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well our dream family holiday is over and its back to reality…..

..and life has been full of it for many Australians in our absence. We had heard snippets of the floods at home but it wasn't until watching the late night news in the hotel room in Melbourne that the full reality of it hit…. One cannot simply imagine the destruction, the power and the fury that many Aussies have been through and are still experiencing now. I am blessed to be living in Tasmania far from the horror of flood. Of course the other side of the coin is the wonderful and inspiring uprising of a desire to band together to help. There are many craft auctions happening already, all of our designers, industry partners, quilting and community groups are asking how they can help. I am feeling that being away I have not been able to contribute at all but I know this is going to be a long term rebuilding of lives and communities.

So right now I want to tell you about two ways you can help that have been organised as I returned yesterday.

Miss Molly who turned sweet sixteen whilst we were away has decided she would like to donate 50% of her pattern royalties to the Flood Relief Appeal for all MissM patterns sold over the next three months (until the end of March). That will be for retail and wholesale sales so tell your local stores also or you can find them here. I am very proud that she came up with this idea and wished to help in some way now that her World Challenge aid project fundraising is over.

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Secondly I have been asked and very quickly agreed to supply my Nice People Nice Things designs to The Country Quilt Co. Suzanne is making up 300 little sewing kits with help from Birch, Wildcraft Farm and myself which will have a needle,needle threader and thread cutter, thread, stabaliser, simple instructions and a design from NPNT already transferred onto fabric for those sitting in evacuation centres to keep busy, take their mind off things and have some stitching therapy. She is then making up extra kits for all of you to purchase with all profit going to the relief fund. However, she asks that you return your stitched blocks in the stamped envelope included in the kit and they will be made into finished quilts and then raffled to raise further funds.

 

Suzanne, altho safe from the floods is in Ipswich and personally knows many who have lost their homes and even lives. She knows first hand what people are feeling and suffering and has thought carefully about how to make a difference and help. Please think about purchasing a kit from http://www.countryquiltco.com.au/index.php/flood-relief.html

it may even help you to feel valuable in these times of uncertainty and need. They are only $10 and include postage within Australia. Overseas friends, if you would like I am sure she will also post overseas for just a tad more.

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It is amazing how quilters band together when one of us is hurting…..I’m sure there will be many more requests and opportunities to come…

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hugs to you all, enjoy each day, enjoy your family and friends and appreciate what we have today.

I will show you more of our holiday soon.

hugs, Helen

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