Crafting for fun and great causes

CREATING everything from hats for premature babies and vests for penguins, to quilts and decorated bras, the Heathcote Craft Group has been meeting every week since 1988.

The group meets at the RSL Hall every Tuesday from 9am to 2pm.

“The group held its first meeting in the Masonic Lodge Hall,” said President Jan Rowe. “Then it moved to the nurses’ home at the hospital, followed by the day room and when COVID hit we continued at the RSL Hall.

“We are very grateful to the Heathcote RSL Sub-Branch members for letting us use their rooms and kitchen facilities. They have been amazing.

“Every week, Ron Meagher comes and opens the door for us and puts the heater on in cold weather.”

There are fifteen members who attend regularly and enjoy a variety of crafts.

“Over the years we’ve done a lot of different things,” said Ms Rowe. “We bring our own crafts to the meetings and on the third Tuesday of each month, work on special projects.

“A quilt we made as a joint project was raffled by the fire brigade and raised $900, and we decorated bras for a display to raise funds for cancer research.

“We’ve also made vests for penguins and knitted poppies for the RSL to display on Remembrance Day.

“Our oldest member, Marion Tattersall, 87, was originally from Costerfield but now lives in Bendigo and still drives to our meetings most weeks.”

The group recently donated knitted baby clothes to the Kilmore Hospital and hats for premature babies to Wangaratta Hospital.

“One very satisfying project was knitting for babies with AIDS in Africa,” said group member Margaret Leslie.

“We heard that the babies were going home wrapped in newspaper, so we knitted outfits and sent them to Africa, so the mothers had clothes to take them home.”

Group members have varying craft interests including crochet, knitting and sashiko, a type of traditional Japanese embroidery.

“Once a year we travel to Rochester to visit the Quilting Patch,” said vice-president June Gover. “The owner, Maureen Chiswell, is really welcoming and gives us lots of new ideas.

“We go on other excursions when we can but it’s difficult as we don’t have a bus. It would be great if there was a community bus available.

“We are a friendly group with similar interests and people can learn different skills and make new friends.”

The weekly fee is $5 with morning tea supplied. Participants bring their lunch. Contact Ms Rowe to join on 0417 526 339.