I’d hoped that 2020 would be the first year I’d attend The Festival of Quilts, billed as Europe’s premier Quilt show and held annually at the Birmingham NEC. Unfortunately, like all these kind of things that have been cancelled and postponed now, that’s just not possible. Fortunately, they’re running a virtual version of the festival instead.
Called Beyond The Festival of Quilts, over 4 days between 30th July and 2nd August 2020 there’s a whole host of virtual workshops and masterclasses as well as galleries and a shopping hub to have a nose around.
I haven’t booked any of the masterclasses, although they seem to be fairly reasonably priced at £15 each. None of the subjects particularly interested me, although I do find Jennie Rayment an entertaining font of knowledge when it comes to quilting, so may yet book her class (although poss a tad advanced!).
Jenny Rayment’s class at Beyond The Festival Of Quilts
I’m planning to pop along for some of the lectures and workshops if they’re not booked up and keen to see Stuart Hillard present the winners of the virtual quilt competition that was being run by The Festival of Quilts this year. I believe the ceremony takes place at 12pm on Tuesday 30th July.
Stuart Hillard to present the winner of the Virtual Quilt competition
I’m looking forward to seeing the winning entries and having a look around the dynamic galleries too.
The Festival Of Quilts Galleries
It wont be the same as being there in person, and my husband and children are naturally gutted not to be dragged around there, but I’ll take it is a good second given all that’s going on right now and will be sure to make the pilgrimage in 2021.
Subscribers have received an email notification from CEO of TN Marketing, Cal Franklin, confirming that the Bluprint brand will be changed back to Craftsy. Whether or not they’ll revert back to the same logo, we’ll have to wait and see.
In a positive move that shows they are already listing to subscribers and their community, the site will relaunch of 1st September under it’s original brand name and include not only the features from Bluprint, but also new content such as live events and hobby related travel programmes.
As previously confirmed, all subscription services, course materials, and individually purchased classes will continue through the Bluprint until the transition to the new website is made.
From 1st September there will be the ability to once again purchase individual classes and subscriptions on the new Craftsy website.
Bluprint have updated their FAQs page at this time too – Bluprint FAQS
I’ll be watching out for further announcements and there are set to be special events happening on the launch date.
Welcome back Craftsy – It’s a big thumbs up and yay from me!
The Facebook page for The Quilting spot is now up and running. I’m only slightly more up on using Facebook than I am WordPress, but I’m aiming to post regularly.
Please visit to keep up to date with what’s grabbing my attention and as well as project progress updates.
Recently, I randomly came across a local live quilting event on Eventbrite hosted by The Southern Maltings, a community space in Hertfordshire dedicated to making creative experiences and activities available to all.
Titled ‘A Beginners Guide To Patchwork’, it caught my attention and as it was due to stream live within in a couple of hours, I contacted the organiser directly to see if I could join and she managed to squeeze me in.
Fiona, the host and a chairperson at The Southern Maltings, has been instrumental in creating a programme during lockdown called The July Festival where people are able to attend a huge variety of art and craft classes and talks via zoom – for free. More details are available on their facebook page.
The class itself took the form of a sew along and you were able to gather the materials and tools listed before it started. In this case, some scrap strips of fabric, paper, ruler, pencil and sewing machine/needle and thread.
It turned out that the small block being created was foundation paper pieced. Not something I’d tried before, but am now keen to spend a bit more time learning about. Fiona took us all through the steps and those joining were able to ask questions, show progress etc. As with all Zoom calls, you had the option to be involved as much or as little as you wanted with video and audio settings. The workshop lasted about an hour, was really accessible and I thoroughly enjoyed this as a way of attending a class.
The whole thing got me thinking about the way lockdown and the surge in use of Zoom and other VC platforms have changed the way we join with others for our hobbies. Quilters always like to come together in person, be it at classes, workshops or their local guild, so recent times have naturally resulted in them taking to Zoom to best replicate these gatherings.
As it happens, when I came across this event, I’d been looking at the virtual workshops that are being made available as part if this years’ upcoming online version of The Festival Of Quilts – Beyond The Festival Of Quilts. More about that on a different post!
Whilst we can’t meet in person at shows at the moment, we can still sew along and get inspired by other crafters and artists via these online classes and workshops. It’s good for those of us attending – still involved, still learning, still part of the crafting community. It’s great for those giving the classes – promoting their business, product or increased awareness of their non-profit organisation.
What would have been an otherwise micro local event (and there were only 37 participants online) has the potential to go global with people from all over the world being able to access via Zoom. I just don’t think these events would have happened without the pandemic and lockdown (at least not at the scale and volume they have been).
What will be interesting to see is if they continue after we can go back to classes and shows as another way of enjoying our hobbies. I’m sure for those less able to attend in person due to health or proximity, they’d be hugely welcomed. How great it would be to attend a show that was hundreds of miles away or even in another country?! I’m already thinking of the virtual Quilt Con in 2021 here. It will be brilliant to attend in some form when there is little chance of dragging my family all the way to America for the sake of quilting!
Well, for fans of the online craft education platform Bluprint (formally Craftsy), today’s announcement that TN Marketing have acquired ‘certain assts’ of the ailing business will come as very welcome news indeed.
Having signed up for the annual subscription (albeit at a discounted rate), only to be told soon after that it was the end of Bluprint was disappointing to say the least. Probably not as much however as for those subscribers who have purchased 100s of classes over the last decade (and there’s plenty of them out there!).
The home page on Bluprint has been updated with the latest communication from the CEOs of both companies confirming that all access to subscription services and individually purchased classes, course materials and patterns will continue. Hooray!
A quick look at the TN Marketing website indicates that they seem to be in the same field, although are perhaps a smaller outfit. I feel it’s definitely a positive move – they may even change the name back to Craftsy like so many fans wish!
I’m just thrilled to be able to continue watching Angela Walters’ True Up series whilst quilting and there’s no excuse not to try out the beginners EPP (English Paper Piecing) course now!
Soooo… this’ll be my first blog post then. Not just the first on The Quilting Spot, I mean my actual first. Ever.
You’re reading this, so that’s one objective ticked off already – to share my quilting thoughts, musings, projects and progress with likeminded quilty souls like you (note how I didn’t say ‘journey’ there. It was really tough, but I resisted).
In the first instance, it’s a place to document my experience of the challenges, successes and inevitable frustrations and failings that come with this amazing craft.
At this point, in common with so many others at this time, I have found myself with a little more time on my hands and turned back to quilting as a way to relax and cope with the stresses of all that was happening around me.
I’ve completed 4 quilts to date. That sounds much more impressive than the actual reality of them, I assure you. I might post about them at some point. After all, they’re part of my jou – nearly!
What could it become? Hum, too early to say…
All I can say is that when I get an idea in my head, I know the only way to get rid of that relentless nagging feeling is to act on it. TQS will evolve for sure.
It might even also improve my copy writing!
And spelling!
In the meantime, if you think you might be interested in walking along side me in all this, please pop your email in the box below. I wholeheartedly promise not to bombard your inbox.
Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly at kim@thequiltingspot.com
