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Salisbury Community Choir's african quilt - choir members with the quilt they have created. DB3966P2

EIGHT members of Salisbury Community Choir, all skilled needlewomen, have spent the last eight months on a quite special and amazing project as a fundraiser for the choir's music scholarship fund, helping talented children from South African townships through university.

"I felt a quilt coming on," smiles spokeswoman Dot Walker, reflecting her thoughts while on the choir's tour to Cape Town last year. And, joined by Maureen Davidson and Liz Long, the trio set off to a fabric shop to buy locally made material.

"The shop even had its own armed guard and was an experience in itself," she adds.

On return to England, five other choir members joined the project and the African Quilt group was born.

"A lot of time was spent at the planning stage. We planned it out on a one-inch grid, and slowly the quilt evolved over many cups of tea and a lot of contemplation. It was a huge learning curve for all of us."

The design of the quilt, African Reflections, is based on themes that represented South Africa to the group. Vibrant and original, details are set against a backdrop of Table Mountain. Measuring 200 centimetres by 144 centimetres, the quilt makes an impressive wall hanging.

Photographs of some of the detailing have been used on packs of notelets that are being sold for £5 for a pack of ten through choir members.

Originally, the idea was to raffle the quilt, but an anonymous donor made an offer too good to refuse. But, thankfully, the donor is prepared to "lend" the quilt out for Community Choir events and it will be on display in the foyer of Salisbury Playhouse on Thursday, May 22 and Saturday, May 24 during the day.

11:15am Thursday 15th May 2008

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