229 Items!

Yes, 229 items - that's what our small bunch of local amateur crafters produced while catching up with friends and family or watching television over the holiday period.  At the end of our first gathering of the new year last week, our parcel coordinator bravely took home the massive mound  of crafted items you see in the photo in the previous post and started counting ... and counting ... and counting.  When she re-emerged into the light of day this is what she had found!

8 neck warmer / scarves            

31 pairs of bootees /children's and adults slippers                        

122 hats  (baby, children and adult)                                          

14 pairs of gloves / hand warmers                     

 4 small blankets 

10 blanket squares

1 quilt

5 bags for storing toys, equipment etc

1 jumper

7 soft toys
26 toy mice

 

 

 

When we watch the news on TV or online it is tempting to think sometimes that we are powerless to prevent suffering and that there is so much of it in the world at the moment.  This may be true, in that most of us cannot prevent the suffering, but we each can do something positive to help when people are suffering - just by doing the crafts we enjoy doing anyway.  

 

Many of these 229 items will go to Turkey to help refugee families there through Lily - Love in the Language of Yarn while the toys and storage bags will go to Capetown to enrich the environment of some of the township creches through Little Libraries. 

 

There are so many organisations looking for toys, clothing, blankets and quilts to help people in need at home and abroad.  Blankets to warm and comfort adults and children alike.  Toys for a child to hug when they have left everything familiar behind. A play mat for a pre-schooler to sit on and enjoy when the creche floor is made of earth or sand. 

 

Many things can be made quite cheaply by upcycling - play mats from cot blankets that are no longer needed; several dresses and shorts  can be cut from one charity shop duvet cover; gloves and neck warmers from fleece tops that have become 'pilled' in places.

 

We feel lucky to have a hobby that can be of some use to others when they are in need.  If you are in or near Edinburgh and would like to join us at our Wednesday afternoon sessions, please contact us at enquiries-craftteaforcharity@hotmail.com .  You can also check us out on our Facebook page Craft Tea for Charity

If you are not close enough to join us, an online search should turn up some of  the many outlets that are out there waiting for your contributions. 

 

Happy Crafting, everyone!

2016 and the Big Bang!

Traditionally here in Edinburgh a spectacular firework display brings in the New Year with a bang. 

 We kept that tradition going at our first meeting of 2016 with this brilliant explosion of colour and craft! Hats, scarves, toys, blankets, gloves, slippers, jumpers - all crocheted, sewn and knitted while catching up with friends and family over the festive period. We're clearly all 'hooked' on crafting for charity! 

Perhaps our resolution for 2016 should be to keep reaching for the pins, not the pies?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all.  We hope 2016 brings you health and happiness. We've had a busy, exciting and rewarding year in 2015 and look forward to sharing another with you in the year ahead.
To celebrate the New Year we'd like to share some of the highlights of last year with you in our calendar for 2016 - the fundraising in aid of Mary's Meals, the fabric books, cuddly toys, play mats and blankets for Little Libraries to take to township creches in Cape Town, the ponchos, hats, cuddly toys, dresses, shorts and of course blankets for Lily - Love in the Language of Yarn to distribute to Syrian refugee families and the sensory items for adults with dementia in a local care home.

We hope you enjoy the glimpses of just a few of these items and memories in our 2016 calendar photos and that you find the year at a glance calendar helpful in organising your own year ahead..

A look back at 2015 has to include our sincere thanks to all of you who have helped us in what we do. To  DHL couriers and  D W Cases in Musselburgh we owe such a huge debt of gratitude because without your support we couldn't send our overseas parcels. Thank you  edinburghprinting.com for your brilliant editing and printing of our calendar.  Last, but not least, thank you Leo's Beanery for allowing us to take over your back room every Wednesday afternoon.

Thank you to our donors for supporting us in 2015 with your donations of fabric, yarn and haberdashery. Thank you to our social media followers for all your kind comments via our Facebook Page and email. They really do encourage us to keep going.  

Roll on 2016 with all the challenges and joys it will bring us. We are so grateful to you all for helping us to help others in need.  Please do get in touch with us at craftteaforcharity@btinternet.com if you are interested in joining us, donating materials or helping in 2016.  Find out more about what we do on Craft Tea for Charity