Quilters' Guild Blog

Visit The Quilters' Guild in York for a free Heritage Open Days exhibition exploring the everyday lives of quiltmakers through historic quilts from the Collection. 11–19 September 2026.

Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles acquisition of A Domestic Scene in Chorlton (2023), a striking contemporary quilt by artist and academic Dr. Sarah-Joy Ford supported by a grant of £4,875 from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund

Discover the Garden Festival quilt pattern by Karen Lewis, inspired by the historic Ladies Work Society quilt (1870–1900). A modern take on a heritage design, open to all makers.

Discover the story of the Wartime Coverlet (1939–1945), created by patients and nurse Barbara Bailey, and explore how quilting supported recovery, creativity and connection during wartime.

Discover the Farne Islands quilt (1892–1894), made by a lighthouse keeper’s wife, and explore the story of remote coastal life, family, and historic patchwork craftsmanship.

Discover the story of the Agnes Bentham wedding quilt (1869), a historic British patchwork coverlet made to celebrate marriage, craftsmanship, and family tradition.

Discover the Gooch Coverlet (1800–1820), a rare inlaid patchwork quilt by the Gooch Sisters of Suffolk—an exquisite example of historic craftsmanship and family heritage.

Are you interested in the history and development of British patchwork and quilting? Do you want to find answers to things that puzzle you? Do you want to discover how particular techniques or dyes were developed? Do you have a single quilt or style of quilts you want to research? Do you want to research contemporary practice? The British Quilt Study Group, a special interest group of The Quilters’ Guild, holds an annual seminar where research papers on these topics are presented. The papers are then published in the annual journal ‘Quilt Studies’.

For those visiting The Festival of Quilts this August, we’re thrilled to offer a series of short gallery talks on our Collections stand this year. The Exhibition, A Diverse Patchwork, celebrates the diversity of our patchwork and quilting community.

We love using our Collection to make connections with people who have not necessarily encountered quilts before, which inspired our collaboration with York St John University.

We are delighted to reveal the design for our 2023 Souvenir Badge for the 20th Anniversary of The Festival of Quilts, 3-6 August at Birmingham NEC!

We are delighted to invite you to our FREE exhibition featuring new Collection acquisitions, running from 1- 29 of March 2023 at St Anthony’s Hall, York, YO1 7PW.

This fantastic mini-collection of objects from our collection all feature the mitred patchwork technique.

We are looking forward to celebrating the 2021 Festival of Quilts by showcasing our forthcoming exhibition ‘Quilts and their makers’, taking 10 historic quilts and 10 pieces from our contemporary works.

We are looking forward to celebrating the 2021 Festival of Quilts by showcasing our forthcoming exhibition ‘Quilts and their makers’, taking 10 historic quilts and 10 pieces from our contemporary works.

This interesting piece from our Contemporary Collection perfectly showcases the maker’s iconic, signature style, using words and language to provide visual design and deeper meaning.

We are pleased to announce that The Quilters’ Guild will be hosting its first ever Virtual Conference!

We are looking forward to celebrating the 2021 Festival of Quilts by showcasing our forthcoming exhibition ‘Quilts and their makers’, taking 10 historic quilts and 10 pieces from our contemporary works

We are looking forward to celebrating the 2021 Festival of Quilts by showcasing our forthcoming exhibition ‘Quilts and their makers’, taking 10 historic quilts and 10 pieces from our contemporary works.

We are looking forward to celebrating the 2021 Festival of Quilts by showcasing our forthcoming exhibition ‘Quilts and their makers’, taking 10 historic quilts and 10 pieces from our contemporary works. Newsletter readers can take a sneak peek in advance, as over the coming months we explore the variety and skill of our makers both past and present, and celebrate their creativity in a selection of the quilts which will be on display.

The Quilters’ Guild Museum Collection is fortunate to have a number of interesting and unusual pieces of patchwork and quilted clothing which date from the 18th and 19th centuries, including two pockets.

From times gone by to the modern day, quilting remains a pastime that still prides itself on paying homage to the history of the hobby through the traditional patterns and techniques passed on from generation to generation.

As we head into November, the month of Remembrance, let’s take a moment to focus on a piece from our collection which comments on the effects of the First and Second World Wars on rural life.

An unusual theme, but one that popped into our curator’s head whilst coming up with new ideas for how to share The Collection. She has found five quilts that feature fish, so, here we go!

We are delighted to share this article from Guild member Sarah Hibbert about her work, The Festival of Quilts, and her wonderful new Log Cabin design for The Guild’s Pattern Box collection.

We invited expert quilter, designer and author Carolyn Forster to take a piece from our Collection that inspired her and to create a new pattern so that we can all enjoy a little bit of the heritage that the Collection has to offer in our homes

The Quilters' Guild Collection has two travelling collections of quilts, which can be hired by groups for their meetings. There are two themes - Textile Traditions and Textile Treasures.

Everyone has a slightly different perception of a crazy quilt but usually we think of such quilts as being very colourful, heavily embellished with applique, embroidery and other stitching all on top of a fabric base.

Join The Quilters' Guild Museum Collection as we take a look at how people celebrated V.E. day with with textiles of the time and a wider look at patchwork and quilting.

When we see a beautiful quilt, either contemporary or historic, we are often keen to see what’s on the back.

The Quilters’ Guild Museum Collection features quilts and coverlets that have been created using any of the allied crafts of patchwork, quilting and appliqué.

How do we define appliqué? Basically it is applying a shaped piece of fabric to a base fabric.

Ahead of the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham this summer, Upper Street Events talk to Carolyn Ducey at the International Quilt Museum about their planned exhibition of historic Amish quilts.

Another Collection piece we have chosen to share with you to represent the second decade of The Guild this issue, is the Billings Coverlet.

The Collection piece we have chosen to share with you to represent the second decade of The Guild is the Jubilee Quilt. This marvel of silks and velvets was donated to The Guild in 1992.

In our 40th anniversary year, we reminisced about some of the early items which found their way into The Quilters’ Guild Collection.

Whether it is printed floral fabrics or a decorative patchwork or applique design, the beauty of flowers and birds can be found in many of our Collection pieces. This exhibition explores the variety of different ways that nature and the garden have inspired makers.

The Quilters’ Guild is delighted to be welcoming the Magna Carta Quilts to their new forever home in the Guild Collection.

What happens when you cross a 300 year old patchwork and illustration students? Well, we weren’t sure either so we got together with York St. John University to find out.

Quilting is the fastening together of two or more layers of fabric, with a layer of wadding or padding in between, either by stitching or knots. Quilting increases the lifespan of the patchwork or cloth and gives it added warmth and softness. The stitches hold the wadding firmly in place and prevent it from shifting, tearing or bunching during use. The lines of quilting stitches add texture and relief to the cloth and in the case of wholecloth quilting can be used imaginatively to create wonderful designs.

The Quilters’ Guild is dedicated to preserving patchwork and quilting heritage, and the objects within The Quilters’ Guild Collection require dedicated care and handling to ensure they are preserved for as long as possible.