Tamworth Craft Centre founder Penny Kasteel leaves Tamworth arts and crafts after 36 years

The avid quilter, embroider and sewer joined up after semi-retiring from a life as a school teacher.

"I was becoming part-time as a teacher and I said to one of my best friends - I'm going to have some time on my hands, isn't that lovely," she said.

"She said - I'm taking you to art and craft.

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"I was hooked after one day."

Since that 1986 day, Mrs Kasteel has been the engine of the organisation, serving as president on a number of occasions and as one of the most committed members, always.

She helped what had historically been a migratory set of clubs find their home at an old water tank business in Oxley Vale.

They saved $13,900 by buying the business the day before GST went into effect, June 2000.

The shed initially didn't look like much, but with a lot of scrounging and even more volunteer work, Tamworth's Craft Centre took shape.

"We scratched together the money, thank goodness, with a lot of help from the members doing cake stalls and selling this and doing that. We finally got the money together," she said.

Mrs Kasteel, now president, said things have only got bigger and bigger since then.

"We've got a few more groups; we've got a lot more members," she said.

Her time at the Tamworth club is coming to an end.

At the insistence of her family, she's moving closer to her children, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The new house will be just two blocks from the Buderim craft centre - though the facilities won't be as good, she joked.

New arts and crafts president June Madden said she will have huge shoes to fill.

"I'll never fill them," she said.

"In my eyes yes, Penny has done so much."

Mrs Madden doesn't plan any major immediate changes to the club.

Growth of the premises is limited in how far they can expand.

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