THE rain didn’t stop the Teesdale Quilters’ raising £4,440 for charity at their biennial quilting exhibition held at Gainford.
More than 400 quilters and visitors from across the region attended the exhibition, getting together to chat about the quilts and enjoy tea with homemade cakes and scones.
Member of the Teesdale Quilters Amanda Thomas said: “We are a fantastic community of older women who support each other both as sowers and as friends.”
The event transformed Gainford Village Hall with the walls covered in quilts, which had been made by a group of about 20 women during the past two years. Demonstration tables were available so people could try the craft, as well as stalls to look at.
All visitors were asked to choose their favourite quilt and the most popular was Caroline Upton’s “Minute Hexagons” .
The paper-pieced quilt had more than 8,000 small hand stitched pieces.
Using sample books of fabric, donated by Niche Living of Barnard Castle, the group had produced more than 200 unique handbags that were given as prizes in the tombola, which raised £794.
Two quilts were raffled to raise funds for St Teresa’s Hospice, in Darlington, and the group have since donated £1,500 to the hospice and £1,000 to the Great North Air Ambulance Service following the event. A further £800 is to be donated to Gainford Village Hall.
Janet Hill, a member of the Teesdale Quilters, said: “Our thanks go to all those who made the exhibition possible and to the generosity of the 300-plus people who came to see our show and gave so generously.”
