A PROJECT which provides quilts to comfort children across Wales has said thank you after 80 colourful items were donated.

Members of the Welsh Heritage Quilters in Llanidloes donated the quilts to The Linus Project based in Aberystwyth.

They will now be used to comfort seriously ill and traumatised babies, children and teenagers in Wales.

“We are immensely grateful to you all," said Jenny Jenkins of The Linus Project.

The project began in the USA in 1995 and spread to Britain in 2000 as a result of a UK quilter's desire to help children in need of comfort. It is named after the security-blanket carrying character from the Peanuts comic strip.

County Times: (LtoR) Janet Thomas and Jenny Jenkins of the Aberystwyth Linus Project were thrilled by all the quilts members of the Welsh Heritage Quilters had made for children in need of comfort.

The 80-strong stash of Mid Wales quilts were recently on display at the Welsh Heritage Quilters' 20:20 Visions exhibition in Llanidloes.

The quilts, all produced by members of Welsh Heritage Quilters, made a breathtaking sight as they filled the whole of a large exhibition space at the town's Minerva Arts Centre.

Meanwhile, the Quilt Association’s annual Spring Exhibition opens on Saturday, April 30 at its venue, the Minerva Arts Centre, in Llanidloes.

Running until Saturday, May 21 and open from Monday to Saturday each week between 10am and 4pm, there will be three exhibitions in the building.

Gallery One will be home to an exhibition by the Mid Wales Embroiderers, entitled Sanity Through Stitch. This is a local group and features the wonderful work produced since its last exhibition in 2019 which was extremely well received by visitors.

In Gallery Two there will be an exhibition entitled Personal Views, which is the work of a group of students who have been tutored by Hilary Beattie, an internationally recognised textile artist who has herself exhibited and taught in the Minerva Arts Centre many times. The pieces are on a range of themes and are made using a variety of techniques including machine embroidery, photo collage and mixed media work.

The centre’s workroom will be a poignant reminder of one of Hilary’s students, Gill Lamming, as it will provide a showcase for her creativity and hard work before her death in 2021. Hilary is also tutoring two three-day workshops at the centre during the exhibition for each of which there are a couple of places remaining.