Get Involved: Porty Pride Community Quilt
To celebrate Porty Pride’s fifth anniversary in 2026, we’re inviting our community to get involved in a collaborative quilt-making project.
Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, we’re aiming to tell the stories of Porty Pride, and celebrate the diversity of people and organisations who are part of it. Together, we hope to create a beautiful wall-hanging quilt ready to launch at Pride 2027.
Get involved
You don’t have to be an artist or sewing expert to create a patch for our quilt. Each patch will be unique, and whether you’ve marched in the dog walk, partied at the ball, organised an event or waved a flag on the beach, everyone - of all ages - is welcome to get involved. We’ll be making and collecting patches throughout the spring, summer and autumn of 2026, aiming to launch our completed quilt during Porty Pride 2027.
Designing your patch
The theme for Porty Pride 2026 is ‘Together in community, together in solidarity’. We invite you to decorate your patch however you choose, to respond to the question “What does community mean to you?”.
You might, for example, make a patch that shows a:
Group or club that you’re part of
Place that’s been particularly special to you
Phrase, quote or song lyrics that reflect this theme for you
Moment or occasion when you felt a strong sense of community and belonging.
But feel free to set your imagination free - all kinds of designs are welcome! The only criteria for inclusion is that your design is in-keeping with Porty Pride’s ethos as an intergenerational, intersectional, accessible community-run pride:
“We see community as a positive tool of activism and community-building as a powerful solution to social injustices. Our community includes LGBTQ+ communities and their allies because it needs all of us to bring about the world we want to live in. All those involved in Porty Pride are trans inclusive and trans allies, and we are committed to working towards the elimination of all forms of discrimination including but not limited to gender, gender identity, race, sexuality, disability, faith, or age. Porty Pride is committed to doing the work of decolonization, de-centering whiteness and anti-racism work”.
We may also make small practical tweaks to submitted patches where necessary, for example to make sure everything is firmly secured.
Practicalities
Each patch should be created on a piece of fabric measuring 8x8 inches. Leave a 1 inch blank border around each side of this patch, to create a 6x6 inch square for your design (we use this blank border to attach the patches together). We recommend not placing any key design elements too close to the edge of your patch.
Use a medium-weight, non-stretch fabric for your patch (like an old pillowcase, shirt or teatowel). Using recycled fabric is encouraged!
You can use any materials or techniques you choose to decorate your patch. That might include paint, marker pens, needlework, iron-on transfers, applique, or something else, and / or you could attach trinkets or small momentos.
Please make sure that your design is firmly attached, not too delicate or fragile, and won’t damage other items on the quilt (for example, please avoid sharp items, and don’t use ‘puff paint’ as it can stick when folded up.
How to submit a patch
The deadline to submit patches is 31 August 2026.
Patches can be submitted in any of these ways:
Via post to quilt coordinator, Kathryn Welch.
Please email hello@kathrynwelch.co.uk for the postal address (sadly we’re not able to cover postage costs).Via our drop box in Portobello Town Hall (147-149 Portobello High Street, EH15 1AF) during Porty Pride weekend: 5-7th June 2026.
Via our drop box in Portobello Library (14 Rosefield Ave, EH15 1AU) throughout May, June, July and August 2026.
Via our Craft Night on Wednesday 27 May 2026. Come along, get inspired and make your patch on the night with others. Lots of free fabric and supplies provided! This event is free but registration required which will open soon.
Any questions?
Please feel free to email quilt coordinator, Kathryn Welch, with any questions or ideas: hello@kathrynwelch.co.uk