A FABRIC and sewing enthusiast who has collected sentimental pieces of material since she was just three years old has completed an intricate quilt after starting it 18 years ago.

Ena Bradley, from Ripon, started the double Baltimore-style appliqué quilt in an evening class while her daughter went to music lessons, and has been working on it ever since in her spare time.

She has also made less technically-challenging quilts for her 11 grandchildren since starting on the Baltimore quilt, and said there is something special in all of them.

She said: “The design is mainly traditional in the Baltimore style, which was traditionally given as a wedding gift.

“It is very intricate in design, with some pieces being the size of a finger nail, and the pattern is usually adapted to include something local to whoever is making it - so that is why I have included the Ripon Hornblower in the centre of mine.

“I have not been working constantly on the quilt but it has been fairly regular – I must have spent many hundreds of hours working on it.”

Ms Bradley said all her quilts are a labour of love and some include pieces of material that have been passed down by her mother.

She said: “I have always collected a lot of fabric, starting from when I was three, and much of it is from something of significance.

“My grandchildren love the ones I have made for them – I keep them at my house and have said they can have them when they are 18.

“My mother was a dressmaker so there is something personal and special about making a quilt for family.”

The Baltimore quilt is destined to be given pride of place on a bed at Ms Bradley’s home in the near future.