ABOVE: Spin of the warrior dance by Jing Chen
By Patricia Belyea
BIRMINGHAM UK The exhibition quilts at the 2025 Festival of Quilts absolutely captivated me. Over 1200 quilts were on display and I photographed almost 100 of them. Here, I’m sharing just a snippet of my favorites.
To give you context, I’ve added my own observations.
One Off the Bucket List
By Victoria Miller
This impeccable Cathedral Windows quilt, with its crisp contrast to the exhuberant Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics, earned a spot in the Sustainable category thanks to its inventive use of bedsheets and a duvet cover.
Octopus
By Inmaculada Gabaldon
Intricate threadwork dances in lace-like patterns, creating subtle tonal shifts within the black-and-white composition.
My skin, eczema, wrinkles and all
By Karin L. Briden
This deeply personal quilt reveals the vulnerability of the maker’s outer layer, while also embracing self-acceptance and the beauty in imperfection.
Dyptic: Study exploring value and color
By Annie Folkard
Check out this bold and balanced diptych made with a seemingly effortless combination of diverse shapes and colors.
Riveting Restrictions – From Waste to Wonder
By Marja Matiisen
A brilliant quilt that uses a tangle of jean details to create a surprisingly simple composition.
Chromatic Pebbles
By Charlie Morton
This “blob” quilt stands out with its intriguing color palette and delicious hand stitching.
Smoot
By Kate Sandford
A smoot is a hole in a dry stone wall, big enough for an animal to crawl into. Here, the quilt’s stone shapes draw you in, while the negative spaces are safe hiding spots.
Happy Together
By Weiteng Niu
This quilt is noticeably different. The center space features a moment of intense action in stitches. The framing, inspired by traditional red Chinese wedding quilts, includes family photos in some of the blocks. The pink? A great attention getter.
Diamonds are Forever
By Maggie Breakspear, inspired by quilts by Brigitte Giblin
A heartwarming traditional quilt with amazing handiwork on the English Paper Piecing and perfect choice of patterned fabrics.
By Lucie Belanger
While transparencies and curved forms may be all the rage, this masterful combo of shapes and stitches come together in perfect harmony.
Persian Passion
By Christine Hesp, designed by Deborah Kimball
Pristine blooms in bright colors set against a deep purple background—absolutely gorgeous.
The Flow of Life
By Ukrainian Quilters Association, design by Tatiana Vlasenko
In the Quilt Creations category, this 3D wall quilt bursts forward like blossoms in armor. The makers state: it is a metaphor for life under systemic pressure.
Perspicuous
By Kate Sandford
This quilt charmed me with its spirited weaving pattern and its asymmetric placement.
Dad’s Cufflinks
By Paula Hope
Too much fun! The forms, colors, and title of this quilt radiate happiness.
Remembering the Sixties
By Hilary Callaghan
From the appliqued forms to the colors, this quilt successfully brings back the vibe of the Sixties.
Bloom Mapping
By Daisy Aschehoug
It takes a moment to see the movement in this seemingly uniform line-up of rings and roadways. Exceptional work on the piecing.
Two quilters stood by their work, eager to talk with visitors — and I’m so glad they did.
Kubota’s Dream
By Luana Rubin
You may know Luana, whose deep connections to the quilting world and Japan run wide and deep. Her pictorial quilt captures the view of Mt. Fuji from the tearoom at the Kubota Museum and evokes all four seasons.
The Inner Cube
By Melanie Reed, designed by It’s Sew Jodi
Melanie may not have invented this English Paper Piecing pattern, but she poured herself into every detail. The result? Pure delight.
If you’ve never been to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, I can’t recommend it enough. The exhibition quilts, the winners, the special exhibits, the workshops, the talks, the vendors, and especially the people — it’s a huge celebration of creativity you’ll surely appreciate.
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria import vintage Japanese textiles, host in-person and online creative quilting experiences, and lead textile tours to Japan.
FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts
