THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2023
The Festival of Quilts is back, celebrating its 20th Anniversary at the NEC Birmingham (3 – 6 August 2023).
To honour the Festival’s iconic Quilt Competition and its talented entrants, a Winners’ Retrospective will showcase a selection of some of the most memorable winning entries from the last 20 years, including Best in Show quilts by Kumiko Frydl (2010), the Dumb Belles (2012), Janette Chilver (2015), Sandy Chandler (2016) and Philippa Naylor (2017).
Image: © @thequiltersguild Image above: Joe Cunningham, Iphigenia outlined © Joe Cunningham.
Also marking a significant birthday in 2023 is the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, which will be marking its 40th Anniversary (and four decades of HIV activism) by unveiling a very special quilt. The charity’s original co-founders, together with staff, volunteers and service users, have collaborated with The Quilters Guild to produce an eight panelled memorial quilt in memory of Terry Higgins, one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness. Terry’s death in July 1982 inspired his friends and partner to set up the Terrence Higgins Trust in response to the emerging HIV epidemic, and which has been at the forefront of the fight against HIV ever since. Today the charity is working towards Terry’s legacy – to end new HIV cases in the UK by 2030.
The Festival will be welcoming some special guests from near and far, including US-based quilting star, Angela Walters, author, artist and tutor, Bianca Springer, quilting tutor and colour therapy expert, Carolina Oneto, U.S. artist and quilter, Joe Cunningham, and UK craft TV presenter, Stuart Hillard. Popular favourite, Liberty Fabrics, will return to The Festival of Quilts this year to share insights into the design and production of its world-renowned fabric collection.
Image: Image: Ekta Kaul, London Story Map © Ekta Kaul.
In the new Home Based Quilter Area, sponsored by Grace Company, visitors will be able to try out easy-to-use quilt frames, while on the Product Stage, brand ambassadors, tutors and quilting VIPs will be hosting a series of fun, informative demonstrations of the latest tools and machines. For younger visitors starting out on their quilting journey, The Quilters’ Guild, with support from Brother, will be hosting fun drop-in sewing sessions with hands-on projects like how to create personalised patches or re-purpose worn garments.
The Festival of Quilts will run 3-6 August at the NEC Birmingham.
Find out more:
www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk
@thefestivalofquilts