SIGNIFICANT Seams, a Crediton area arts organisation, is inviting people to make patches for a community quilt artwork about living through a pandemic.

Everyone is encouraged to contribute a patch - to share their story, and to benefit from the health and well-being benefits of the activity.

Catherine West, Significant Seams Director explains: “Last week at the All party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Well-being, Dr Daisy Fancourt of the Covid-19 Social Study shared their findings that creative activities are proving to be the most protective thing people are doing for their mental health through this period.”

Significant Seams recently hosted its fourth socially distanced session, packing kits of threads, needles, thimbles, embroidery hoops, scissors, fabric and instructions especially for people who are isolating.

NOMINATE

Thanks to funding from Devon Community Foundation the organisation is assembling and posting kits to individuals across Devon. In addition to encouraging us all to make a patch, Significant Seams is inviting people to nominate a friend or neighbour who would enjoy receiving a gift kit in the post.

Recently a BBC team visited the project during a session and this was featured on "Spotlight".

Nominations for gift kits should be emailed to: [email protected] .

CONTRIBUTE A PATCH

Everyone is invited to contribute one of three types of patches:

A stitched word for "The Wall of Words" on a five-inch high x seven inch wide rectangle with a word or phrase within the four x six inch centre area (leaving a half inch seam allowance all the way around the design.

Alternately (or additionally) SW residents are encouraged to submit:

• Any design representing feelings, responses and experiences related to the coronavirus pandemic on seven inch squares with your design centred within the six inch centre area.

• A traditional patchwork design at 13 inch square, noting that the project is using half-inch seam allowances so 12 inches will be visible when the patch is sewn into the finished artwork.

A submission form and posting details are downloadable at: www.thequarantinequiltproject.org .

The Quarantine Quilt will be part of an online exhibition in October. Further plans are subject to evolving circumstances.

The project has received funding from Arts Council England

Significant Seams is an award-winning social enterprise that uses textiles and craft to build community and support people in vulnerable life moments.

Last year it led a project called "The Craft of Caring Mid-Devon", engaging more than 200 carers in co-creating artworks that exhibited alongside works by eight professional artists.