It’s the final countdown to Europe’s leading patchwork and quilting event, The Festival of Quilts. The Festival takes place at the NEC Birmingham (Halls 7, 8 and 9) from 10th-13th August 2017 and will attract tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.
MT is delighted to be able to offer a discount on tickets to MT readers for this fabulous show! Readers can get a discount of £2.50 off all adult advance tickets and £1 off all adult advance concessions. Just enter the code MAT17 when ordering your tickets at: www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/
This unique Festival features over 1000 quilts with breathtaking galleries by internationally acclaimed artists and groups. Headline galleries this year are Mastery: Sustaining Momentum, Diana Harrison: Traces In Cloth, Bonnie Smith: Swimming Upstream and Frydl Kumiko: Miniature Art, Grand Designs.
Must-do features at The Festival include:
- Shopping – over 300 specialist patchwork and quilting suppliers
- Workshops (in association with Groves), talks, lectures and demos – 350 events from leading lights of the quilting world.
- Competition quilts – see over 700 stunning competition quilts on display, from traditional to contemporary, miniatures to wearable quilt art.
- Creative Textiles Studio – several working artists demonstrating a range of colourful creative techniques in situ each day.
- The Festival Theatre (in association with eQuilter) – hosting the quilt competition Awards Ceremony, talks, lectures and demonstrations by leading quilt artists and experts.
- Lively after-hours social events programme
With a packed schedule for quilters at every level, from beginners to advanced quilters, places for The Festival’s extensive workshops, talks, lectures and demonstrations are selling out fast. Places are limited so early booking is advisable to avoid disappointment. The programme includes:
The Quick & Easy Workshop Programme (in association with Groves)
Over 50 different one-hour workshop sessions and demonstrations running every day, covering an exciting and diverse range of patchwork, quilting and other stitching, dyeing and printing crafts.
The Quilt Academy Programme (in association with Groves)
A packed schedule of 3-hour, 1 day and 3 day classes plus several ‘early bird’ classes on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th August, ranging from free motion stitching, Pojagi and invisible machine applique to mixed media, fabric origami and shibori.
The Talks & Lectures Programme
Leading tutors and gallery artists will be sharing their methods, inspiration and more in a series of 30-45 minute talks and discussions. Hear from Matthew Harris, Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Stuart Hillard among others.
For full details of the festival, ticket sales and workshop bookings, please visit: www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk or call 0844 581 1289.
Advance tickets cost £15.00 (concessions £13.50) with a wide selection of options available. Advance bookings for workshops, talks and discussions close at midnight on Wednesday 9th August 2017.
