ABOVE: Detail of Moon Star Tree, a quilt by Plym Piecemakers in Ivybridge UK.
By Patricia Belyea
BIRMINGHAM UK I’ve been a bit of a snob about group quilts. Too often, collaborative projects can look like a collection of individual blocks rather than a cohesive work.
This year’s entries at Festival of Quilts exceeded all my expectations. Exciting designs. Resolved compositions. Excellent production. These quilts proved that when makers share a vision, the whole can become far greater than the sum of its parts.
Take a look:
ST ANTHONY’S PARISH CLONTARF GRATITUDE QUILT
Irish Patchwork Society Eastern Branch (17 members)
Dublin, Ireland
The Clontarf seafront and church windows inspired this pentaptych. The image in the center of each panel represents local highlights. The finished quilt was a gift to the community center where the makers have met for many years.
QCPS FEMINIST BANNERS
Pupils of Queen’s College Preparatory School, co-designed by Joana Monteiro
London UK
The pupils at this London day school (3 to 11 year-old girls) made these textile banners honoring six influential women from the Suffragette movement. The projects weave together history, creativity, and values of respect, equality, perseverance, and empowerment.
WINDOWS AND FRAMES
OKNA: Tanja Alexeeva, Vera Root, Yuliya Morabito, Ekaterina Bessarabova, Liudmila Bronshtein, Helena Schneider
Various countries
Using the theme of windows, a band of quilt makers in six different countries framed their views both inward and outward.
WHY THE WYE
Trease Lane, Sylvia Lindoe, Fiona Brook, Linda Roberts, Linda Townsend
Monmouth UK
This group of friends live near the River Wye. Their quilt celebrates the beauty of the countryside and its stunning landmarks. To accomplish their vision, the team used painting, stenciling, printing, free motion stitching, hand embroidery, and quilting.
ARE WE THERE YET?
Modern patCHquilt (7 members), led by Lisa Hofmann-Maurer
Adiswil, Switzerland
This quilt was inspired by Irene Roderick’s improv quilting technique. Group members made an improvised blue background with minimalist patchwork elements. Lisa pieced the blocks together as a city map at night.
CACTUS COLLAB
Quilting Collab (27 members)
Kilmarnock UK
Each maker made a potted cactus in her preferred method. Ultimately the plants were grouped on shelves. Watch out! A spider snuck in.
BIRDS OF FEATHER QUILT TOGETHER
Nether Lochaber Sewing Group (16 members)
Ballachulish UK
Way fun! This Scottish Highland group, working with designer Jan Hamilton, made funky birds with raw edge applique. Using the quilt-as-you-go method, each block was first quilted, then combined and embellished with more appliqued shapes.
BOTANICAL STUDY
Modern PatCHquilt Group (8 members), quilted by Eva Steiner
Werthenstein Switzerland
The assignment was to sew a block featuring leaves or succulents. Only improv cutting was allowed using supplied strips of fabric. The fabulous custom digitized longarm quilting adds another dimension to the design.
WHEN CLOUDS ARE GREY, LOOK FOR THE RAINBOWS
Quilts for Careleavers Makers’ Group (73 members), designed by Marian Keall
Buxton UK
Q4CL make and offer quilts to care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25. As many in this age group reject brightly colored clothes and accessories, hopefully this sophisticated palette will be a welcome choice.
COLOUR COACTION (THE ACT OF WORKING JOINTLY)
Stitching Sisters (4 members)
Chesham UK
Four friends of differing ages and interests get together to explore new ways to make quilts in modern ways. For this project, they each made two slim quilts for the final composition of eight innovative quilts strips.
SENSUS COMMUNIS
The London Dyers Group at LGWSD, designed by Anne Barwick
London UK
Translation, please. The quilt title says: Common Sense. The creative team included 15 dyers and stitchers, plant dyeing the fabrics and hand stitching in the Jogakbo Bojari style from Korea.
JUST WING IT
Scrap Club (52 international members), assembled by Kristen Hubert
Edinburgh UK
“Choose Your Own Adventure Flying Geese Quilt” incorporated interpretations of the flying geese block. The widespread members identified as happy geese in a grey sky, finding each other in flight.
MULTIPLE ORGASMS
OKNA: Tanja Alexeeva, Vera Root, Yuliya Morabito, Ekaterina Bessarabova, Liudmila Bronshtein, Helena Schneider
Various countries
Can we mention orgasms? Is the momentary bliss of blossoming — intimate and precious — a polite topic or taboo? This group from Sweden saw their experiences of orgasm as “soulful, quiet, but expansive.”
INTO THE LIGHT
Studio 11+
Eastbourne UK
This group, formed by students and friends of Christine Chester, meet at the Quaker Meeting House. The art quilt is inspired by the Quaker testaments of peace, simplicity, community, equality, truth, and love. Each strip was designed and created by an individual member.
What a collection of ideas if you have a group project in your future!
The makers at Festival of Quilts 2026 showed that collaboration can create something beyond individual creativity: a shared language of color, texture, memory, and meaning. Perhaps the greatest surprise was not what these groups made — but what they made possible together.
TO SEE MORE BLOG POSTS ABOUT FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2026:
winning quilts at FOQ 2026 +click here
competition quilts at FOQ 2026 :: part one +click here
competition quilts at FOQ 2026 :: part two +click here
the beauty of japan at FOQ 2026 +click here
textile galleries at FOQ 2026 +click here
red poppies at FOQ 2026 +click here
peeps, shopping & learning at FOQ 2026 +click here
