November 5th, 2026Poppy quilt ready for Remembrance Day
Many hands played a part in delivering a beautiful poppy quilt to the Daylesford RSL ahead of Remembrance Day on Wednesday, November 11.
Spa Quilters’ newly elected president Denise Longmire said it was the weekend of their group’s biennial exhibition, held in St Peter’s Church, when Ian Tinetti spotted a warm, contemplative quilt featuring soldiers among a stunning patchwork of poppies.
She said the piece, which caught the eye of the Daylesford RSL president was hanging at the back of the church as part of their Peace exhibition, a theme which “fitted perfectly” within the serenity of the historic building.
“A lot of people come (to the biennial exhibition), and they just love it in the church, they love to see the church and being here just does something for all the quilts.”
Denise said the poppy quilt Ian fell in love with was one of several displayed by Mulberry Lane Quilting who have run a stall at Spa Quilters’ exhibitions for many years.
“Ian came into church for Sunday Mass, spotted the poppy quilt and said, ‘Oh my goodness!’ He really loved it, so after church we talked to Mulberry Lane.”
While as an active member of St Peter’s congregation Ian visits the church most weeks, Denise said it was serendipity that he saw the piece, as quilts displayed across the pews were folded away before Mass.
Denise said the stall displaying Mulberry Lane’s colourful stash of fabrics, kits and patchwork accessories was covered with a sheet and their sample quilts were left hanging on the wall to save time setting up again before the exhibition reopened after Mass.
Mulberry Lane was unable to sell the display quilt that held Ian’s attention but Bev and Geoff Coates, who run the small Bendigo-based business, offered to make Daylesford RSL a poppy quilt just like the one he had seen.
Denise said they made the quilt for the RSL at a discount price with the support of Spa Quilters who facilitated the process, from the initial discussion led by committee member Trish Barron, through to collecting the quilt on the RSL’s behalf.
Spa Quilters members are looking forward to seeing the poppy quilt mounted, framed and hung as a warm focal point within the RSL.
Denise said members enjoyed being involved in a number of community-focused projects.
“Our major project is to make quilts for children going into foster care, through Cafs (Child and Family Services). We’ve been doing that for more than 30 years.
“Some of those children, when they go into foster care, they come with what they’re standing in, then they’re given a quilt, that’s something special, because it’s theirs, no-one can take it off them.”
Denise said Spa Quilters also hand-stitched quilts for Lumeah Lodge and Trentham Aged Care residents, adding there had been countless other quilt donations including one to a CFA fundraiser.
“We’re a small group with 24 members but we do very well, one year the 24 of us made 52 charity quilts, plus we make our own quilts as well.
“If you consider each of those quilts was only worth $200, but believe me they’re worth a lot more, that’s a lot of money.”
While Spa Quilters may not have stitched the poppy quilt, set to be mounted and framed by Robert Chomaniuk from Hepburn Harvest Vietnamese Kitchen, which operates within the Daylesford RSL Club, Denise said they were happy to have helped.
Words & image: Kate Foulds Inside the Daylesford RSL with the quilt, from left, Ian Tinetti, Denise Longmire, Trish Barron and Robert Chomaniuk “Ian came into church for Sunday Mass, spotted the poppy quilt and said,
‘Oh my goodness!’ He really loved it.”
