Crafters wanted at Colchester Hospital
Could you help make a community quilt?
Quilters of all abilities are being invited to capture their memories of the coronavirus pandemic with a stitch in time by helping to create a community quilt to raise funds for those most affected by COVID-19.
Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity is appealing to crafters to reflect their own experiences of the past 16 months on fabric squares which will then be stitched together to create the patchwork quilt.
Once complete, the textile will travel around healthcare and community buildings across Suffolk and north Essex to raise vital funds.
Mandy Jordan, Associate Director of Charities and Voluntary Services at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which is co-ordinating the project, said:
“The struggles of this pandemic have shown what truly matters to all of us: family, friends and community.
“Whilst reflecting we must also recognise the hard work and determination of all those key workers, NHS and care workers, neighbours and strangers who stepped forward to help us at a time of need.
“This quilt is a chance for us to pause to reflect and show our thanks to all those who helped. It is also about local people and places, and is a way to talk, create and give people a voice so that we can gain a new understanding of the communities around us and how we coped.
“This is a great opportunity to share your memory with others while helping us create a time capsule of coronavirus and record a diverse range of experiences through the pandemic. I encourage people of all levels and abilities to get sewing.”
The fabric should be no more than 17cm square, ideally on cotton or calico and with a half inch border, with the design fitting within the 15cm centre area.
People are asked to experiment with embroidery, cross stitch, hand sewing, fabric paint or any other medium.
Completed squares should be sent to the Charity Office, North Zone, Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD before the end of September.
Should they wish to, anyone who takes part can also share a few lines about their experience during the pandemic which will be posted on the charity’s Instagram account @cihospitalcharity, together with a picture of their square.