The Festival of Quilts 2023 edition in the UK
Hi stitchers!
I am back with a new post about my first time at The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham this Summer. I took the opportunity to go while visiting friends in London and I loved the experience. The venue, the NEC, was huge, very spacious and airy.
Quilts on the exhibition
There was a very big amount of quilts on exhibition (not sure I managed to see them all) and many lovely stands selling quilting fabrics and tools, as well as businesses showing demos of long arms and sewing machines. I was surprised to also see some dressmaking and yarn shops there as well!
You can take a look at some of my favourite quilts I saw in the exhibition below. Tthere were many different sections from classic quilts, to sustainable designs, as well as entries from kids and teens. Many received prizes and others were selected by jurors.
Many of the quilts had such an incredible detail in them and the work the quilters put into them... I was completely amazed! I also loved seeing quite a few improv quilts in there as well.
I am particularly drawn towards colourful quilts (I can't deny a fierce passion for rainbow quilts) but this particular one was just mesmerising to look at. It was made with tiny squares and the quilting work was also art in itself.
Some of the quilts were also made by two people which I found endearing.
There were also many quilts with words and a powerful message. Anothers told a personal story.
Workshop with Angela Walters
Now, apart from wondering around trying not to spend all of my money on fabrics and cute stuff, I attended a workshop by the amazing long armer and free motion quilting magician Angela Walters. I was a bit star-struck as I have been following her and watching her super useful and informative quilting tutorials on YouTube for quite some time now and it didn't dissapoint.
I think my only con would be that it looked there had been a problem with the demo part during the workshop as there was no machine on the stage, but enjoyed it anyway. You can see her below during the workshop and on a demo with Handi Quilter.
My favourite shops at the Festival of Quilts
Regarding the shops I visited, I want to highlight the two I bought something from. First, the lovely A Beautiful Thing selling so many gorgeous Ruby Star society fabrics. Then, Ethel and Joan, a small independent online business run by my friend Louise selling handmade buttons, jewellery and more. Take a look!
And here you can see other stalls and the ambience. I think someone said it was quieter than expected but I didn't mind. Crowds are not my thing and as I went on a Friday, I am sure the weekend was much busier.
Oh! And there was also a beautiful Liberty London stall with some gorgeous quilts. There were also illustrators and artists from Liberty showing how they came up with fabric designs.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you might consider visiting next year. It is really worth it! I myself might submit a quilt. Fingers crossed!
Thanks for reading and stay tunned for more quilting content.
Ana
xxx