Volunteers from the Save the Children charity shops in Edinburgh have made an enormous patchwork quilt which will tour the city in the next few weeks before being put up for auction.
The quilters along with some help from customers and friends used their extra time during lockdowns beginning in 2020 to create the 54 square feet quilt using many colourful patches. The volunteers were asked to create blocks or strips of patchwork out of 6 inch square using whatever spare material they could find.
Save the Children Volunteer, Cherry Ledlie who was in charge of the project from the Marchmont shop said she had to stop contributions for the quilt as the response was so great. She said : “Over Christmas and New Year the patchwork was assembled and quilted. The wonderful variety of patches includes festive fabrics, sunny yellow ribbons, delicate floral prints, the stripes and checks of men’s shirts, and some really cute children’s prints – you might have spotted the unicorn! My personal favourites are the prints with a sewing theme – one of old-fashioned cotton reels and another of colourful glass-headed dressmakers pins.
“We would like to wholeheartedly thank all of the shop volunteers, customers and friends who contributed. It is an incredible project to have worked on together, and shows how we rely on each other for community, strength and comfort, particularly when times are difficult. The combined small efforts of individuals really can achieve great things, just as the volunteers in all the Save the Children shops do every year, raising thousands of pounds for the charity’s international programmes.”
The tour and auction of the patchwork quilt begins this week and customers can pop in and complete an auction bid form. The quilt will be on display at the following Save the Children shops:
144 Marchmont Road EH9 1AQ, Mon 21st – Sat 26th Feb
• 45 Dalry Road EH11 2BU, Mon 28th Feb to Sat 5th March
• 112 Nicolson Street, Newington EH8 9EJ, Mon 7th – Sat 12th March
• 34a Raeburn Place, Stockbridge EH4 1HN, Mon 14th – Sat 19th March
• 390 Morningside Road, EH10 5HX, Mon 21st – Sat 28th March
• ….and back to Marchmont on Monday 30th March – Sat 2nd April. The winning bidder will be announced on Thursday 31st March
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