The viewing began on Monday August 6 and runs through to Sunday August 12 from 10-4pm daily and all proceeds from the gold coin donation to enter will be donated to Bowel Cancer Research.

“These are by no means all of my quilts, there’s only 65 here and about 12 are for sale,” Ms Wilmot said

“There are three full to overflowing suitcases at home, along with the ones I have gifted quilts to, like my sisters, my brother, my son, nieces and nephews for Christmas, birthdays and weddings. 

“A few friends have them too and my niece and my husband Tom have their favourite quilts for their eternal rest,” she said.

Over 25 years ago a friend of Ms Wilmot’s encouraged her to attend a quilting workshop.

“She said to me ‘you should go, you’d enjoy it’.”

“I replied to her that I can't justify going to a place, chopping things up and then sewing them back together but I went along just to keep her quiet,” she said.

“It was the beginning of the end – I made two quilts and haven't stopped since.”

Ms Wilmot said her favourite quilt is likely the one she is working on at any one time.

“I do like the quilts now that are a little bit different.

I love sampler quilts which are the ones made up of all different blocks,” she said.

I make them because I love the process and the friendships they inspire and I love to teach quilting too.  

There is a story behind all the quilts and this particular one – The Heart Quilt –  was made for Ms Wilmot.

“The members of our Quilting group made the blocks after my brother, John and his family died in a house fire in 2004.

“I cried when the ladies gave me the blocks, I cried when I pieced them together and cried when I quilted it,” she said.