Thank you....

I read your wonderful comments. When I go to comment in the comment department, 'it' (as in whatever it is) doesn't recognise me! Don't you just love technology!
Anyhoo... thanks for the nice things you say. I was just one lone heart but you all made mine beat really, really fast!
There has been a slight oops for which I must apologise. The group pictures don't include shots of the flat hearts (as in unstuffed). They had moved to private apartments in comfortable boxes.
I soon discovered the more rotound hearts tended to squash their flatter counterparts leading to a bend or two. I was having none of that....all was sorted and the flat hearts were moved. They didn't come out for the photo shoot! I think they snoozed through the whole thing, being of the lying down persuassion!

Celebrate.....

.... all you tremendous hearts makers.

4001 HEARTS!!

The Pick Up...

It happened in a flash. suddenly there was a truck at the gate and packages were being shifted. I ran for the camera and managed a few snaps as they were taken out of my studio, onto wheelie things, slapped with courier labels, zapped with a barcode thingey, loaded (under my watchful eye) and with a slam of the truck door, I waved them goodbye.
All 14 cartons are wrapped....they are, after all,  gifts for Christchurch.

Embroiderers' Association of Canada

The card that came with these said the call went out to EAC members and this was their quick response. If you saw the post a couple below this you will know that the hearts actually were made and mailed in Canada over three months ago and have just arrived!
Heartfelt thanks to these great heart makers....their names are in the photos.

Thirty one fantastic hearts!

Slightly different.

Great heart from Rotorua, NZ.

Many thanks, Elaine.

Unbelievable!!!

Today a package of hearts arrived from the Embroiderer's Association of Canada. They were opened by our biosecurity people on 14th July and arrived here today the 20th July.
The unbelievable bit is the package has a Canadian postmark of 13th April!!
Now that really is slow.

Some need stuffing so once that is done I will post the pictures of these slow but beautiful hearts.

The Journey Begins....

The hearts are now all packed ready for stage one of their journey to Christchurch. It was a lovely 'revisiting' each of them as I packed them into 14 cartons....they are a tremendous expression of caring from all over the world.
They will leave here in the next couple of days....I will miss them.
Keep checking the blog as I have lots to tell you about.
Any hearts that arrive from now on will also make it to Christchurch....just not with this large migration.

The tally now stands at.....

3970 !!!!!!!!!!

846 Hearts . . . .

.... give or take a stray or two, arrived in an envelope. An anonymous sender and all I can tell you is they were posted somewhere in New Zealand. So many thanks to whoever you are.... they certainly are a great addition to the collection!

And now there are.....

.... 3123 HEARTS !!!!

I keep thinking .....

..... that the last hearts have arrived and then I get another package.
What a surprise to find 40 hearts from my friend by association (my friend is her friend so her friend can be my friend too)! Heartfelt thanks to Jan in Northampton, UK.
(Lunch on me when I eventually get to visit Di).

Well Guarded.....

....Double Decker buses from London. Great hearts and many thanks to Christina and Helena from that fine city.

Red stitching ....

.... of Hope on this lovely heart from Purley in Surrey, UK. Many thanks to Mrs Scott.