ABOVE: Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Patricia Belyea shared a moment, off their feet, at the Aurifil Lounge.
By Patricia Belyea
BIRMINGHAM, UK With more than 200 vendors at the Festival of Quilts 2026, there were plenty of opportunities to stock up on patchwork and quilting supplies. I met one woman who told me she came to the Festival for one reason only: shopping!
LEARNING at FOQ 2026With 425 tutors teaching Quick & Easy Workshops and Full-Day Workshops, there were plenty of opportunities to learn new techniques, pick up a few tricks, and be inspired by other makers.
PEEPS AT FOQ 2026
Joe was at FOQ asking for help. He’s raising funds to put a new thatched roof on the Quilter’s Cottage at Beamish Living Museum, north of York. The cottage is the home of the original Joe the Quilter.
Sign up for a three-hour fundraising Quilt-A-Thon with top quilters on Saturday, October, or donate to the cause +here.
Kaffe Fassett
Everyone knows Kaffe! It was wonderful to see him at FOQ — especially after celebrating his 88th birthday last December. Kaffe easily settled into the Aurifil quilting frame to hand stitch.
Ricky Tims
Another big name in quilting, Ricky was at FOQ 2026 to talk about his award-winning quilt, The Visitation. The composition includes a raven, a pocket watch, a dormant tree, and a full moon with a clock face — all focusing on the passage of time.
Kay Walsh
I met up with Kay, one half of the well-known quilting duo Jenny & Kay Create, at the Aurifil booth. There were lots of folks hand stitching on the frame in the Aurifil Lounge, along with tempting thread collections spread across the display tables.
Kate EssamHow cool to watch a Liberty fabric designer color a pattern! Kate was creating a new colorway for the Emily Annabelle collection. The Liberty London booth was filled with pristine fabrics, coordinated solids, and lots of inspiration.
The Creative Textiles StudioI reconnected with many friends at The Creative Textiles Studio, where innovative artists demonstrated surface-design techniques.
Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw
Eco-dyeing on paper
Sam Jones
Indigo and natural dyeing
Janet McCallum
Fabric painting with thickened Procion dyes
The Quilters
Without a community of quilters, there would be no quilts!
Here’s Lisa Flint, from East Tuddenham, UK, with her EPP quilt, My Reflections in Fabric, which took her three years to complete. Long-arm quilting by Carolyn James.
Angels & StewardsThe Festival could not run without the generous help of its Angels and Stewards.
Here’s Norma S. from Uddingston, UK, in front of Hand-tied with Orange Threads, a Sustainable Quilt by Laura Chrostowski Jenkins.
WARNING: PROFANITY TO FOLLOW
Chris English
An irreverent fellow, Chris hauled me over to the Voices in Cloth — Men Who Quilt exhibition to see his latest piece. A well-known quilter and teacher from West Yorkshire, Chris enjoys using upcycled fabrics in his quilts.
After two days of quilts, artists, shopping, stitching, learning, and friends — I’d say it was a wonderful Festival of Quilts!
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
something unexpected at FOQ 2026 +click here
red poppies at FOQ 2026 +click here
