Barry Community Quilt 
"stitching the community back together

My square represents the nature of Barry. I love taking my son out to explore the woods and beaches, especially Porthkerry and The Knap.

I’ve lived in Barry all my life and love being near the sea and its beautiful woodlands. I live near The Milwood and I took inspiration during my peaceful lockdown walks through the wood to Porthkerry Park. I use wire when making sculptures and thought I’d incorporate it over ink fabric panels for the quilt. Great to be part of this project - thank you!

I think the ‘Community Quilt’ is a lovely idea, giving everyone an opportunity to give a little snapshot of their life in Barry. We moved here in July 2019 and love living near the beaches, so perfect for walking our dog. I’ve based my patch on a seagull. During the lockdown we had lots of time to watch the seagulls outside dropping mussels on the path so they could enjoy a good meal, completely oblivious to all that was happening with the pandemic, it was a perfect distraction.

This patch was inspired by a ride on Susan (the steam engine) at Barry Tourist Railway and a trip in one of their brake wagons one weekend last December at the Goodsheds. ‘Barry is quite an important place because of it’s saviour of steam engines. I’m a huge fan of steam engines and I draw them a lot, so I decided to try out my fabric pens and also have a go at sewing with my mum.’

I met my partner in Barry Memo thirteen years ago, when we began rehearsals here with a theatre company, so it’s a special place for us. Five years ago we moved to Barry to buy a house together and bring up our son. My son has always been intrigued by my sewing machine and I enjoy embroidering freehand onto card, so it was fun to work together on his idea to make our house part of this community quilt. Through lockdown we have been going on night walks because he wanted to draw the beautiful...

The image on my quilt square represents the joy I feel spending time with my pony Titch, he has really helped me through the pandemic.

My square for the Community Quilt. It’s a seaside scene. 2 years ago we hired 2 beach huts at Barry Island for a family party for my sister’s 50th and Mum’s 84th birthdays. It was such a happy day. Barry Island is very special to me, I worked there from age 14 in what is now ‘Marco’s’ on the Prom. Both my children worked there too! It is my happy place! Can’t wait to get back there for an ice cream. I’ve lived in Barry all my life and can’t think of anywhere I would rather be. ...

‘View from our window’ This square represents the view from our family home in Redbrink Crescent, Barry Island. We overlook the main entrance to Barry Docks and can see the lighthouse, the RNLI and pilot boat stations. We can see Bendrick Rock, Sully Island, Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands. We are able to see Weston Super Mare and the way down to Hinkley Point. We are very proud of the history of the Docks and know that Barry has the second highest tidal range in the world....

I’ve loved sewing since I was a child, in the first wave of the pandemic I sewed scrubs for doctors and nurses in South Wales and was glad to be part of this endeavour. It felt like something hopeful in the darkness of it all. I think the quilt feels that way as well. The patch shows the view from my desk at home in Barry. This is where I sit and write books and do my academic work. Currently (Feb 2021) it is the desk of my youngst daughter, Ros, as she’s using my computer for online school. I l

This represents Alice’s eleventh birthday, which she had to celebrate in lockdown. There were two house parties in the end, because there was meant to be a barbecue but it rained on the day of Alice’s birthday and the supermarket didn’t deliver the cake so there was emergency Chinese take away instead. We tried again three days later and managed a barbecue in the garden with a homemade Victoria sponge cake and lots of balloons. It was a bright spot in a dark and difficult year.

A transfer printed postcard with the Welsh words for postcard integrated into the design. A nod to the time when visiting Barry was the highlight of the year for many families visiting from the coal mining towns. A visit to Barry was great for their wellbeing. This links with a project I am currently doing for Barry Hospital with Ysgol y Fro.

Patched and pieced together, this square represents how lockdown has provided new opportunities to create. Based on a giant patchwork quilt currently being knitted by Suzie, it is a combination of quilts and creations from over the last year.

My inspiration to participate in this project was my family link to Barry Docks. As a child I spent a great deal of time at my maternal grandmothers in Barry Dock. She lived in Everard Street off of Thomson Street. I was allowed to explore and spent long hours observing the coming and goings of ships in the docks. I remember Fox’s the greengrocer on Thomson Street and the multi-cultural mix in the area. Chinese Laundries and various cafes. In fact each visit was an adventure, the bus trip...

This square is based on a favourite day in Barry. The first ever Barry Pride in 2019. It was a fabulous day celebrating diversity in our town with piles of positivity and colour. Although it couldn’t happen again in the same way last year, it was great to see Barry Pride take part in the first Wales wide Virtual Pride through @lgbtqymru. On the day of Barry Pride 2019 we also went to some of our other favourite Barry spots that day, starting with smoothies at Academy Espresso Bar...

The inspiration for my square: These are the swifts returning to Barry from Africa in the summer to breed and raise their young – a sight I have looked out for over many years. The first sign would often be their high pitched ‘screaming’ as they flew over the terraced roofs where I live. You could also see them flying over the Knap lake on warm nights and feeding on the flying insects above it, or roosting in the belfry of All Saints Church. They still come, but now in much smaller numbers.

I have made this square remembering happy times with my Labrador, Phoebe on the beach at Barry Island during the winter months. She loved the sea and her ears would flap in time with her happy wagging tail! Here she is just about to run into the sea.

I first came to Barry 45 years ago, when I was a student and had just moved to Wales. I have been visiting ever since. Both my children used to love coming to Whitmore Bay and Porthkerry Park and the Fun Fair, of course. Recently I’ve also come to appreciate Friar’s Point and Jackson’s Bay. There’s also the climbing wall and the beach huts that I’m looking forward to showing our grandchildren when they’re allowed to visit from England. So many options for including in a quilting block! ...

This is my square for Barry Community Quilt, and although I am no longer a resident of Barry, I was thrilled to own our first family home on Barry Island in 1973.

Our most favourite beach, where we paddle, paddleboard, swim, sip tea, find treasure, play and soak up the sun and the rain!

As an arts and crafts enthusiast, I was keen to be part of this project. I love the idea of a community quilt, its definition itself being layers of the community coming together to create. I have spent the whole of Lockdown with my partner and two daughters (15 and 20) and have included them in the project by using scraps of material from their old clothes. These recycled clothes not only evoke happy memories for me, but breathing new life into them. My square was inspired by our...

My square featuring sea swimming at Jackson’s Bay.

I became a member of Holy Trinity Church Aberystwyth Crescent Barry about 60 years ago when I married and came to live in Barry. We worshipped in the old Church building which is now a photographic studio up until about 10 years ago when the new Church and Community became our place of worship. I have enjoyed the good fellowship and made very many friends over the years.

I live in Penarth with my husband Mike and our two standard Poodles. We have children and grandchildren living in Barry and help with school runs. The ‘MEMO’ is somewhere we take the grandchildren to see films or watch shows and spend many hours on the beach with them. I wanted to learn something new in the shutdown so took up felting. This picture is of the boats we can’t wait to see in the water again when things return to normal.

I was taught to do embroidery as a child by my Mother in the 1940s. She also taught me to knit and crochet. Some years ago I attended Palmerston Adult learning classes for Patchwork and Quilting – since then I have developed my skills over the years and made my own designs. I have taken part in various community projects in Barry – Barry Arts Festivals and charity events and as a result met and made friends with other crafters. ...

Living in a wonderful place besides the sea in lockdown and throughout this difficult pandemic year has been a real help. I feel it’s great you’re organising a celebration of Barry and a heightened awareness of what we have locally. Like many I visited Barry Island as a child living in nearby Cardiff. It was only when I came to work in Barry as a community nurse I realised not just its size and diversity, but its rich history and wonderful environment. I’ve always loved the sea, it makes you...

My square is about David Davies who is very important to Barry because he made the docks. They used to transpot coal which went all around the world and now they transport things like silicon. Barry grew because of the docks but it’s still important to me now because my Dad works there.

This is the view I’ve looked at on a daily basis since March 23 2020 and I’ve been very grateful for it and one that I never tire of. If I can have a view of the sea and be able to see the birds in the garden (the garden looks much more exotic on the patch!) I can cope with most things and having the sun shine is a bonus. I’m now able to chill in my Caban Clyd and be close to the outside. Simple things.

I’ve been sewing since childhood, greatly influenced by my mother who was a tailoress. There were always textiles around the house. I made my first patchwork at age nine. I’ve made quilts from the offcuts of dressmaking since I was young. We came to live in Barry in 1967. I’ve planted Welsh poppies in the garden for many years. They’re tough little beauties! They make me feel part of the country even though I was born in the North of England.

Here is my patch for the quilt. I made it with scraps from projects of years ago, when I was a young adult. I made quilts for friends’ weddings, children, new babies of friends, and patchwork cushions as gifts. It was surprisingly emotional to handle the different fabrics and brought to mind friends and loved ones. My square depicts the sky, sea and sand of the Island, with festival flags as at Gwyl Fach y Fro, the Welsh language festival usually held in June. I was born and bred in the Vale...

I recall as a little girl, standing in the wings of the MEMO stage waiting for the big theatrical red curtains to part. The sound of loud music reverberating both backstage and out into the auditorium made my heart beat faster. I danced annually (1962-1970) as part of the May Queen Festival in routines of ballet and tap dancing choreographed by Hilda Gill, a well known teacher of dance in Barry.

My square is inspired by 5th Barry Sea Scouts. I’ve sewn a tent onto some anchor fabric because my favourite thing in Scouts is the camps we go on. Because we’re Sea Scouts we also get to do a bit of boating at Barry Community Water Activity Centre every now and then.

I love swimming, especially wild swimming. It lifts your spirit and makes you happy. Since moving to Barry from Liverpool 38 years ago, I’ve spent all of my free time in the sea, body boarding, kayaking, on my SUP board or just swimming. I must have been a fish in a former life! In January 2020 I retired from the NHS and had plans to sail away in our narrow boat ‘Orion’ and SUP board around the canals and rivers. But like everyone else COVID 19 scuppered my plans. So sea swimming has...

My square depicts the pebble beach, the iconic dolphin at the “baths” with the pool and diving boards and the Old Harbour in the background. All Barry people of a certain age spent their formative years at the Baths or “Bars”. For me it is particularly poignant as my Grandfather was Harry Baker the legendary baths manager in the 50s and 60s. I also went on to be a lifeguard myself for 6 summers in the 70s before embarking on a career in education in the Barry area.

Our quilt square represents… The friendships we make in guiding Trying new activities Giving us something to do during lockdown Being together with other people Fundraising and helping others in our community Meeting on zoom during lockdown Having fun together (5th Barry Guides)

My daughter, who lives in Barry, as does many family members, contacted me to say that you were asking on Twitter for Quilters to make a design and make a square to be put together to make a Community Quilt. I have a number of Quilts and love sewing and knitting. As you can see my design is of an Accordion of which I was taught by Mrs G Collins of Cadoxton, Barry.

On my square I’ve chosen to celebrate my love of beach huts. As a family we have always chosen to holiday around the UK coast where we can also hire a beach hut. Fifteen years ago my husband and I retired to the Vale of Glamorgan and now Barry have added to our joy by building their rainbow of beach huts within walking distance of our home. We are so lucky.

I’ve really enjoyed doing my square. Born and bred in Barry, I’ve always loved the beach and ice cream, and I’m very proud of my Welsh heritage. Having moved away from Barry in 1978, I came back in 1997 and I’m now staying put! Thank you

Hubby and I moved to Barry when we retired 3 years ago to be closer to our daughter and her husband when they were expecting a baby. The first thing we noticed was how friendly everyone was. Not a day went by when we didn’t talk to someone when walking the dog or shopping. We explored new parks, beaches, anywhere and everywhere. We love it. Sadly we had to have our beloved dog put to sleep on 25/1/21 so this patch is in memory of Buster and his favourite places – Porthkerry and the beach. ...

A visual piece about the futility of living in lockdown. The figure is one who, despite still feeling loved and loving, has seen their colours fade beneath their outer shell. On one side they feel darkness and pain, but on the other the first glimmers of light and joy.

My Aunt and Uncle moved to Bridgend when I was in my early teens, I spent many summers exploring the South Wales coast and loved it. I’ve wanted to live by the sea ever since. When my husband died, 7 years ago, I decided to sell up and move to Wales. I rented a flat and waited for a house with a proper sea view to come on the market. I joined the local Soroptimist's, ramblers and other groups and made some amazing new friends. My local community is friendly and active. I discovered more ...

Came to live in Barry 40 years ago and it has become home. Beautiful park and beaches and good people. This quilt is an opportunity to celebrate all of this! My square is called “View From the Spare Bedroom Window”.

As a Trustee of Memo Arts Centre – M.A.C. I am passionate about its contribution to the cultural and community life of BARRY. My square is simple and graphic and captures my love for the MEMO which has been part of my life and that of my family’s for many decades!

My square shows what Barry means to me – home and community. This is only the tenth year we’ve lived in Barry, in Cadoxton, but it feels like home. This is the house our youngest was born in, where my sister lives around the corner and where we’ve spent most of the past year. If you’d asked me this time last year to express what I’d celebrate about the area through the medium of textiles I’d probably have recreated a big event or a busy beach day or eating and drinking with friends but then…

I’ve lived in Barry nearly all my life. I work as a freelance costume maker and in 2016 I opened the Rooftop Atelier Sewing School in Vere Street. I chose to use my sewing machine appliqué for my quilt square as it reflects my background in sewing and the sewing school itself. The lilac base colour is almost the same colour as the school. I wanted to contribute to the Community Quilt as it’s a lovely idea and anything when helps to promote sewing is a good thing in my book.

Born and brought up in Barry I have lived here all my life apart from one year in my early twenties. My sister and I spent happy hours on the beaches when we were growing up, picnicking with our parents. Our father taught us to swim in the sea over a few patient summers and we loved to swim with him especially when there were breakers. As a teenager my first job was in Fortes, Barry Island, during the school holidays, clearing tables. ...

The basic design is a 1950/1960 full skirt like the ones we wore to the saturday night hop at the Memorial Hall. These were very full and we wore full petticoats, starched with sugar starch dried over an umbrella. We did not wear poodle skirts that is an American tradition. The bottom of the skirt shows the memories

I have decided to design a quilt square inspired by the viaduct at Porthkerry Park. I am very fortunate to live near Porthkerry and have enjoyed many walks at the Park. During 2020 I took a photo of the viaduct and used this image to design my square.

I live in Penarth with my husband Mike and our two standard Poodles. We have children and grandchildren living in Barry and spend a lot of our time there helping with school runs. The Memo is somewhere we take the grandchildren to watch shows or see films, and love to spend time on Barry Island. I do a lot of sewing and knitting but wanted to try something different so took up felting. My picture is a thank you to the NHS for all their hard work this last 12 months. ...

The last list of hymns played at Tabernacle Chapel in December 2019. The chapel was the last remaining Welsh language chapel in Barry. As a Welsh speaker I don’t naturally associate Barry with the Welsh Language. But discovered the long history the town has with the language. Dan Evans store on Holton Road was owned by the family of Gwynfor Evans who was the first Plaid Cymru MP and gave his life to fight for the language.

I’ve lived in Barry all my life and love being near the sea and its beautiful woodlands. I live near The Milwood and I took inspiration during my peaceful lockdown walks through the wood to Porthkerry Park. I use wire when making sculptures and thought I’d incorporate it over ink fabric panels for the quilt. Great to be part of this project - thank you!

I live in Penarth but love to take advantage of the beautiful beaches in Barry. In particular walking my dog Barney, a chocolate Labrador and letting him run free and frolic in the waves with the gulls flying above!

I have chosen to do my square as the bandstand in Victoria Park, Cadoxton. I have lived in Cadoxton for over 10 years and have seen my dog and two sons grow up in this park. They all love the bandstand, and I have countless photos of Kevin the springer spaniel, Albert (5) and Ernie (2) on the steps on the south side. This is why I chose this rear view rather than the front – to show the ascent to this viewpoint over the east of the town. As well as being a focal point of our family life...

In September 2020, three weeks after they’d been allowed back to school full time, Ros, her friends Elliot, Florence and Aca went on a picnic to Romilly Park. They would normally see each other at drama class at the Sherman Theatre, but this – like everything else – had been shut down. The patch is based on an amazing action shot which Ava took of Ros and Elliot playing tennis. Ros has missed her friends very much. Ros, Elliot, Florence and Ava all live in Barry....

born and bred in Barry both my parents came to Barry with work many years ago and stayed, I left home a few times when younger but decided Barry was the best place to live; the sea on your doorstep and a couple of miles up the road the countryside. This is my square it is much smaller block than the one I did for a quilt for my son when he got married a couple of years ago. I enclose a picture of the finished quilt which I nicknamed it Barrybados quilt so that my son wouldn’t forget his roots..