(Pauline
Dalais & Caroline Smart, who created the blanket)
The Retha Cilliers Memory Blanket is now
complete and on its way to Johannesburg next week in time for the official
launch of 67 Blankets for Madiba Day!
This blanket has been created in memory of
Retha Cilliers. Formerly a bassoonist in the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic, she
went on to become the CEO of the massive Field Band Foundation.
Last year she was diagnosed with bone
cancer and, after a long and extremely painful battle fearlessly fought, she
passed away in February.
Retha’s close friend Caroline Smart visited
her in Hospice in January and when Retha heard what she was doing regarding the
67 Blankets for Madiba Day project, she asked Caroline to teach her how to
crochet so she could contribute.
A week or so later, when Retha was back at
her home, Caroline arrived armed with crochet hooks and wool to teach Retha and
her carer, Kim Davis. Retha was suffering from a lot of pain but was determined
to learn. After Caroline had made a few rows, she took over the hook and the cream
wool, which was the colour of her choice.
“Unfortunately, a few weeks later Retha was
taken from us but that little piece of cream got me thinking about how to
design a Memory Blanket for her,” says Caroline Smart. She put the idea to
Retha’s friends who contributed wool for the blanket which she and her
PA/secretary Pauline Dalais made up.
Choosing their individual colours, the friends involved are Anriette Chorn,
Bryan Clarke, Nicky du Plessis, Rose Juby, Vessie Minkova, Ugo Paladini, David
Smith, Derek Vaughan-Heapy and Janet Welch. Also Kim Davis and her domestic
helper, Miriam Bhengu.
The creative thinking behind the blanket
focuses on Retha's cream strip in the centre of the blanket. Alongside it is a
little piece (red) done by Kim. This is surrounded by a mass of red representing
the warmth and concern of Kim’s care of Retha.
Surrounding this is a protective yellow band
representing Ugo Paladini (Retha’s ex-husband) who had been looking after her personal
business affairs.
Retha then “moves outside” her earthly
position and, in her cream colour, links all of her special friends together
through their chosen colours. The border is dark green representing Nicky du
Plessis who now holds Retha's precious Field Band together as its new CEO. It
also represents the lush foliage that surrounded Retha's house.
“This has been a very special blanket to
create,” says Caroline Smart. “Friends have been so supportive that there is
now enough wool to make a Retha Memory Blanket #2!”
For more information on 67 Blankets for
Madiba Day visit the Facebook page.
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