230 ‘mini-quilts’ have gone on display at Midsomer Quilting, Chilcompton, with a silent auction which is expected to raise between £2,000 to £3,000 for Dorothy House Hospice.

The 12x12 challenge has been run for eight years and this year runs until 22nd December. It will be open every day from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the shop site, and whilst the exhibition is free, visitors are encouraged to bid for their favourite quilt to help raise money for the charity. Those who don’t have any spare money to spend are still welcome and can cast a people’s vote, purely for fun and to encourage the quilters who have spent so long on their efforts.

This year’s theme was ‘Think of a Number’, and the exhibition is bigger than ever. The interpretations run from the twelve days of Christmas, to commemorative quilts for the Centenary of the end of World War One, London 2012, anniversaries, travel and much more.

Anyone in the world who has once visited Midsomer Quilting has been invited to enter this year’s challenge, and the specialist shop certainly has an international following, with many hours going in to unwrapping and mounting the entries that arrive ready for show.

Midsomer Quilting offers a community for quilters and crafters with tea and biscuits always on hand. They run dedicated workshops to inspire their visitors and also regular get-togethers where the supportive group offer advice or continue their work together.

Sheila Webster, who has been visiting Midsomer Quilting for the past two years and who was stewarding at the exhibition last Friday, said: “It really is very unique here – people want to share and support you. I see it as my second home, and time here should be prescribed by the NHS!”