The Knitting & Stitching Show is the UK’s biggest textile event and the Harrogate show runs from 28th November-1st December 2019 from 10am-5.30pm (5pm on Sunday). Thousands of textile art and craft fans flock to the Harrogate Convention Centre every year in the run up to Christmas to learn new skills, be inspired by top tutors and experts, view spectacular galleries by leading contemporary textile artists, meet the next generation of textile talent and top up their knit and stitch supplies.
This year’s Harrogate highlights include: The Learning Curve programme featuring over 250 workshops; a dedicated Dressmaking Studio (sponsored by Vlieseline Freudenberg) offering beginner to expert-level classes; Knitworking drop-in knitting and crochet lessons with volunteers from UK Hand Knitting; Artists in Action, where practising artists will be demonstrating their techniques in a live studio environment; The Craft Village featuring small boutique craft companies and comfortable places to sit and relax; the Innovation Station (in association with Baby Lock), featuring live demonstrations of the latest craft products; and over 250 exhibitors selling essential craft supplies.
New for this year’s Harrogate show is a Dressmaking and Upcycling Competition. With a focus on sustainability and environmental awareness, the competition has three categories, all requiring the use of recycled fabric and materials. In Category 1: A Dress from your Stash, entrants must make a dress using an old pattern and unused fabric from their home stash, remnants from a previous make or from old household fabric like curtains or a tablecloth. In Category 2: Go Green, entrants must make a highly-creative garment from non-traditional materials like paper, bubble wrap or plastic bottles. In Category 3: Upcycle an existing garment into something wearable, entrants must transform an old item or items of clothing into an entirely different garment. In all categories, final competition pieces must be wearable garments and all will need an accompanying back story that includes details about materials, pattern and inspiration.
Shortlisted entries will be displayed in the show’s Competition Finalists’ Gallery. Finalists will be invited to take part in a fun, informal catwalk on Sunday 1st December with garments modelled by the maker, the person the garment was made for or an alternative model. Judging will take place during the catwalk show. Judges include author, TV presenter and sewing teacher Wendy Gardiner and The Knitting & Stitching Show’s Event Director, Anna Baptiste. An overall winner will be voted for by visitors, based on votes cast throughout the show. A range of dressmaking prizes will be on offer.
To enter The Knitting & Stitching Show Dressmaking Competition, entrants must complete an application form (available on the show website) and send it with images of the finished garment to: Lois Wright, e: lois.wright@upperstreetevents.co.uk by midday on Monday 28th October. Finalists will be contacted by 1st November with shortlisted garments to be sent to the show organisers by 18th November.
In the show’s Textile Galleries this year, headline artists are Daisy Collingridge (The House of the Unmade Bed), Georgina Bellamy (That Embroidery Girl), Jen Cable (An Ideal Woman?), Marian Jazmik (Beyond the Surface), Sisse Fog Odgaard (#UNFINISHED). Also on display will be On the Brink by artist and maker Ann Goddard, winner of the inaugural Vlieseline Fine Art Textiles Award, a new international juried exhibition which recognises the talents and skills of a broad community of high-calibre artists and celebrates textiles’ place amongst high art.
Other artists featured are Ariella Green (A Library of Moments), Catherine Kaufman (Woolly Queen), Denise Watts (The Little Woman), Jacqueline James (Colour & Weave), Jean Bennet (The Nep of Life), Jo Beattie (Precious Memories), Kate Whitehead (Not from the Stork), Luisa de Santi (Magical Crochet Spells), Val Holmes (Legacy Impressions) and winners of The Festival of Quilts annual competition (excluding schools and children’s categories). Exhibiting groups are 98 Lace (Upon Reflection), CQ London (Capital Contrasts), the Quilters’ Guild (Forty Years) and the Royal School of Needlework.
Standard adult tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate are £15.50 (concessions £14.00), VIP tickets are £32.00 and a limited number of early bird adult tickets are available at £14.50 (concessions £13.00). New for 2019 is a VIP Extra ticket (£46.00) which includes a lunch voucher up to the value of £7.00 plus two drinks (T&Cs apply). A wide selection of ticket options is available at www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate/ or by calling 0844 209 7325. A £1.95 fulfilment fee applies per order for Print at Home tickets and £2.50 for postal tickets. Full Terms and Conditions are available on the show website. Information is correct at the time of writing.
We have an exclusive discount code for our readers.
Use code YORKSHIREREPORTER19
when purchasing tickets for a discount of;
£2.50 off standard advance adult/ £1.00 off advance concessions
This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59 on Wednesday 27th November. Tickets can be booked online at www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate or by calling 0844 209 7325 and quoting the discount code. Full Terms and Conditions are available on the show website.
