A team of talented Cockermouth quilters will be showing their colourful creations in an exhibition on Saturday.

The Quilt Show will be held in Christ Church, South Street, from 10am to 4pm. Entry is £4 with all profits going to Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Fifty women enjoy the weekly sessions held by the town's U3A quilters. The WI also runs a weekly group, which has 12 members.

They have come together, along with some individual quilters, to put on a show of more than 70 quilts.There will also be cushions, bags and hangings on show. Some of the items will be for sale.

The largest quilt, made by 18 people and consisting of three landscapes on various panels, is six foot wide and four foot long.

Imelda Westwood, of Cockermouth, has run the U3A group for the past eight years.

"It got so big we had to split it in two," said Mrs Westwood.

Members Margaret Day and Pat Hartwell have consequently agreed to help run the classes.

There is no doubt the pleasure they all get from being part of the group.

"Quilting gets a hold of you, you can become obsessive!" said Mrs Day.

"But it's also great to be involved in the group, it's very sociable, you can sew and talk."

Shiona Taylor, of the WI group, said: "Anyone who can thread a needle can do it. In fact you don't even need to be able to thread a needle, anyone can do it!"

Over the years, they have created all sorts of quilts.

"It's very addictive, our families are well quilted!" said Mrs Hartwell. "It's great to try out different colours and see what you can combine."

"It's also very relaxing," said Mrs Westwood.