Quilters cover church for charity

More than 100 colourful quilts are on display in Newark Parish Church in an exhibition to raise money for charity.

The quilts have been made by members of the Tuesday Quilters, a group of more than 30 who meet at Millgate Community Centre.

The group’s chairman, Mrs Pat Bartley, said the exhibition was quite an achievement for the group, whose members include several in their nineties.

“I am overwhelmed by how many we have got,” she said. “Some of the work is magnificent”

The exhibition opened on Tuesday and continues until Saturday, from 10am to 4pm each day. There is no charge, but members are selling raffle tickets in aid of the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

The quilts have been made using a mixture of hand and machine techniques, with some featuring intricate patterns and others a range of subjects, from trees to cats.

One made by Maggie Wallinder is described as a dementia fiddle quilt, which is designed to soothe and stimulate the memory and senses through tactile elements including ribbons, buttons, beads, pockets and zips.

Another, called wreaths of green, took Mrs Judith Gill about three winters to complete, using a mix of machine piecing, hand embroidery and hand quilting.