Quilters celebrate 25 creative years
Two of the four founder members were at the party.
WHEN members held a party to mark the 25th anniversary of their Hibiscus Quilters’ Guild’s recently, there was plenty to celebrate.
From small beginnings the guild now has a membership of over 70 nimble-fingered quilters. It all started in July 1989 with an advertisement in the South Coast Herald announcing the formation of a local patchwork guild. Those behind the initiative invited patchwork artists and enthusiasts to meet in one of the vacant stores in the Hibiscus Mall on Thursday, August 3 at 10am. A subscription fee of R2 would be charged each month to cover the cost of patterns and other materials for use by the members, the advertisement concluded.
The small group who responded to the advertisement eventually became the Hibiscus Quilters’ Guild, officially formed in September 1990. The founder members were talented quilters Gill Hunt, Sue Theron, Sheila Slater and Gill Bye. The meetings were held at the Baptist Church Hall in Margate. One of the first projects the guild undertook was to make quillows (quilts that fold up into pillows) which were donated to the Baptist Church to show appreciation for the free use of the hall.
In February 1992 an evening guild was formed for the working women. The first meeting was held at Sue Theron’s home and, apart from the committee members, only two new quilters turned up. However, the evening guild is still in existence and now has nine enthusiastic members.
August 1997 saw the formation of a guild in Southbroom. By 2000 the morning guild had 57 members, the evening guild had 23 members and the Southbroom guild had 11 members. The Southbroom guild unfortunately disbanded at a later stage but many of the members joined the Hibiscus Guild.
Over the years the quilters have used their skills to help different charities, making and donating quilts for many good causes. They have diversified to make teddies for the Reach for a Dream Foundation, lap quilts for the wheelchair-bound residents of Anerley Haven Frail Care and quilts for destitute people after national disasters, for South Coast Hospice and for the Margate Baptist Church. Recently they created seven charming cot quilts for South Coat Hospice’s Rainbow Room, a children’s ward at Kingfisher House. For two years in a row, several of the quilters were cajoled into putting away their needles to take part in the Cancer Walk.
The secret of the guild’s success is that it brings together quilters who love what they do – and that is quilting in all its various forms, be it needleturn, patchwork, applique, machine piecing and hand piecing. The guild has two qualified teachers who hold classes for beginners through to advanced quilters. Beginners of any age are always welcome to come and learn this age-old hobby. Some might call it an obsession, say the members. When the bug bites, it really bites.
Among the guests at the 25th anniversary celebration were two of the founder members, Sue Theron and Sheila Slater. Gill Hunt, who now lives in Wales, missed the party but she had visited the guild a few months previously and had brought along some of her quilts. Sadly, the fourth founder member Gill Bye, died a couple of years ago but she is remembered fondly by all who knew her.
The Hibiscus Quilters Guild meets at the Ronnie Baker Hall at the Margate Retirement Village on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Visitors are most welcome. For any information about the Guild please contact Althea Fairlie at 039 6951898 or Margi Anderson on 039 3151767.
