Community Quilt Display
The Community Quilt is a collaborative project that invited community groups, visitors, volunteers and staff at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery to craft small squares inspired by artefacts from the museum’s collection and the history of Dorset. These individual squares were then joined together to create a large, vibrant quilt that will be on display in the Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Community Space at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery from 11 November 2024.
The brief for the fabric squares was very open-ended. Contributors were encouraged to explore any textile medium and technique they wished. A variety of people were involved including groups such as Start Recovery art group, Weymouth Rainbows and Charminster Women’s Institute. Many squares were crafted and sent by visitors inspired by the collection, while other pieces were made in workshops and family art and craft sessions. These workshops featured block printing techniques and embroidery sessions led by members of Dorchester Mosque alongside volunteers at the museum.
The quilt itself was meticulously constructed using traditional quilting techniques by Lesley Platt and Liz Lee. Both are passionate quilters who also co-ordinate Linus – a charity project that donates handmade quilts to sick and disadvantaged children across Dorset.
