Craft Focus - October/November 2022 (Issue 93)

10 Craft Festival Cheltenham launches Christmas event After the success of Craft Festival Cheltenham in March, the event returns for a special Christmas edition over the weekend of 26th-27th November. More than 100 of the finest designer makers and artists from across the UK will exhibit at Cheltenham Town Hall for a celebration of making, creativity, and Christmas shopping. “We’re excited to launch our first Christmas event in Cheltenham” said Sarah James, Festival Director. “Visitors to Craft Festival Cheltenham value handmade craft, and we felt a Christmas event would offer a platform for the finest makers to present their work at this special time” she added. Typically, over 2,000 local people visit Craft Festival Cheltenham to experience the best in hand made original jewellery, ceramics, silver, glass, textiles, woodwork, prints, leatherwork, furniture and more. The event also hosts Festive workshops for all ages, craft demonstrations, and free children’s activities. Craft Festival Cheltenham is a curated, selling event, selected by an independent panel of experts. This ensures that only the best British designer maker businesses are chosen to sell directly to the public. Festival Highlights Some 100 designer makers are drawn from across the UK will exhibit and include some of the best local Gloucestershire creative talent. Maris Frantzi, based in Cheltenham, is an accomplished international jeweler who returns to Craft Festival for a second time, having been awarded Best in Show at the March event. Inspired by her Greek heritage, Maria brings her stunning designs and vibrant personality back to Craft Festival. Jeff Josephine Designs also returns to Craft Festival. The Gloucestershire based illustrator, print maker and studio potter uses a bold colour palette, pattern, and typography with a strong horticultural theme. Demonstrators will include The Letterpress Collective from Bristol, where the traditional craft of letter press printing is alive and bursting with creativity. Also, wood carver William Barsley from Devon will be demonstrating his stunning work in the Demo Room. Recent projects include heraldry, gilding, and antique restoration of Westminster Hall part of the Houses of Parliament. Tickets to Craft Festival Cheltenham are on sale now. Workshop places will be announced shortly, and advance booking is essential. For more, visit the website: www.craftfestival.co.uk/Cheltenham The Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award Spanish quilt maker, Inmaculada Gabaldon, has won The Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award at The Festival of Quilts 2022 for her Pictorial Quilt, Impresión. Tramonto en Venecia. The quilt captures the beauty of a Venice sunset over the Riva Del Vin in the style of an Impressionist painting. It was made on a domestic sewing machine using appliqué. The Madrid-based quilter was awarded a £3,500 prize from sponsor, Handi Quilter, at The Festival of Quilts Awards Ceremony today. The Festival of Quilts competition is designed to promote and encourage all aspects of patchwork, quilting and appliqué. It attracts more than 600 entries each year and every entry is displayed for public view. Competition categories cover a wide range of quilting styles for individual quilters, groups, schools and young people, with a £35,000 prize fund attached. Visit: www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk

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