The Craft & Quilt Fair is returning to Queensland this October, bringing four fabulous fun-filled crafty days to the Brisbane Exhibition Centre (BCEC).
The fair is the place to make it handmade, with fabulous inspirational displays, more than 600 quilts on show, hands-on workshops galore and a coming together of the craft community like no other event, plus an array of independent Australian retailers selling quality craft supplies and handmade products as well as giving service and advice.
Visitors can attend free seminars, watch demonstrations, try Make & Take classes, test drive the latest sewing, embroidery, overlocking, cutting and quilting machines all under one roof – and see the latest innovations and technology in the market.
The fair is where craft communities gather too, including guilds such as the Queensland Quilters, plus guilds for textile artists, embroiderers, bookbinders, lace makers, decorative painters and even wood turners.
It’s also the place for getting hands-on and exploring new crafts, and improving skills in existing passions. There are short classes covering embroidery, macrame, painting cardmaking and mixed media and extended workshops for resin pouring, making a fascinator, tufting, embroidery, polymer bead making and earring classes, rag rug making and lots more!
Highlights include the Queensland Quilt Show – a fabulous display of quilts in many different styles. Pictorial, modern, art, traditional, innovative and applique quilts, including junior entries will be on show – with other feature displays and daily floor talks by renowned quilter Lorraine Carthew to enjoy too.
Showcasing the exceptional craft talents from around Queensland, the Gold Coast Woodturners, will be at the fair for the first time.
Various guest artists will be attending and running classes including textile artist Kathryn Harmer Fox from South Africa, who will demonstrate free motion machine embroidery, Ben Reeve who is a tufter and founder of Tuft City will host classes every day of the show and Vanessa Utteridge, who will have her macrame and rag rug creations on display and also teaching daily.
There will be incredible craft displays throughout the show, including the Australian Quilt Show, the colourful AQC Challenge quilts, the theme of which was In Full Bloom, One Red Thread Display textile art, and for more hands-on participation options for visitors, there will be the Community Art Wall and the Knit Cycle, which will raise money for Lifeline.
The Craft & Quilt Fair takes place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank from Wednesday 11 October to Saturday 14 October 2023. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.craftfair.com.au for details.
Image: Macrame by Vanessa Uttridge (supplied)