Pupils and OAPs have got quilt project all sewn up

DALE pupils and residents from two care homes came together using video technology to create a craft project that will be displayed in The Bowes Museum this summer.
The Kindness Quilt project, organised by The Bowes Museum, enabled pupils from Montalbo, Green Lane, St Mary’s RC, Bowes Hutchinson’s and Cotherstone primary schools to work alongside residents of Manor House and the Beaconsfield care homes. in Barnard Castle, each Friday using Zoom.
During the sessions residents and pupils produced mixed media segments of a quilt, ranging from stencilled and felted fabric to paper collage.
They have been led by textile artist Claire Ford and took inspiration from Nancy Elizabeth Wallace’s book, The Kindness Quilt. Julia Dunn, education co-ordinator at The Bowes Museum, said: “We were delighted to be able to continue our outreach work with care homes in Barnard Castle at the same time as working with school children in the area by creating this fun intergenerational project.”
Each week a different primary school joined the care home residents creating squares using different crafting techniques. Once all the squares have been created, they will be made up into a kindness quilt.
The children have also been looking at what kindness means and making postcards with personalised messages for care home residents.
The project, funded through a number of bodies including the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, has been made possible due to the museum’s latest exhibition on North Country Quilts.
Ms Dunn added: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of groups and schools wanting to take part in the kindness quilt project.”
The project has been so popular it is being rolled out to 11 more school in County Durham and North Yorkshire.
About 40 schools will take part in a printing webinar on June 14 to help create a giant quilt about six metres wide.
Ms Dunn said: “We’re inviting people to forward 15cm squares that can be assembled in the museum”They can be made from paper or material and have words, images or patterns. They’ll be joined together to go into a really wonderful mixed media display.”
All of the quilts, including the kindness quilt, will be exhibited at the museum from July until January.