Cascade of Flowers brings Mitchelton community together for a yarn

Posted 31st May 2023

A visually stunning spectacle that has brought communities of all kinds together

St Vincent's Care Mitchelton has celebrated 30 years by decorating the Monastery on Church Road with a cascade of over 1500 yarn flowers.

The flowers were handmade by aged care residents, staff, volunteers and local students, who embraced the opportunity to create something special together. The craft class led by St Vincent's Care Mitchelton has been an opportunity for residents to get creative, share stories and form friendships.

"The flower cascade represents the stories, lives and connections that have been made within these walls," said Lifestyle Coordinator, Joanne who kicked off the project after seeing a post in the UK where a village had put flowers on their church during COVID.

“The Monastery building has been part of the local community since around 1929 so I thought it would be good to celebrate in a way that will involve the local community. I contacted the local craft groups, local schools and other St Vincent facilities asking for donations of handmade flowers,” she explains.

After sharing the project online, crafters from all over Australia sent in flowers to be a part of this remarkable installation that celebrates community connections.

“I approached Crochet Australia to see if they would put it up on their Facebook page. I started this in 2022, asking for flowers by March 2023. The flowers have come in from all over Australia – over 1500 in total!” says Jo. “Yarn is another word for stories, so many of which are sewn into the work,” she adds.

Over 25 students from Mt Maria College in Mitchelton also got involved as part of the colleges service and outreach program, visiting the home to help craft flowers and interview residents, staff and volunteers for a booklet about their stories as a memento.

“Connecting with our community is a valued priority for us and being involved gave the students an opportunity to encounter something special! An opportunity to connect with many wise, kind and generous elders who shared their stories with love and humour,” says Caroline Sarra, Assistant Principal Faith and Mission at Mt Maria College. “I am not sure who gained more from this experience the students or the residents. The warmth of connection and joy was evident in the hearts of all”.

Mt Maria students hard at work along with residents to complete the display

“We feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful project and look forward to exploring more ways that the meeting of two generations can continue to enrich many lives.”

Art and craft activities are a great way for people of all abilities and ages to come together to express themselves, share stories and connect with others.

“Flowers are a symbol of life, beauty and colour, and they also represent transience and impermanence. The flower cascade expresses all of these that are part of the unseen life within the walls,” says Jo.

Thank you to all the lovely residents, staff, volunteers, students and other crafters near and far who contributed yarn flowers for the cascade, together you have made something truly special.

We can’t wait to see what other crafty projects our St Vincent’s community come up with next!