The Worst Brings Out The Best!!

In my last post I shared a little of what's been happening in Victoria with the devastating fires and I'm sure most of you have read or seen more in the media. Thank you SO much to all who've left encouraging and supportive comments. It has really shown me that bloggers may be separated my oceans, language barriers and time zones, but they are connected by the heart - and you've all touched mine! Thank you! Let me assure your all, too, that we live a long way from where the fires are - geographically speaking - because these last few days have shown that physical distance doesn't stop us being involved, touched and caring, but we have a whole state between us and the area affected - but thank you for your concern.

I'd like to tell you all the crisis is over, but I can't. There are still over 20 separate fires burning and the official death toll is still rising as burnt out areas are searched by police. So, the situation is still so grim for all who are affected.

However, in amongst such sad and distressing news, there has also been incredibly positive things happening! Over $60 million (Aust) has been donated by businesses, corporations and the general population towards the relief fund! How amazing is that - already surpassed the government's initial funding!!! Not only that, there are INCREDIBLE collections, auctions, sales etc happening, all to benefit victims of the fires! We've witnessed the worst of human nature in those who deliberately set a number of these fires and we're now seeing some of the BEST of human nature in the response!

Now you just KNOW that bloggers like to be in the thick of things and there have been posts flying all over blogland as people set up auctions, donations and collections! Melly and Rosie are offering items for sale, Cheryl is auctioning off one of her fave quilts as well as donating the quilting of a number of quilt tops to be donated to the fire appeal and Karen at Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop is gathering up quilt tops and stray blocks to make up quilts to be given to families affected by the fires. I've had a few of my overseas blogging buddies ask how THEY can get involved (bless their generous cotton socks!!) and perhaps this is one way. Karen has said if stitchers would like to send quilt tops and blocks of any kind and size to her, she and her trusty assistants will weave their magic and make them up into quilts. Also, if people have fabric that can be used for quilt backs (doesn't matter about amounts, as they'll join lengths together to get the job done!) - most of us have pieces of fabric we've bought ages ago and decided we actually don't like, well it can now be put to great use! Also, if you have any quilt wadding to donate, Karen and the girls will make use of it for these quilts. Now like me, many quilters don't have lots of cash available in their budget to donate, but BOY OH BOY, do stitchers have PILES OF FABRIC in our stashes!!! (Hmmm ... perhaps this is the reason we don't have cash!!! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

While my beloved Geek Boy and I will be making a monetary donation to one of the appeals, I also wanted to DO something physical, practical to help, so making blocks to send to Karen was just the ticket! I dug through my stash this afternoon and then played for a while and came up with ..


Some bright and funky nine patch blocks! I've got some other fabrics ready to make blocks to match in with these and hope to put together a cot quilt top to send off to Karen, but if I don't have enough matching fabrics, I'll send them off and I'm sure Karen will be able to use them somehow!! So you'll understand I'm a bit side-tracked at the moment! Tee! Hee! Hee! If you'd like to know more about any of these fundraisers, pop over to the blogs and chat with the people running them. And of course, there are a lot more fundraisers springing up - bloggers really are a generous lot!! - so keep an eye out and tell us about what you find through your blog. The worst of situations truly can bring out the best in many people!!!

Now still on the subject of blocks, but moving slightly aside ... I've finished my Ark block for Lynette's Noah's Ark BOM! Ready? Ta! Da!


Here it is!! The Ark!! Hmmm ... Mt Ararat seems a little less steep than I'd heard! Tee! Hee! Hee! I actually finished this during a very productive weekend, but the fires took the wind out of my sails and I hadn't got round to showing you til today. While that's all of the OFFICIAL BOM blocks, I'm going to add some of my own to it, I think, partly to make it bigger, partly cos I just want more animals and partly cos I can't measure very well some days and I have to fix a few "Oops's"! :0) I don't feel too bad, though, cos Judy tells me SHE's having issues as well!! We'll both have to nut it out to get it finished to count towards the OPAM Challenge!! Oh! And don't worry, Pennie! I haven't forgotten I need to send you the last few pattern sheets for the BOM - just have to get myself organised!!

And on that note, I think I need to organise myself to have a shower and keep a much-delayed date with my pillow. Stay warm those of you in snowy countries, stay cool those in Australia who are feeling summer's bite, stay safe those in and around the fire areas, stay dry those in the northern floods and stay tuned for more of my ramblings when next I post!! Will give you a preview ... I met another bloggy buddy in person this week and I bet you'll never guess who!!! That'll keep you guessing! Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

A Grateful, Thankful Heart!

I'm sitting here tonight in my comfortable home, with my beloved Geek Boy happily tapping away on his laptop in the other room, knowing that my brother is packing for a much-awaited holiday and my parents are arguing about who will put the dog downstairs for the night. And I have a grateful, thankful heart because I know there are so many people in Australia right now who don't have these assurances.

Most of you will be aware by now (through blogland if not the news) that devastating fires have been, and are still, raging through parts of Victoria. Each time I see a new report, an update on what is happening, I'm moved to tears. This more than any other disaster that I can think of has hit me hard. Whole towns have been wiped out as huge and deadly firestorms swept through, often with so little warning that people escaped with only the clothes they were wearing - if that. The death toll is staggering - it stands at 86 as I write this, but is expected to climb much higher once emergency services personnel are able to get into all affected areas. Whole families have been lost, many still don't know whether their loved ones are safe. I think the not knowing would almost be worse than knowing and beginning the grieving. Grown men, tough Aussie blokes, are reduced to tears as they tell of what they've lost and it touches my heart.

Something of this magnitude, this scale, really puts life into perspective. Suddenly, those little irritations, those little inconveniences seem very small indeed and I realise that I have so much to be thankful for. So tonight, my post doesn't have it's usual touches of humour, but as you read it, I hope you'll join with me in praying for those who are affected by this devastating event. I pray for comfort for those who are experiencing loss of loved ones and property, for safekeeping for those who are on the front line (most volunteers) struggling to bring the fires under control, for compassion and generosity from the wider community in assisting the people affected and for wisdom for the decision makers in the clean up and rebuilding once the fires are out.

And I guess this is a reminder that life is uncertain - a T'shirt slogan that makes me smile says "Life is uncertain - eat desert first!" While I'm not sure this is the best nutritional advice, to me it's a reminder to make the most of every day and every opportunity. Embrace new adventures, give compliments and praise when it is due, practice random acts of kindness, let those close to you know how much you care and most important of all - never miss a chance to tell your family that you love them!! Sharing tears and Bear Hugs!

KRIS

A-Stitching I Will Go ...!

Finally managed to spend some in my sewing room over the last two afternoons and have made some progress on some Secret Squirrel gifties and put the borders around my Lion and Bug blocks for my Noah's Ark BOM from Lynette Anderson. Take a peek ...


Here's Mr and Mrs Lion, with the Pigeons (??) hitching a lift and sticking their beaks (get it? Birds ... beaks .. sticking ... ah never mind!!) into Leo's romantic moment where he's presenting his heart to Cleo. WHAT???? Haven't you heard of poetic license in naming?! Tee! Hee! Hee! And to every picnic, uninvited comes ...


The BUGS!!! Sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock move ... "Coming soon to a cinema near you!" :0) So, my blocks thus far look like ...


Ta da!! Now, unlike a lot of you clever quilters, I don't have a design wall (Hmmm, in fact, don't have a free wall in the sewing room at all!!) so I tend to lay things out on the handiest mostly-flat surface. In this case, it's the ironing pile, so I'd appreciate it if you just close your eyes to the unironed clothes and "ooh" and "ahh" over my BOM blocks instead! Tee! Hee! Hee! You can see I've popped a bit of batting in the spot where the Ark block fits, but you get the idea of how it's coming up.

Mind you, this isn't really what my finished quilt will look like - OH NO!! You see, clever clogs that I am (stop laughing all of you who call yourselves my friends!!!) I decided to enlarge the squares slightly and add the double borders to make the overall quilt a bit bigger so I can turn it into a lap quilt, due to the afore-mentioned lack of wall/hanging space. Yes, well, in THEORY, that was great. In PRACTICE ... I stuffed up my measurements somewhere, so will have to do a bit of reshuffling and I think, pop in a filler block at the top left - those of you who have an eye for detail (or Lynette's mudmap of the quilt layout in front of you!!) may be noticing that I've already shuffled blocks about to get them to sit and fit better. Of course, I may also get a little creative and add some blocks of my own, after all, I DO have a few questions for Lynette. Like ... Where is MRS Noah? And where's the second kitty? (two by two, after all!!) And obviously Felix (Lynette's kitty for the uninitiated!) was supervising the design of this cute BOM, cos ... where are the puppies?!?! So you see, it may still be a little while before my BOM is completed, but I've made progress, so I'm pretty happy. Thanks again to Lynette who has provided months of entertainment for hundreds of stitchers all around the world!!

Judy was wondering what she and I will tackle next (we've been encouraging each other and competing to see who finishes each block first on the Noah's Ark BOM!!). Well ... we didn't' have to wait long to answer that question, as we've both started (without the other realising!!) Gail Pan's Christmas Wish BOM!! Tee! Hee! Hee! And I am now off to stitch a bit more on my block and watch a DVD - day time television sucks!! Hope you're all finding some stitching time ... except for Stina who MUST be a good girl and just sit around drinking tea and reading magazines to give her poor sore finger a chance to heal!! And is she happy about no stitching?? NOOOOOOOOOOO!! She says it's even harder than when she and I promised not to open our SSCS gifties before Christmas!! Tee! Hee! Hee! We're thinking of you Stina and sending warm healing thoughts your way!!! And a cheerio to Kerryanne, who is also chafing a bit under doctors orders to be a good girl. Mind you, she's just started back doing a little bit of painting and you HAVE to visit her blog to catch her sneaky peek - GORGEOUS!! But right now - A-stitchin' I will go!! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Someone's Giving A Quilt Away.

Just a quick post (Chookyblue just sighed with relief! Tee! Hee! Hee!) One of our OPAM Challange participants is having a give away for her blogiversary. Daisy B (which she isn't listed on our Challenge list as?!?!) is giving away a small quilt, so pop over and say "Hi" and see what she's been up to.

Off to my sewing room to put some borders on my last two Noah's Ark blocks - since Lynette today posted the final one! EEK! Behind again!! Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

And The Winner Is ...

This is me ... after spending quite a few hours in the last couple of days checking lists, checking blogs, reading emails, replying to emails ...!! When May Britt and I first talked about co-hosting our One Project A Month Challenge, we thought we might have 50 to 80 people join us. Well ... the sign up is now CLOSED and we have a total of 277 participants!!! EEEKK!! And altogether, for the month of January, we collectively completed 480 fabric or wool projects!! WOW! Give yourselves a round of applause!! At this rate, we should really have made a dent in those piles of WISP's, UFO's, PHD's (projects half done) and made up kits and patterns that we've had stashed for years!! In fact, it's got to the stage where we are starting to create our own language. If you're working on your WISP's you're "WISPing", if you're working on a project you've had in the cupboard for a loooooooong time, it can either be called "very WISPy" or a "WISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSP"! Tee! Hee! Hee! Congratulations to everyone who has completed one or more projects for January and even if you didn't' actually COMPLETE something, but worked on a WISP or two ... or three ... then you should also be pleased that you've made some progress!! Oh ... just a note! A quilt isn't counted as a finish for the challenge until it's been quilted and bound and BOM's don't count until they're made up into the quilt, quilted and bound. And don't forget that projects have to be fabric/stitching, cross or long stitch, or wool craft like knitting and crochet. I know a lot of you are setting yourselves the goal of finishing BOM blocks each month, which is great, but it doesn't count towards your OPAM Challenge finishes unless it fits with the above criteria.

Now, I know you're all sitting in front of your computers, on the edge of your seats, thinking to yourselves, "Stop rambling on and tell us who won the monthly prize draw!!" After receiving some assistance from my trusty sidekick, my beloved "Geek Boy", who did the random number generator thingy magic, the winner of the January OPAM Challenge prize draw is ...

LENE C!!!

Congratulations, Lene! Lene actually tried to trick me by sending an email in Danish, but I explained that Australians are a bit lazy and only speak and read English (and some of us seem to struggle with that sometimes! Tee! Hee! Hee!) but she found a handy translator program and we're communicating just fine now! And what does she win, I hear you ask?


Lene gets to play with this cute Angel bag pattern designed by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse designs, a useful but pretty little note pad with our Aussie kangaroos on, a very handy little sharpie pen, a laser cut timber button in the shape of a kangaroo to match the note pad (button created by Lisa at Button Bliss) and a bag of one of my fave sweet treats, some mini musks. I hope you like your prize pack, Lene! If you'd like to email me with your snail mail address (or to May Britt if it's easier to get her to translate!!) I'll visit my little mail centre man and get this winging it's way to you soon. Each month's prize pack will be a little different and May Britt and I are doing month about, so whoever wins the February draw will get a wonderful giftie from May Britt!

Just a little bit of housekeeping ... A HUGE thank you to all of you who emailed May Britt or I with your monthly project total - this was a WONDERFUL help to me! With so many people now signed up, if I'd had to visit EVERY blog in the short time span I had, my eyes would PERMANENTLY look like the little guy at the top of this post!! Tee! Hee! Hee! So if people would like to do the same at the end of February, that would be GREAT!! Now I realise that life interferes, we lose track of time, have computer glitches or (the lucky ones!!) go away on holidays, so if you can't email your final list in the day or so at the end of the month, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make sure you have a list of finished projects on your sidebar that is UP-TO-DATE!! That way, May Britt and I can quickly find how many projects to add to the spreadsheet beside your name. If you don't email us and you don't have your list up to date, you miss out on extra prize draw entries. And while I was roaming around blogs in search of finished projects, I also noticed that some of you don't have your finished project lists, some don't have the badge and some have the badge, but no link. If you need help in getting the badge/link/project list onto your sidebar, just drop May Britt or me an email and we'll send some instructions, as I realise some of you are still pretty new to blogging - some of you have even started your blogs just for this Challenge - well done and welcome to Blogland! Tee! Hee! Hee! If May Britt or I can't help you out, I'll consult my beloved "Geek Boy" who translates "Geek Speak" into English for me all the time!! :0)

I think that's all I had to mention ... Oh! Wait, I remember!! If you have a chance, check both my list and May Britt's list of Challenge participants for a couple of things. 1. Make sure you've been added to the list (some may have slipped through the email net when I was having computer issues!) and 2. Check that the link we have to your blog is the right one and works. If it doesn't please drop us an email to tell us and we'll fix it - half the fun of the Challenge is discovering so many new blogs, so we want people to be able to visit you. It may just be a case of typos late at night when we've been updating lists!! OK, that's it for Challenge stuff for today!!

Now ... moving on to other bloggy news ... I need to say a BIG thank you to Marie Joze`!!! When I took part in Helen's Stitchers Angel Swap last year, my partner sent me a giftie, but it got lost somewhere between Budapest and Toowoomba. So ... I've already shared how the wonderful Joy (visit her blog to check out her CUTE panda quilt!!) sent me a little giftie because I'd missed out, well, I also had a couple of other lovely, generous bloggers contact me to see if they could send something. I decided that if they did, we'd make it a little mini-swap and I'll send something back. Well, last week (in the midst of end-of-month challenge stuff!!) a box arrived from Marie Joze` and inside I found ...


Some very special stitching accessories!! Thank you Marie Joze`!!! I now have a pretty, pretty pin cushion with a lovely red flower on it and this cute little needle keeper, which opens out to look like ...


This! Isn't it clever? And look what was inside ... three GORGEOUS pins with roses on the heads!! Not to mention quite a few delicious little bars of chocolate - just to help keep my energy up while I'm stitching! Tee! Hee! Hee! I've promised to share these with GB, as he's the true chocoholic in the family!! Thank you SOOOOOOOO much, Marie Joze`!! I'm feeling VERY spoilt! And there will be a little surprise package coming your way in return ... just as soon as I recover from reading 270 something blogs! Tee! Hee! Hee!

And on that note, I'm off to make a list of projects that I need to tackle for February - we already have a couple of finishes registered!! WOW! Some people are just too quick off the mark, aren't they!! Til next time, happy WISPing and Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS