Boomerang Bags

As more and more retailers no longer offer free single use plastic bags for carrying purchases, the result is a plethora of reusable bags being offered for sale. ( In my state, the government has legislated to ban the single use bags)
One example is the Boomerang bag which is made of cloth and mostly made by community minded groups and offered for sale at various outlets, including markets. The bags are very similar to the morsbags I saw in the U.K.when we were there in 2008. I'm thinking the name Boomerang reflects the fact that you can keep using these bags; as long as you remember to put them back in your car! Lol
It was decided in our parish that we would make Boomerang Bags for sale. Donations of fabric, including old curtains, sheets and doona covers were requested. So I took a hard look at my dressmaking fabrics and also my patchwork cottons and donated quite a bundle.
So then some pockets were screen printed...

A prototype was sewn, ready for the first sewing bee...

But progress was slow via the sewing bee method. I couldn't make it to the sewing session on that day and it was the same for others. So the organiser came up with the concept of 'outworkers' and the 'assembly line' concept. I put my hand up to help. I was given the task of sewing the handles. I was spoiled as the handles had been already cut out. So it was just a case of pressing, pinning and sewing.
I've done 2 lots so far...total of 39 handles. Maybe more to come.

My favourite sewing machine, my vintage Elna 'work horse' needs a service ( the needle is going up and down when the bobbin is being refilled 😕) so I need to get that done next week in case I get some more handles to sew...or use the newish Janome? 

That time of year again...

Last year I wrote a post about a fund raising venture of our parish. For a few years now, we have been making palm crosses and sellling them to other parishes and also to some schools. The crosses are a traditional addition to Palm Sunday services ; the Sunday before Easter.
The crosses can't be made too far ahead so we have a short busy time for turning palm branches into strips and then the strips are folded into the little crosses. There are always working bees to get the strips ready but most of us collect strips from the fridge in the church hall and take them home and fold throughout the week.
This is a few hundred that I folded at home...

One Saturday 'Palm working bee' I couldn't make it but last Saturday I was there.

Some of the men had been out early collecting some branches...we use the fronds from the Queens Palm....

Stripping? 😉

The number of helpers swelled as the morning went on...

For the first time I asked how much the parish charges for the crosses...we sell them in bundles of 100 for $45 plus postage and many local customers do come and pick up their order. At the beginning of Lent we had orders for 6000 crosses but after more orders came in it was just over 7000! It has become our best fundraiser 😊.

A send off for a special friend...

Because my operation has been rescheduled to later this month, (Oct 22) I was able to attend a function that I had originally sent my apologies and was so disappointed to be missing it. It was last Sunday and it was a get together to farewell a friend who has decided to return to her home in the UK.
Alison joined our congregation over 10 years ago and was a tireless worker for the parish. She was also an excellent Treasurer and such people are worth their weight in gold as anyone involved in community groups would know. So after the 9.30 service a number of us made our way to Mc Cook Park and set up for our picnic...

 I grew up in this area and Mc Cook Park was used a lot for interschool sports' games...but it was 'very basic' in those days...it's a lot more attractive these days...

People started putting out food on the tables...

 Father Bruce, our Rector, went and got a container of water for the 2 pet dogs who had come along...

DH and our friend Greg, solving the problems of the world there...

Alison, our guest of honour, on the left with my friend Carmen (I was Carmen's pract teacher in her last year of training; been friends ever since)

For an occasion like this, you have to have a cake! It was in the shape of a suitcase :-)

The guest of honour cuts into the cake and we all sing, 'For She's a Jolly Good Fellow...'

What's this? Suzanne walks up with a large parcel. It's the gift from the parish...

 It's mentioned that the parcel contains a painting that Alison had admired at the annual parish art Show in July...Alison squeals as she realises what is in the parcel...

She's taken aback...'it costs so much', she gasped

Here it is...apparently when Alison had seen this painting originally, it reminded her of all the beach walks she had done with her dogs, on Queensland beaches. Except the painting is of a northern NSW beach, but that's a minor matter...

Closer look of the painting by Mitchell Warner

She was rapt and had no idea what 'we' had got up to in buying it for her...

 But that's not all...Carmen had made an album for Alison with photos of all the parishioners taken at various events over the years...what a great memento!

And that's still not all...our parish makes prayer quilts for parishioners who are enduring trauma but quilts are also made for farewells...
And this is Alison's...the photo was taken back at St James where people were able to tie  the threads that represent prayers for the recipient. The quilt also went to the park to have more knots tied before the hand over...

 The label...

On October 22, Alison and her dog Bear will fly back to the UK and eventually to Bristol where she will be home again with her elderly parents and family all close by. We will miss her, that's for sure!