A week ago the hall of Hillcrest Primary School was buzzing with excitement as the ladies from KZNQG began to set up the hall in anticipation of the Easter Bonnet High Tea. Display stands were raised and Marline Turner’s beautiful quilts began to take pride of place around the hall. The tables were set up, the chairs were distributed accordingly and then a group of exhausted ladies went to bed.
Saturday morning broke with clear skies and 26 hostesses arrived at the hall ready to transform simple tables into decorative masterpieces. From Easter bunnies to Licorice Allsorts bouquets, these ladies had gone above and beyond to make their guests feel special. Each table was unique and laden with treats – both sweet and savoury. The urns were filled and set to boil; the decorations were laid and the clink and clank of teacups, saucers, plates and cutlery filled the room. Sound checks were done and the Slideshow was checked. It was time for the guests to arrive.
Our morning began with a group of young singers who wowed us with their renditions of well known and well loved songs. These youngsters then had to rush off to rehearsals for ‘Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat’ (which will be performed at the Playhouse in July – keep your eyes open for details on this amazing show!). We then had time to chat, eat, drink and be merry while catching up with those around us. Some lucky draws were done, hostess gifts were handed out and the grand raffle was drawn – a delighted Jill Kolver won the quilt. It was then time to listen to Zelda Martin sharing her photos and stories of her trip through Ecuador…on a motorbike! Zelda has such an adventurous spirit and listening to her was inspirational – there may be some itchy feet after listening to her!
One of the highlights of the morning was being able to admire Marline’s quilts. There really aren’t enough adjectives to describe them! Marline is so humble – her quilts are anything but! Whether you are a new quilter or extremely experienced, being able to observe Marline’s quilts up close and in person was an absolute treat!
A special thank you and “well done” to the ladies that spent many hours behind the scenes making this event so successful. We can’t wait to have another!
The proceeds of the High Tea will go towards the Quilt festival to be held at Epworth School, in Pietermaritzburg, in July 2024.
Check out the gallery for pictures of the event.