A CREATIVE group of women from Bromsgrove who came together to sew and raise funds for charity have completed their latest creation.
The Forget-me-not Sewing Bees’ Alzheimer’s Fundraising Quilt will be on display at The Festival of Quilts at Birmingham’s NEC from August 3 to 6.
The sewing bees hope to sell their creation at Europe’s largest patchwork and quilting event to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society which the group has an affinity with after naming themselves after the charity’s flower logo.
The group runs free sewing workshops, making a variety of machine stitched items, usually from or including recycled denim.
In return the participants make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Julie Pask set up the group with April Edwards back in 2017 and since then membership has grown steadily.
Julie said: “We enjoy each other’s company, learning new sewing techniques and consuming copious amounts of tea and home made cakes.
“Our latest fund-raising project is a group quilt was created by 20 of our members, many of whom had not tried patchwork before.
“Although some of the original blocks were made in 2019, the rest followed in 2022 as the Covid pandemic curtailed our progress.”
The quilt not only includes patchwork and recycled denim but also links to the group’s name – hence the colour theme of blue, black and gold, the forget-me-not flowers, the bees, tea and cake.
Julie added: “The quilt is also a tribute to three of our members who sadly passed away before it was finished – Mandy, Debs and Lois.
“As well as raising awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s it is hoped our quilt will also raise much needed funds for the important research carried out by the Alzheimer’s Society.
“We are really proud of our quilt, the friendships created, the story it tells and our commitment to raising awareness of dementia and Alzheimers. It has been sewn with love and enthusiasm by all those involved.”
Visit justgiving.com/page/julie-pask-1689620641163 to donate to the cause and find out more.
