Quilts and Embroidery 2012, Uttoxeter

Sunday, April 15 was the final day of the Quilts and Embroidery show at Uttoxeter Race Course. This annual exhibition and competition, organised by Margaret McQuillen, attracts stitchers from all over the country. It shows work by individuals and also quilting groups.

The Needlemakers sponsors the Visitors’ Choice Prize. Throughout the three days of the show visitors are encouraged to vote for their favourite. John and I went up on Sunday afternoon to meet Past Master Henry Milward and his wife, Sue, who started the award and attend every year. We spent a very happy couple of hours admiring the creativity and skill of the exhibitors and I was very pleased that I didn’t have to judge the other prizes as the competition was stiff.

The Visitors’ Choice went to “compare the quilt dot com” which, as you will see from the photos (Margaret and I at the quilt and the close up of a detail) was very amusing and well designed. The aim was “to be bold and to make you smile”. They certainly did.

As a Londoner by adoption I was very struck by the London Skyline quilt, also pictured, which won the Children's Prize, designed and made by teenager, Luke Daymond. He said, “I lived in London and liked the buildings. I used an old A-Z map for my pinwheel blocks.” His mother said that she has always sewed and he has been using her machine since he was three!