Get a dose of creativity at Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair when the event celebrates its 21st year at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from Wednesday October 7 to Sunday October 11. The event will feature the latest trends including adult colouring-in, textile and wearable art, embroidery, knitting, paper craft, vintage fashion and a stunning array of quilts. Visitors will experience the oft-touted therapeutic and mood-boosting benefits of the handmade world while exploring the impressive displays, workshops and craft products on offer at Australia’s most popular craft event.

This year’s quilt exhibition is second to none, with the best from two highly anticipated national quilt challenges, ‘True Blue’ and the ‘Lest We Forget Quilt Challenge – 100 years, 100 quilts’, plus a stunning display of local works presented by members of Queensland Quilters Inc. The ‘True Blue’ challenge will also be on show. It features 35 interpretations of the theme, ranging from iconic Australian scenes and Blue Heelers to shades of blue, images of depression, sporting heroes and will feature seven quilts by Queensland entrants. Make sure you check out Queensland artist, Jeannie Henry’s ‘True Blue Jacko the Kookaburra’ quilt, which was awarded the prestigious first prize at the 2015 Australasian Quilt Convention. Plus, the highly anticipated ‘Best of Australia’ display will showcase the best quilts from each of the eight major state and territory quilt shows.

The annual Queensland Quilt Show presented by Queensland Quilters Inc. features a collection of magnificent entries across eight categories and is representative of a full spectrum of ages, from beginners, to advanced, both amateur and professional. This year’s challenge quilts section was themed, ‘Blue and White/Cream’ providing an endless source of inspiration. Brisbane’s creative best, The Australian Textile Arts and Surface Design Association (ATASDA) will celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a display of interpretations of the challenge ‘Just Ten’. ‘Art U Wear’, a wearable art exhibition is also a must-see, which pays tribute to ‘Iconic Australia’.

Queensland’s vintage style guru, Miss Chrissy from The Lindy Charm School For Girls will share her ‘Make Do and Mend’ styling tips and tricks and fuse these with the modern fashionista world to create new takes on old looks; transforming them effortlessly into an independently glamorous and individually chic look. Plus, a highlight of the show will be a display of vintage and new Japanese boro textiles with items from Jane MacDonald from BeBeBold: Japapese Textiles & Craft and Shuji Yamazaki of Wabi-Sabi Designs showcasing the beauty of aged textiles and how this technique can be used in new work. Tickets are available online at the door, see online for more information.