HANDICRAFT GROUP: by Joan Henry & Margaret John

The Handicraft Group is convened by Jean Imrie with Herta Puls (a multi - talented embroideress) as our advisor. We met at Herta's home and though members have drifted in and out a nucleus of nine have remained constant throughout. It was suggested that we should start with a Group project and a double bed size patchwork quilt was born. All sorts of coloured materials were used to cut out the hexagonal shapes which were pinned and tacked at meetings and then taken home to run up on the machine or sew by hand. The Quilt was then raffled and £405 was given to three charities. To avoid getting bored with the quilt we flirted briefly with other projects. We had a couple of months making Christmas cards and decorations and a quilted cushion was started. Some members are very keen on all things "crafty" and are prepared to have a go at anything. We have had decoupage pictures, crocheted blankets (one of our members learnt to crochet, something she has wanted to do for many years),shopping bags, peg bags, 'pinnies', knitted baby clothes and even an exquisite christening gown. Those of us not so industrious can only admire them for their enthusiasm. Some of their work will be on sale shortly to raise money for the Choir.

We were asked by The Servernside Network to prepare a 'tile' twelve inches square depicting Caldicot U3A. This would be joined to tiles from other branches of the Network. Herta designed a relief map of the area, and transferred it on to some material ready for embroidering. Several members had a go at parts of embroidering it but it took us so long, Herta got fed up and finished it herself. It looks pretty good too!!.

About eighteen months ago Herta read about a group, who were making comfort quilts for children involved in accidents or taken to hospital by ambulance. The idea caught on and together we have made about 63 quilts 38 of which have already been used by the Ambulance or Fire Brigade. The children are allowed to keep their quilts so this is an on going project. Each quilt costs approximately £3 to £4 and we are very grateful for the donations received. When the first quilts were handed over to the Fire Brigade, we were invited to the Fire Station where an Argus (local newspaper) photographer took a photograph of the group with some of the quilts plus the firemen. They were delighted with the idea.

By now, like 'Topsy', the quilt had grown from a single size to a large double and was ready to be put together and quilted. We moved our venue to another member's house where there was a large table and room for us all to sit. We quilted and 'nattered' and longed for the day when it was finished. Eventually and finally it was ready and together with three smaller quilts and a cushion the raffle took place, and the proceeds went to UNICEF, SARA and CRUSE.

It has not been all work for we have had some fabulous outings. We visited a Craft Exhibition in Chepstow Museum and a quilt making exhibition in Llanidloes. And with other members of the U3A we had a coach trip to a working mill in Cullompton in Somerset, where the New World Tapestry is being assembled. Several members of the party added one stitch to this tapestry and received a certificate to prove it. And a good time was had by all!!

But the best outing was to Fishguard to see a 100 foot tapestry of the last invasion of Wales by the French. Wales' very own Bayeaux Tapestry. The tapestry was worked by 70 local ladies and was designed by Elizabeth Cramp, a friend of Herta's. Two other friends, Rosanne Hawksley and Eirian Short were also involved in the project and to our surprise and delight they turned up to tell us all about the tapestry from conception.

They lunched with us at the local pub and we were invited to tea at Eirian's house. Her husband Dennis is a sculptor of very large sculptures housed in a field nearby. They were due to be exhibited the following week in Ebbw Vale. Eirian also took us up to her workroom to show us her latest embroidery, which shows the pulpit with the preacher and congregation of a chapel viewed through the open doors (the chapel is where her grandfather was a preacher). Absolutely brilliant!

We have enjoyed the past four years and look forward to the next.