5000 Poppies Project continues

Below is the link to the next stage of the 50000 Poppies Project.
2017 and we are back at it! 

The next target is 2018 - commemorating the end of World War I.

The project organisers have committed to make 50,000 lapel poppies for the RSL to sell as part of their 2018 Poppy Appeal … these will be our own “special edition” hand crafted poppies to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, and a wonderful way for all of us collectively to contribute to the ongoing wellbeing of current and former members of Australian and allied defence forces and their dependants.

The organisers are hoping to deliver at least 10,000 to the RSL in the first half of the this year just to get the ball rolling … the remainder will be delivered periodically throughout 2017 and into 2018 to allow time for the RSL to prepare for them sale … because the plan is that they will be packaged a little differently to the standard Poppy Appeal poppies.

Poppies for this project need to be small to medium, tight knit or crochet poppies .. around 9 cm in diameter.  Slightly larger is ok so long as they don’t “wilt”.  It would be very helpful if you could attach a pin to the back but if that’s not possible then it’s not a major problem, but the less post processing for the RSL the better.

If you go to the patterns page on the blog the Chelsea patterns are perfect and Ing’s poppy pattern is gorgeous but you can make just about any one of these poppies and it will work … the key is the tension … the important thing is to avoid flopping.

Keep an eye on the 5000 Poppies Project blog for the latest information.

Poppies in Perth

When walking through Cathedral Place in Perth on Remembrance Day we discovered a 'field' of knitted and crocheted poppies poppies behind St George's Cathedral. Additional poppies were added to the display at the Remembrance Day service held later in the morning. A total of 7,200 poppies were used in the final display.

5000 Poppies continued

The 5000 Poppies project initiated in Australia as a community project for the 2015 Anzac Day commemorations has crossed the world to London as part of the Chelsea Flower Show.

3000,000 knitted and crocheted poppies have been transported to London by Qantas. The display is in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As well as the poppies from Australia another 26,000 poppies with stems, including 1,200 poppies from the Knitting for Victory project, have been included in the display.

Further information:
Chelsea Flower Show poppies - Telegraph 24 May 2016
The day has arrived - 5000 Poppies
5000 Poppies at Chelsea Flower Show - Anzac 100 Victoria

5000 Poppies

My attempt at knitting poppies

Anzac Day, 25 April, in Australia and New Zealand is a day of commemoration when we remember those from our countries who have been involved in military conflicts - particularly World War I and World War II but also other conflicts.

Next year will be the centenary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli and many projects are planned to commemorate the centenary. One project is 5000 Poppies: a Community Tribute of Respect and Remembrance.

A post in a new blog appeared in June 2013 announcing the project:
The aim of this project is to create a field of 5000 poppies which will be displayed publicly in Melbourne on ANZAC Day 2015 as a community tribute to commemorate more than a century of service by Australian servicemen and women in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved.

Less than a year later the project has captured the imagination of craft-minded people in Australia and the proposed target is now 20,000 poppies to be displayed in Federation Square, Melbourne, in 2015. Patterns are available for making knitted or crocheted poppies and also in felt and other fabrics. Workshops on making poppies are held from time to time in Federation Square. Throughout the country local communities have been making and displaying poppies to mark Anzac Day. As photos in the 5000 Poppies blog and on other websites show the mass display of crafted poppies make eye-catching displays. New Zealanders are also involved in the project making poppies for displays in their country.