2025 festival of quilts :: special exhibits

2025 festival of quilts :: special exhibits

ABOVE: Stitched Lives: Women, Materialism and the Art of the Handmade Anitha N Reddy in front of a quilt made in collaboration with the Siddi women from Karnataka, India.

1-hour Zoom Talk | FRI Sept 12: Tales from Birmingham UK with Patricia Belyea. THIS TALK IS A FUNDRAISER FOR PAC NW QUILT & FIBER ARTS MUSEUM. For a $14 ticket +click here

By Patricia Belyea

BIRMINGHAM UK  I’m giving you just a peek into three of the twelve Textile Galleries featured at the 2025 Festival of Quilts. Every single one was remarkable—but here are a few that especially caught my eye:

Pat Pauly
Pieces and Resistance
Pat creates her own hand-printed fabrics, which she transforms into bold, graphic quilt compositions. With their abstract, painterly vibe, these works push the boundaries of what a quilt can be. Each one is pieced and wildly stitched by machine.

Pat Pauly at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKPat Pauly gallery at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKPat Pauly quilt at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKDetail of Pat Pauly quilt at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKGalla Grotto
Women’s Encyclopaedia
Originally from Russia and now based in France, Galla Grotto brings a playful, cubist energy to her textile portraits. Her work reimagines cultural icons and myths with a touch of whimsy and sharp design style.
Galla Grotto at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKGalla Grotto gallery at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKGalla Grotto quilt at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKDetail of Galla Grotto quilt at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKSara Impey
Context
A former journalist, Sara uses the power of language in her intricate stitched narratives. Her quilts draw you in with layered text and meticulous detail, inviting both close reading and deeper reflection.
Sara Impey at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKSara Impey gallery at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKSara Impey quiit at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UKDetail of Sara Impey quilt at 2025 Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK

Postscript: After leaving Birmingham, I traveled to Edinburgh to visit Lesley Knox. There, in her dining room, hung a work by Sara Impey. Clearly, I was in the right place!

Quilt by Sara Impey in the home of Lesley Knox in Edinburgh
Detail of quilt by Sara Impey in the home of Lesley Knox in Edinburgh

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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 textileshost in-person and online creative quilting experiences, and lead textile tours to Japan.

FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts