A year’s worth of work behind the sewing machine will line the walls of the Art House next weekend at the Positively Patchwork quilt exhibition.

On display will be the combined creative efforts by members of the Eastbay Quilters and Cotton Pickers groups, with numbers expected to climb to more than 40 quilts displayed across May 23-25.

Positively Patchwork is an annual exhibition that has been run by the groups for many years, but this is just the third time it will be held at the Art House.

Previously, it was held biennially at Whakatāne War Memorial Hall, but the decision was made to host smaller and more frequent exhibitions instead.

The quilters are fans of the more intimate shows, which are an easier undertaking – especially as members age and so do their husbands, who are integral to setting up the larger exhibitions.

Eastbay Quilters’ Margaret McKerras said Positively Patchwork was a display of all the hard work from members of both groups over the previous year.

This year, there will be two quilts up for grabs as part of a raffle.

The first features everyone’s favourite characters from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory and the second is a picturesque nature scene of New Zealand’s land and sea animals, made from a fabric panel designed by Ellen Giggenbach.

Other quilts will be for sale across the weekend.

Among the quilts on display will be Kay Ives’ handiwork on an underwater scene, featuring 24 fish that she embroidered by hand before fixing them to a textured background.

She was making it for her partner, a former fisherman, who died before it was finished.

“He did get to see all the fish pinned to the background, but he didn’t quite make it to the end.”

Another quilt being exhibited is Carol Wawatai’s playful cat quilt made up of grids – the bounds of which not all the cats adhere to.

Members of the community may be familiar with Eastbay Quilters’ handiwork because they make a lot to give away.

Often during their community days, when they all sit around and sew, they will work away at a lap blanket-sized quilt with cuddly fleece on the back.

The quilts are then donated to the hospital’s children’s ward and cancer clinic.

Often, if a patient likes a quilt, they will take it home.

“We’re pleased if they want to do that,” Mary Transom said.

“In some small way it’s doing something for the community.”