The Festival of Quilts was launched in 2003 in partnership with The Quilters’ Guild as a hub for people from all over the world to come together and share their passion for quilting.
20 years on and it’s now the biggest quilting show in Europe, featuring workshops, talks, one of the world’s largest quilt competitions, a huge range of quilt materials and brands to shop from, and so much more!
Quilting: noun [ˈkwɪɫtɪŋ]
Exact definitions vary, especially because a quilt for many people is defined as a cosy bedcover. However, for quiltmakers, it is generally agreed that a quilt is a multi-layered textile, commonly composed of three complete layers of fabric, including one layer of padding (wadding) in the middle, with all three layers pierced and joined together with stitching. The stitches are usually based on a pattern or design.
N.B. For anyone entering the Festival of Quilts competition a minimum of two complete layers is required.
The Countdown is On!
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Tickets for this year’s Festival of Quilts are now on sale! Two-Day and VIP tickets are limited and will sell out fast – book early to avoid disappointment.
A Question of Categories with Judi Kirk
Join The Quilters’ Guild Judges Organiser, Judi Kirk, who will guide you through the FOQ competition categories to help you feel confident in selecting the right category for your piece.
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Visitors’ Choice Winners Retros…
After the success of The Winners Retrospective in 2023, we’re hoping to bring a collection of previous Visitors’ Choice winners to the show in 2024. Have you or anyone you know ever won the Visitors Choice Award and want the…
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Entry Form Now Live!
The Entry Form for the 2024 Quilt Competition is now live! We aim to hang and judge every entry, making The Festival of Quilts the biggest celebration of quilting in the world, with over 1200 quilts on display.
ENTER NOW
Textile Galleries Line-Up
Be inspired by exhibitions from leading international artists and museum collections at The Festival of Quilts 2024 – featuring works from Sidnee Snell, The Quilters’ Guild, Carolina Oneto and more!
EXPLORE GALLERIES
View Exhibitor List
Shop from craft exhibitors from across the globe at The Festival of Quilts 2024. Stock up on quality patchwork and quilting supplies,fabric, thread, yarn, kits, haberdashery, sewing machines and more!
VIEW FULL LIST
2023 Photo Highlights
Re-live your favourite moments from this year’s show! Take a look at our 2023 Photo Gallery, and do it all again at Birmingham’s favourite festival in 2024.
VIEW GALLERY
The Fine Art Textiles Award (FATA) recognises the creative talents and skills of a broad community of high-calibre textile artists and celebrates textiles’ rightful place amongst high art.
SEE THE SHORTLIST
Explore our Winners’ Gallery
Couldn’t make it to the show or would love to see your favourite quilts once more? See our full competition gallery and find out who won!
EXPLORE WINNERS
What People Say
The artistry was amazing; there are some very talented quilters out there. It has given me the urge to become more creative with my time behind my sewing machine. Congratulations on what I'm sure will be a sell out of a show.
It was so good we visited the festival twice! For anyone that enjoys crafts, sewing, quilting or interested in having a go, I would strongly suggest going along and having a great day out. 10/10
Just to say my daughter and I had a brilliant time at FOQ today , the VIP tickets really added to the experience and made it a much more enjoyable day , from now on it will be the only way to attend FOQ !
I spent two very happy days at The Festival of Quilts, the ambiance was incredible, and there was enough room between the stalls to move easily, the quilts were fantastic, and everyone I spoke to were saying it was the best one ever, a wonderful day!
My daughter and I paid our first visit on Friday... We were totally blown away by the quilts on display and had a fantastic time shopping too. Will definitely return next year. Thank you so much for all the hard work in putting on such a magnificent show!
Fantastic show with lots to see, do and buy! Made all the more special with my daughter winning the Young Quilter of the year (5-8 years). Will be back next year!
