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.

SAVE THE DATE - Region 8 Exhibition

UK fine art textile artist Sabine Kaner's work is redolent with themes of identity and belonging. Her exhibition Hand Stitched Stories will appear at the Knitting & Stitching Shows at Alexandra Palace 5-8 October, and Harrogate 16-19 November. 

The Terry Higgins Memorial Quilt was unveiled at The Festival of Quilts this summer. We spoke to Terry's lover Rupert Whitaker, and Terry's close friend Martyn Butler at FOQ about their feelings and experiences in making this quilt.

“Please don't touch the quilts” is an instruction visitors to quilt shows are all too familiar with. Sara Sullivan of Romsey Quilters talks to us about her experience of the process of creating an accessible quilt exhibition.

If you’ve been following along with us since 2022, you will be familiar with the collaborative project we are partnering on led by Terrence Higgins Trust. Our dedicated quilting community members have been tirelessly working to produce something truly amazing.

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 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.

The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is holding North Country Quilts: In Celebration of New Acquisitions until 9 January 2022.

The Festival of Quilts and The Quilters’ Guild are opening up their annual competition to first-time quilters with a brand new Complete Beginners category.

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 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.

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!

Upper Street Events talk to Californian quilter Sheila Frampton-Cooper about her work, inspirations and teaching

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.

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

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.

What sounds better than three full days of quilting-focused time in beautiful and historic Stirling, Scotland?

We are pleased to announce that fifteen pieces from The Quilters’ Guild Museum Collection will be on show at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2020.

Upper Street Events Supports our Young Quilter Fundraiser at the Knitting and Stitching Shows. In our 40th birthday year The Quilters’ Guild is reprising one of our most successful fundraising ventures to support Young Quilters.

We are thrilled to reveal the design for The Festival of Quilts 2019 souvenir badge!

Robina Akhter Ullah shares the inspiration and process behind her collaborative exhibition, Beyond Faith …

The Traditional Quilt Group is one of five Specialist Groups within Quilters’ Guild and is now over 14 years old. We have more than 340 members who share our passion for traditional blocks and techniques while embracing modern life.When I am at exhibitions displaying the Traditional Quilt Group challenges, a lot of visitors are surprised that there aren’t more hexagon quilts on display, as most people first think of hexagons as a traditional quilt.

At The Festival of Quilts this year we have so many exciting Birthday celebrations for you to enjoy!

Upper Street Events are delighted to announce the launch of the Vlieseline Fine Art Textiles Award, an international juried exhibition open to both amateur and professional artists using textiles as their medium. Our ultimate aim is to elevate and support the recognition and profile textile artists receive within the UK and globally.

Following the success of last year’s nationwide Get Creative festival which hosted over 1,400 events, we would like to encourage all local quilting groups to consider hosting their own event in this year’s festival.

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.

Get to know The Guild better by meeting our talented members! Every year we are so proud to have so many Guild Members who are winners at Festival of Quilts.

Get to know The Guild better by meeting our talented members. Every year we are so proud to have so many Guild members who are winners at Festival of Quilts.

Get to know The Guild better by meeting our talented members! Every year we are so proud to have so many Guild Members who are winners at Festival of Quilts.

Get to know The Guild better by meeting our talented members. Every year we are so proud to have so many Guild members who are winners at Festival of Quilts.

Our first Friends of the Collection mini exhibition took a look at how patchwork and quilting have been used through the centuries in clothing.