True friends

It's not all fun and laughter at St Mark's Quilters. Sometimes there are tears. And hugs. And stumbling prayers where the right words are hard to find. Our June get-together was one of those days. 

One of our ladies had just started chemotherapy following a breast cancer diagnosis, and in a gesture of support and encouragement we surprised her with a cushion. 

 

In case the front wasn't cheery enough we each signed a coloured strip, corresponding to a coloured hexie, and these were sewn into the cushion backing as a permanent reminder of how much we love her and hold her in our prayers. As I write this she is progressing really well.

 

I'd be lyin' 😂 if I said we didn't have lots of fun as well, making Blankets of Love for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital here in Sydney and kindy quilts for "The Marcia", a KU preschool for autistic children at Liverpool.

 

 

Regular readers might recall when we received a very large quilt top as a donation, and Gail D took on the task of quilting it on her domestic sewing machine. Well, she brought it back, and it's magnificent! We're storing it for when an emergency happens and a call is put out to the quilting community for quilts.

 

Sophie and Susan made these three little Blankets of Love below.

 

 

 

Then we went a bit wild, with these three jungle/zoo themed kindy quilts, by Barb...

 

Gillian...

 

And Di C...

 

 

Sadly, one of the most loved members of our group passed away just a few days before our meeting. She was a foundation member of our group, and had been to almost every workshop over the last six and a half years. Meeting and greeting was her preferred role, and she has always made herself available for hugs when needed.

Yes, this special St Mark's Quilter was Di B's golden girl, Matilda, seen here recently enjoying a game of fetch in the park.

 

Quite the foodie, she enjoyed sampling tidbits from our morning teas with Di B. But 1 o'clock, which she knew as 'cheese o'clock', was her favourite time of the day. This was when she always enjoyed a piece of sliced cheese, to keep her going through the afternoon. 

 

She liked to wander around the hall, checking out everyone's quilt making, until recent years when her eyesight failed, but she still took great pride in her appearance and was a smart dresser, making sure Di matched her standard!

 

 

 

 Earlier this year Matilda enjoyed her 12th birthday. 

We'll miss you, beautiful girl, but we know you are in a better place, where your eyesight is perfect, your joints let you run free, and it's cheese o'clock every hour of the day!