Gardai have reunited a Liveline caller with her stolen sewing machine 'Susie' and a beloved quilt made for a wedding.
Caller Martina, who featured on Wednesday’s episode of Joe Duffy’s RTE show, revealed her car was robbed, with her sewing machine, 'Susie', and a ‘beloved’ quilt she had been making for weeks taken from inside the vehicle. But in a turn of luck, gardai shared an update on Twitter which showed them reuniting the sewing machine and quilt with its owner.
Sharing the reunion, they wrote: “Gardai investigating the theft of a vehicle in Monasterevin, on Tuesday have recovered it and arrested two males. Along with the vehicle a number of items of sentimental value including a sewing machine and quilt which was being made for a family member's wedding were recovered.”
Read more: 'Attention seeking' Gary Lineker was wrong to compare UK with Nazi Germany, says Eamon Dunphy
Martina told Liveline that she took up quilting during the pandemic and had been working on the quilt for weeks for her niece’s wedding. Martina told Joe: “I came in from my friend's last night, and this morning I discovered the car wasn’t there, I rang the Guards, apart from the car, a quilt I have been making since January from my niece, it was one of the biggest projects, I only started sewing during the pandemic, I took up the sewing machine.”
“The quilting just took my fancy, my niece is getting married in September, I decided to take on this project, because I didn't have enough space, I went out to my friend in Stradbally, I came home yesterday, I just feel like crying."
Martina revealed it took her three days with her friend Jackie to get the back of the quilt done. Joe Duffy said to Martina: “Why aren’t you crying over your car, you’re more concerned about the quilt.”
Martina described her car that was stolen, and said: “It’s a silver Nissan March, it’s a Japanese import, 131-D-35035, there’s no hood caps on it, it was stolen in the Monasterevin area, it was stolen at 10:45pm last night, they went into the local garage to put petrol in it, and didn’t pay for the petrol, and legged.”
“They broke one of the side glasses off the door, it’s an automatic. The quilt was in the back of the car with my sewing machine. It’s the car, the quilt and the sewing machine.”
“I don’t do much because I’m on disability, but it’s one of the only things keeping me going.” Martina has arthritis and she put around 4 weeks into making the quilt, which was a labour of love.
She revealed she has suffered from depression and finds mindfulness and sewing beneficial.
Read next:
RTE star Jordan Dunbar remembered as 'force of nature' at funeral mass
Wicklow documentary maker recalls 'burned bodies' and speeding for his life in Ukraine
Garda detective quizzed as part of investigations into alleged Hutch gang links
Heartbroken son of man killed in Kildare assault says he 'hopes for justice'
Thousands could be made homeless in eviction 'tsunami' warning
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
