Quilting is more than just a craft; it's an art form that allows individuals to express their creativity and create beautiful works of textile art. If you're a quilting enthusiast or interested in exploring the world of quilting, attending quilting events and shows in the UK can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at some of the top quilting events and shows across the United Kingdom, highlighting the excitement, inspiration, and learning opportunities they offer to quilters of all levels. Many of these are also events that Fabrics Galore attend, so come along, feel the quilting fabrics up close and see exactly what we have to offer.
January
Quilters’ Fair
Visitors to the fair can see beautiful and unique quilts, experience hands-on demonstrations, and shop for quilting supplies and fabrics from a variety of quilting vendors. For Fabrics Galore, this is the first event of the year and is always a lovely way to start the New Year. Due the timing of this show, it’s also seen as part of our Winter Sale and so it’s a great opportunity to really bag a bargain.
2024 dates: Sunday 14th January
Ardingly Quilt Show
Another Fabrics Galore favourite, hot on the heels of Farnham Maltings, is The Quilt Festival at the Ardingly South of England Showground. Run by Grosvenor Shows, it is an excellent opportunity for quilters to participate in workshops, lectures, and demonstrations. Attendees can also see beautiful quilts on display and naturally, shop for fabrics, patterns, and other quilting supplies.
For this show we always make sure we have plenty fat quarter boxes and lots of great quilting cottons. With a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and excellent facilities, this event is suitable for quilters of all skill levels.
2024 dates: Thursday 25th – Saturday 27th January
March
The Spring Quilt Festival, Duxford
Paul in the Fabrics Galore Van at Duxford
The Spring Quilt Festival is held in the impressive Airspace Conservation Hall at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. At this event, visitors can see stunning quilting works of art by well-known quilters and participate in workshops or attend demonstrations and lectures.
The venue is spacious and allows for an easy and enjoyable visit to view the quilts on display.With such an impressive backdrop it’s a great place to visit, for more than just quilting supplies. Located just south of Cambridge, it is easy to get to from both the north and the south. Fabrics Galore will be loading up the van with all our best quilting fabrics for this one.
2024 dates: Friday 8th – Sunday 10th March
April
The British Quilt & Stitch Village
Located at Uttoxeter Racecourse, the British Quilt & Stitch Village is an annual event bringing together quilting and stitching enthusiasts from across the UK to this easily accessible venue in the Midlands. Showcasing an array of quilts, textile art, and embroidery, this event celebrates various quilting styles and techniques. Workshops, talks, and demonstrations provide valuable learning opportunities, while the vendor stalls offer a chance to stock up on quilting supplies and materials.
2024 dates: Friday 12th – Sunday 14th April
May
Quilts UK at Malvern Three Counties Showground
Quilts UK is a popular quilting event that takes place at the beautiful Three Counties Showground in Malvern. The three-day event, run by Grosvenor Shows again, showcases an impressive range of quilts from traditional to modern styles, and of various sizes.
As well as being a competitive quilt show with entries at all levels of ability, it is also the perfect opportunity to shop for fabrics, thread, patterns, wodding and quilting supplies.
Facilities include free parking, disabled access and a restaurant. Malvern is located close to the M5 if you’re coming by car, otherwise train to Great Malvern. Fabrics Galore always exhibits at Quilts UK and we just love the stunning location at the foot of the Malvern Hills.
2024 dates: Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th May
June
The National Quilt Championships at Kempton Park
The National Quilt Championships is the largest quilting competition in the UK and takes place at the Kempton Park Racecourse this year. Visitors can expect to see millions of pounds worth of quilting work on display and witness some of the absolute best quilters in the country. With a range of competitions and plenty of vendors offering unique patterns, fabrics, and sewing equipment, the National Quilt Championships is an unmissable event for serious quilters. Another unmissable event on the Fabrics Galore show calendar, especially as we see it as a local show so we tend to bring even more quilting fabric than usual.
2024 dates: Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June
August
The Festival of Quilts
Best in Show Winner
The Festival of Quilts launched in 2003 in partnership with The Quilters’ Guild, is now the largest quilting event in Europe, drawing thousands of enthusiasts and professionals each year. This multi-day event held at the NEC in Birmingham showcases stunning quilts from around the world, as well as numerous workshops, demonstrations, and masterclasses. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced quilter, attending the Festival of Quilts provides a wealth of inspiration and knowledge and a huge range of quilt fabrics to shop for.
2024 dates: TBD
October & November
The Knitting & Stitching Show
Paul and the team at Knitting & Stitching Harrogate in 2018
Although primarily focused on knitting and stitching as the name suggests, The Knitting & Stitching Show also offers a significant section dedicated to quilting. Held in cities like London, Harrogate, Dublin and Belfast, this event has grown over 30 years to include leading quilting suppliers, artists, and teachers.
Visitors can explore a wide range of quilting fabrics, attend workshops to enhance their skills, and discover the latest trends in fabric, patterns, and techniques. Fabrics Galore often attends the Harrogate event as boss, Paul has a particular fondness for Yorkshire!
2024 dates: 10th – 13th October, London, 7th – 10th November, Belfast, 21st -24th November Harrogate
The Autumn Quilt Festival at Malvern
The Autumn Quilt Festival at Malvern is another popular quilting event that takes place at the Three Counties Showground, just like Quilts UK in May. It showcases a range of beautiful quilts, quilting supplies, patterns, and other resources.
Visitors can participate in workshops, demos and attend lectures to expand their knowledge and skillset. The event also provides opportunities for meeting like-minded people, networking and exchanging ideas, making it a quintessential autumn quilting event and a Fabrics Galore favourite for meeting our quilting customers, who we may not have seen since Spring.
Due to the timing of this show this is a great one for stocking up on Christmas fabrics ready for all your seasonal crafting ideas.
2024 dates: Friday 18th – Sunday 20th October
Regional Quilt Shows
Throughout the year, various regional quilt shows take place across the UK, showcasing local talent and providing a platform for quilters to share their work. These events, such as the Scottish Quilt Championships or the Welsh Quilt Centre exhibitions, offer a unique opportunity to appreciate the diversity of quilting styles within specific regions and gain insights into local traditions and techniques.
2024 dates: The Scottish Quilting Show, Thursday 7th – Saturday 9th March; Welsh Quilt Centre, from March 9th
UK Quilting Events all Year Long
The UK has such a great variety of quilting events, each offering a unique experience. Whether you attend for a day or the whole two or three-day duration, these events can expand your knowledge and skillset, inspire your creativity, and offer the chance to connect you with fellow quilting enthusiasts. Whether you prefer traditional quilting, modern designs, or are simply looking for inspiration, the UK quilting scene has something to captivate every quilting enthusiast.
Keep an eye on the dates and locations of these events, as they change slightly each year. Mark them on your calendar and prepare for an exciting trip into the vibrant world of quilting. We hope to see you at the events where Fabrics Galore will showcase our best quilting fabrics – as always, we will keep our socials updated to let our customers know where we will be exhibiting.
