Quilts for The Longest Day

18/09/2026

Nice photo of Keith's quilt here...

An exhibition of patchwork quilts made for military veterans is proving an emotional experience for visitors at Wentworth Woodhouse.

16/09/2026

Hi All

Just a reminder that some of our volunteers will be in the Low Drawing Room at Wentworth Woodhouse this coming Sunday from 10.00 - 4.00. We'll be working on the finishing touches of some of our quilts, and there will also be the opportunity to have a go at some hand sewing - you can make a small piece of patchwork to take away with you.

We've just noticed that there will be some road closures in the local area from 9.00 until at least 10.30, but everything should be clear by no later than 11.30. If you are planning to visit, it's worth keeping that in mind.

Oh - and did we mention that it's free to come and see us? The room we will be in is very close to where the quilts are being exhibited, so if you haven't yet had the chance to come and see them on display, it's definitely worth coming over on the day.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sew-in-at-the-house-tickets-1999770510429?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

15/09/2026

Look at what's on page 56 of Rotherham Life magazine...

Rotherham Life September 2026

08/09/2026

Come and help sew a patchwork quilt, to be distributed to military veterans, with Quilts for the Longest Day and Happy Hare at Wentworth Woodhouse.

As part of the ongoing Quilts for the Longest Day exhibition in the community space (Old Hall), the team are going to be working on some hand sewing – slip stitching binding and sewing on labels – the final steps the quilts need to go through, ready to donate.

Whether you’re an experienced quilter or a complete beginner, there’s a way to get involved. Experienced sewers can help work on the quilt, while newcomers can learn the art of slip stitching using sample pieces to take away and continue practising at home.

The session will be run on a drop-in basis, so just come along and spend some time sewing.

Sunday 20th September & Sunday 8th November 2026, Free drop-in.
Book your place 👉 https://wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/whats-on/sit-and-sew-quilts-for-the-longest-day/

27/08/2026

Many thanks to Veterans' Foundation for sharing this - their very generous funding paid for the materials for fifty quilts for veterans, the quilt frames we are using for our current exhibition, and last year's pie and peas veterans event.

Sometimes the best ideas start with a simple conversation...

In 2023, Lisa Birkett was at one of the regular social sewing sessions at her Sheffield fabric shop, Happy Hare. With the 80th anniversary of D-Day approaching, the group discussed how they could mark it.

The original idea was to make a quilt block. Lisa had another idea: what if they made 80 quilts and gave them to veterans? And so, Quilts for The Longest Day was born.

The group raised more than £4,000 and went on to make 109 quilts for veterans, far exceeding their original ambition. They enjoyed it so much that they decided to keep going, establishing Quilts For The Longest Day as a not-for-profit organisation. Today, the group has made hundreds of quilts, each one made with time, skill and care and given to veterans of all ages.

In January 2025, the Veterans’ Foundation was delighted to award £5,000 to help the group make 50 more quilts for vulnerable veterans, including those who are homeless or living in care homes. The funding is also supporting community events and equipment to help the quilts reach even more people.

Quilts For The Longest Day: A Sewing Group’s Accidental Journey is being showcased at Wentworth Woodhouse, bringing together the quilts and the stories behind them. From military aircraft and warships to medals, poppies and personal tributes, each quilt is a reminder that behind every veteran is a story and that taking the time to say thank you can mean an enormous amount.
Want to see the quilts for yourself? The exhibition is open at Wentworth Woodhouse until 14 November.

A small idea, a group of volunteers, and a lot of stitches is now making a very real difference to veterans.

26/08/2026

Hi all

As you may be aware, all of our work is funded through grants and individual donations. We are in a position where we're been waiting for the outcome of an application for several months, and the next one we can apply for has a closing date of the end of October.

That means that, at the moment, we're running very low on funds.

We do have plenty of the central panels in stock, plus the feature fabrics with tanks and planes on, but we're running low on some of the contrast fabrics we need, and are virtually out of the wadding which we use as the middle layer of the quilts.

We currently have twenty-five completed quilt tops, but only have enough wadding to quilt four of those. A roll of wadding costs us £350 (wholesale), and we need that pretty much immediately.

If you are in a position to support us, we do have a Justgiving page. Alternatively, if you message the page, we can let you have our bank details.

Many thanks in anticipation!

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/quiltsforthelongestday?utm_term=XzvdDR7Eb&utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

23/08/2026

Godfrey is the oldest member of the Royal Engineers Association - he will be 107 in October. We're so pleased that we were able to respond to Royal Engineers Association Wakefield Branch's request for a quilt for him.

22/08/2026

Lisa Birkett founder of Quilts For the Longest Day, a community sewing and not-for-profit group with nimble-fingered members from across Yorkshire making patchwork quilts for military veterans based at sewing shop Happy Hare in in Chapeltown, Sheffield. Quilts For The Longest Day have an exhibition at Wentworth Woodhouse Community Exhibitions Space running until November 14. Picture by Tony Johnson

22/08/2026

In case you missed it (we did!) https://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/people/special-quilts-for-veterans-go-on-show-at-wentworth-woodhouse-8832521?r=7407

21/08/2026

Peter with his quilt. Many thanks to Mick for once again presenting for us.