Craft Focus - Page number 7 - October/November 2021 (Issue 87)

7 INDUSTRY NEWS  Industry news Latest news from the craf industry UK quilt makers Vendulka and Olivier Battais have won The Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award at The Festival of Quilts Competition for their Two Person Quilt, Our Ladies . Dedicated to customers of the couple’s patchwork and quilting shop, OliVen, and to students of their quilting workshops, Our Ladies was made on a domestic sewing machine using free motion quilting and features a central mandala with painted feathers. The Suffolk- based quilters were presented with a £3,500 prize from sponsor, Handi Quilter, at The Festival of Quilts Awards Ceremony today. Judges called the winning quilt: “A wonderful collaboration of design and workmanship. We loved the variety of feathers and their balance of glorious colour. A masterclass in the stitching of an intricate mandala, together with precise use of the glitter liner medium.” Vendulka Battais said: “Every feather in our quilt is different, as are all ‘our ladies’ who are part of our creative journey and who we appreciate and love working with.” The Festival of Quilts competition is designed to promote and encourage all aspects of patchwork, quilting and appliqué. It attracts more than 800 entries each year and has a prize fund of £35,000. There are competition categories covering a wide range of quilting styles for individual quilters, groups and schoolchildren, and every entry is displayed for public view. For further information, visit the website: www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk New appointment at Pentel Pentel has appointed Paul Smith to manage its sales territory in the south and west of England and Wales, to replace Richard Smith who has left the company after a long career with Pentel. Paul has extensive experience of the writing instruments industry, particularly the independent retail sector, with 16 years spent with Staedtler, where he was Territory Manager South. Talking of his new appointment Paul said: “I’m delighted to continue my career in the stationery industry, working for one of its leading names. My objective is to ensure that Pentel’s strong brand and quality product range continue to support and develop independent retailers and commercial stationery dealers throughout the south of England and Wales.” He added: “I’m very much looking forward to meeting familiar faces and new customers and helping them grow their business profitably with Pentel’s comprehensive promotion calendar and exciting new product launches.” Graham Craik, Pentel Director of Sales UK and Ireland, said: “Paul’s appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the independent stationery channel and recognition of its continued importance in our industry. With his impressive experience and knowledge, Paul will help us build even closer partnerships with our customers, ensuring that together we identify and create opportunities for success in the independent sector in the years ahead.” For further information, visit the website www.pentel.co.uk Winner of Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award at The Festival of Quilts 2021