Worldwide Quilting Day, which takes place this year on March 16th, is an annual event which celebrates quilting all around the globe and brings together quilters and the shops that support them.

Held each year on the third Saturday in March, Worldwide Quilting Day explores what binds quilters together and aims to encourage new people to take up this age-old craft.

Quilting shops are at the heart of the quilting community and are wonderful places for those interested in quilting to get advice, buy quilting supplies, learn new skills and find new quilting friends. Many of these specialist outlets will be holding events, exhibitions, talks, shows and classes to celebrate Worldwide Quilting Day. 

Worldwide Quilting Day dates back to 1991 and the annual show of the US National Quilting Association, where it was proposed that an American national day dedicated to quilting be established. Since then, this has been expanded worldwide.

Quilting practices can be found in nearly every corner of the world and while no one really knows where quilting originated, quilting techniques have been used for thousands of years and they spread to Europe with returning crusaders in the 12th century. The word quilt derives from the Latin ‘culcita,’ meaning bolster or cushion, and dates back to 13th century England, when it was adapted from the French word ‘cuilte’.

Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre

By the 1600s quilting had become popular amongst the wealthy in Europe and was being used to create fashionable and practical clothing and household items such as cushions, as well as bed covers. Settlers from England and the Netherlands established the craft in North America in the 17th century. 

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, said: “We would like to wish quilters and quilting stores everywhere a very happy Worldwide Quilting Day! We regularly welcome groups of enthusiasts on our tours and we’re excited that, in a few weeks’ time, we are organising a quilts and textiles tour of England and Wales for a leading quilt supplies store in Pennsylvania.

Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre

“The United Kingdom is bursting with quilting and patchwork heritage and is well worth a visit for fans. The Victoria & Albert Museum is home to the Tristan Quilt, one of the oldest surviving quilts in the world, which was made in Sicily around 1360. The American Museum in Britain boasts one of the finest collections of quilts in Europe, and the Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre in Wales is one of the UK’s leading quilt museums and a centre for the Welsh quilting tradition.”

You can share your Worldwide Quilting Day events and activities using the hashtag #WWQuiltingDay and be sure to check out social media to find out what’s going on around the world!

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made Quilting Tour of the United Kingdom or Ireland, including visits to the countries’ leading quilting collections, please do contact our friendly team today.