BushFire Quilt Project

Hi everyone!

This post is going to be a call to arms, or more appropriately a call to sewing machines! As many of your know a great deal of the South Eastern part of Australia is on fire. Almost 200 people have burned to death (men, women and children), pets and livestock are gone. Hundreds of homes have been burnt to ashes. Have you ever thought to your self about what you would grab if your house was on fire? What is that one special item that you would make the extra trip back into the inferno for? Well, many of the people of Victoria, Australia did not get that chance. Everything they once had is now covered in Ash. I want to help these wonderful people build new memories, I want to wrap them up in a big quilty embrace, and what better way (beside sending stacks of money, which I don't have) than to wrap them in a blanket of our love? I am talking quilts, folks.


In centuries past women (an I am sure there were some men in the lot) have sat down and quilted when words were not enough to express their loss or grief. We will be doing that. We will be making quilts for these Victorians.


I have started a group on Flickr ( Bushfire Quilt Project ) and I want you to participate with me and the other people who have been moved by the images that they are seeing on TV. I am proposing you make a block or 2 and send them to me. I will assemble the quilt tops, quilt them and send them on to the recipients in Victoria, Australia.



When we question what God has in store for us, do we not look to the heavens? And the Stars look back at us, with their constant peace. The Lord Always has a plan for us, in my opinion our lives are like quilts as we look back over them. A nice block here... this is the best block I have ever created right here in the center...that one could have used a bit more attention... the one over there needed to be completely redone...what the heck was I thinking with that one? some free motion quilting on this side...but each stitch, or life experience has made us stronger in the long run, each one has made us who we are....OK that got a little deep...what I was going for is the type of quilt I would like to assemble with your help. Stars.



In my opinion a "wonky" or "maverick" star is one of the most simple and fantastic of blocks to make. They create a wonderful "twinkle" when all put together, so that is the type quilt I would like to do. I know some of you may feel uncomfortable with this type of thing, but what better time to try something new AND give of yourself in the process? If you totally do not want to make that type of star, no problem, send what ever type of star you want to make (as long as it is 12.5 inches).



Bonnie, who many of you know from Quiltville, has kindly let me link to her tutorial on how to make these very simple quilt blocks (Maverick Star Quilt block tutorial ) This is a great tutorial and you will see how simple they are to make. Just a note...the blocks I need need to be 12.5 inches square, so if you can enlarge your quilt block from that in the tutorial that would be awesome. If this is pretty damn confusing, don't worry, I will have a tutorial up in a couple days so all you have to do is follow along.



For you new stitchers, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved in the generous and kind world of quilters. Mom, this goes for you to. Round up Aunt Sharon and you two can do this together and send the blocks to me.

Here are some of the blocks so far (there were more but I couldn't blog them for some reason).

Here is the deal.... You will make one or 2 (or more if you get in the groove) 12.5 inch quilt blocks (when finished, as in all sewn together with other blocks, they will be 12 inch blocks) then you will send them to me. I will assemble the quilt tops, quilt them and send them on to the recipients in Victoria.

I know the Internet makes the world seem that much smaller, so if any of you know people who have lost their homes in the fires, I would love to give the quilts we make to people we "know" otherwise I will be working with my local quilt guild and the Australian Red Cross to find suitable recipients.

Thank you sew much and PLEASE visit and join my little Flickr group so you can keep abreast of what is going on with this project.

**Ideally I would LOVE to have 3 quilts finished and ready for the bushfire victims by the end of March. This is one heck of a deadline, but together we can do it. Each quilt will consist of 25 blocks (12" x 5 x 5= about 60" square quilt) this will make a great size to wrap up in, snuggle a child or comfort the elderly. Please feel free to email me with questions or comments...I am trying to keep up with the discussions over on Flickr, but it is almost bedtime for me. Thank you so much for your interest and wonderful willingness to help out a stranger. My prayers are with both you and the people of Victoria, Australia.

XO,

Tia