A Day at the Festival of Quilts 2026
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
What an explosive day of vibrancy, culture, creativity and wonderful people.
Every year the NEC, Birmingham hosts four jam-packed days of activity, exhibitions and selling stalls, drawing people from across the UK and beyond to immerse themselves in all the colour.
I hadn't planned on visiting this year, but when Sewing Street TV kindly gifted me a pair of tickets, it became a no-brainer. All I had to do was choose my wingman for the day — and that was easy, given Dad loves the Festival of Quilts, from adoring the hangings to speculating over the wonderful designs, not to mention the chance to network.
Getting Prepared
We didn't have much time in the day to really linger over the quilts on display, but thankfully YouTube came through for me, with plenty of vloggers capturing their favourites so I didn't feel like I'd missed too much. In advance, I'd watched Stitch with Rachel for her advice based on her previous experience of preparing for the show. So I went along dressed in a loose top and linen trousers, with super comfy footwear. In my Northumberland rucksack I carried the essentials: a neck fan, tissues, two bottles of water, and a set amount of cash — no cash cards this time, Lucy Picksley!
The Shopping (Mostly Restrained, Honestly)
I'd like to say I had a list of what I wanted to buy, but that only consisted of some Sewtite magnets for my English paper piecing — picked up at the very first stall we came to. I'd made an internal promise not to buy any quilt kits, and I feel like I kind of stuck to the plan, purchasing just two quilt patterns, one of which was a foundation paper piecing booklet.
My purchases were restrained, which I felt really proud about, but trust me when I say the bill could have gone off the charts. I picked up a mixed set of five fat quarters, all ginghams — as you all know, I love a tiny square on fabric. I also bought two half-metres of quilted fabric, as I really felt like there was a bag design hiding in one of them (not sure what yet). Higgs & Higgs really did whet my appetite with the beautiful fabrics on offer, at just £4 per half-metre piece.
On the Alice Caroline stand, I was admiring — as I always do — the amazing prints, designs and abundance of creativity. A cute appliqué bee pattern and fabrics made their way into my arms before I went headlong into a good chat with Anna, who works for Alice Caroline and who I'd talked to at length at a previous show. What a delight — and what an internal squeal — when I was then gifted the beautiful bundle. Thank you so much, Alice Caroline. If you want to see the kit, check it out here: Honey House Cushion Sewing Kit | Liberty Tana Lawn Fabrics.
So — would you be surprised if I said that was all my shopping? Even I'm starting to think I must have missed something off my list!
The Real Highlights
The highlights of my day were the good catch-ups and chats with other professionals I work with in various ways, including the amazing Adam Brooks, Suzie Duncan, Rachel (as above) and Tracy Perks.
But the highest of the highs had to be this:
Seeing my latest fabric collection, Layers of Time, on display around the NEC and getting fantastic feedback from vendors on its popularity with their customers.
I was simply overjoyed. Words I heard used to describe my work included "vibrant," "fresh," "modern," and "just what we needed." Being asked for more in upcoming collections rounded off my day quite beautifully.
So, did you go to the Festival? What were your thoughts and highlights? Was it worth the hype, and will you go back next year? Do let me know in the comments — I'd love to know.
Until next time, create mindfully,
Lucy x
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