A quilt exhibition in Cleve RSL Hall proved popular during the week of the Eyre Peninsula Field Days.
Cleve Country Quilters’ president Heather Payne said between 100 and 120 people attended the display, which was open from Monday, August 12 until Friday, August 16.
Heather said some people came back on two or three days to take a look at the works, enjoying morning or afternoon tea, and discussing quilting with local members.
The largest quilts were displayed hanging in rows, while some members worked on pieces during the day, happily answering questions about the techniques used.
One of the quilts creating interest was a sunbonnet quilt, which quilters’ member Georgina Hurst’s mother Mari Hampel initially started to make more than 30 years ago.
After Mari passed away, members helped Georgina go through her mum’s quilting and material supplies and found the started quilt.
Heather said most of the blocks for the quilt were made during a quilting retreat at Thuruna earlier this year, with members continuing on with the project at their weekly Wednesday quilting get togethers.
Heather pieced and quilted the many blocks together, which Cleve Country Quilters then presented to Georgina in April this year.
Two tables were used to showcase the comfort bags, which members make to go to terminally ill patients in the final stages of their life in hospital and a family member or friend.
Heather made seven lap quilts to go in bags, through to being ready for binding during the week.
The bags gained a lot of attention and questions about the project, which has a knee-sized rug, suitable for use for a person staying by the patient’s bedside for hours, or overnight.
There were also small packs of tea and coffee and colouring-in and puzzle books which helped to pass the time, with the patient often sleeping while they were there.
A chapstick and hand cream could be used to soothe the patient or for themselves, and a small memory box and note paper allowed either patient or loved one to place messages or memories to read later.
Cleve Country Quilters has made and donated the care bags to both Cleve and Port Lincoln hospital patients.
Among the visitors during the field days were quilters from other areas of the state, including SA Quilters’ Guild liaison officer Roseanne Fuller, from Adelaide.
A trading day during the exhibition gave visitors a chance to buy smaller quilted items and cooking.
The quilt raffle was won by Whyalla quilter Kathy Moldenhauer.
