Dapto Anglicans have unveiled a tribute to 150 years of weaving Christ into their community " and more than two years of labour has turned their sewing team into a Christian support group.
Carol Stumbles says Dapto's commemorative quilt began as quite a simple affair.
"Somebody said, "Wouldn’t it be nice to have something to remember the 150 years of Dapto’s history?' So we started sewing " in August 2002," she says.
Fourteen women initially took up the task, with numbers growing to 57 once children's groups, ministry team members and other sets started lending a hand.
What began as a quilting committee quickly turned into a fellowship group " and experience with a needle and thread were not a pre-requisite.
"There were a couple of ladies who knew quite a bit; some like me didn’t know a thing!” laughs Mrs Stumbles
Even the minister, the Rev. Stephen Semenchuk, was hemmed in to contribute to the cause.
"We got Stephen to sit down and do a couple of stitches. We had to help him a lot, but he really got absorbed in the end. And he’s very pleased with the idea of how the group grew," Mrs Stumbles says.
The result is a massive three-panelled quilt depicting the Holman Hunt picture showing Jesus knocking on a door , flanked by the history of Dapto on the right and prominent Bible stories on the left.
70 metres of black tape contribute to the quilt's stain-glass appearance.
The quilt is acting like a magnet to members of Dapto's craft-oriented community where many historical farming families continue to keep traditional sewing skills alive.
And it appears that the commemorative quilt is not the only lasting thing to be brought from this effort.
Mrs Stumbles says the women involved are planning other projects to keep the fellowship alive.
"We're continuing the group because it’s been such a blessing to us. We had women come from across all of the services, who got to know each other and got really close," she says.
"While we sowed, we shared our thoughts and it was a really great time growing together."
