MEMBERS of the Bendigo Needles and Threads Program have been serving the community, one stitch at a time, for some 20 years.<\/p>\n
The not-for-profit organisation unites talented knitters, crocheters and sewers who gather fortnightly to craft different items for people in need, and chairperson Karen Toner said the meetings are a place where members can share their tricks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe meet every second Monday to share our talents and knowledge with one another for the benefit of the community, providing quality handmade items of clothing, toys and rugs for a variety of community groups,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to meet because every member has a talent, they\u2019ve all got something special to give and if they can give it out to the group and you know that you\u2019re going to give the items to a cause that is needy and wanting it, it really makes you feel good.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes you feel that you\u2019re giving back to the community and I like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
An average 35 people attend the morning meetups at St Mary\u2019s Anglican Church in Kangaroo Flat, donating their handmade goods to 11 different organisations.<\/p>\n
Manager of the group\u2019s Facebook page Sherran Crowe joined the program a few years ago during her early retirement and said she was happy to find a new purpose for her talents after her family outgrew a need for her creations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out about Needles and Threads and I thought \u2018well that\u2019s right up my alley\u2019 because I just love to knit and crochet and you get to a point where your kids or your family don\u2019t need anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may not mean much to us, you make a little jumper and it\u2019s just another jumper, or a little toy you know they\u2019re just going to adore. It\u2019s that feeling of knowing someone else is probably going to enjoy it more than you did.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnitted garments take a little bit longer, but more love goes into them I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program has recently welcomed younger people to their meetings and Ms Toner said it\u2019s important to continue the initiative to make sure the sewing, knitting and crochet crafts often learnt from parents or grandparents are passed on to the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would think it\u2019s a dying type of art but there is a young element that\u2019s coming in now and we\u2019ve been noticing younger people have been coming in and they have got great talents as well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I want to keep it going for, to keep on including the younger people and getting them to come in because it\u2019s great, it keeps your mind busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the cold season approaches the group is preparing to make items like scarves and beanies and anyone interested in joining the program can visit their Facebook page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MEMBERS of the Bendigo Needles and Threads Program have been serving the community, one stitch at a time, for some 20 years. The not-for-profit organisation unites talented knitters, crocheters and sewers who gather fortnightly to craft different items for people in need, and chairperson Karen Toner said the meetings are a place where members can […]<\/p>\n