Juliet McArthur, wife and mother, ex-midwife, creative, crafty, artist, and lover of fine fabrics.
Rising to meet some crazy new challenge seems to be the way I’m wired! From launching a new ESOL group in my local church, to translating a book from French to English - I can’t resist the prospect of something new and engrossing - especially one that gets my creative juices flowing! The only proviso being that it must fit around the needs of my whanau. Also it matters to me that the project improves the lives of others and is good for the planet! And so a visit to the Solomons in 2018 has led to a surprising journey, culminating in the establishment of Gifts for Good.
It all started with a kind donation of beautiful pieces of fabric from Warwick Fabrics in Parnell and from Lindsay of Living At Home in Remuera, which we stored and sorted in a spare bedroom. My first volunteers, Elaine Bishop and Nora Johnson, transformed these into an array of handcrafted gems - from linen scarves which were hand dyed with organic dyes, to bags, aprons, oven gloves as well as cute children’s creations. Now with many more generous fabric donors and a growing community of volunteers, we have a container shop in Greenlane, Auckland, where we can display and sell the fabric and products. We can also be found at selected local markets including the Devonport Ethical Market, and the Justice Conference.
One of the best aspects of Gifts for Good is community. I love the connections I’ve made with all kinds of new friends, with skills complementary to mine, gathering around a common purpose.