The patchwork and quilting group began many years ago with a small advertisement. The previous Group Leader, Pat Moroney, learned about a patchwork and quilting group in Avenel and thought to herself, “If they can do it, why can’t we?”

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We meet on Thursday mornings at 10:30 AM in the community house’s music room. A community house fee of $2 applies.

How it started

It should, however, be said that it was rather unexpected for Pat to be the one taking this kind of initiative. Previously, she had told her two patchwork-interested girlfriends she didn’t understand why in the world you would cut up good material to sew it back together again. As it turned out, Pat caught the sewing bug, and the rest is history.

After Pat had put the ad in the paper, a few local ladies showed up, although many of them had never sewn before. “All you have to do is sew in straight lines so everyone can do it,” Pat reassures. And once you try it, you get hooked!” And as it seems, the group of now-friends did get hooked. They have met for nearly a decade and show no signs of slowing down.

Patchwork

“Patchwork, Pat explains, is the part where you sew the small pieces of cloth together. Quilting is when you sew the three layers together.” (Top fabric, batting and backing material). But it’s not just about the sewing… “The best thing is just chatting, and sometimes I think there’s more talking than sewing,” Pat concludes with a heartfelt chuckle. “It is really great to have someone to ask if you get stuck on a project. And many of us live independently, so it’s also an opportunity for an outing with like-minded people.” 

The first thing you do”, Pat explains, “is pick out a pattern because you don’t want to end up with too much material you won’t use. Then, you determine the fabric you want and pick your colours. And then you think, ‘Crap! Did I really spend that much?’ And you’ll end up with too much in your stash you won’t use. There is currently a race to see who will die with the biggest stash! Really, it’s often better to buy a kit where someone’s put the colours together with the pattern…”

Projects

The group has both done individual quilts and also some mutual projects. “We have made arm cushions for breast cancer patients, which helps patients to heal from surgery. We’ve also made quilts for premature babies, and some quilts have been made to give to different community groups for fundraising raffles.”