For those of you who aren’t yet members of the Guild you may not know that, once a member, you are also eligible to join one of our five specialist groups. These are the Traditional Quilt group, the Contemporary Quilt Group, the Modern Quilt Group, the British Quilt Study Group and the Miniature Quilt Group. In previous years groups have taken turns to set a challenge to members to produce a quilt based upon a theme. In 2016/17 the theme for the Modern Quilt Group challenge was ‘Cottonopolis Jukebox’ and the entries were exhibited at the Festival of Quilts.

The 2016-17 Specialist Group Challenge theme was ‘Cottonoplis Jukebox’. Entry by Hilary Drake & Joy Division, A SIDE: NEW DAWN FADES.

If this sounds like something you are interested in trying your hand at, now is the perfect time to start making in time for the exhibition at next year’s Festival of Quilts. The 2018-19 Challenge is open to all specialist group members and is to produce a new interpretation of a classic quilt – The Edwin Mary Bloomfield Coverlet. The coverlet, dated 1849-50, was acquired by the Guild in 2004, driven by the desire to reunite it with a very similar piece also bought by the Guild that year, the Wyatt Coverlet.

The Edwin and Mary Bloomfield Coverlet

You can learn more about the Bloomfield Coverlet here. To find out more about the Specialist Group Challenge and the exhibition you can download a leaflet showing close up images of various sections of the coverlet, here. The deadline for entry submissions is April 2019, so there is still time to join the Guild, choose a Specialist Group and start your entry!