Margaret House volunteers Caroline Davidson and Jo Hawker display one of the handmade quilts gifted by the Rainbow Makers, a Sydney quilting group that has supported the Young refuge for six years. Photo: Margaret House.
From time to time, a group of Sydney quilters known as The Rainbow Makers quietly packs up a collection of colourful handmade quilts and sends them west to Young.
Some arrive with friends travelling through town. Others are delivered by members of the group themselves.
However they get there, the destination is always the same – Margaret House Refuge – where each quilt is placed on a bed before a woman or child arrives.
For the volunteers behind Young Crisis Accommodation Centre (YCAC) and Margaret House, each delivery is a reminder that support for the refuge stretches far beyond Young.
Margaret House president Anna Hayes estimates The Rainbow Makers have been supporting the refuge for about six years.
Made up of about 10 mostly retired women from Sydney’s North Shore, the quilters meet monthly to swap fabrics, plan projects and turn donated materials and offcuts into colourful handcrafted pieces.
For Peggy Nightingale, one of the group’s founders, the arrangement with Margaret House began almost by accident.
“Our families got tired of absorbing all our quilts and pleaded for mercy, so we started doing charity work,” she laughed. “A friend of a friend put us in touch with Anna.”
While the group still makes quilts for other causes, Margaret House has become its main focus.
“Because they give the quilts to their residents when they leave, it means we’re needed all the time, and that’s wonderful,” Peggy said.
Unlike many larger refuges, the volunteer-run Margaret House provides women and children escaping domestic and family violence with their own private accommodation rather than shared facilities.
The quilts are placed on beds before residents arrive, creating a warm and welcoming space from the moment they walk through the door.
“It makes it feel like home and it makes it feel safe. It makes them feel like someone cares,” Anna said.
“Especially from where they’ve come from, they walk in and they literally go, ‘Wow, this is incredible.'”
When women and children move on, the quilts go with them.
“It’s a reminder of their courage and moving forward to a more positive life,” Anna said.
YCAC manager Kerri Palmer said the gifts often sparked powerful emotions.
The Rainbow Makers’ label is sewn onto every quilt, a lasting reminder of the Sydney quilters behind the gifts. Photo: Margaret House.
“Residents are always very grateful for the quilts. At times women have been quite emotional knowing that they have been donated to show care and support from others within the community,” she said.
“Children love picking out their favourite colour and design and are always very happy to hear that they own the quilt and will take it when they leave refuge.”
Kerry said many women had spoken about the comfort of knowing complete strangers were thinking of them and standing beside them during a difficult time.
That sentiment is exactly what the Rainbow Makers hope to convey.
“There’s somebody you don’t know who actually wishes you well, and here’s a little token of our good wishes for a better future,” Peggy said.
“If you wind up in Margaret House, you’ve had a bad time for a while, and we’re hoping it gets better, and that a quilt from us reminds them that there are people out here who care.”
Anna said the time and care stitched into every quilt made them especially meaningful.
“Buying a quilt from a shop wouldn’t be the same. It just wouldn’t have the same impact as knowing someone has physically handmade this quilt so they could get comfort and pleasure from it.”
Although based hundreds of kilometres away, The Rainbow Makers have formed a close connection with Young.
Several members, including Peggy, have visited the refuge themselves.
She said she had been struck by the warmth she encountered when she visited.
“I was just so impressed with the kind of support they get from their community,” she said.
Anna said she remained touched by the fact the women had chosen to look beyond Sydney.
“They could be helping their local shelter, but they’ve chosen to support us here in Young,” she said. “They’re just a generous, kind and caring group.”
Many of the quilts are group projects, with members making blocks individually before bringing them together.
“It’s playing with colour, playing with fabric, knowing it’s going someplace that’s going to be useful. And it’s companionship too,” Peggy said.
The women expect nothing in return.
“It’s not about getting anything back. It really is just a pleasure to know that they’re being used and going to keep being used,” she explained.
Even the group’s name carries a message of hope.
Originally from the United States, Peggy recalled a quilting project in Arizona where children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Most answered firefighter or pilot.
“But one child came up with the line, ‘I want to be a rainbow maker,'” she said.
“I thought that was so gorgeous.”
Years later, when the Sydney group needed a name to sew onto their labels, the answer was obvious.
And for the women and children arriving at Margaret House, The Rainbow Makers have been quietly living up to that name ever since.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence, support is available. Contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au
