The search for the Sydney

Everyone in Australia knows that they found the Sydney in April this year. HMAS Sydney and all her crew were lost in 1941 when she engaged with a German ship HSK Kormoran. And because it was not known exactly where she went down it has been the subject of conjecture since then. Last year we visited the beautiful memorial in Geraldton, Western Australia. It is full of symbolism and very moving. The Silver Gulls, one for each sailor lost, fly over the dome.

My friend Lois' father was one of the sailors listed on the memorial wall, and because she has never been able to visit the memorial herself I took a photo of the section of the wall with his name on it for her. I was pleased with the effect of the mirrored black marble reflecting the memorial behind the names.

This year Lois has been diagnosed with cancer and for five months has been undergoing the chemotherapy. She hasn't been able to fully celebrate and enjoy the finding of the Sydney as she would have if she was well, but it has certainly been an event that has brought some closure to the families of the sailors.

With all of this in mind I decided to make her a small quilt with a Sydney theme. I used one of my photos (above) as a pattern, and embroidered her father's name on the bottom.