What was I doing again!?

Sometimes it surprises me how completely off track life can get. One moment I'm cruising through days. I haven't been working much and money was tight this month, But I was reading, blogging, sewing, making, cooking, cleaning and cutting out at the speed of light. I even found time to visit friends, play in the garden, learn to crochet. Oh the joy!
And then theres this past week.
Mum went into hospital. I made lot's of nervous Granny squares during lot's of nervous waits. Everything is waiting with hospitals. Waiting in admission to fill out paperwork, waiting for doctors to assess, waiting for tests to be run, waiting for showers and toilets, waiting for meals, waiting for the Angio-gram to be done, waiting for results. More tests, more waiting, lot's of waiting. Lot's of wonky Granny squares. Still waiting.  At least she can come home to Dad for one night over the weekend. We'll call that shore leave ;) before she has to go back into Hospital Sunday night for further tests to be done next week so, I'm predicting lot's more waiting and more Granny squares.

This week at home, nothing got cleaned, washed or cooked. Nothing got sewn or cut out, Nothing got made or blogged or even photographed. The garden forgot to be watered.

The other evening, I managed to rapidly (less than 5 mins) photograph the few items I had previously made to be mailed down to the Edwards family to take across to the Vietnam orphans. They should reach them in time, say Aus post..hmm I hope so!

I made 6 Baby Wraptops with some matching wide legged loungin' around baby pants out of cotton fabrics from my stash.

These I made the teal roses fabric into pants and the Baby Wraptop and used the pastel rainbow fabric for the bias on the wrap top and as contrast on the pants to match.

For these I made the pants from the same pastel rainbow fabric as the Baby Wraptops bias and used the pink fabric as contrast on the pants because to match the pink from the Baby Wraptop.

For these I made the pants from the same pastel rainbow fabric as the Baby Wraptops bias and used the pastel rainbow fabric in a horizontal direction as contrast on the pants because I had run out of the pink from the Baby Wraptop.

For these I made the pants from the same pastel rainbow fabric as the Baby Wraptops bias and used the teal roses fabric as contrast on the pants.

For these I used some of the teal rose print fabric to make bias to match the pants. The pants used the pink roses fabric in contrasting bands to match the main fabric for the Baby Wraptop.

These ones I had unfortunately run out of the teal roses fabric bias but instead used three pastel rainbow hearts appliqued on the Baby Wraptop and 3 on the left leg of the pants to match the pastel rainbow bias I had made and used on the Baby Wraptop.

I also made a couple of dresses and a skirt from some bright coloured 100% Cotton fabric from Mum.

I then appliqued 2 small sleeveless tops and made 2 matching pairs of shorts.

I also appliqued and  finished off  a pair of yellow pants my Mum had cut out a long time ago, (also listed in my UFO box list) and sent them along too. They had a very large GOLD paint fabric makers mark across them, I guess she didn't notice when she cut them out? It was huge! and GOLD! It said 100% Cotton proudly made in the peoples republic of china right across one whole leg. Oddly, the pants dimensions don't make sense either, so, I re-cut the pants, smaller, but using the pattern I made up for the Loungin' around pants. I then cut out an elastic casing for the waistband using some brightly coloured striped fabric from my stash and used the same bright striped fabric to Applique Stars and a big stripe across the leg to cover the massive Makers stamp that not only would not wash out, could be clearly seen from the other side of the fabric! The main fabric is a bright yellow fabric bought to make shorts for us girls back in the 80's for  a Primary school swimming carnival. They then got used for every swimming and athletics carnival. These baby pants were cut out from the leftover fabric after 2 of us had shorts each, and an enormous flag. Go GOLD! Now they are going to somewhere they can be worn and played in! YAY! And strike another one off my UFO list!

I tried to get our school to ask the kids to collect a few things, I thought if each student brought in a new dummy, bottle or an exercise book or a small something, it would add up to lot's and spread the load across many.  But the school executive put the Kibosh on the idea..something about already supporting too many charities already:( that also makes me sad:(

I feel so guilty! I wish I could have done more, made more, and sent more. I really wanted to :( I had not had time to cut out or sew the boy's things I had planned to make to send down. I also wanted to go buy some exercise books and school related stuff and some Savlon and dummies too, but never made it to a shop this whole week. It is such a heartfelt worthy cause. I hope to God they had enough stuff from other people or that maybe I can make it up the next time they are able to go back across to Vietnam. My husband tried to help me by saying what I made was plenty, but it really wasn't much in the grand scheme of things they need. I just can't stop thinking about all those babies and children in orphanages. Do families ever come and take them home to love and care and raise them? Does that happen in other countries? The thought of children growing up in an orphanage long-term instead of a family makes me so very sad. I just watched a youtube video of a Vietnam orphanage, I want to take them all home and love them. I just can't stop crying. Here in Australia, people are desperate to adopt, with many willing parents waiting years and years on an endless list to love a child. I know it's considered bad to take kids away from their own culture, but to grow up in an orphanage is better? I guess I am shocked that orphanages even need to exist! Today is a desperately sad day! The world is just bogging me down today. I need to find some happy..I'll go in search.

My new best friend is...

Meet Clover! (yes I name everything). She's so purdy...and useful too. We have a certain kind of love, a close tie, a tie that binds. hahaha

I've spent an entire extremely rainy Sunday playing with Clover making pastel rainbow binding...I made lot's! and...Lot's! My friend Clover listened to all my problems and we got very steamy together over a hot iron while reminiscing, (not so fondly) about how I used to hand turn binding while burning my fingers on the iron.
Now that I know about Binder makers...Now that I know how awesome my friend Clover is...I never have to cry over the extremely exorbitant prices of the boringly plain coloured bias binding in the shop. Now I walk through fabric stores eyeing off awesome patterned fabrics for binding...Now my fabric stash is on notice...one false move stash and you will become binding!
I don't know why I had never known of binding makers before...I now know that everyone else in sewing world uses them *g*.
Welcome (late) to the binding party ME!

And this is a sneak peak of what I will be using the binding on over the next few days. They are baby cross over tied tops and matching pants. I noticed the preemies in hospitals had these style of tied on gowns (albeit harsh hospital gown fabric ink stamped with the hospital linen services names) for ease of getting to and changing tubes and wires and equipment and nappies and clothes etc. So, I had a quick look at the ugly hospital ones, the cross over tops are made the same way as my own sized, $80 one I bought last year! sheesh! So I made up my own baby sized pattern to make some for my sisters twins now that they are home, but in several sizes for when they grow. Even though they no longer have all the tubes, the changing and dressing of two babies would take up some time each day. Hopefully these will do the trick, as dressing and undressing the bubs should be easier if you don't have to hold them upwards and drag things over their heads? These cross over tie tops can be layed out under the bub and then they tie up with two bows made out of the binding, one inside the top one outside the top. They are longer than usual for when the bubs are younger they can be used on their own, and as the bubs grow can be used with the pants more like PJ's or lounging around clothes. The pants are relaxed comfy pull up elastic waist pants with a contrasting band at the bottom, usually to match the binding on the top. I have used 100% cotton fabrics because it breathes, withstands a bit of rough play and ummm fluids...it washes out well. Now I am also working on making some for the Vietnam Orphans, to be sent down to the Edwards family early next week, along with some school exercise books for the older kids and some other stuff... so I'd best get a move on!

A heartfelt Thank you to everyones Sewing and Crafting blogs - this is where the internet excels - the internet is for sharing knowledge. I am still in wonderment (and I'm and I.T. teacher...haha!) that we can all share ideas, pics, video, laughter and tears with people across the globe, from our lounge rooms and sewing rooms. I would not have learnt 1/2 of what I now know about sewing and crafting if it weren't for other people generously sharing their failures, successes, triumphs and journeys. And, crafty/sewing people are the most generous of all with the sharing!
In the interests of fostering my love of "the internet is for sharing knowledge"...I am in the process of making up a free tutorial and printable PDF pattern for what I've been making. It's just a matter of translating my butchers paper hand drawn out pattern into electronic drawn pattern pieces no bigger than A4 size. And then translating the process of stitching them up into words, diagrams and photos. Yikes! Should be done by the end of the weekend. - I hope..stay tuned.

THE EDWARDS FAMILY VIETNAM ORPHANS TREASURE CHEST

Yesterday I was brought to tears reading about the Edwards family's mission on the Raglun Guld blog
and I was immediately kicked into action. I've stirred up all my family and friends and my husbands workplace to round up as much stuff from their list as we can to help the Edwards Family bring some everyday items to Vietnam Orphans.
Dennis emailed me back this morning to say, "We are simply suggesting that people get themselves a shoe box and between now and the 20th March if they add an item to the box each time they shop like a bottle, or a comb, maybe some tooth paste, some calamine lotion a couple of dummies. And please do not forget the older kids in all we will find about 350 Babies under 1 and around 400 children between 2 & 17. I know it’s frightening but we can make a difference. " The remainder of this post is the heart breaking story in Dennis' own words and with his own photos. Please read and kick yourself into action like I did. You can download his pdf version from here.

THE EDWARDS FAMILY VIETNAM ORPHANS TREASURE CHEST
The Edwards family comprising myself Dennis, and my children Nathan, Liona, Sally, Milly and my daughter in-law Linda are off to Vietnam in April 2010 in an effort to try to help the Orphans to make their world just a little better. I served my tour of Vietnam in 1969/70 as a member of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (R.A.E.M.E) as a regular Army soldier serving at Nui Dat.
I was the Specialist Welder employed to repair and maintain the Army’s equipment. During my tour at the ripe old age of 20 I found myself at the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat where 5000 men were tasked with patrolling and taking ownership for the entire Phuoc Tuy Province.
Often unable to sleep, due to constant battle activities of the Australian task force base, combined with the intense heat and the discomfort of sleeping in tents with sand bag walls I would seek approval to work at night. I was directed to talk with the Command Welfare Officer, who was always around the base sourcing things to be repaired or made for his work in civilian aid to the war effort.
Discussions were fruitful and permission was granted that we could design and manufacture playground equipment for the local orphanages. We made swings, slippery dips, seesaws and giant slides for these kids. I think we manufactured about 12 sets, it generated so much interest that the entire General Engineering Workshop team got right behind the project and we then visited all of the orphanages in the Phuoc Tuy Province and gave them a parcel of red, yellow and blue painted playground sets. Obviously we were in an aggressive war zone so we had to request armed infantry escorts to successfully achieve this goal.
Unfortunately we found that many of these orphanages were later destroyed by the Viet Cong and we now know that the Nuns and teachers were killed and raped because of their association with the Australian Army, as we were considered their enemy. This fact has haunted me for years, so it is with great pride and pleasure that today I am able to return to this country and give some of my personal time to the Orphans of today. The motivating factor that set me on this pilgrimage is when I first returned to Vietnam in 2007, I found the current generation of Orphans still swinging on many of my swings and riding my slippery dips that I made for these orphanages 38 years ago!

Rod Trapple & Dennis Edwards installing Slippery Dip - Baria Orphanage Aug 1969

Below are a few photos from my last visit which, unfortunately, was two years ago in 2007. For the past two years I have been personally challenged struggling with Brain Cancer. I am now well enough to go back and continue my work.

So I am now appealing to you my community to HELP me to put together seven (7) packages of wares to ship over to Vietnam to be ready for my family and I to arrive mid April. We will spend two weeks visiting and working in outlying Orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Dah Lat, Nah Trang, Baria and Vung Tau.
The background of the Orphanages that I have chosen:
These Orphanages are off the beaten track, and generally not that well supported by the Communist Government. The general facilities are very primitive and the carers are usually Nuns and volunteers with little or no experience of dealing with Children, especially babies. The average child ratio at the Orphanages we will visit this time is approximately 25 to 50 babies under the age of 1 year and approximately 50 to 70 children ranging in ages from 2 to 17 years old.

• Feeding bottles
• Bottle sterilization kits 
• Bottle teats
• Sterilization fluid
• Milk formula 
• Savlon cream 
• Calamine lotion 
• Mercurochrome
• Baby food in jars with long use by dates 
• Two minute noodles
• Disposable nappies 
• Baby singlets 
• Clothing – summer new or secondhand
• clean cotton or denim 
• Hair brushes/combs/hair clips/hair ties
• Toothbrushes/toothpaste 
• Bassinette & cot linen - cotton 
• Bassinettes 
• Bouncinettes 
• Portable cots 
• Hanging mobiles 
• School supplies: rulers, pencils, erasers, coloured pencils 
• Story Books – clean second hand 
• Exercise books for school work 
• Aussie toys – koalas, kangaroos etc. 
• Swing & playground equipment (small) 
• Bikes/scooters – in working order 
• Hand wash / disinfectant 
• Rubber gloves – Small/Medium/Large

THE CUT OFF DATE FOR ALL DONATIONS IS SATURDAY 20th MARCH 2010
ALL DONATIONS CAN BE DELIVERED TO EITHER:
Dennis & Inge Edwards, 7 Park Street Lancefield Vic 3435
Lancefield Neighbourhood House, High Street Lancefield Vic 3435
They are also holding a Fundraising Supper/Dance – Saturday 20th March 7.30pm Mechanics Hall Lancefield Live Band and Fundraising Auction $25 Per head with cash bar
Bookings Essential – Click here to download the flyer pdf for contact details and information.

Thank you to the Edwards family for doing this. They are amazing people. God Bless you.