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An ordinary grey blanket is being collaboratively transformed into a commemorative textural wall-hanging honouring ANZAC Day. If you can sew a button on, then you could help with its creation.

The project is being led by a creative team of Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) staff. In their own time they have hand-stitched metres of contrast red edging and felt applique letters. Others have machine stitched rows of quilting. The transformed blanket is now awaiting hundreds of woollen poppies to be hand-stitched onto it and the project team are keen for members of the public to be involved in the second phase of the project.

Thousands of woollen poppies were knitted nationwide for a Waiouru Army Museum project as part of ANZAC Day centennial celebrations in 2015. So many poppies were knitted, the project had a surplus. Hundreds knitted by Palmerston North residents were retained in the city and used within the Central Library to hang from black ribbon in recognition of the last two year’s ANZAC Days.

“While everyone loved seeing the poppies hanging, we wanted to do something more permanent with them,” says Robyn Wilson, a Senior Service Guide at Palmerston North City Library. “Our ideas morphed into creating a wall-hanging, known as a ‘blanquilt’ that would be timeless and enjoyed by the whole community. “

A request sent out to PNCC staff to work on the project quickly resulted in offers from staff with a variety of quilting, sewing and craft skills. A thick grey blanket was sourced and donated by the Ashhurst RSA. And over a number of weeks, staff took the blanket home and individually spent hours preparing it for the public sewing session.

The applique words ‘From the uttermost corner of the world’ that feature on the blanket were suggested as they are embossed on many New Zealand memorials here and overseas.

Four public sewing sessions are being held at the Central Library to hand sew the hundreds of poppies onto the ‘blanquilt’.

“People don’t need great sewing skills,” says Robyn. “We have the needles and thread and are happy to assist. It would also be lovely for those who may have knitted the poppies to come along and see the completion of the project.”

Once completed the wall-hanging will be displayed at the Mayoral Morning Tea at the Convention Centre after the ANZAC Day Civic Ceremony and as well as being hung in the Central Library. It will also be available for community groups and schools to borrow.

The sewing sessions are on: Tues 4 April 1pm – 3pm, and Wed 5 April, Thurs 6 April and Sunday 9 April from 10am – 12 noon on the Mezzanine Floor of the Central Library.

ENDS

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