one quilt is for the medical room. Six lap quilts were presented to the Canberra Hospital in March for use in the geriatric rehabilitation area.
- Want to see some Pictures of Quilts and Working Bees for Quilts for Others?
- Want to see the Quilts for Others Guidelines?
Email: Canberra Quilters Webmaster
Page last updated: 1 February 2004