Many of us have been looking for ways to fill our time during lockdown and some of our church members have not only ‘kept on crafting’ but some have attempted new craft pursuits like quilling. It is no secret that our members are particularly skilled when it comes to sewing and knitting and if you have ever visited our Christmas Cracker you will have seen the amazing work of the Stitch Craft group. 

Art and craft features heavily in activities followed by our church members but during lockdown these things took on more significance with many finding a purpose and solace in both the time that they had to devote to their hobbies and in the pleasure of creating something new.  

Two of our members Gillian Collins and Zara Oke have kindly supplied photos of the work that they have done during lockdown and share with us about their craft. Gillian writes, ‘I have always enjoyed knitting and needlecraft but like a lot of crafters I am not always good at seeing projects through to the end before getting distracted by another craft that must be tried. When lockdown arrived, I decided that this was a great opportunity to finish off some of these projects. As you can see from the photo the patchwork quilt is very much a “work in progress” with many more hours of work before completion and of course I might always be tempted to try something else before it is finished!’

Zara tells us, ‘Getting creative really helped me cope with lockdown; it kept me busy.  I enjoy making gifts for people or for a stall at church! I have made quite a few felt animals, inspired by nature, I have created owls, foxes and even had a go at making felt elephants. I have made my first attempt at quilling and liked it very much and would tell anyone to have a go at a new craft, you will be surprised at what you can accomplish.’

Whether you enjoy painting, knitting, quilling or jigsaws we hope you have found enjoyment in your crafts during lockdown.