Craft Focus - Jun/Jul (Issue 67)

£25,000 PRIZE UP FOR GRABS AT FESTIVAL OF QUILTS The Festival of Quilts 2018 quilt competition is now open, with £25,000 prize money on offer. The annual contest attracts entries from all over the world, and celebrates designs that transcend craft and demand equal billing with gallery- standard works of art. The competition will be judged by a panel of leading figures from the art and quilting worlds. The consumer show will also mark the 300 th birthday of the 1718 silk coverlet, also known as the UK’s earliest dated patchwork. The Quilters’ Guild will be loaning the piece to the festival for display. The event takes place from 9 th -12 th August at NEC Birmingham, and is set to attract 24,000 visitors. Other highlights will include professionally curated quilt galleries, workshops, talks, discussions and social events, as well as 300 exhibitors selling essential supplies. Go to thefestivalofquilts. co.uk for more information. CREATIVEWORLD SETS THE TRENDS ONCE AGAIN Messe Frankfurt has released a detailed review of the most notable trends at this year’s Creativeworld. Botanical forms and jungle motifs were popular, while hand lettering and street art were also prominent at the event, which took place in January. Societal trends like mindfulness, hygge and taking life at a slower pace have also spilled over into the creative craft sector, with a surge in individual over mainstream product. Consumers are increasingly seeking to create a place of retreat in their own homes, and producers aimed to match this trend at Creativeworld. Chair coverings and wall pictures were knitted with XXL yarns, while miniature gardens and lovingly worked decorative objects were made from painted wood veneers, with stylish highlights provided by hints of concrete and rust. “In the Trend Show this year, we included, amongst other things, ‘The Gardener’ as a theme,” says Claudia Herke from the bora.herke.palmisano Trend Bureau, who identified this year’s fashions and created the show on behalf of Messe Frankfurt. “There is a whole world of motifs to be found in plants, leaves, fruit, vegetables and insects, which offer a virtually endless choice of artistic possibilities for handicrafts, painting and embroidery.” In the trend zone, for example, designers featured beetles stamped onto high quality paper and embossed leaf motifs, with shades of green, dark blue and gold. Calligraphy was also prominent this year. “Hand lettering continues to enjoy huge popularity,” explains blogger, Lisa Tihanyi. “There is now an ever-larger range of products on the market, which makes access to modern calligraphy easier. Hand lettering is not only for artists – it is something that all of us can learn, because it is more about fun than perfection. At the moment, there is a major trend for hand lettering combined with poster and water colours – I am convinced that calligraphy will remain in the frame for some considerable time to come!” A large number of exhibitors incorporated this into their offer, some in the form of ceramic markers and fabric liners, as well as pens suitable for decorating the walls of one’s home. Street Art was another hot topic, having made the jump from the gutter to the museum and now the living room. Graffiti behind the sofa, in the kitchen or in the garden wall is now seen as the epitome of style, and manufacturers exhibited a range of new technologies in this area, including the first refillable spray can, and products that promise minimal odour. Next year’s Creativeworld runs from 26 th -29 th January in Frankfurt am Main. Keep up with all the latest news at creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com CONSUMER SHOW NEWS shows, news and events CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW RETURNS TO MANCHESTER Taking place from 29 th June- 1 st July at NEC Birmingham, The Creative Craft Show promises three days of exciting new products and inspiration for crafters of all abilities. The show will feature a wide range of knitting, cross stitch, dressmaking and stitching supplies, including everything from kits, charts and patterns to fabrics, yarns, threads and buttons, as well as opportunities to glean advice from some of the industry’s top craft experts. Highlights will include a Crafty Beggars beadmaking workshop, led by Julie Peasgood and Wendy Turner Webster, who will guide participants through a range of techniques in order to create an eye-catching bracelet. To commemorate the centenary of the First World War and Votes for Women, the show’s organisers will be challenging visitors to help knit a giant poppy. Each participant is asked to knit a four-inch square which will be used as part of a 13ft double-sided feature. This will be pieced together and unveiled at The Creative Craft Show’s flagship November event. Each section will represent a day of the war, while the reverse side will celebrate suffragettes and Votes for Woman. For details, go to stitchandhobby.co.uk 28 craft focus