#quiltblockstohealviolence

In early September 2015, Tara Brown and Karina Lock were killed in brutal circumstances by men who were "supposed" to love them. Their deaths brought the death toll of women killed by intimate partners, family members or ex partners to 62 for this year alone. And in the 4 weeks since then, that death toll has risen to 69 women.

As a woman who passionately advocates for the rights of women and has personal experience with men's violence, I felt compelled to do something positive to make a difference in the lives of women and children escaping violent situations. So I put a call out on Facebook and Instagram to people amongst my crafty community asking for the donation of quilt blocks. Initially I was hoping to have enough quilt blocks to make one quilt to donate to a domestic violence refuge.

The response I received though was so overwhelming. There has been a groundswell of support for the project, dubbed #quiltblockstohealviolence, and my initial goal of 1 quilt was replaced by a bigger goal of making one quilt for a refuge in each Australian state. This goal looks to be surpassed with so many women donating blocks, whole quilt tops and even finished quilts to donate.

I had initially thought that I would pay for the backing, binding, batting and quilting for these quilts - however since this has now organically grown so big, with so many quilts to be pieced and quilted, that I need some help.

At this stage I have received over 500 quilt blocks from more than 120 women in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, the UK, Japan, Singapore and Germany. This is enough to make 17 quilts. I have also received 20 completed or partially completed quilts from women all around the world.

I have had donations of backing fabric from great Australian fabric shop owners, as well as offers to professionally quilt some of these quilts by longarm quilting small business owners across Australia. Your donation here today will help me to pay for postage to and from the women piecing, quilting and binding the quilts as well as a contribution towards items like cotton thread, sewing supplies, labels etc.

Any donations left over will go to McAuley Community Services for Women.

Please join with me in providing these quilts, handmade with love, in support of women and children who have escaped or are escaping violence. Thanks