Patchwork Cathedral Hosted Textile Art from Around the World

A special highlight this year was Brasilidade, the national collection from Brazil, making its debut at the event. “It’s the gallery from the most distant country and the very first from South America that we’ve ever hosted. The second most valuable and exciting collection was the Best Of gallery from the French EPM exhibition. Each year, they purchase one winning quilt from their competition, and we are the first exhibition to be entrusted with this cohesive collection. It showcased the best works from the past 20 years,” said artistic director Jana Štěrbová. Also impressive was the SAQA section for Europe and the Middle East with the Wide Horizons collection, alongside national collections from Germany, Poland, and Israel. Among Czech artists, noteworthy mentions go to the galleries of M. Listíková, M. Drozdová, and B. Bartošová, as well as the star of Czech traditional patchwork for 2025, Jana Dušková. Czech quilting clubs presented the Růže and Leporelo collections.

Hall A Became a Patchwork Cathedral

For three full days, visitors could admire the artworks displayed in Pavilion A, which proved to be an exceptionally suitable and elegant venue. “I’ve visited many international exhibitions, and there is no place that offers this kind of gently diffused daylight—it’s absolutely ideal for showcasing colors and how they’re used,” praised artistic director Jana Štěrbová.

In addition to quilts, the pavilion hosted numerous workshops led by renowned Czech and international instructors. Visitors had the opportunity to try out various textile techniques, including modern art quilting methods. One of the biggest draws was a series of courses led by Brazilian quilter Estela Mota, whose attendance was sponsored by exhibition partner HAIŠMAN.

A significant portion of the exhibition area was dedicated to beautiful booths from companies specializing in textile and visual arts techniques. Compared to last year, their number increased again, confirming the show’s continued growth. On display were sewing and ironing machines, fabrics, haberdashery, supplies for crocheting and knitting, handmade jewelry, clothing, and other unique products.

The Competitions Were International—Both in Participants and Judges

Many of the displayed artworks were part of four ongoing competitions. Two of them were judged by an expert international panel composed of gallerists, instructors, and certified judges. This year’s theme for the clasiccal category was FOUR PATCH, attracting 21 participants. The creative theme IN CIRCLE drew 24 entries. Quilts were judged anonymously, and six best pieces were awarded in each category. In both competitions, the top prizes went to Czech artists, while the creative category also recognized artists from Italy and Poland. Valuable prizes were provided by competition partners—STRIMA CZECH, HAIŠMAN, BROTHER Sewing Technology, and RAGOS.

Themes for next year’s competitions have already been announced: Paper Piecing for the clasiccal category and 50 Shades for the creative category.

The third competition, Silken Garden, was co-organized by Brno Trade Fairs and exhibition partner Hedva Český Brokát Rýmařov. A total of 62 artists from various countries worked with floral brocades provided by the Czech manufacturer to create a unique traveling collection. The top three artists received valuable prizes and vouchers from Hedva Český Brokát. The winners included artists from Israel and Germany. “This year’s project was international. It’s wonderful that artists from abroad got involved,” said BPM director Martin Škarka during Saturday’s awards ceremony.

Visitors also had the chance to act as judges. Throughout the three days, they could vote in the Czech and International Quilt competition. All winners announced on Sunday were Czech participants. Additionally, visitors were randomly selected to win prizes donated by exhibition partners.

Pillowcases for Cesty životem bez bariér and Toys for Kociánka

As in previous years, the exhibition also supported charitable projects. Members of the Bohemian Patchwork Club Prague sewed 45 quilted pillowcases and donated them to the organization Cesty životem bez bariér, which supports wheelchair-bound children. The second project was led by members of the First Moravian Patchwork Club, who made handmade toys. The first batch went to children at the Kociánka Centre in Brno, and the rest will be donated during the Rescuers for Children safety day at the exhibition center on May 31.

They Said About the Exhibition

Haišman s.r.o., Pavel Haišman, Partner
We’re satisfied, we really liked it, and the pavilion is beautiful. I’d say the number of customers was quite good. I’m curious to see what next year brings.

Hedva Český Brokát, Miroslava Sochorová, Head of Sales
We’re very satisfied with the exhibition. This year, we prepared better, and besides fabric remnants, we offered small yardages suitable for patchwork. As partners of the competition, it was really hard to choose—every quilt was more beautiful than the last.

Katrincola.cz (Miliimport), Kateřina Fantová, Marketing Manager
Many customers stopped by even though we offer yarn and needles, which is a bit different from the main focus. There was great interest in our knitting and crocheting materials. We’re happy with the results—we reached a lot of new customers who didn’t know about us before.

LizaDecor Com Limited, Jana Zaoralová, Managing Director
This was my first time at this fair, so I can’t compare it to others. We brought patchwork rulers and templates, and interest in them was high. Our busiest days were Friday and Saturday.

MARYNA Studio, Maryna Bilash Puljić, Owner
We came from Slovenia, it’s our first time here, and we’re very happy with the fair. I think it won’t be our last time.

Notie s.r.o. (Mimi Látky), David Chytil, Managing Director
We were impressed by the friendly atmosphere and the number of people who attended. The visitors were very kind, we exchanged valuable insights, and our booth offered high-quality knits, sweat fabrics, and haberdashery. We were also surprised by the number of international visitors—even from far-off Canada. Overall, we were happy and really enjoyed it.

RAGOS, Dana Raselová, Owner and Director
This year’s exhibition was truly wonderful. We loved the venue and the natural light in the pavilion. Visitor interest was huge—maybe even greater than last year. We bring new fabrics from England every year, so everyone is excited to see what’s next.

SOTEX GINETEX CZ, Ladislava Zaklová, Executive Director
Choosing this pavilion was definitely a move toward a more elegant and representative fair setup. As for visitors, there was noticeable interest in care labeling symbols, and we got many relevant questions. The show remains valuable for us in the future.

STRIMA CZECH, Martin Zubatý, Managing Director
We’re satisfied—there were lots of customers and a huge interest in industrial sewing machines. You can see the audience is evolving—they’re using quality, heavier fabrics and need top-quality machines. It’s also great to see that interest in sewing and patchwork continues to grow.

Tkanfarb Business Management (Poland), Amadeuz Wieteska, Owner
We really enjoyed it here. It’s our first time in Brno—we’re Polish manufacturers exhibiting materials for the patchwork community. We love meeting people, learning about their needs and ideas for patchwork. It’s very inspiring to be here and see that our products match people’s expectations.

VierMa by Deny, Denisa Pelikánová, Owner
This year’s exhibition was much better than last year’s. I’m very happy. There was great interest, especially in designer fabrics. Seeing fabrics and colors under the right lighting is essential—and this pavilion is perfect for that.

Brother Sewing Technology, Roman Brzuska, Owner and CEO
It was nice to meet all those familiar faces again. The naturally lit space in this pavilion is very pleasant, and the generous space gives the exhibition great dignity, which we really appreciate.

Estela Mota, Brazilian Quilter
I think this hall A1 is magical. The light is beautiful, lots of people came, and all the exhibitions are fantastic. People love to connect, and this is the best way to bring people from different parts of the world together. And I did some great shopping here, too.