Fleur and Quilt Club Meeting

 Fleur, the Co-ordinator of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren was the guest speaker at my Quilt Club meeting the other evening.  It was interesting to hear about her role in this group, which she took on after she started raising her own grandchildren.  Fleur does a wonderful job and spoke about the challenges grandparents face, as they navigate the changes in their households when they take on their own grandchildren to live with them.  And supporting them through the legal and benefit issues too, which can be daunting when you don't know what to do, or what government department to go to for help.  She also arranges monthly social get togethers, I'm sure that would be very helpful to know you are  not alone.   Sandra, President of our quilt club, Town and Country Quilters, presented Fleur with six children's quilts to be passed on to her families.

Fleur, from GRG, with Sandra

 I've often mentioned GRG and have met with Fleur from time to time over several years, to give her  quilts and draw string bags I had made for her to pass on to children.   As Fleur was leaving with her big bundle of quilts, I took along some more goodies I had out to her car for her, which were my own personal donations.  Two quilts, and a bunch of bags, all stitched during RSC this year. 

Quilts and bags

And do you remember the Snow People I was trying to make earlier this year?  I rather enjoyed stitching their felt clothing, and then the project came to a standstill.  My daughter Nicky made and stuffed the body parts for me, but then I had no idea how to attach the head and arms.  I was all set to dispose of them and a lovely lady from my craft group took them off my hands, finished them, and passed them back to me, I was so grateful.  Mother, Father, and Baby Snow Family went home with Fleur too, she will pass them out to children at Christmas time.

These happy faces will each have a new home with a child very soon

Several months ago I completed a quilt for each of Fleur's grandchildren, after she told me they didn't have one of their own.  I felt that they really deserved their own special quilt each.

Our quilt club members were so impressed with Fleur and GRG that we have decided to gather up some suggested items in need over the next few months,   such as colouring books and pencils,  toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hankies, that sort of thing.   Then Fleur can distribute items to the children at Christmas.  There are about 90 families that she helps, many more than I realised.

A lot of us quilters all over the world make charity quilts, so it is nice to know these things are going to children in need, and are appreciated.