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Making new Dementia friends

Karen’s total is up to 15 now; dental patients and vulnerable people requiring advice who are affected by dementia will find more understanding ears. It is also possible to deliver sessions to children and young people. There is specialist material which includes a version of the Dementia Friends logo which was just begging to become applique!

 

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Become a dementia friend

As part of becoming a Dementia Champion I have attended a  Dementia Friends Information session. I thought I knew quite a bit about dementia – but it made me see things in a new light. You can become a dementia friend by wathcing a video but I would highly reccomend attending an information session – they are very powerful

https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/

 

 

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Wally, Dorcas, Joan and Gladys need quilts!

Despite the worst snow in Somerset for a very very long time managed to meet up with Sharon, the activity co-ordinator in a nursing home in Frome who has identified some residents who need quilts. I have information about each of their interests so if anyone would like to get involved in making a Fiddle quilt especially if you live near Frome – do get in touch

fiddlefingersquilts@gmail.com

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Valentine’s night with Brockhampton quilters!

Thanks to Brockhampton Quilters for being  welcomed at one of their recent meetings. Unfortunately the evening was made all the more memorable by the sewing machine that started smoking! Luckily the owner was right there to turn it off immediately otherwise there might ahve been a serious fire. I do hope the machine hasn’t been damaged irreparably.

No doubt residents at  the  local home in Cheltenham will be very grateful for any Fiddle quilts made at the group’s sewing event at the end of  March.

 

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Crystal Quilters

Thanks to Crystal Quilters for hosting a talk last week. Lots of lovely quilts to share with them – mostly Judy’s creations. Members are thinking about holding a workshop in the early summer to make some for loved ones and maybe some local residents.

Looking forward to seeing what ideas they come up with!

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Welcome to our website

We have been busy over the last few months and there are lots of things in development which we are really excited about  – not least this website – please do give us some feedback

On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th August we will be off to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC where we will again be “wearing some quilts” – if you see us do say hello! We are also going to meet with some of the Young Quilters volunteers to explore ideas about involving young quilters in making Memory/Fiddle Quilts. One possibility which we are exploring with year 7 & 8 in a school in Yorkshire is starting with “Carl and Ellie’s quilt” – those of you familiar with the Disney/Pixar film Up will know what we mean!

Judy and I have both got talks to various quilting groups lined up in the  Midlands and Oxfordshire in 2017 and 2018. We can travel further afield, if you would like us to come to near you please get in touch.

We are in early discussions with a couple of settings who are enthusiastic about having memory/fiddle quilts made for their residents – and a couple of potential venues to run workshops to make them.

Karen has been awarded the Quilters Guild Founders Bursary.  This aims to help Guild members to extend their knowledge of patchwork, quilting and appliqué or to share their knowledge with others. She will be using this firstly to develop and test teaching materials for workshops (which others can then use) and secondly to explore the following ideas

  • Are there differences in the kinds of quilts that work best according to the recipient’s gender?
  • How would quilts vary for people from diverse backgrounds
  • How could we involve young quilters in the making of these quilts?
  • How best to find suitable beneficiaries for groups who want to make quilts

We have already learnt such a lot from the people we have met – the bursary will help to support us further