Spooky season is the perfect time to be crafty if you want to give loved ones handmade goodies for the holidays, so we have great news: Brisbane’s biggest celebration of creativity returns this October, with the Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair!
Bringing together thousands of makers, the Fair offers four days full of inspiration, learning, shopping, and hands-on experiences including everything from textile crafts like quilting, sewing, embroidery, knitting and crocheting to jewellery making, woodcraft, and more!
In fact, this year’s program is expanding beyond traditional crafts and introducing new creative hobbies, such as cake decorating. The event will also feature an interactive Craft Bar, an expanded program of fascinating workshops, and recognised artists practising their craft.
If you are looking for inspo, the spectucular Queensland Quilt Show has it for days, with no less than 600 incredible quilts! Once you’ve got your next project in mind, you can shop for the products, tools and materials you need from specialist exhibitors across Australia. You can also get a taste of the newest sewing technology and try your hand at any number of creative disciplines.
One of the highlights of this year’s Fair will be guest artist Jake Henzler, best known as Boy Knits World, whose distinctive knitted cityscapes and architectural designs have earned him an international following.
His best-known pieces transform historic building façades into intricate, tactile knitted artworks, blending influences from folk art, architecture and popular culture with highly detailed colourwork techniques. You’ll have a chance to discover Henzler’s remarkable approach to knitting and see how traditional textile techniques can be transformed into contemporary works of art.
The Cake, Bake & Decorate area of the Fair will be dedicated to edible art, showcasing the creativity, precision and artistry behind decorative baking, offering new techniques and ideas on this increasingly popular creative category.
For those looking for hands-on activities instead, the Craft Bar will provide a free, interactive creative space where you can sit down, try something new and enjoy the social side of making, while the Studio Workshops Program will offer hands-on sessions across a huge range of contemporary crafts like pottery creation and painting, leather engraving, working with resin, and ceramic and fabric painting.
And if you’re a beginner, don’t worry! As Expertise Events’ Jess Kent said, “Whether you’ve been quilting for decades, have just picked up your first pair of knitting needles, want to try pottery or resin or simply love discovering beautiful handmade work, there’s something here to inspire you.”
Practical information
This year’s Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair will take place from Wednesday, October 14 to Saturday, October 17.
Tickets are available here and, in an effort to introduce more young people to the world of making, they are offering free Under 30 tickets with an eligible Adult 1-Day ticket.
