Quilts in the Library

Today I made a visit to our local library to see the quilts which are on display this month. they are made by members of the Refugee and Migrant Quilt Group which is run to teach new immigrants sewing skills and also give them an opportunity to socialise and practise English in an informal setting.

Some of these women had never used a sewing machine before joining the group. The quilts display all levels of sewing skills from extreme beginner to very competent, but they are all exuberant and colourful (and there's really no need to examine the stitching too closely). The cards that are displayed with the quilts tell a little about the maker and almost all express the pleasure they get from learning new skills and making new friends.



The women are from a wide range of countries: Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Iran, Somalia, France and Lithuania are those that I recall.

This pattern was a popular one - there were several quilts in different colours. It's a great pattern for unifying a diverse collection of scrap fabrics.



The maker of this beautiful quilt was the exception to most - she had made many quilts by hand in Japan before coming to New Zealand.





No doubt she is able to pass on her skills, as well as practising English. The group is very popular and the members are only allowed to stay in the group two years, I believe, before leaving to make room for others. But some of them continue on as helpers.

I just had to take some pictures of our beautiful library. The green of the furniture merges with the green of the trees outside at this time of year.





The library is only a few years old and won a number of architectural awards. It is designed to be environmentally friendly.



The moat is more than just decorative - it is an important part of the passive air conditioning system and helps to keep the building cool in summer. It also, I gather, helps collect rainwater, which is used to flush the toilets.