Sunbury Neighbourhood House presented a colourful 35-metre long hand-crafted banner that trailed through Sunbury last month for SunFest, taking home an award for its impressive display.
The idea was formed last year, when a group of participants from the drop in Crafternoon program at the neighbourhood house began discussing a hand-crafted textile banner that they could display in the Grand Street Parade at SunFest on Saturday, March 15 – where it was awarded with the Best Community Groups and Clubs 2025 entrant award.
After plenty of discussion, the group decided on a format that could be achievable within the constraints of materials and the varying skill levels and availability of the group’s members.
The final design incorporated a wide range of textiles – especially upcycled knitted, sewn, patchworked, and crocheted textiles – with each complete piece measuring 30 centimetres by 30 centimetres and including a finished edge that allowed for joining to the next piece.
The project also involved contributions from the neighbourhood house’s Boomerang Bags group, with bags forming part of the banner and acting as handles.
Crafted over several months – and even including the participation of pre-school-aged children, who added paint handprints – the finished product was proudly presented by a group of about 20 people, including neighbourhood house program participants and their friends and family.
Neighbourhood house community development coordinator Cathy Grose said that she is looking forward to seeing the next stage of the project, where the banner will be disassembled and the materials repurposed into blankets, reusable bags and decorative wall hangings for the community.
“It was fantastic to see so many participants working together, skill sharing, and problem solving along the way,“ Ms Grose said.
