Softies for Mirabel

Hello friends!  I’ve been away from this particular screen for a long while.  Moving house (back to my old place…hooray!), and still unpacking and organising (mostly solo with the addition of two pairs of small helping hands) being the major excuses.

Anyway, this is intended to be a brief post as I’m exhausted after celebrating Miss L’s fifth birthday with a wonderful farmyard-themed birthday party (more to come on this soon I hope). I have just packaged up this year’s contribution to Softies for Mirabel, ready for her journey to Melbourne tomorrow.  She is a softie doll named ‘Sophie’ who I created several months ago using vintage, reclaimed and remnant fabrics, 100% wool felt and recycled polyester stuffing.  Sophie has her own sleeping bag and pillow, which might come in handy for the trip I guess.  

Somewhere there is a child who is going to meet Sophie and hopefully become her pal, some time after Christmas.  Thanks to the work of the Mirabel Foundation, an organisation based in Melbourne, that assists children who are affected by parental substance abuse.  The toy drive was the brainchild of the totally awesome, Pip Lincolne of Meet Me at Mikes.  Crafters from across the globe send in their handmade (sewn, knitted or crocheted) toys which are then matched to a Mirabel child for Christmas.  Last year I sent a toy in for the first time – a cat named Ginger.  He was based on a design that my daughter drew when she was three.

I had planned to write this post to promote the 2013 Softies for Mirabel toy drive.  But I’m a tad late.  I only discovered tonight that the deadline for posted toys to be in is November 30 (Sophie should just make it)!  Anyway, that should give any crafty types who are reading this plenty of time to whip up a handmade toy for next year.