One of the things I love about blogging is the ability to use it for good. Quilts for Queensland was my project that kept me busy in 2011. You were all so generous with quilts and blocks. That was one big project that took over a room of my home but one which I loved and felt the love.
Last year I decided to support Dandelion Support Network and thanks to lots of lovely readers we were able to make and donate quilts and blankets to them. Thank you. In December just before the year was finished I donated $5000 to Dandelion thanks to sponsored posts on this blog. It felt so good.
This year I’ve decided we’ll still keep making blankets and quilts and I’m thinking about a craft day in March and will accept your donations from now of new handmade quilts and blankets (basinette or cot size) for this year. Also I was thinking of including hand knitted or crocheted baby items with our donations. Just drop me an email and I’ll give you my PO Box details if you’d like to help. And keep an eye out for details of our craft day.
And the charity that I’d like to support financially this year is Lifestart who do such wonderful work as an early intervention provider to lots of kids with special needs in Sydney. I first heard about Lifestart when my lovely friend Angela’s daughter was found to have a rare genetic syndrome. She joined their services and would always rave about them and help them fundraise. Little did I know that I would be making the call and using their services with Elodie last year. We had to go on a waiting list and I realised then that they would be my charity so that they could help more families. We’ve loved the support of their playgroup last year and are so excited to have a place with them this year. Elodie will receive some occupational therapy, a weekly group session with other little ones her age as well as assisting our little miss settle into preschool. Using my blog to give back to them just seems the right thing to do so that they can do more for other families.
So that’s where we are at. I look forward to supporting both Dandelion and Lifestart this year and I thank YOU my lovely readers who stop by, read, make quilt blocks, tops and quilts, leave a comment and support my blog. Without your support, generosity and readership I wouldn’t be able to raise this money and give it to charities. And I thank my sponsors too because if they weren’t sponsoring posts then I wouldn’t have the money to make the donations. So that’s a whole lot of thank yous.
p.s I love to give shout outs and help you get your charity events and causes out there in the public. If you have an event or charity close to your heart and want me to spread the word then just message me on facebook and I’m happy to help…………………..
You are so generous Corrie! Happy New Year to you too. So looking forward to visiting here again for another year. Your energy and amazingly positive attitude is what makes me visit here time and time again. Elaina xo
oh thank you!!!!!! not feeling so energetic at 7.30pm after a day at home with all 5 but thank you, I do try:)
happy new year to you tooxx
Hi Corrie I would love to come and help at a craft day. Such great charities to support.
Love your work Corrie! I’ve only just discovered your blog and am really enjoying it. I wanted to ask you about getting started with quilting. I have long admired it but never done it. I do sew however (just an amateur though). Would you be able to recommend any particular books that could get me started with quilting? I would need everything explained, beginning with cutting out – do you have to be sure to cut on the straight grain etc so that the whole quilt doesn’t end up skewed to one side? And what types of wadding/padding work best? I have lots and lots of Liberty tana lawn (my favourite fabric ever) remnants that I’d love to turn into a quilt one day.
That’s an awesome effort and what a lovely network of readers and sponsors that have helped you reach out in such a way to make a difference. I fully support any intervention charities or groups. We spent 3 years fundraising when our little one was diagnosed with autism. It seemed like the least that we could do. We organised a picnic fun day with live shows for over 450 people in our community with families and their little ones with autism attended and with a tremendous commitment from local business we managed to get the whole event sponsored. The money didn’t seem to put a dent in their needs as an organisation but the impact in media and in the community reached, touched and connected so many families that provided lasting links and snowballed into other sponsored events and community based activities. It made me realise that we can all do something that collectively amounts to big things moving in the right direction.
I had no idea you donated your payments from sponsored posts to charity. That’s really such a wonderfully generous thing to do. Thank you for being such a lovely person and for inspiring more kindness in the world
That is so great. You give back so much and I never would have known.
Well done, that is awesome.
I hope Ellodie gets the support she deserves, those early years ar so important, things often ease as they get older.
Robyn
Happy New Year Corrie! Not sure I can get down to a craft day, although I would love to try, but I am more than happy to knock up some quilts and knitted goodies to send your way! As soon as the kids new quilts are done, I will be on to it
Leanne xo
Fantastic, keep up the good work
A really worthwhile charity for 2014, congratulations Corrie, great choice!
I love what you’re doing…very inspiring and just lovely to see such kindness! Oh and that pic of little Elodie is gorgeous!! x
Hi Corrie: I’ll be happy to support this charity when I know what you want done in the way of patchwork/quilting.
Wow Elodie is looking really grown up! And as gorgeous as ever x
Wonderful idea! Life start a great group, just sent you an email. Happy to help.
Well done Corrie for an amazing 2013 !!! I love your choice of charities and hope to get a few quilts to you this year for Dandelion Network….. Im actually really interested in starting something like it here in country NSW hopefully by 2015
Perfect Corrie! Love it! Do you have any online tutorials or anything for simple cot or basinette sized blankets? I’ve been wanting to start a long term craft project to keep my hands busy at night while I’m winding down in the evening (that doesn’t involve my computer or phone!) and making blanket sounds perfect. I’m a total novice though! Any links would be rad!
Lifestart sounds like a great charity for 2014. We went to a Lifestart playgroup for a little while before we started ABA (which left no time for anything for a couple of years). I loved the supportive group of mums..therapy for the kids and mums (and dads of course)! Occupational therapy has really helped one of my boys-and he loves it.
Corrie, love the blog and your charities. Not up to donating quilts, but have some materials if they can be used?
Busy people are always the most generous with their time, you’re testament to this.
Xx
Hi,
I was wondering what sort of knitted or crochet stuff you were looking to donate. I love to crochet and knit and I think my daughter is kind of over me making her stuff. Would be interested in helping
oh lovely donna! would you believe a lady has even set up a group for blankets so she’s looking for knitted and crocheted blankets to donate to dandelion as her own personal project so I’ll give you her the facebook page. I was thinking little cardigans and beanies because they make up linen packs and give new parents or expecting parents a cot and baby things so a little something handmade would just make it so special:)
Corrie, can I please have the link to the facebook page to donate blankets to Dandelion please?