Bushfire Quilts

Hello lovely people

I know you are all aware of the horror of the fires here in Victoria. The wider Kinglake area is the main 'feeder' area for my school - Plenty Valley Christian College. Many of our families have lost everything, and most of us knows someone/many who have lost homes, and have either lost a friend, family member or acquaintance, or know of someone who was killed, or knows someone who has lost someone. We also have friends who are CFA volunteers, and are still fighting the fires. Needless to say, the school community is in shock, but has banded together to support each other, and those in our wider community. We have a wonderful team of professionals to counsel us, and are coping OK under the circumstances.

As a staff, our main purpose at the moment is to provide our children with the stable environment they need - for some, school is the ONLY thing in their life that hasn't changed. Their eyes are either blank, or filled with visions no child should ever have to see.

There is a heaviness in my gut of being able to do so little - until I thought of quilts. A quilt is a gift of love - and love is a powerful healer. With this in mind, I have been given the go-ahead to make quilts for the children. My aim is to make a 'snuggle' quilt for each of the children from school who has lost their home. The task appears daunting at the moment, but I know it can be done.

My plan is to collect 12" blocks (+ seam allowances) and put them together as a sampler quilt. For this I need help. It's too big for the few of us at school who quilt and sew - so I'm asking for help.

If you are able to help out - either by making a block/s, helping to put the final quilts together, doing the quilting or can donate fabric etc etc - I would LOVE to hear from you and/or any others you know of who would like to help.

If I get too many blocks (how wonderful would that be?) they will be put together and the quilts given to the many others in need of a 'snuggle'.

Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think may like to help.

I look forward to hearing from you.

You can follow the progress of the quilts on my Snuggle Quilts blog.


Angela