Quilters sew up cohesiveness

EVERY Monday evening at 6pm, a group of friendly threaders meet at Haddon Community Centre for quilting and conversation.

The group has been meeting for about a decade, and original member Barbara Mckay said it’s the friendship and camaraderie that keeps her coming back.

“I just love it. I love going each week and I love the friendships I’ve formed with the other ladies. It’s a learning group as well as community service and a bit of friendship,” she said.

“We all get along really well together. If somebody’s not sure about something they’ll ask and we’ll help as much as we can.

“We all take our own sewing machines and whatever we’re working on. Some nights we might not even feel like doing anything so we’ll just talk.”

A Cape Clear resident for over 40 years and a life-long sewer, Ms McKay attended the first session looking to learn how to quilt as there wasn’t an opportunity available in her area.

Although started by the community centre, McKay now co-facilitates the sessions alongside fellow crafter Kerri Hunter.

Currently consisting of seven members, the group regularly donates quilts to patients at Ballarat Base Hospital’s oncology department.

“I’m always the one that takes them in and it’s a joy to do that. They really appreciate it. The main woman we deal with actually treated my husband for his cancer back in 2007,” she said.

“We usually try to give them a lot at the start of winter and then another lot around October. 20 at a time these days.”

The group has been donating to the hospital for over seven years, and discussions are underway to extend their offerings to an aged care facility.

Their works are often displayed at the community centre during events, and Ms McKay’s memory quilt made in honour of her family’s veterans is a regular feature during Anzac Day.

Each session costs $5 to attend, with $2 put towards the group’s batting and backing fabrics.