United in giving at a Christmas craft stall

THE twenty-five members of Uniting Threads have been meeting every Wednesday for over the past ten years.

They come together on a regular basis at the small hall at St Andrew’s Uniting Church on Myers Street to craft their magic into quilts, which are then donated to residential aged care homes, hospice and a number of children’s facilities.

In all Uniting Threads supports more than 20 local organisations.

Quilter, Anita Lowe, said the members all enjoy quilting, but there’s also something more.

“It’s the camaraderie and the convivial atmosphere when we all get together,” she said.

“We sew, we chat and while we don’t seek acknowledgement for our donations, we appreciate that our quilts mean a lot to those who use them.”

There are ongoing costs in the making of quilts, though.

Things like machine maintenance, needles and threads all add up, but the biggest expense is for the wadding.

To cover those costs, Uniting Threads is holding its annual Christmas Craft Stall on Saturday, 3 December at their homebase.

The Christmas Craft Stall is an opportunity for the community to support the work of Uniting Threads and to buy some Christmas gifts.

On offer are a range of beautifully crafted gifts including decorations, bunting, cards, tea towels, needle cases, book marks, covered coat hangers, table mats, table runners and wheat bags as well as children’s Christmas stockings, for when Santa calls.

Sales are cash only and the Uniting Threads Christmas Craft Stall is set for Saturday, 3 December from 9am to 1pm at St Andrew’s Uniting Church, 26 Myers Street, Bendigo.

As part of the event, Uniting Threads will be raffling off one of the group’s quilt creations.

– BY FIONA WATSON