Collaborate For A Cause 2013 - A Handmade Love Fest!

A few weeks ago, I shared a work in progress with you all, and mentioned Collaborate For A Cause.  Well, the time is almost here for the biggest Facebook auction of the year to start!  If you haven't heard of C4AC before, then here's a very quick intro - The wonderful Jen Kennedy from Ainslee Fox Handmade started it three years ago, pulling together the handmade community, to collaborate with one another and raise money for charity!  Last year over $40,000 was raised!  You can learn more about C4AC HERE.

Tonight, I'm sharing with you my finished collaboration with Danielle over at Cottonberry Kids!

 

I had never actually heard of Cottonberry before, but put my hand up looking for someone to collaborate with, and Danielle was brave enough to approach me (I don't know about you, but approaching people I don't know is hard, for fear of rejection!) and of course I said a big YES!  We got to brainstorming about what we wanted to create, and a few days later I received The Intrepid Thread newsletter via email and the Riley Blake "Hipster" range jumped out at me!  I messaged Danielle and suggested the range - and it all went from there!  Julie from The Intrepid Thread kindly gave us a discount on the fabric when she found out it was for charity - so thanks Julie!!!

For my half of the collaboration I used THIS pattern/tutorial for a little pinwheel doll's quilt.  I made a few little changes, just by adding extra borders, and the finished size is 19.5".  And the backing fabric is a gorgeous Riley Blake polka dot in the same bold colours!

I sent the little quilt over to Danielle, and she did a fabulous job photographing it - especially considering the horrible weather she had to deal with!  Her beautiful doll - named Rylee-Kate - is so utterly divine and just screams Happiness!

Our collaboration is raising money for Red Kite - a national cancer charity that offers support to children, young people and their families while they undergo their cancer journey.

If you love Rylee-Kate, her quilt and little pillow, you can bid on them from the 26th of July, at 8pm HERE.  The auction finishes on the 28th of July at 8pm.  There are HUNDREDS of collaborations in the album - and they are all absolutely, positively AMAZING!  You NEED to check it out, and you NEED to tell everyone you know about it!  There is something there for everyone - and it's a great time to grab some awesome handmade goods to put aside for Christmas!

So go on - what are you waiting for?


PS - Last chance to enter my GIVEAWAY tonight! Free fabric anyone? xx

Dolly Drive

Nope, I'm not talking about the magazine I spent hundreds of hours flicking through in the 80's, I'm actually talking about REAL dollies!  Am I going bonkers?  No!  Although I very well may just do that now that I have committed myself to making a doll/softie.....

The lovely gals over at The Sewing Library (I know, I know - I'm a sewing geek!) have organised a fabulous Dolly Drive, and their aim is to provide Australian Children's hospitals with 1000 dolls and softies to donate to sick kiddies.  Fabulous yes??  They have teamed up with the amazing Sarah from Dolls and Daydreams, who just happens to design amazing little dollies and sells the patterns.  BUT, upon further investigation today (yep, I'm a bit late to the party) I've discovered Sarah also has a blog called Dolly Donations.  It's a fabulous blog with lots of great stories of dolly drives throughout the world!  And last Friday she wrote a post about our Aussie drive.

There are many, many amazing doll makers out in the world, and my kids are very lucky to own a few themselves, which is great, because I have never had the urge to make one......until now.  I have just purchased this gorgeous Nesting Dolls pattern, because quite frankly - the idea of sewing and stuffing little limbs makes me extremely nervous!  If my attempt at softie making is successful, then I shall make a couple to contribute to the cause.  And if it's a big fat fail - I will still contemplate sending it off (with an apology letter !) because the dolly drive is not about perfection, it's about chipping in for charity!

If you would like to join in the drive (1000 dolls/softies by the 1st of March!) please pop on over to the TSL Dolly Drive 2013 page and get stuck in!  I will be sure to keep you all posted on my progress or lack thereof with this little project!  I'm thinking Ms Chelsea may even like to join in the fun!