BOB James and Maree Blanchard had a bond that outlasted their 70 years as friends.
Born 18 months apart, the duo grew up together and became the greatest of friends. But it was their shared passion for quilting that ultimately forged a bitter-sweet legacy.
Five years ago the Cronulla woman was diagnosed with terminal breast
cancer, and just six months ago following chemotherapy, which affected her hands, was unable to continue quilting, a pastime she had enjoyed all her life.
With a half-finished quilt for a hand-quilting exhibition, Maree asked Bob to help her finish the quilt so it could be entered in the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair.
For months Bob worked on the quilt, returning it to Maree daily for tips.
But Maree would never see the completed quilt as she died in February.
Bob finished the quilt, which will be showcased along with a record 438 quilts at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, now open.
The quilt is the couple's first jointly-created artwork.
"She was my quilting wife", Bob said. "More than that, she was my best friend, we spoke on the phone to each other every day at exactly 6.15pm for 30 years."
Bob was introduced to quilting by Maree 16 years ago and his own love affair with quilting involved Maree.
"We were coming back from a trip scattering her mother's ashes and we stopped at a local quilt shop in Canberra," he said. "I saw a quilt I liked and asked Maree to make it for me. She laughed and told me to make it myself.
"That for me was the beginning and I haven't stopped since.
"We quilted side by side for many years, sharing ideas, colours, fabrics, techniques and styles.
"I came to love it more than I ever thought I would, so to be able to quilt in Maree's honour is truly humbling.
"We'd never worked together before this because we would have killed each other.
"But she had started it, in her preferred style by hand, whereas I do all my quilting by machine, so I had to learn to do it by hand.
"Right up until the day she died she was in my ear with advice and pointers."
The quilt is entered in the red and white category at the fair, and features four big round balls, with three dimensional little balls inside and it is hand quilted.
Bob will also display one of his quilts in the modern section, a deconstructed rose with 10,000 pieces of fabric, which took four months to complete.
The 2015 Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair is at the Sydney Exhibition Centre where handmade soft furnishings, decorative and wearable art, embroidery, knitting, paper craft, vintage fashion and quilts are on display. It is open until June 21.
