Quilts help Paekakariki flood victims

Six months after floods devastated Paekakariki, residents of the small settlement north of Wellington have shed more tears, not in sadness, but in a display of community spirit.

The tears came during the giving of more than 60 handmade quilts to families hit by October's storm.

Most were made by members of the Kapiti Quilters' Guild, but one was stitched by a South Island flood victim and another came from Australia.

Kapiti Coast District Mayor Alan Milne said the project originated at a quilting symposium in Christchurch.

Paekakariki community board chairman Barry Williams described the comfort an old sheepskin had given his daughter.

"That was her security blanket, it went with her everywhere. That's what these quilts are for. To be cuddled up to and pulled around you so you can feel secure."

The quilters are planning a similar project to help families affected by the February floods.