Written by Helen and Donna, with extra photos from Gwen
We visited the Malvern Quilt Show on Sunday 17 May 2026 along with a coach full of Beartown Patchwork & Quilters and a few others from local sewing groups. It was a great day and lovely to wander around and bump into a familiar and friendly face.
The exhibition tent displayed work from various quilters, showcasing different styles and techniques. Quilt displays ranged from miniature up to double bed size. Categories included cot, charity fundraising, junior and themed quilts. The theme this year was ‘Contemporary quilt’.
The 2026 Overall Champion was GR 12 Dancing With Dandelions by Jo Colwill, Becky Stephens & Sandy Chandler
There were a few quilts that really captivated us:
A glimmer of dragonflies (LW04- A Large Wall hanging) : what caught our eyes on this one was how the dragonflies stood out and were definitely the main feature of the quilt. The colours were vibrant without being overwhelming.
Down to the Sea (M07) : The miniature quilts category was inspirational. Despite their small scale these pieces contained a great amount of detail. The one Donna particularly liked was the beach scene. There was so much movement and sense of depth.
Oh Christmas trees (GR 06) was a group quilt which Helen thought a lovely novelty. Quirky but showcasing lots of techniques.
The venue also hosted numerous vendors selling a wide range of fabrics and quilting tools: a challenge to hold onto your purse.
Donna spent a happy afternoon hunting through stalls for her current patchwork project—a railroad pattern featuring bold reds and with discreet teal birds. She successfully found a teal fabric that complements the colour of the bird, and will be used to frame the final quilt. Gwen found more really colouful cat material!
Here’s a sample of the Bed quilts
A couple of themed quilts and a large wall hanging –
There was a small wall hanging category too!
Group quilts are always fascinating
As are the miniatures –
There was also a section for journal quilts .
Everyone left the show with new motivation and ideas ready to start work on their next quilting project….
