A QUILT maker is hoping her latest work will help boost the fund to sew together the fabric of the village church.

Rhona Dick is raffling off the double-sided quilt in aid of Arrochar Church, that is in need of £1/2 million in refurbishment work.

Although they hope grants will help substantially towards the total, the congregation and elders are working to contribute as well.

Rhona, an elder at the church, told the Advertiser: "I have been making patchwork quilts for some years, but, during Covid lockdown I felt I needed a new challenge.

(Image: Contributed)

"I had seen ruler quilting work and thought I’d like to give it a try. I found a very experienced teacher, Angela Attwood, who was running Zoom classes and I signed up for these.

"All the ladies on my course were much more experienced at ruler work that I was, so it was a very steep learning curve for me.

"The course lasted for eight months and I had to put in many hundreds of hours of practice before completing the quilt, as I soon discovered that it isn’t as easy as it looks!

"From the outset I decided that it would be given to the church to be raffled when it was needed. It is needed now."

(Image: Contributed)

The church needs to repair leaking flat roofs and bring the building up to a required modern standard. This is especially true for ventilation, heating and insulation, and disabled access and usage.

Rhona's kilt to aid the effort is 180cm by 180cm. Other prizes include a photographic print by Arrochar's Bob Smith MBE.

Anyone aged 16 or over can buy tickets for the raffle at just £1 each. They can be purchased from church members or on the church's website.

The draw will take place after the Sunday service on February 16, 2025.

(Image: Contributed)

Some money has already been raised of the £500,000 needed for the work. It had been hoped the work would have started already but is now looking more likely for 2025.

Rhona added: "We would prefer to get everything done at once, so that upheaval is minimised and we only need to pay for scaffolding once. This, will of course depend on how quickly we can raise money and obtain grants.

"The quilt is currently on display in the church, which is open to visitors on Wednesday afternoons between 1pm and 2.30pm. Sunday worship is at 10am. Everyone is welcome."