Sunday 2 December 2012


Christmas Fayre

Words fail me.......temporarily!
Our stall at the Fayre was an unbelievable success in every way.
The stall was beautifully set out by our committee members, and it was full to overflowing with wonderfully crafted goods.
It was great to see lots of our CQ members who came along and bought (as well as having already donated).
Pat and her helpers provided a super exhibition of Christmas themed work, ranging from wall hangings to small tree decorations and this looked absolutely stunning.  It also gave our stall a fantastic backdrop.
So, you may be wondering how much was raised.....
To date, we have £514.03. And still counting, as I hope we may sell some  more items at our meeting on Wednesday.
Very many Thanks to those who donated goods, and also time.
I feel you have done Cosby Quilters proud!!!



REMINDER

WEDNESDAY EVENING    5.12.12.

COSBY COMMUNITY CHURCH

CHRISTMAS FAITH SUPPER - BRING SOME FOOD TO SHARE

SPEAKER: JENNY ALMOND

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS DRAW AND SUPER RAFFLE

Friday 23 November 2012

ANGIE HUGHES - MIXED MEDIA BOOK COVERS

Angie Hughes Lecture ‘Myself & My Work’ was followed by a workshop ‘Mixed Media Book Covers’ which was indeed a mixed media delight.  We started making the book wraps by using simple hand stitching onto pelmet Vilene, this was sealed with a coat of gesso and then enhanced using layers of acrylic paint.  The group happily dabbled in colours ranging from bright, clashing colour schemes to soft, delicate layers of stitch, paint and paper punched daisies.  There was a vast array of (almost) finished book covers (see photos) that I am sure will inspire many of our members to rush back to our sales table to stock up on more Vilene to produce books galore for Christmas presents!!
Thanks Angie for a great paint splashing day!

Viv Densham 

Angie is a very enthusiastic 
and inspiring teacher
The girls worked so hard, not a moment to spare

 This is a sample of the work produced

Thursday 22 November 2012

THANK YOU
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking everyone who has supported me with this Intercare appeal, and contributed so much.
Some ladies have made numerous quilts, some have donated materials, some have given medicines for the charity.  I know some people have even purchased medical items which are desperately needed.
The overall response I have received  has been quite overwhelming.
You have also been very generous with your donations for the Christmas Fayre on 1st December (Blaby Baptist Church, Northfield Road, Blaby).  We have received some truly beautifully made items which we will be selling on the 1st.

Another Thank You to the ladies who have volunteered to help our Group on an informal basis.
It's good to know we can call upon you when we need extra help, and it's good to be working as a team.

Vicky and the Committee
INTER CARE - LATEST NEWS
I know that a lot of you  have seen the photos which were forwarded on by Carol of Inter Care, but for those of you who did not make the last CQ meeting, here are some pictures taken on her recent visit to Malawi.






This is Elaine's quilt (above)




You will recall that she went out to Malawi with the BBC 'INSIDE OUT' Team, a few weeks ago, and somehow, as if by magic, five babies were born on the day of their arrival.  (Strange but true).
She said how wonderful it was to be able to hand the quilts to the young mothers, who had often travelled great distances to give birth in the maternity units.  Some of these mothers would give birth, and then travel back to their villages soon after.
They also received a hand knitted Teddy which each quilt, which was a scheme organised by Lutterworth Rotary Club.
It was especially good that one of the pictures shows a quilt made by Elaine.
A special mention goes to Elaine who has been very supportive, and worked along side me all the way on this project.  She obviously has a lot of good friends in various sewing groups, and I will mention Countesthorpe Piecemakers, and Village Quilters.  Although I do know there are many other groups who have worked just a diligently.
The total number of quilts handed to Intercare is 146.
More than half of the first delivery have already been consigned to various addresses, usually at least two per box, along with a teddy or two.
Elaine has donated one of her quilts to Inter Care for them to use in their Christmas Raffle.
Whilst at their premises, we were shown another aspect of their fund raising...
They have collated a considerable library, and these books are then offered for sale on the internet.  It is helping their fundraising endeavours, so do bear this in mind if you have books to dispose of.
You can get in touch with me at this cosbyquilters@gmail.com or 0116 2775710

CHERISHED MEMORIES - 27 October 2012

Several of us spent a fun day with Viv, at the Village Hall in Ashby Magna, where we were shown how to create beautiful little pages in which to put photos, momentoes, or keepsakes.
Viv explained her techniques carefully and precisely, and then led us through the various stages.   She aided those who needed it - some more than others.
But it was a great day, with some new faces to our group.
As usual, there were the 'I'm going to make three of these' group, and the 'I'll be lucky to get this finished' group.  But we all worked together, in a very jolly atmosphere.
I'm sure everyone will agree, it was another fun day, and we all look forward to booking Viv for some more of her workshops

Here is a sample of some of the work produced.

A sample of Jan's work


Both of these are Pat's handiwork

Thursday 1 November 2012


EYRES MONSELL BAPTIST FREE CHURCH
(Corner of Dorset Avenue, and Saffron Road,


are holding a:-

FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS TREES AND QUILTS

on Saturday and Sunday 8th and 9th December 2012

from  10.30. am to 3.00.pm

Goods for sale, including hand made bags

Forthcoming events:

Blaby Baptist Church
Northfield Road, Blaby, Leicestershire, LE8 4GU

 Christmas Fayre
Saturday 1st December 2012


There will be stalls representing various charitable organisations, including:-

INTER CARE
SALVATION ARMY
WISHES FOR KIDS

There will also be stalls selling:-
Bric-a-brac, Cakes, Cards, Handmade Crafts, Games, and more....

Refreshments and Light Lunches will be served

This will be running from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm

Since Inter Care is the Chairman's designated charity,  the stall is being manned by members and friends of our Cosby Quilters.
We have some lovely items to sell, and needless to say, many of the goods on the Inter Care stall  have been made by, or donated by members of Cosby Quilters.  THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN, YOUR GENEROSITY IS AMAZING!

We also have a range of goods from various African countries, which will be quite different to our produce. 
Inter Care also have some Christmas cards for sale, which will be on offer.

Please come along and support us on the day.... this does not mean you have to buy the goods you have donated!!  Joke!!

FOR SALE

JANOME 744D OVERLOCKER

This machine has lots of extras, including equipment for:-
gathering, pintucking, piping, elastic insertion, cording, blind stitch.
Price £200.00.
A DVD is also available (extra)
Telephone 01455 823597

Sunday 7 October 2012

CQ GROUP MEETING          3.10.12

Although I have written about the wonderful talk by Janet Clare, I have just received some more photos of the evening, and would like to share these with you.
Viv has been kind enough to act as our CQ Photographer, so a round of applause for Viv

Janet suitably attired in her 'work apron'
















A example of 'make do and mend', or up-cycling -
a beautifully embroidered table cloth, with additions by Janet
Most of our meetings are good, and we always have some excellent examples of work for our Show and Tell.
However, the latest meeting  proved to be exceptional.
We had some lovely boxes from Lorna, and a baby quilt and cushion from Margaret.  

Then an amazing quilt of hearts was shown, which had everyone gasping.
This started life with a group from Rugby headed by Jacquie Durber when she set them the task of producing pieces with a heart design.  A lot of folk had been involved in this project which consisted of very many beautiful hearts  in different shapes and sizes. The centre of this work is an applique panel created by Gwynneth, who also helped put it together with the help of Chris Ingham (OBE) and some of her many friends.  It was then beautifully quilted by Liz (Ingram?) on her AQS. 
The result is stunning, and this quilt will be raffled for a breast cancer charity in the new year.


Another lovely quilt was made by Liz, and this was part of a two colour challenge on the internet.  It was certainly a stunning piece of work.




Then Jacquie  Durber has us all reeling, when the contents of her bag were revealed......

She had had a 'tidy up' of UFO's, and I think she managed to complete nine pieces of work - wall hangings, quilts, panels etc.  
Some of these are for Acorn Hospice, a children's charity local to Jacquie, and some are gifts, and I think she might just keep one herself .






Of course, we can't all produce work in such quantities, and of such quality,  I showed a small bag.  But everything counts, so please bring your work along to Show and Tell - no matter how small!!

PS.......
Off to Knuston Hall for a sewing marathon (or such like), so there will be lots and lots of Show and Tell next month.  
Not necessarily a lot of mine, but Mrs Screaton will have a lorry load to Show and Tell!!!!!!
Definitely worth coming to the next meeting - just to see our efforts!


Friday 5 October 2012

INTER CARE QUILTS......

At the last count, we have received 151 quilts.  What an amazing number..... and I know there are still more to follow.
Thank you all so much for your efforts.
This has been a heart warming experience as I had hoped to reach 100,  but thought that was a bit optimistic.
I was simply not aware of the fact that ladies who sew and quilt have hearts of gold.
A good quantity of quilts have now been despatched, and some were sent with the BBC Film Crew who went to Malawi with workers from Inter Care.  They have filmed the work of Inter Care, for the programme 'Inside Out', and this will be televised either at the end of the year, or early 2013.
Of course there is no guarantee that our quilts will play a big role in the programme, but we do know that they are being well received.

I will endeavour to let you know when the programme will be broadcast.  

This will be one very good reason to follow the blog........

Thank you again...

PS I am still wondering who has made the greatest number of quilts??? Would you like to reveal yourselves?It's not a competition, but it would be good to know.

CHRISTMAS FAIR...........

DECEMBER 1ST 2012
BLABY BAPTIST CHURCH
NORTHFIELD ROAD, BLABY

FROM 10-4

Can I ask for donations for this stall, which is raising  funds for INTER CARE - our nominated charity.

I am hopeful that some of you ladies will be kind enough to make small items for us to sell.
Stocking fillers would be a good idea, coat  hangers, small bags, needle cases, jewellry rolls, place mats, soft toys, anything you can think of.
A Christmas themed item would be great, but not vital.
It would be very much appreciated if these can be brought to the next meeting on November 7th.

If you have an item, but cannot get to the meeting, please give me a call.... 0116 2775710, and I will arrange
collection.

Thanking you in anticipation....

Vicky

PS  I am hopeful that some of you will be able to come along to the Christmas Fair and support not only us, but the other stall holders




REMAINING PROGRAMME FOR 2012


AS YOU WILL SEE, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW DATES LEFT ON THE COSBY QUILTERS CALENDAR FOR THIS YEAR
THERE ARE POSSIBLY ONE OR TWO PLACES REMAINING FOR THE 27 OCTOBER WORKSHOP WITH OUR OWN, VERY TALENTED VIV DENSCOMBE.
YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY OF JOINING HER CLASS

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED:-
CONTACT PAT SCREATON ....  0116 2867581   OR   MOBILE:07860 106999



COSBY QUILTERS PROGRAMME TO YEAR END

THESE
Oct 27
Workshop – Viv Denscombe- Captured Memories

ARE THE
Nov 7
Speaker: Angie Hughes – Myself and my work

REMAINING
Nov 8
Workshop – Mixed Media Book Covers

EVENTS
Dec 5
CHRISTMAS PARTY


FOR 2012

Speaker: Jennifer Almond – Chatterbox Quilter
                    Who Travels





DOORS OPEN JUST BEFORE  7PM

VISITORS MOST WELCOME.........CURRENT OFFER........... NO CHARGE FOR FIRST VISIT



DRAWING WITH NATURE - JANET CLARE

We feel very privileged to have had Janet Clare visit Cosby Quilters.
She arrived on Wednesday to give us a talk, and show her work.
It is always interesting to hear how a person became involved with sewing and quilting, and Janet's story was no exception,despite her youth.
Following her talk, we were invited to examine her work ......touch it and take a close look.
In fact the ladies making the refreshments wondered what had happened. Instead  of the usual rush for tea and biscuits, our members spent a long time looking at Janet's work.
The workshop on Thursday  proved to be a great success.
Janet explained her techniques and demonstrated, and then it was out turn.....
'write your name ' was the first challenge, and as we were using sewing machines, this was not as easy as we imagined.
Oh to have a name such as Fi -Fi . That would be so easy!
We progressed to faces, penguins, camels, and houses and trees.  Thinking each would definitely be easier.  How wrong can you be ?
It was amazing how the day evolved and how each person found a style of work which became personal to them, not quite like Janet's, but still fun and quirky.
At the end of the day, there was a very varied display of work, but most importantly it had been a fun day.


Show and Tell Time

Quite a variety of ideas

The theme was 'Working with Nature'
and we all had our own interpretation!

And we were still smiling to the end...

Thank you Janet Clare!



THE ALISON HOLT FAN CLUB

How to spend 4 wonderful days in good company, playing with silk, paints and lots of stitching!

Several of our members, together with people from various guilds and stitching groups have formed the 'unofficial Alison Holt fanclub'. We meet to further indulge ourselves with masterclasses given by Alison. This year marked our fourth such occasion.The sessions were held in September at Ashby Magna Village Hall. (Note - excellent venue) 
To anyone who hasn't seen Alison's work - take a peep at her website (www.alisonholt.com) to see her wonderful pictures, all of which are stitched on a simple sewing machine.
Our masterclasses follow the same format each time - discussion on the specific topic, followed by everyone selecting an image to work from. Starting with tracing the image with a purple pen, we get an outline onto our silk. Then, in my opinion, the scary bit - we fill in the background details with silk paints. Now this is something that Alison obviously will help us all with, but no matter how hard I try, I haven't yet been able to feel I have mastered this bit. Luckily it doesn't seem to matter too much as the colours are there to help when it comes to the stitching.
Throughout each two day course Alison will gather us all around and demonstrate how to achieve the desired effect, starting first with how to portray the background, then step by step how to add the detail. This is really interesting and I am still amazed at how differently one can use just  a straight stitch or a zigzag to create different effects.
This year, the group had chosen to study rivers and waterfalls on the Thursday and Friday, followed immediately, for the very dedicated members of the Fan Club, by a study of snowy landscapes over the weekend. 
Although those of us who had chosen to do all four days were tired at the end, we had all passed a most enjoyable time and achieved good results - even if our masterpieces weren't quite finished! Some of our group had chosen to do just one of the courses, but hopefully we have  inspired a few more folk to want to sign up for more fun!
If you want any info on next year's courses with Alison, contact Pat Screaton (patscreaton@dsl.pipex.com  or Sylvia Winn (sjwinn@sky.com)   

Written by Sylvia Winn



A Sample of Alison's work


THE FAMOUS COLMAR QUILT

Here is a photo of the Colmar quilt made by:-

 Leila, Janet, Dagmar, Val, Rosemary, Lorna, Viv, Pat, Lois, Helen, Hazel and Sue

A prize is being offered if you can guess who is behind the quilt


together with a story of how it came about, written by Sue Wilson....
ODE TO OUR QUILT


A group of 12 friends are we
we meet once a week regularly
To Bradmore we go
to supposedly sew
and eat cake and drink coffee and tea,

A quilt made by all, was the cry,
A decision was made by and by,
A photo was “rent”
into equal segment
a piece given to all for a try !!

A few rules were needed we thought,
The colours to be represent
The edges to be
like the photo we see
making joining together less fraught.

Like all groups, whatever you do,
The quick ones, there are just a few !!
Took it away
 and were finished next day
while the rest stitched till the deadline was due.

Janet, the brave, took the bits
to link all together 16 “kits”
She sewed by the mile
with always a smile
But I am sure that it got on her T—s  -nerves.

When we saw it together at last
we stood open mouthed aghast!!
It’s good enough to show-
to Uttoxeter must go
So parcelled up and sent rather fast.

Well we won 1st prize at the event
so “geed up “ to Malvern we sent
a second in show
to the NEC it could go
Highly Commended, came back the comment.

To Cosby Quilts, 5 of us belong
so we thought we would take it along,
To show and to tell
on the blog now as well
This ode took me almost as long.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Have I been missed?

Just returned from a holiday in sunny Spain, where it was not totally wall to wall sunshine.
Last Friday, we had non stop rain for several hours which culminated in very severe floods.  The volume of water was such that it totally devastated the bridge in our little pueblo (village), and several other bridges in villages nearby. It was total devastation and very very scary.  
Lives were lost, humans and livestock.  Houses were wrecked, fields swamped, cars floated away, roads just broke apart.
Our casa withstood the conditions (glad to report)
We were without water - and when we returned yesterday it still had not been re-connected.
Not exactly Cosby Quilter News, but what I am coming to, is.....
So, what do we do when the rain comes?
Why, we get out the hexagons.....
Take a handful of hexagons

Jiggle them about
Then slowly but surely, it starts to grow

I made quite a lot of progress

Have more news to add, keep checking

Wednesday 5 September 2012

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH INTER CARE

The Committee have agreed with the Chairman's request to re-instate the Chairman's Charity.
Most of you will have realised that Inter Care is very close to my heart, since I feel that the work they have been doing since 1974 has been so valuable, but maybe unknown to so many people.
Therefore I have nominated Inter Care to be our charity, and hopefully I will have the support of the members of Cosby Quilters.
The response to the quilt appeal has been phenomenal....the quilts are still appearing, as if by magic.
So, it has been all the more rewarding to hear of the latest developments from Inter Care.
A member of their staff is visiting Malawi in three weeks time and taking some of our quilts.
Not only that, but the camera crew from the BBC programme Inside Out, are accompanying her (also with a stash of quilts) - and they are all packed up and ready to go.
Diane Hardy of Inter Care is hoping that the handing over of our quilts will be televised, but of course they have no control over this.  At the moment we do not have a date for this programme, but I will try to get more precise information.
Well, what do you think?
Its all down to you industrious ladies of Cosby Quilters, Village Quilters, Countesthorpe Piecemakers, and many people who don't belong to any of the above groups.
A BIG THANK YOU FROM ME AND YOUR COMMITTEE
AND
A BIG THANK YOU FROM INTER CARE
AND
THE MANY RECIPIENTS IN REMOTE PARTS OF AFRICA

PS  I have heard tell that some ladies have made as many as 15 quilts.  Can this be true?
Who are they, please reveal yourselves.....

I NEED HELP WITH THIS…
You may recall at our last meeting, we asked if members needed help or assistance with different techniques. There were quite a few requests, and to that end we hope to arrange a day in February 2013, to have this self help day.  It will be on a Saturday, and hopefully at Ashby Magna Village Hall.  More details later..

POST CHRISTMAS MEAL
By way of a change, we are planning a lunch on January 16th 2013.  This will be at Ashfields in Earl Shilton. More  information later.

2013 -  YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS
Next year the village of Cosby will have their Open Gardens Weekend – 6 & 7 July.
Also, in September Cosby Quilters will celebrate 25 years of sewing, quilting and friendship.
We could not let this pass without a celebration, and so, we hope to participate in the Open Garden weekend by holding a quilting exhibition in the Cosby Community Church.
We also plan to mark the 25 years of Cosby Quilting in some form.
So, we will be asking for help…

VACANCY FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Sadly we have lost one of our committee members, Theresa Swann is now unable to work with us due to other commitments.  We are grateful for her help in the past, and hope to see her at our meetings in the future when she has more free time.
The Committee feel we need more help with the running of the group.  We have quite a few forthcoming events in place, and this takes time and energy to organise.
Is there anyone who can spare some time working with us, as a group?
Ideally we would like two extra committee members, and usually meet once a month to discuss future plans, etc.
If you would just like to discuss this, please speak to  me, or any of the committee members here.

Friday 31 August 2012


WORKSHOPS
I think most of you realise how lucky we are with the workshops arranged by Pat Screaton.  She has done this for several years, and yet somehow manages to come up with different people offering different ideas and techniques.
Next year (Cosby Quilters 25th anniversary) we have some really top notch people in the quilting world, booked on workshops and talks.
Dates and details will follow soon.....

If you just check out and see the prices charged for these workshops, you will realise, that we at Cosby Quilters are getting a very good deal.
Pat and the committee endeavour to keep the prices down, to make them attractive and affordable, but this then creates a very tight margin between making a loss, and breaking even.  We are not looking to make a profit, but we do need to break even.
This is where we need your support.  If these workshops are not filled, we make a loss – simple.
So we need you to come along and attend these workshops.  Everyone will learn something new, even those of you who have been sewing forever….
to this end, I would like to mention two forthcoming events.

Thursday 4 October - DRAWING WITH NATURE – Janet Clare
Janet creates fun and lively quilt designs – combing her unique jointed applique templates with free machine drawing.  This will be a fun workshop, and we can all learn to personalize our appliques using these methods.  Check out the website: www.janetclare.co.uk
This workshop is being held at Blaby Baptist Church, Northfield Rd, Blaby, LE8 4GU
Times 10-4.00.  Bring a packed lunch.  Tea coffee and biscuits provided
Prices:  £17 for Cosby Quilter members….                  £22 for non members

Saturday 27 October – CAPTURED MEMORIES – Viv Denscombe
Viv will show us how to create a memory book in fabric – with pockets storing stitched memories such as photos etc.  A beautiful momento to treasure.  Look at her website:  www.embroideryviv.co.uk
There are also photos of this work on the blog – June page
The above workshops are to be held at Ashby Magna Village Hall, Peveril Road, Ashby Magna, LE17 5NQ
Times 10-4.00.  Bring a packed lunch.  Tea coffee and biscuits provided
Prices:  £17 for Cosby Quilter members….                  £22 for non members
              

Monday 20 August 2012

QUILTING EXHIBITION - N E C
I know a lot of you ladies had a day trolling around the NEC, with lists and purses clutched tightly.
So, what did you buy?
Did you find some amazing bargains, fabric, equipment?
Or, did you check out the displays of quilts and handiwork, and think how amazing some of it was.
I'll share with you one of my purchases, or even two....
I bought a small needle threading gadget, it's called INFILA and threads both large and small needles, far quicker than I can.  Made in Italy. Grazie a mille...
Then, I got drawn into a stand where two ladies were adeptly showing a binding tool, which makes it so much easier to join the binding on your quilt, giving a nice neat finish.  So, one quilt awaiting completion, let's give it a go....
Tried it this way, then that, could not quite figure it out,  but it tells you to check it out on You Tube and see their video.
So, you may guess what happened next - - - -
You got it, I went back to the  method Jenny Almond taught in her class - who needs a 'binding tool'?
For Sale:  one TQM Binding Tool - never used - no reasonable offer refused.

QUILTS FOR AFRICA
Over the last few days we have received five more quilts for the appeal.
Thanks to Lorna and Sue H
What do YOU think???
Today I visited a charity shop in Blaby, and happened to notice one very happy customer bundling a quilt into a shopping bag.
Since I am a very inquisitive person (some may say Nosey), I said, 'would you mind if I asked how much you paid for that?'
She happily showed me a good sized lap quilt, and said ....£10.  Then pointed to more on display, with similar price tags!
Not content to leave it there, I spoke to the assistant who told me that a bag of quilts had been left with them.  They obviously had no idea their worth.  I explained that the wadding alone would probably have cost £10, and felt that with all the work involved they were being grossly under-priced.
I said that if they doubled the price, that would still be very cheap for the amount of work involved - some had been hand quilted!
Should I be sad to know that someone has worked hard to create these quilts, and they end up being sold for a silly price?
or -
Should I be glad, that rather than laying in plastic bags, they will at last be used for what they are intended - to keep someone warm on a cold winter night
Your comments please............................

Monday 30 July 2012

INTER CARE AND COSBY QUILTERS

The final count of quilts came to.....111
This included eight small quilts which will go the the Prem Unit at the General Hospital
This also includes five quilts awaiting collection from Viv and her ladies.

Before the quilts actually got packed up, I was asked if we would sell them to individuals.
I initially said No, but then realised that Inter Care, also need money to despatch goods.
So, since two of them were mine, and one other, I accepted payments totalling £65, which I gave to Intercare,
As it happens, it will cost roughly £1 to send out each quilt, so I felt this made good sense

On Thursday we (Elaine Capewell and I) went over to Syston to the premises of Inter Care Limited, with a boot full of quilts.
We were given a very warm welcome by the volunteers led by Diane Hardy the General Manager.
They were all very impressed by the handiwork of our quilters, but in turn, Elaine and I were impressed by the work carried out by this group.
Our quilts will make a huge difference to the recipients who often have only  straw mats to sleep on, and have no item they can call their own.
Our quilts will go with the medical aid, maybe only two or three at a time, since one of their main problems is transport costs.  They are currently only able to despatch light-weight goods, as they are struggling for funds, and cannot send out heavier goods, such as equipment.
One of the volunteers is going to Malawi in September, and she intends to take as many quilts as she can, and will also take photos for us.
Intercare support the work of 121 rural hospitals, dispensaries, and health centres in Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Malawi.  The way it works, each centre will send a 'wish list' to Inter Care, and on this list they will indicate medicines that are urgently required, others which they would like if possible, then finally items which would be good, but not absolutely vital.
The staff at Inter Care, then do their best to collect these items, and pack the medicines as required.  They aim to supply each of the 121 centres twice a year, and all goods have to be sent by courier, and air transport.  Hence the great expense.
And for those who have asked the question: 'How do we know they are received by the right people?'.  We are assured that the recipients have to acknowledge what they have received.  If they fail to confirm this, then  supplies will not be sent again.
Inter Care have been supporting health units in Saharan Africa since 1974 and is staffed mostly by volunteers.  They have no Government funding and all the income they receive is by donations, or fund raising, and yet they have managed to send more than £10 million worth of medicines over the years.
They are the only registered charity in the UK doing this work, and have recently been awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
If we stop and consider that drugs estimated at the value of £400-£800 million a year are prescribed and wasted.......then surely where possible, it is better to hand them over to Inter Care.  (They do need to have  a shelf life of 15 months).
So I feel that we at Cosby Quilters, and all the many other sewing groups, have helped this charity and the lives of the people in Africa.
Here are some photos taken at Inter Care - and - these people really do care!

One of Mary Harvey's quilts is admired by Diane Hardy, Dr Helen Cox and  one of the volunteers

Medicines are sorted by the pharmacists and medically trained staff

Diane and Elaine discuss medical criteria

Everything is carefully checked before packing

So, the Quilts for Africa appeal will be on-going, as long as people feel they want to continue to contribute.
There are also other ways of helping, any un-wanted medicines which can be handed to Vicky Cooper.  They do fund-raising and ask for items such as used stamps, foreign currency, jewellery, mobile phones, and printer cartridges.
Needless to say, monetary donations are gratefully received....
£10 would ship 3kg of medicines to Africa,
£25 would buy antibiotics to treat 83 children
£50 would send 1000 tablets to treat malaria
£1200 would support a health unit for one year

For every £1 collected - they send £4 worth of aid

I hope everyone feels as delighted (nay, euphoric)  as I do at the amazing result.
Thank you everyone
Vicky

PS I have received a lovely Thank You letter from Inter Care, which I will pass around at the next meeting of Cosby Quilters on................Wednesday 5 September

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!