The Thistle Quilters are an open, friendly group of quilters and textile artists based in Edinburgh.

The group meets monthly on Saturday mornings, from September to June at Fairmilehead Parish Church, and welcomes new and experienced quilters alike.

Their meetings feature lectures on a variety of textile-related topics from local and national speakers, as well as workshops, sharing practical tips, challenges, making group quilts and social events.

Its members' patchwork and quilting interests encompass the full spectrum of traditional, contemporary, art and modern quilting (and every variation in between) in sizes from miniature to large bed quilts.

The group is affiliated to the Quilters Guild of the British Isles, and several of its members have served on the guild's national committee and spoken at regional events.

To find out more about the Thistle Quilters, visit www.thistlequilters.co.uk

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In 2017, we sent poet Rachel Tennant to visit the Thistle Quilters, as part of our 'My Time' poetry project.

You can read the poem Rachel was inspired to write here.

And here's what Rachel had to say about the people she met:

"The Thistle Quilters were such an enthusiastic group, their passion was palpable. Their appreciation of colour and texture when selecting fabrics was similar to an artist’s eye. They were so vocal about their love of quilting - I had no shortage of things to write about and it was a pleasure to be welcomed into their world."