2020 Christmas Quilt Drive

We’ve had lots of enquiries and we are pleased to inform you all that our Christmas Quilt Drive is on again for 2020! Recipient families have told us just how much it means to them to come into the unit on Christmas morning and see all of the stockings and quilts. Knowing that strangers out there understand what they are going through, and showing just how much the community cares.

This year we are hoping to receive 120 Christmas Stockings for King Edward Memorial Hospital and 135 Christmas Quilts which will be distributed to other hospitals all over Western Australia. We work closely with recipient hospitals to ensure they receive what they need at Christmas time, to support their families in the best way possible. It is therefore important that your donation comes through us for co-ordinated distribution.

You will find all of the instructions for these items below. Please read right to the end to cover all of the instructions and FAQs from past years.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

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Christmas Quilted Stockings

We are grateful to Amy Smart who blogs at Dairy of a Quilter for providing permission for us to use her 'Easy Quilted Stocking Tutorial'. You can find the instructions to make your Christmas Quilted Stocking here.

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Christmas Quilts for Tiny Sparks WA

This pattern was kindly designed by Jill of Patchwork Place in Albany. You can download the instructions here, or find them below.

Size 16" x 24"
 Or
41 cm x 61 cm

Requirements

Piece backing approx. 18" x 26"  (45cm x 65 cm) - white or cream
Piece 100% cotton light weight batting/wadding same size as backing piece.
Small amounts of Christmas coloured fabrics.

Suggestions

Any basic 4"  or  8" block pattern

No borders.
Keep blocks simple.
Avoid using yellow or gold.
Use conventional quilt binding or a commercial satin or pre-made binding or finish by “bagging” then turning through to right side. Top stitch around edge if using last method.
100% cotton fabrics (though not essential) are easier to work with.

A - Basic 4" Block - Total of 24 squares cut 4 ½" x 4 ½ "  in Christmas colours

1. Arrange design into 6 rows of 4

2. Join together into rows with ¼ " seam.

3. Press seams in row 1 to the right, in row 2 to the left, row 3 to the right etc

4. Join the rows together.

Basic 4" Block - 2 alternative designs

B - Basic 8" Block - Cut 6 squares 8 ½" x 8 ½ "in at least 2 Christmas colours.

1. Sew into 3 rows of 2.

2. Press seams in alternating directions then join rows together.

Basic 8" Block

Finishing Quilts

View fullsize

Finished Quilt created by Jill of Patchwork Place, Albany

1. Lay the backing right sides down, place the wadding on top and finally the pieced top right sides up. Pin together and quilt.

2. Prepare binding by joining the 2 bits end to end with a mitred (angled) seam.

3. Press in half lengthways. Sew onto the right side of the quilt having ALL raw edges level. Mitre the corners as you sew.

4. Trim off the excess from the edges.

5. Handstitch the folded edge of binding over onto the back of the quilt.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many items will you need? - We will need 120 quilted stockings and 130 quilts to mail out across 20 neonatal units statewide so that every baby in a Neonatal Unit on Christmas Day receives a gift.

2. Can I deviate from the instructions/patterns/specifications? – No, we ask that you follow the instructions carefully. They have been set out for a reason. The hospitals have very specific guidelines about what can be around the babies in the NICU and SCN. In particular please ensure the backing for your quilt is white or cream.

3. What material should I use? – Quilting fabric, 100% cotton (or very close please). No flannel.

4. Should I prewash the material? – Either way is fine please.

5. What cotton should I use? - Cotton or poly/cotton blend is fine.

6. What designs can the material have? – Anything that is in the Christmas spirit, please make sure the design is child appropriate. The backing for your quilt must be white or cream.

7. Can I add a personal touch to the stocking? – Yes! Embroidery and applique is fine.

8. Can I add my name, sewing tag to the stocking/quilt? – Yes, we just ask that you keep it small.

9. Can I contact you to make some other arrangements? Given the volume of donations we handle we cannot make individual arrangements for face to face delivery, however we do have several drop off locations. Please email admin@tinysparkswa.org.au for the addresses.

10. Will I get a personalised response about my donation? We will attempt to acknowledge all donations sent in, although we are only able to do so if you provide us with your name and email address clearly written inside your package. We are unable to mail a response due to limited resources. Please allow 6-8 weeks for us to acknowledge any items posted or hand delivered.

11. How many stockings/quilts can I make? – We would prefer that each person make no more than 10 items each.

12. What else can I sew for you? – We need sewers and knitters all year round. If you’d like to help further, please see the details here.

13. Can I just drop my donation off directly to a hospital? - No, please do not drop your donation off at a hospital. We take a co-ordinated approach to ensure the needs of each hospital are met.

When and how can I get my donation to you?

1. We require all donations by Friday November 27, 2020. This will enable us time to sort and send out donations statewide. Any donations received after this time will be put aside for next year.

2. You can post your Christmas items to us at:
   Tiny Sparks WA, PO Box 1114, West Leederville WA 6901, Australia
   Please include your name and an e-mail address printed clearly inside your parcel.

3. Can you collect my quilt when I am finished? - No, we are a small team of volunteers and unable to collect your donation.

4. I don't want to mail my donation, how can I get it to you? - Please e-mail admin@tinysparkswa.org.au for metropolitan drop off locations.

If you have a question that has not been answered above, please email us at admin@tinysparkswa.org.au  We will do our best to respond as quickly as we can.  Please keep in mind that we are all volunteers and this is a large project to manage so it may take a few days for us to get back to you.

We are so very grateful for your support and thank you for your time and energy in helping us to make Christmas in the Neonatal Unit a special time for our families.

Christmas 2019

Spending any special occasion in hospital is extremely challenging for families. This Christmas thanks to our incredible Crafty Creators we have once again been able to gift a keepsake item to every baby in Western Australia, in a Neonatal Unit or Special Care Nursery Bed on Christmas morning. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our friends at Foote & Flame each baby also received a beautiful Christmas tree ornament to commemorate their 1st Christmas. We know these items mean so much to the recipient families and are treasured for many years to come.

View fullsize

Foote & Flame have generously supported Tiny Sparks WA at Christmas for many years and we would encourage you think of them first if you are in need of a cake topper, or personalised gift.

View fullsize

This is just a very small selection of the amazing quilted donations that we received.

Christmas Quilt Drive 2019

Our Crafty Creators make a big impact at Christmas time with quilts and stockings being donated as keepsake items for families who spend Christmas Day in a Neonatal Unit in Western Australia. The quilts and stockings are treasured for many years to come!

Last year there was overwhelming support for this project. We work closely with recipient hospitals to ensure they receive what they need at Christmas time, to support their families in the best way possible. It is therefore important that your donation comes through us for co-ordinated distribution.

This year we are hoping to receive 100 Christmas Stockings and 140 Christmas Quilts. You will find instructions for these items below. Please read right to the end to cover all of the instructions and FAQs from past years.

---

Christmas Quilted Stockings

We are grateful to Amy Smart who blogs at Dairy of a Quilter for providing permission for us to use her 'Easy Quilted Stocking Tutorial'. You can find the instructions to make your Christmas Quilted Stocking here.

---

Christmas Quilts for Tiny Sparks WA

This pattern was kindly designed by Jill of Patchwork Place in Albany. You can download the instructions here, or find them below.

Size 16" x 24"
 Or
41 cm x 61 cm

Requirements

Piece backing approx. 18" x 26"  (45cm x 65 cm) - white or cream
Piece 100% cotton light weight batting/wadding same size as backing piece.
Small amounts of Christmas coloured fabrics.

Suggestions

Any basic 4"  or  8" block pattern

No borders.
Keep blocks simple.
Avoid using yellow or gold.
Use conventional quilt binding or a commercial satin or pre-made binding or finish by “bagging” then turning through to right side. Top stitch around edge if using last method.
100% cotton fabrics (though not essential) are easier to work with.

A - Basic 4" Block - Total of 24 squares cut 4 ½" x 4 ½ "  in Christmas colours

1. Arrange design into 6 rows of 4

2. Join together into rows with ¼ " seam.

3. Press seams in row 1 to the right, in row 2 to the left, row 3 to the right etc

4. Join the rows together.

Basic 4" Block - 2 alternative designs

B - Basic 8" Block - Cut 6 squares 8 ½" x 8 ½ "in at least 2 Christmas colours.

1. Sew into 3 rows of 2.

2. Press seams in alternating directions then join rows together.

Basic 8" Block

Finishing Quilts

View fullsize

Finished Quilt created by Jill of Patchwork Place, Albany

1. Lay the backing right sides down, place the wadding on top and finally the pieced top right sides up. Pin together and quilt.

2. Prepare binding by joining the 2 bits end to end with a mitred (angled) seam.

3. Press in half lengthways. Sew onto the right side of the quilt having ALL raw edges level. Mitre the corners as you sew.

4. Trim off the excess from the edges.

5. Handstitch the folded edge of binding over onto the back of the quilt.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many items will you need? - We will need 100 quilted stockings and 140 quilts to mail out across 20 neonatal units state wide so that every baby in a neonatal unit on Christmas Day receives a gift.

2. Can I deviate from the instructions/patterns/specifications? – No, we ask that you follow the instructions carefully. They have been set out for a reason. The hospitals have very specific guidelines about what can be around the babies in the NICU and SCN. In particular please ensure the backing for your quilt is white or cream.

3. What material should I use? – Quilting fabric, 100% cotton (or very close please). No flannel.

4. Should I prewash the material? – Either way is fine please.

5. What cotton should I use? - Cotton or poly/cotton blend is fine.

6. What designs can the material have? – Anything that is in the Christmas spirit, please make sure the design is child appropriate. The backing for your quilt must be white or cream.

7. Can I add a personal touch to the stocking? – Yes! Embroidery and applique is fine.

8. Can I add my name, sewing tag to the stocking/quilt? – Yes, we just ask that you keep it small.

9. Can I contact you to make some other arrangements? Given the volume of donations we handle we cannot make individual arrangements, sorry.

10. Will I get a personalised response about my donation? We will attempt to acknowledge all donations sent in, although we are only able to do so if you provide us with your name and email address clearly written inside your package. We are unable to mail a response due to limited resources. Please allow for up to a month for us to acknowledge any items posted or hand delivered.

11. How many stockings/quilts can I make? – We would prefer that each person make no more than 10 items each.

12. What else can I sew for you? – We need sewers and knitters all year round. If you’d like to help further, please see the details here.

13. Can I just drop my donation off directly to a hospital? - No, please do not drop your donation off at a hospital. We take a co-ordinated approach to ensure the needs of each hospital are met.

When and how can I get my donation to you?

1. We require all donations by Friday December 6, 2019. This will enable us time to sort and send out donations state wide in advance of the Christmas postal rush. Any donations received after this time will be put aside for next year.

2. You can post your Christmas items to us at:
   Tiny Sparks WA, PO Box 1114, West Leederville WA 6901
   Please include your name and an e-mail address inside your parcel.

3. Can you collect my quilt when I am finished? - No, we are a small team of volunteers and unable to collect your donation.

4. I don't want to mail my donation, how can i get it to you? - Please e-mail admin@tinysparkswa.org.au for metropolitan drop off locations, alternatively you are welcome to come along to our Neonatal November event and leave your donation with us there.

If you have a question that has not been answered above, please email us at admin@tinysparkswa.org.au  We will do our best to respond as quickly as we can.  Please keep in mind that we are all volunteers and this is a large project to manage so it may take a few days for us to get back to you.

We are so very grateful for your support and thank you for your time and energy in helping us to make Christmas in the Neonatal Unit a special time for our families.

Christmas in NICU

Spending Christmas in a neonatal unit can be incredibly tough on families. For many Christmas is a time to come together and make special memories. Most neonatal units in Western Australia have a ‘parents only’ visitation policy for infection control, and this means that siblings are often unable to meet their new baby brother or sister until discharge. It also means that families are split on special occasions such as Christmas. We know that many staff go above and beyond during the Christmas period to bring as much cheer as possible to their unit but it’s still challenging for families.

In 2015 we launched our annual Christmas Quilt Drive. This year we were once again successful in delivering Christmas Quilts to all babies occupying neonatal unit beds on Christmas morning in WA. This is only made possible through the generosity of the community! Thank you to all of our Crafty Creators who have put countless hours into sewing beautiful Christmas Quilts and Stockings for distribution. You really can see the love that goes into creating these keepsakes for families.

Each year we have been joined by the amazing family run Perth business, Foote & Flame, who have donated ‘Baby’s 1st Christmas’ ornaments for distribution with our quilts. Their support is phenomenal and to date they have donated a staggering 750 ornaments!

This year we delivered 255 Christmas Quilts to 24 different hospitals in WA. The bulk of them were delivered to Perth’s King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) who have Western Australia’s largest neonatal unit.

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to share our Christmas Quilt Drive publicly through 10 News First (watch their story below), The West Australian and The Western Suburbs Weekly. Click through to read their articles. Huge thanks to each of them for helping us raise awareness in the wider community.

Christmas Card Competition

Do you have a budding young artist at home?  Perhaps your 'tiny spark' would like to design our Christmas Card which will be distributed state wide across all neonatal units this Christmas?  Please pop over to our Facebook page to find out all about the competition.  All the details are on this post and you will need to upload your picture to that post to enter.  Good luck!