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SHE STITCHES CARES AWAY

Recently, prolific tap estry-maker Mrs. Nina Welsh, of Ivanhoe, Vic, ex hibited a carpet measuring lift. 6in. by 9ft. at the 1966 Tapestry Exhibition in Syd ney. And this fabulous carpet took Mrs. Welsh only three years to complete.

Mrs. Welsh did not work full-time on the project, for she always has several pieces of work "on the go" at the

same time.

During those years of car pet-making, she also stitched and completed a number of other pieces of tapestry, in cluding several firescreens.

Back in 1952, when she took up tapestry, Mrs. Welsh first exhibited her work in the Royal Melbourne Show and gained first prize for a beautifully worked firescreen.

Royal lead

The next year she again

exhibited a firescreen and was successful.

Well satisfied, she has not since exhibited her tapestry competitively.

The carpet has a deep teal blue ground and is patterned with a clustered floral design. Around the edge is an attrac tive small floral border.

Costing Mrs. Welsh about $1200 in materials, the car pet is insured for $5000. But, as Mrs. Welsh explained, even that sum would not make up for the work and hours she devoted to making

it.

"I was inspired by the late Queen Mary's tapestry car pet to take up carpet making," she saicL "I find

tapestry very soothing. If ever I am worried I stitch my worries away."

She used Australian wool to work the carpet.

Mrs. Welsh has lost count of the exact number of the hundreds of tapestry pieces she has made in the past few

years.

She has a grown-up family of five children and has sup plied them all with tapestry firescreens, chair covers, wall hangings, and many other

articles.

But Mrs. Welsh has always had busy fingers, for she has knitted for her family and enjoyed embroidery and

other kinds of needlework.

"We lived in the country most of our lives," she said, "and I always spent my even ings doing needlework.

"I began tapestry when my husband was ill ? it kept my fingers busy while I sat beside him, and I was able to chat to him at the same lime."

in addition to her carpet,

Mrs. Welsh has made a floor rug incorporating a pattern of English field flowers. The materials for this rug cost $180.

Although she has worn glasses since she was 10 years old. Mrs. Welsh's eyesight is unaffected by the enormous amount of tapestry work she

does.

Tapestry work fills her home ? and her life. She recommends it to anyone who,, like herself, lives alone.

"I never feel lonely when I have so much work on hand," she said.

# Mrs. Welsh and her hand-made carpet. Three years' work went into it.

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