A different thread

At Church we have a women’s organisation which has a focus on service. It also has a focus on developing skills and talents (among many things). All of these are good things. There is, however, probably a bit of a bias towards the more traditional womanly crafty type things than the more macho kind of skills; so, on an activity night you’re more likely to get knitting than engine maintenance (although, to be fair, you’ll sometimes get the latter too).

Those of you who know me well will know that I’m less the knitting type and more the engine maintenance type (no, perhaps not engine maintenance, but definitely not knitting (I didn’t ever finish the scarf I started in Grade 6). It has been a bit of a joke about my lack of interest in these sorts of things, but then just to spite the joke I will occasionally do something a bit womanly crafty. I have, in fact, actually knitted a balaclava for bushwalking, and a fairisle vest … although this was partly done as a bit of self-mockery and to prove I could, I suspect!

ANYWAY, tonight I went along to a get together of the women in the Church here in Hobart. It had been decided to make a quilt for one of the older women in the congregation who isn’t well, and everyone was to contribute a square for the quilt with some sort of heart design on it … but there was no set way of doing this, you just had to make it up (which was fine if you do this sort of thing regularly!)

It was a fun night. Everyone sat around chatting, as they worked out what they would do for their own designs. There was a warm sense of community and common purpose, as each person contributed a little of their time and talents (from the humble to the expert) in an expression of love and service. Each finished square was as individual as the person making it, but all had the same heart-felt theme (pun intended).

I wasn’t too sure what I was doing as I did mine, and I was worried for a while about whether or not it would turn out all right. The mobile phone didn’t take a great photo, but the yellow heart is appliqued onto a black background (it’s probably not proper applique, since I only know how to sew on Scout badges!), and then I did a blue running stitch to sort of add some highlights.

In the end, I was pretty happy with it, and it was a good activity. Now … where are my knitting needles?!