A successful four days at the Creative Craft and Scottish Quilting Show, saw thousands of people descend on the SECC, in Glasgow, during the first weekend of March, to indulge in their creative side.

The event brought together more than 100 exhibitors showcasing artisan, handcrafted gifts, supplies and inspiration and demonstrations for crafters and quilters.

The quilting show, which was introduced four years ago, highlighted the amazing work of Scotland’s quilters with a fantastic turnout of 62 quilts. Margo Hunter has been quilting for 17 years and oversaw the competitive quilting contest at the show.

“We have had an amazing turnout of quilts this year, 62 in total, up from 30 in 2014 when we first began. There are five categories, which include a yearly theme, this year called 'Mackintosh risen from the ashes' – which coincides with 150 years since the birth of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

“If you look closely at some of the quilts on display here, you will see the colours, often autumnal in colour, reflect Scotland, as many of our quilters are inspired by the natural patchwork which can be found in the Scottish landscape.

“A quilt can take anything from a fortnight to six months to make depending on the complexity of the pattern. People are drawn to quilting for many reasons, it can be very therapeutic for those who have lost a loved one or are recovering from poor health.

“Many do it because they can express their creative side and can join a guild to share the experience with others, and many will make them for anniversaries, babies and weddings, as gifts,” concluded Mrs Hunter.

The Scottish Creative Craft Show took place alongside the Scottish Quilting Show and one of the events drawing in the crowds was the 'knit and knatter' sessions, being led by knitting fanatics, 'Grans on the Make'.

Pat Wilson and Jenny Knight, from Deal, in Kent, are the wonder duo behind ‘Grans on the Make’, a movement which brings together crafting minds to create bespoke designs across the country.

For 2018, they are hosting ‘knit and knatter’ sessions at a series of craft shows up and down the UK to commemorate 100 years since the end of WW1 and women having the vote.

Pat and Jenny hope to bring together more than 1000 knitters over the next 10 months to help create giant poppy and suffragette commemorative panels.

With seven more craft shows to go before the big reveal of the panels at Creative Craft Birmingham between November 1-4, Pat Wilson explained a little more about the task they have ahead:

“I wanted to do something a little different to mark the centenary of WW1 and had the idea of creating a 13-foot square panel featuring a giant poppy, which dimensions would have relevance to the lives who were lost during the war.

“The panel itself will consist of 1568 four-inch squares, one square to mark each day of war. We are asking people to knit one square towards the panel and commemorate their square to someone they knew or lost during WW1.

“Every couple of stitches represents one of the armed forces who lost their lives during the war, 704,000 in total,” said Ms Wilson.

Jenny Knight who is heading up the commemorative panel dedicated to 100 years since women received the right to vote is also creating a 13-foot panel, but it will feature a hessian border with flowers around the outside to represent the bunches of flowers often carried by the suffragettes, the infamous imagine of whom will fill the centrepiece of the panel.

Both of the panels will be displayed side by side at the big reveal in Birmingham.