Carol got in touch with me for the first time in September 2016, when 1000 Hearts was just six months old. I had a colleague in WA, Jules, who had started making hearts. Jules sent Carol her first heart to thank her for the little rescue dog Carol got for her, and a new heartist was born. In her first message to me, Carol said “I love the whole 1000 Hearts deal and tonight have made two hearts and am starting my third! I am not a sewer at all and am only doing plain hearts. I cannot believe 1) that I’m sewing something and 2) that I am REALLY enjoying it!!”
Over the next few months, I received messages from Carol with sentences like “I am LOVING the heart making. I ran out of stuffing, ordered some more and had to waaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiit forever for it to come!!! I am definitely going to get a big stack of lots of colours of felt next time...I bought myself a FABULOUS pair of embroidery scissors, which I love, and am not using for anything other than hearting. My other scissors were killing my finger” and “I am taking 50 hearts into our palliative care social worker tomorrow…my first local ones and I’m feeling a bit nervous!” Carol is an absolute gem and her messages always makes me smile.
Carol's other passion is rescuing unwanted and abandoned dogs from death row at rural pounds, and she rehabilitates them at her home in country New South Wales before finding loving homes for them.
Carol is a true kindness addict and has sent me thousands of hearts since she first came on board in 2016. Without her, I couldn’t continue to run this project. Every time I get a little worried that I won’t have enough hearts, another package arrives in the mail...her timing is uncanny and she is always encouraging, enthusiastic and full of love.
Carol, thank you for your steadfast stitching and continuous kindness; my gratitude is far wider than the distance between us.