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Quilters' showcase held in Wick





Keen quilters Jean Johnston, Janet Corbett, Lyn Ball and Pat Stanley in front of some of their work at St John’s Church, Wick.
Keen quilters Jean Johnston, Janet Corbett, Lyn Ball and Pat Stanley in front of some of their work at St John’s Church, Wick.

Lyn Ball’s quilting guild moved their yearly showing to the town from Freswick this year as they needed more space to hang all their work.

The quilts were displayed over every surface bar the roof in the Church of St John the Evangelist in Moray Street as the crafters showed their work.

The display included their contribution to a fundraising project which will see them cover Hampden Park’s pitch in patchwork next summer. But the highlight of the exhibition for Lyn was the Christmas quilts which all had a unique take on a festive theme.

After making a festive-themed quilt over the last cold spell, the members of Lyn’s quilting guild were challenged to create their own take on a yuletide blanket.

“They’re just wonderful and visually stunning and tend to be the centre of our annual exhibition,” she said. “It’s also a wonderful pastime – you meet lovely people and it’s a great form of expressing your creativity.”

She added: “It’s a great world to be part of.”

As well as making the covers for pleasure, the group has always had a charitable streak.

Lyn was the first co-ordinator for the north of Scotland branch of Project Linus UK which provides a sense of security and comfort to sick and traumatised babies, children and teenagers through the provision of new home-made patchwork quilts and knitted and crocheted blankets.

The charitable project was imported from America in 2000 and takes its name from the Peanuts comic strip character Linus van Pelt who was continually drawn by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz with a security blanket.

Over seven years, Lyn and her group created tiny quilts for babies and supplied hospitals, ambulance stations and children’s homes with comfort blankets.

The project remains tied to Caithness to this day, with another quilter in the county taking up the role from Lyn after she stepped down.

Lyn has recruited some youngsters into the fold – most of whom are primary school-aged boys. They too had their work on show last week at the bright and colourful exhibition.


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