Softies for Mirabel

Do you remember this Mike's window from last year?! Yep, it's the 'Softies for Mirabel' Window - where over one hundred and fifty people from all over the world sent a handmade softie to Mikes! We collected over TWO HUNDRED handmade toys! The softies were all donated to The Mirabel Foundation - for their Christmas toy appeal - and were tucked under the Christmas trees of lots of great kids!


The Mirabel Foundation supports the children of families who are affected by substance abuse. Mike's is located in Fitzroy, Melbourne - and we see all sorts of addiction issues on our street every day - we think that you should ALWAYS try and DO SOMETHING about issues that are in your very own neighbourhood. Having said that - this is a global issue - affecting children from all walks of life. And you can help!

This year, we're getting started early. We'd love you to make softie - and thank you very much if you contributed last time! - and send it to Mikes. If you're not sure what a softie is - it's a contemporary term for a soft toy - and can be sewn, knitted or crocheted!


The softies will be displayed in our window from June 1st to September 1st. A selection of Softies will be auctioned online from July 27th. The remaining softies will be donated to The Mirabel Foundation's Christmas Appeal and will go to some extra good kids! All funds raised from the auction (except listing fees and postage) will be donated to Mirabel.


You can find more details over here, including photos of last years softies, details of where to send your softie, and some other guidelines.

Perhaps you have a craft group, school group or social group that might like to make toys together! Perhaps you have a softie pattern that you have designed that you might put on your blog or website for other people to use! Perhaps you might spread the word via your own internet contacts or site?!


Looking very, very forward to seeing this 'Crafting for a Cause' project take shape! We'll be putting up a button for the Softies for Mirabel soon - you'll be able to put it on your blog to show your support.

Let me know if you're planning on making a softie - we'll be taking submissions from today until the second week of December - but if you're hoping to be listed in the auction you'll need to have yours in by July 25th. And if you'd like yours to appear in our window - then it'll need to touch down before August 25th.

xx Mikes

edit - if anyone has a really great simple pattern that they could share for school groups (ie beginning sewers) that would be awesome! Let us know so we can link to it - or send it to us and we'll upload it for you so that others can share! It would be great to get lots of kids making softies too!

Pin It