Alnwick textiles students create special quilt for charity

The quilt, made under the supervision of Art and Textiles specialist Miss Kidd, was made as part of an initiative designed to help support young people leaving the care system.

‘Quilts for Care Leavers’ was first started by Maggie Lloyd Jones in Leeds in 2018, following a 30-year career as a solicitor in the field of child protection and safeguarding.

Soon after retiring, ‘Quilts for Christmas Dinners’ was set up, an open group which can be found on facebook.

She conceptualised the idea of creating and gifting quilts to young people leaving care at age 18, and subsequently the giving of quilts to those attending Christmas Day dinners set up for care leavers under the auspices of the Lemn Sissay Foundation (now Gold from The Stone).

The idea came after hearing Lemn say that when he was moved from foster care to residential care at the age of 12 years, all he had wanted was a hug.

Now a poet, Lemn grew up in care and now works to support young people as the local authority support that children are given comes to an end and they become independent adults.

Miss Kidd has made a number of quilts for the organisation, but wanted to involve A level textiles students this time, to work on something for a community organisation.

The students were all taught to make a patchwork block called a ‘nine patch’ then they each designed another ‘block’ or section of the quilt. These blocks were then put together and quilted with wadding and a backing by Miss Kidd. The whole quilt was then finished off with a binding, which some of the students helped to sew.

For some of the students it was their first time using a sewing machine, and most learned a new skill which could be used within the production of a piece of art.

Altogether 10 year 12 students contributed to the quilt with at least one patchwork block.

It will be handed over to the group ‘Quilts for Care Leavers’ soon and offered to a young care leaver at a Christmas dinner event.