• Knitted with love for children in need

    Knitted with love for children in need

    Resthaven Murray Bridge resident, Mrs Joan Tilley, has been sewing and knitting for as long as she can remember. Now aged 95 (and a half!), she is still going strong—using her talents to create beautiful hand-crafted items.

    Mrs Tilley on her wedding day

    ‘Knitting is my passion. I’m a completely self-taught seamstress, even making my own wedding dress back in the day.’

    ‘I worked in a craft shop in Waikerie in my later years, where I donated my knitted items and took requests to make custom creations.’

    Now, as a founder of the Resthaven Murray Bridge knitting club, Mrs Tilley says that she still ‘enjoys keeping busy by knitting.’

    ‘Our knitting club has been going strong for over three and a half years now. There are at least five of us ladies who meet each week on a Wednesday.’

    ‘I love knitting all sorts of items. Friends and family often request for me to make something specific for them. They bring me the wool, and I spend my time knitting for them!’

    ‘I also love to knit items for children in need. The spirit of “giving back” is very close to my heart.’

    A memorable achievement for Mrs Tilley was back in 2020, when the Resthaven Murray Bridge knitting group donated knitted dolls to the Australian Red Cross.

    Mrs Tilley, along with two other keen knitters, Mrs Betty Preece and Mrs Laine Berling, knitted approximately 60 dolls. The trio ‘thoroughly enjoyed knitting for such a worthy cause.’

    A representative from Red Cross collected the dolls (pictured right), which were then distributed to various organisations for children to play with.

    Mrs Tilley says, ‘We were thrilled to do that project, knowing it would comfort children in need.’

    Since then, the knitting club has continued to donate their creations to hospitals and other organisations.

    ‘I say “send the dolls wherever you can!” They are our little gift from here.’

    What a special gift indeed!

    We have dedicated and enthusiastic staff teams who passionately support continuing residents’ lifestyles based on their interests and suggestions. Read more about Lifestyle at Resthaven here.