Newsletter – November 2014

Lyn | News from HQ

Ani Catt, APQS importer and South Devon coordinator recently handed over the Lucey long arm quilting machine donated by the American manufacturers. They are great supporters of Linus in the US and have decided to support us as well. The machine is currently set up in my studio/Linus office. This will mean that I can quilt the backlog of tops that I have been given.

Many people enjoy piecing but don’t have the space to layer larger quilts. My husband helped me to set it up, but Ani says that she can set one up on her own when she takes it to shows. Obviously I am not yet an expert on it, but it is surprisingly easy and quick to quilt a top.

The Warm Company have also been supporting us by providing wadding for use at Linus workshops. So far, 11 coordinators have received packs of wadding with some more on the way. I expect that many groups will be busy making and delivering quilts for Christmas as this is a popular time for giving them out to brighten the dark days and keep everyone warm and cosy.


Caroline | Liverpool

Pupils at The Hawthorne’s Free School, Bootle made a selection of great quilts for Project Linus in their art and textile after-school club. They are making more this term and we look forward to seeing them.

We had a stall at Bridge Quilters exhibition in September – we were in the same room as the refreshments (including great cakes!) and had a lot of interest shown in the Project. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Halton attended the exhibition and took an interest in our work.


Philippa | Edinburgh

When someone has died, Richmond’s Hope is a place where children and young people can explore their feelings and find ways of coping. This is a small Edinburgh charity that has been supporting bereaved families since 2003 and is now expanding. Members of Edinburgh Linus Group worked together to produce this special quilt to be hung on a wall at their new centre at Carricknowe. A similar quilt had been made by another group for their first centre some years ago, and it has been much valued. Linus Group member Isabel Alexander designed this new quilt. Each block has a light self-coloured applique shape on which children can write messages. This quilt has animal shapes to appeal to younger children and geometric ones for older ones and was fairly easy but creatively appealing to make.


Jacki | Bristol

The Severnside Stitchers at their Quilt and Stitch Show in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire made 20 quilts for Project Linus, which are all going to the new intake at a special school in South Gloucestershire.


Ann | Chesterfield and South Sheffield

At sew4others our monthly meeting coincided with the Macmillan’s Coffee Morning day – so we held a coffee morning and mini quilt exhibition to highlight to our visitors the kind of quilts and blankets we make and give away on behalf of Project Linus. We raised £280 for MacMillan Nurses, had numerous visitors who expressed a lot of interest in the quilts and knitted blankets, ate a lot of buns and cakes – and these two nurses (from Walton Hospital in Chesterfield and Jessop Baby Hospital in Sheffield) took 75 baby quilts, no-sew blankets and shawls back to their respective hospitals.


Mary Ann | Derby

I recently collected quilts from The Derby Quilters – as always a wonderful variety for all ages, some of these have also gone to Rainbows Hospice. A big thank you to all our stitchers and volunteers

The Stitching, Knitting and Natter ladies from Darley Dale in Derbyshire have made 15 quilts for Project Linus. They all include shirt fabric. Some of the blocks have colour detail such as a yellow patch in each. They started with large squares of shirt fabric and as the pieces got smaller ended making crazy patchwork blocks. What a great idea!

45 quilts were taken to the Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young Adults. To celebrate their 20th Birthday they had an Open Day so we were able to see what fantastic facilities they have for the youngsters. They were thrilled with the quilts which will be a great comfort for the children and also the teenagers, who often get overlooked.


Sally | Fife

Three of us attended the Kidz Scotland (Disabled Living) Event which took place at Ingliston near Edinburgh on the 11th September – it was a wonderful and humbling day. The event is described as a free UK event for children and young adults with disabilities and special needs, for their families, carers, and support professionals. There are other ‘Kidz’ events in Manchester, Coventry and the south of England during 2014-2015.

The three Linus reps were Elspeth (Lanarkshire/Glasgow East) who organized us all, Marion (Glasgow South/Renfrewshire), and Sally (Fife). Elspeth had prepared a batch of leaflets describing Linus, which we handed out to many of the other charities and organisations that had stands, in addition to the families who attended.

Many people visited our stand – most had not heard about us, so we put that right! Quite a number told us that their child had received a blanket/quilt from us at some time and thanked us, which was very gratifying. We gave out several quilts which we had brought along. There were visitors from many areas of Scotland and Northern England, so be prepared for some calls requesting quilts!


 

Lesley | Lancashire

I recently had an e-mail from a lady asking if we could provide a quilt to a young lady now so poorly she has had to use a wheelchair. I wasn’t sure we covered where she lived but set about making the quilt. Purple was her favourite colour. After several lovely communications to and fro, quilt made, I set out to deliver it. No-one at home. Back to the email. She and her mum had gone to Anglesey for respite. So the quilt was delivered the following week to a lovely young girl and her super mum. When I got back from my trip collecting donated fabrics and delivering the quilt another email from Switzerland thanking me and Project Linus for making a difference. I had no idea I was international!


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Please send any articles or photographs for inclusion in the next newsletter to Ann.