Calendar of IQ Regular Activities for 2024

Updated 2nd July, 2024

Upcoming Coach Trips

Please take a look at some of the coach trips that are planned for later in the year for our members and friends. If you are interested in joining us for any of these trips, please contact Sue Pitt (see details below). There are still seats available on the coach to the Quilt NSW Exhibition on Friday 20th September.

New Members

Shellharbour City Council Grant

Illawarra Quilters would like to give a big thank you to Shellharbour City Council for their generous donation of $400. This was used to purchase the textile products required to create a number of Community Quilts and trauma teddies. These gifts were then distributed to Supported Accommodation and Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra and Southern Youth and Family Services to assist local women and children in crisis.

Exhibition of Quilts at Craft Alive, October 2023

Community Donations

Illawarra Quilters not only donate quilts to charities in our community. Many of our members knit beanies, scarves and teddies to be donated where needed.  In addition we supply Beads of Courage Bags to Sydney Children's Hospital and Blankets of Love to Illawarra Public and Private Hospitals which are given to families whose babies are stillborn or pass away just after birth.

Following our September meeting, our members voted to make cash donations to two local support groups - Community Cancer Link who provide care packages for families as they tend to their loved ones at the end stage of life and Women Illawarra who support women and children fleeing domestic violence. Both these organisations were very grateful for these donations which will be used to benefit those in our local area experiencing hardship.

So far in 2023 we have donated 386 Trauma Teddies, 305 beanies, 20 scarves and over 400 bead bags. The teddies have been given to local medical practices as well as Wollongong Public and Private Hospitals, Ambulance services, fire brigades, aged care, disability services and Women's Escape Rescue bags. Beanies and scarves have been distributed to Vinnies Food Van, Eugowra Primary School, City Cottage Kindy and Cudal Primary School. Knitted jumpers, cardigans, socks and dresses as well as blankets have been given to SASHI and the Women's Refuge. We have also donated knitted premi beanies to Wollongong Public and Private hospitals.

Blankets of Love Project: 

We are not just quilters. Some of our members have just completed some very special blankets and bonnets which have been made with love as part of our Blankets of Love Project and these are donated to families who have experienced the loss of a baby at birth.  Illawarra Quilters provides Blankets of Love to the Birthing Units at Wollongong Private Hospital and  Wollongong Public Hospital.