Softies for Mirabel is Seeking Handmade Toys

Are the amigurumis you've made starting to take over your house? If so, it might be time for them to take a trip abroad and find a new home. Meet Me at Mikes, an Australian craft store, has put out the call for donations in its third annual Softies for Mirabel campaign. You can click the store link to get the full details from Pip's post, so I'll just share a short version of the story with you here.

The owners of Meet Me at Mikes are collecting softies; any crocheted, knit or sewn toy that is child safe. The softies will be displayed in the Mike's shop window from December 1-10th. After that the toys will be matched up and given out to children between the ages of 3 to 17 years old as part of the Mirabel Foundation's annual toy drive. The Mirabel Foundation helps children in families that have been affected by substance abuse.

As anyone who makes amigurumis knows, it doesn't take that long to crochet a stuffed toy. Most small amigurumis can be finished within a couple of hours or days. And most take up only one skein of wool or less, so this is a perfect way to reduce that stash of leftovers a bit. Since the Softies For Mirabel aren't being sold, it's perfectly fine to used published patterns for your creation. However, you can also see this as an opportunity to experiment with making your own pattern, or take advantage of the numerous free patterns available online.

Last year I sent these two amigurumis to the Softies for Mirabel campaign. It was great to know that the kids Mirabel helps would be getting a unique handmade item in their Christmas stocking. I was also struck by how inexpensive it was to send my donation from Canada to Australia. With a shipping price of only $7 Cdn, it cost me less than I've payed in the past to send packages within Canada.

Ready to start stitching? Donations are being accepted from now until December 10, 2009. Visit Meet Me at Mikes to find out where to send your creations and how you can share photos of your softie.