The Arts and Crafts room at our Carine Village comes alive every Monday afternoon with laughter and chatter, the clicking of a knitting needle and the hum of a sewing machine. When walking into the group for the first time you are guaranteed to be greeted by welcoming smiles and see an array of wonderful creations.
The talent in the room can be quite overwhelming, but the ladies encourage everyone to come down and learn. With Deb leading the charge, you’re sure to get the hang of it very quickly. Just ask Heather – she was encouraged to come along for a chat and has now created some wonderful items. Inspired by the work around her, she got a refresher from Deb on crocheting and decided to crochet a blanket. Heather donated the beautiful blanket to a group that Deb belongs to that supports 23 charities so it could find its way to its new home (Heather and Deb are pictured above with the blanket).
Deb’s quick to shake off any title such as “guru” or “leader” and says she simply loves to help people learn a new skill or technique. Down the other end of the table is Julie, introduced as the quilting queen, expertly cutting and stitching away. Julie’s quilts are all very impressive – you’d be forgiven for thinking quilting is very complicated but Julie says it’s like all crafts: once you’ve got the hang of it you’re off!
The ladies often produce items for donation to charities, either as completed pieces such as the beanies they are sending over to a women’s prison in Africa (30 completed to date!), or as knitted squares which will be stitched together to form a blanket.
Heading up the “arts” part of the group is Marilyn, a mixed media artist who is inspired by the world around us and creates pieces from everything and anything! From a silk scarf dyed with pickings from the gardens at our Carine Village, to pieces of art which are created from hanging pens and letting them dance in the wind.
The arts and crafts group at Carine are truly a talented bunch and we can’t wait to see what they create next! A special thank you goes to Val sending an article about Heather’s blanket and inviting us along to join the group.
Find out more about our Carine Village here.