Before COVID-19 restrictions put a halt to international travel, Marj Mitchell would fly to Thailand to deliver handmade quilts to orphanages in the country.
When she could no longer leave her home in Wyndham Vale to go overseas, Ms Mitchell was lift with a collection of blankets that were too expensive to ship out.
“I said to the girls that I go to craft with, what am I gonna do with the other quilts?,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We decided we’d make them…we’ve given them to Manor Court [aged care centre], we made little quilts for the special care babies at the Mercy Hospital.”
More recently, the women made 15 blankets that were donated to Gen West, an organisation that helps victim-survivors of family violence.
Ms Mitchell said not everyone can donate financially but quilting blankets was her way of contributing.
“Hopefully the women and the kids will love them as much as what I do, I love quilting and the girls that are doing it with me love it too,” she said.
Ms Mitchell has been attending the Craft Group and the Needle Cases at the Tarneit Community Learning Centre for twelve years.
“It’s good for us actually, because it gives us plenty to do and keep us occupied,” she said.
“I often say to the ones that love to do it ‘don’t start,’ because it’s addictive.
“We just love quilting, I’ve got cupboards full of quilts i’ve made of the years,” she said.
The group are currently preparing quilts to take down to The Orange Door, a free service for adults, children who are experiencing family violence.
