The Festival of Quilts - a review

Article Added: 16/08/2008
The Festival of Quilts is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on all quilt makers calendars, and I was lucky enough to have a trip over to Birmingham NEC yesterday to have a look around.

When you first walk into the hall you are greeted by the competition gallery, where the standard of quilts on display is very impressive.     There are sixteen categories altogether –  Quilt 2008, The Quilters' Guilds Challenge, Innovative large and small, Contemporary large and small, Traditional large and small, Group Quilts, Miniature Quilts, Quilt Creations, Pictorial Quilts, Two Person Quilt, Student Category, Young Quilters/Young Embroiderers and the School Competition.

There were a few quilts that caught my eye that I feel are worth a specific mention. The first was a quilt entered into the Innovative Small category by Sheila Wyatt. It was titled ‘Remembrance’ and featured several depictions of images of War commemorating the 90th anniversary of the end of World War 1. The detail used on the quilt is beautiful and the message created is particularly poignant in today’s world, so it is well worth a look during your visit.

The next quilt that grabbed my attention, and that of several other ladies, was the Boot and Shoe Quilt by Northampton group Hamtune Quilters, entered into the Group Quilts category. The quilt celebrates Northampton’s illustrious shoe and boot heritage and is their first group quilt. Each member was handed a square of background material and used various appliqué methods to create individual blocks.

Two quilts that stood out to me in the Contemporary Small category are Ten Green-Recycled Bottles by Kate Pickard and Domestic Goddess by Pamela Allen. Kate Pickard’s quilt is machine pieced and appliquéd using old water bottles and is a great example of the current recycling trend used in textiles, while the fantastic embellishments used in Domestic Goddess are well worth a look.

After spending much of the morning looking through all the quilts on display I entered into the exhibitors stands – where there is a fantastic choice of fabrics, threads, paints, dyes and equipment sure to grab the attention of anyone with a passion for quilting. I managed to have a chat with Kim Thittichai who is at the event demonstrating all the exciting techniques from her book Hot Textiles. She’s even signing copies for those of you who haven’t got yourself one yet so is well worth a visit on stand L40. Another stand I would recommend you stop by at is Sew Good Books on stand J7 where our very own author Elinor Kapp is signing copies of her book Rigmaroles and Ragamuffins.

There are also several exhibitions dotted among the stands, where some fantastic pieces of work are on display. I was particularly impressed by the work of Sally Holman and Janet Cook, whose exhibition is inspired by the changing of the seasons. All their artworks are for sale and they were very happy to chat to visitors about the techniques and thought processes that led to their creations. Both artists are also teaching throughout the festival for those of you who would like to learn more about the techniques they use.

I then moved on to visit the British Quilt and Textile History List BQTHL and spoke to Jill Kane, owner of the list and the lady responsible for setting their exhibition challenge. The challenge was inspired by traditional village signs that incorporate motifs reflecting the area. Each member of the list was challenged to make a 12” block depicting the life in their chosen areas. She received entries from members from all over the world including Ireland, America and Australia. Some of the UK areas represented in the quilts included Leeds’ tailoring trade, North East Yorkshire’s fishermen and Northumbrian tartan. There was a lot of information on display and you are bound to find out something about the textile history of your area that you didn’t know before!

Other highlights at the event include the opportunity to try out quilting and embellishing machines on several sewing machine manufacturer’s stands and the virtual studio run by Claire Benn, Lesley Morgan, Linda Maynard and Claudia Helmer. The studio didn’t open until Friday, so I was only able to have a peek through the window, but there seemed to be plenty going on! On Sunday they are running a three hour workshop from 1.30-4.30, called ‘Transformations’, which will teach you how fabric paints can transform any piece of cloth. So you are invited to take along a piece of fabric that you loathe and find out how to make it beautiful!

A full programme of workshops and lectures are also taking place throughout the festival. On arrival have a browse through your show guide and select the workshops you would like to take part in and then visit the academy help desk outside the exhibition entrance to book your place. Advance bookings are no longer available – so all events are booked when you arrive.

The Festival of Quilts is taking place until Sunday evening opening hours 10-5 and is well worth a visit for anyone with a passion for quilting.