my pet project for 2013

Earlier this year I discovered through facebook a lovely charity called St Kilda Mums. They take baby equipment, clothes and toys and deliver them to mums in need. Some of their requests are so urgent. Women who are living in refuges, have no family, no money, none of the necessities that we mums take for granted. I wanted to help but felt so far away. I then discovered that they had a sister agency called Dandelion Support Network in Sydney. I liked the facebook page and just reading some of the stories make me get a little teary. Things that we take for granted like a place for a baby to sleep, nappies, a nursing bra or a pram.  To me they are the basics but to some people in difficult situations these are big items.

Requests will come in from agencies or social workers and often are urgent requests for a mum coming out of hospital or who is homeless or leaving a refuge. Or it could be someone doing it really tough. I sent a few Christmas gifts to them to give to children but I knew I wanted to do more. It’s been sitting at the back of mind for a few weeks and I was trying to think of a way that we could do something else. ‘We’ being me and my amazing readers. And then it occured to me………………….QUILTS!

I asked if they had someone making quilts for them and they did have a local quilting group make them up so that when they gave away a cot they gave a quilt in the bedding pack too. But they are all out and the group doesn’t make them anymore. It was a sign. I had a job. A pet project to organise.

So next year I’ll be calling on you my lovely readers and quilters to get sewing and quilting. But I’m going to be a little bit smart about it all. I don’t want the avalanche of quilt blocks on my doorstep like Quilts for Queensland. As wonderful as that experience was I’d be trotting up to the post office every few days and I can’t get my pram into the post office these days without taking out a whole card display or a person. Last week a total stranger offered to sit and mind my pram while I went in.

So I’ll only ask for things to be sent during one month (say we do it 3 or 4  times a year) and at the end of that month we’ll have a working bee here in Sydney and work like busy bees to make and finish quilts. I figure we could run 3 quilting days next year and really make a difference. Plus it’s a great way for mums to get together to help other mums. But you don’t need to be a mum to help. Obviously.

So that’s that then. I’m going to think about some specifics and measurements but just wanted to put it out there as I was so happy to hear that they needed our help. Giving is better than receiving and on this Christmas Eve I wanted you to get excited about it too. Because I’ll need all the help I can get.