Crafting comfort & joy: Sunshine Linus weaves warmth & kindness for people in need

Preparing for the Sunshine Linus Quilt Show & Open Day on August 5 are Secretary Glorianne Porter, vice president Barbara Moore and organisation founder Judie Bellingham.

In June 2010, twenty crafters gathered in Forest Glen to launch a not-for-profit organisation called Sunshine Linus Inc. 

Their mission was to provide, without charge, quilts and other comforts to people in need on the Sunshine Coast. 

They were mostly mature, retired women who wished to support the welfare of needy people in the community by employing the many and varied hand-crafting skills they had developed over their lifetimes. 

Sunshine Linus receives donations of craft resources from the community from which they create items which are desired and requested and donate the completed items entirely free.

Now based in Nambour, Sunshine Linus receives donations of craft resources from the community from which they create items which are desired and requested and donate the completed items entirely free to organisations who will benefit.

“We had the skills, and we had the time, and we knew the community had the resources such as fabrics and yarns to donate and help us put to good use,” said founding member Judie Bellingham.

“We started by making quilts of all sizes for patients in nursing homes, children in hospitals, and palliative care patients. Word soon spread around the health care community and before long we were receiving requests for lots of different items from nursing homes, hospitals, special needs schools, women’s retreats and disability services to name a few.”

Some of the items they provide to hospitals include breast pillows, drainage bags and catheter covers, scrub caps, operating gowns for children, quilts, towelling heat pack covers and treatment bags to hold medicines and x-rays on discharge.

Nursing homes receive wheely-walker bags, clothing protectors and bibs, crochet lap rugs and shawls, touchy feely sensory items for dementia patients and so much more.

Neonatal Units receive premature bonnets and peanut pillows, Baby Angel Pods, Bereavement packs and other comforts.

Women’s Retreats, community service organisations such as St Vincent’s, the Mens Shed and the Salvation Army benefit from a huge array of items including quilts and bedding, handmade clothing for adults and children, toiletry items in toiletry bags, sleepwear, jumpers, beanies and socks, overnight bags and more.

Special schoolteachers are given touchy feely sensory items for their students to use in a teaching setting including sensory mats, aprons, wall hangings, fabric games and weighted toys.

Police stations are provided with activity bags for children who are temporarily held in custody situations at police stations. 

“The bags are made with happy bright fabrics and contain a load of goodies to occupy and distract the children including pencils, paper, little games, pj’s, toiletries etc,” said Judie.

Sunshine Linus Quilt Show & Open Day 2023

Sunshine Linus is holding a Quilt Show & Open Day on Saturday August 5 at Uniting Church Hall, Coronation St, Nambour from 9am to 3pm. They will have gift stalls with quilts and craft items for sale, displays of the items we make, craft traders and raffles. Admission is $10 which includes a yummy home made morning tea. Enquiries: sunshinelinus@gmail.com.