In early 2008 Canterbury City Community Centre received a grant of $3000 under the 2007-2008 Community Harmony Initiatives Program funded by the Dept of Community Services and administered jointly by Canterbury City Council and Bankstown Council. The program aimed to support local groups in promoting community harmony across cultures and generations. The Centre employed community artist Dimity Figner to work with local women to undertake the Community Harmony Quilt Project.

After local publicity 18 women attended the first session and established a core membership group with other women joining for short periods over the next 12 weeks. The sound of laughter and conversation filled the Centre each Wednesday afternoon as women enjoyed each others company, shared stories and ideas on the work at hand.

The women were born in the following countries; Egypt, Mauritius, Lebanon, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Jordan and Vietnam. In commencing the project participants reflected on community harmony and some of the feelings they attributed to living in harmony were …Happy …Respect …Peace …Loving …Confident to go out …Hopeful …Belonging …Secure.                                                                                            

The women from Pakistan shared stories of cushion covers made by their mothers in red and gold thread that added colour to their homes. A woman from India spoke of a quilt made by female relatives for her wedding. Another showed her quilted jacket made from her late mother’s blouses. A woman from Afghanistan spoke of embroidery on transparent nylon over coloured fabric that was common in Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion. Women from Australia and Afghanistan both spoke of the smocking on babies clothes that used to be common … but that no one does anymore.

Over time the understanding and affection between the women grew as they shared food, singing, encouragement, the care of children, laughter, stories, prayer and, of course, suggestions/discussion about quilt design.

A beautiful quilt comprised of eleven individual squares resulted and were mounted on to the quilted fabric. The Canterbury Men’s Shed supplied the frame for hanging and Cr Robert Furolo, Mayor of Canterbury, launched the quilt at the Centre’s Annual General Meeting in September 2008.

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