Brooklyn’s Peta Turnbull, affectionately known as the Scrap Queen, chats with Goya Dmytryshchak.
What’s your connection to Hobsons Bay?
I moved to Brooklyn in 1984. I was sick of driving from the other side of Geelong to Footscray [to work] every day. I’m also a member of Seabreeze Quilters and Sit n Sew at Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre.
What do you like about Brooklyn?
It’s close to the freeway and close to Altona Gate shopping centre.
What would you change?
Nothing – I’m happy there. When I downsized, I moved around the corner. I sold my house and I bought a unit, but it’s just 500 metres around the corner.
What’s your local favourite cafe or eatery?
Fish and Chips on Civic – friendly people. Borrack Square Charcoal Chicken – they always have my order ready.
How did your passion for quilting start?
It was my Aunty Alison who got me started and then I met Kim [Reilly, Seabreeze Quilters president]. I took to it like a duck to water.
Can you tell me about the Seabreeze Quilters?
They’re a fabulous bunch of girls. When you’re a quilter, you go and buy expensive fabric and you cut it all up and you stitch it back together again. But my love of quilting is using scraps. They’ve given me the title of Scrap Queen. I get little bags of goodies from the different girls and other groups, and I make them into quilts. I love to recycle fabric ties.
Some of your quilts go to The Royal Children’s Hospital …
I’ve met a lady, Josephine, who’s a co-ordinator [at the hospital] and she lives in Yarraville, so I can just drop them off. So when people give me plastic bags full of fabric or someone gives you all the leftover novelties, that’s where they end up. There’s specific sizes that they want, like little toddler ones to four-year-old to teenagers. Their program is called Very Snuggly Quilts. A couple of years ago, I handed in an African quilt with African animals. The lady that handed out the quilts told Josephine to tell me that it went to a little boy from Kenya. We put in all the novelties in the quilts, because when mum and dad have gone home and the little tacker’s just stuck in bed all by themselves, the nurses come and play “I spy”, like “Find the pussy cat” and “Find the pumpkin”. The other group we support is Women’s Health West, their crisis accommodation … every child who goes into that service gets a quilt.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I worked with men all my life in grease and oil and dirt – auto parts – and here I am playing with beautiful fabrics and colour. I’m split in half. It was a big challenge, joining a women’s group.
Seabreeze Quilters will hold its third quilt-in on June 30 from 10am-4pm at Williamstown Town Hall. The theme is Celebrating the Sisterhood. Tickets $10. Details: seabreezequilters.com
