CANBERRA quilter Ann-Maree Jacobs has been busy over recent months making quilts for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

Ann-Maree is one of a group of Canberra quilters who have been sewing patchwork quilts, laundry bags and crocheted poppies for the upcoming Invictus Games in Sydney.

The games are an international, multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans compete. He will open the Sydney games.

“Quilts give comfort and warmth and that also goes into the quilting community. There is a lot of joy in it,” says Ann-Maree, who has been co-ordinating the work of Canberra Quilters at their weekly meet-up at Cook Community Hub.

When “CityNews” visited, the quilters were putting the final touches on the two last quilts to be sent to Sydney in time for the Invictus Games opening on Saturday, October 20.  

The quilting group has been working for a year on creating quilts as part of a nationwide effort by the RSL Auxiliaries to give handmade, Australian-themed mementos to the competitors, their families and dignitaries.

Having been a “Navy wife”, Ann-Maree says she knows first hand the importance of giving support to veterans.

“Several of our members are also ex-military, so when we were asked to participate in the project, it had extra meaning to us. It was a big group effort,” she says.

“Our servicemen and servicewomen give so much and get so little. It’s important that they know people care. My husband served in Vietnam and never received a medal until 20 years afterwards. I don’t want that to ever happen again.”

Twenty-nine, Australian-themed quilts, 100 laundry bags and 600 crocheted yellow poppies have been made by Canberra quilters and sewers.    

“All the quilts have their own story to tell and will go to places all over the world,” says Ann-Maree.

“Everyone has volunteered their time and donated the cost of materials. With material costing on average $24 a metre, it costs around $200-300 to make a quilt,” says Ann-Maree.   

The materials are all Australian themed and include indigenous material sourced from the NT for the laundry bags along with scenes on the quilts representing Australian animals and sites.

The laundry bags are practical gifts for the service personnel. Each bag is unique and colourful and helps differentiate from others and not get lost when on tour.

Having travelled around the world and moved house 50 times during her husband’s military career, Ann-Maree says that she turned to quilting 35 years ago as a way to make friends.

“Quilting has been a door to a community for me, it’s a great way to meet and for sharing and caring,” she says.

canberraquilters.org.au