The Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, England
August 19-22, 2004
Held at The National Exhibition Centre
When you travel 6,000 miles to go to a quilt show, it should be good, and the
Festival of Quilts did not disappoint!
My husband and I just returned from a trip to England and Scotland, which started
at The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England. We spent one and one-half days at the show, and are still
not sure we saw all of the quilts. The reason: there are over 1,000 competition quilts hung at the exhibit.
Additionally, there were exhibits by quilt artists and collectors. The quilts were in all sizes and shapes,
colors and textures. Every few steps brought new quilts into view, with each one demonstrating the quilters’
creativity and mastery of techniques. One had to be there to fully appreciate the quality of the quilts, the
range of techniques, and the impact of seeing that many quilts at one time.
Not only were there gorgeous quilts to behold, but shopping was wonderful. There were
many exhibitors whose booths were full of fabric, threads, embellishments, sewing machines, patterns, and more.
And there was more – classes on many topics were held each day in the Quilt Academy,
which was upstairs from the show floor. There were also many “Quick and Easy Sessions” and even” Children’s Workshops.”
There was definitely something for everyone.
The Festival of Quilts has become an annual event. The next Festival is scheduled
for August 18-21, 2005. To learn more, go to their website:
www.twistedthread.com
©2004 Ila F. McCallum
Ila’s Quilt Studio
www.ilasquiltstudio.com
www.thequiltercommunity.com
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