AQC Quilt Show
An exclusive collection of outstanding quilts which only comes together at AQC. 2025 will include international exhibitions as well as new work from our themed challenge and the best quilts from around Australia entered in the Australian Quilt Show.
The Australian Quilt Show
The Australian Quilt Show gives quilters from around the country a chance to have their work displayed at AQC and Craft & Quilt Fairs. The finalists’ quilts will premier at AQC -see the list of prize winners HERE.
In 2025, the Best of Show Grand Prize is $10,000 cash and the total prize pool is worth more than $37,000 including $20,000 in cash and one of three Janome machines. Prizes in seven Categories and eight Special Awards will be announced at AQC.
The challenge is sponsored by 
and 
On The Map
The annual AQC Challenge attracts entries of an exceptional standard each year. The theme in 2025 is On The Map!
First prize will be awarded $3,500, runner up will receive $1,500 and winners will be announced at the Cocktail Party on Wednesday, April 9. There is also a Viewers’ Choice of $500 which will be announced on April 14 so come along and have your say – vote for your selected winner.
The challenge is sponsored by
QuiltCon Travelling Exhibition
We’re delighted to present quilts direct from the premier modern quilting event in the world: QuiltCon, held in February 2025 in Phoenix, USA.
A curated selection of the best quilts will be sent direct to AQC – enjoy a showcase of modern excellence.
2024 Mola Quilt Exhibition by Han Quilt from Korea
Mola Quilt Exhibition
This exhibition, which has been two years in the making, depicts vibrant traditional Korean clothing made using the mola technique.
Mola – a reverse applique technique – originated in the region of Panama, and can also refer to the traditional Central American blouse, worn by the Kuna people, featuring the same technique. This is a quirky cross-cultural exercise by a delightful group of Korean quilters.
Meet them at AQC – they’re travelling to show their work and to meet Australian quilters.
Chasing Rainbows
– A Stash Buster Challenge
When textile artists took up this stash busting challenge issued by Brenda Wood, they were restricted to two colours and 20cm square finished work for each month of the year. The result is a delightful rainbow-effect comprised of 384 small works exploring 12 themes. Definitely a case of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. See it first at AQC.
Ocean
Oceans Exhibition, the 2024 International Competition held by the Carrefour Européen du Patchwork
For the 2024 competition, the brief was: Theme: ‘Ocean’, a theme full of light and secrets that takes us to the depths of a little-explored world!
This immense quantity of water depends on our oxygen supply, our climate in the four corners of the planet and the temperature that reigns there. It is also in the ocean that we find the greatest animal diversity and a rich sample of amazing plants: it is a fantastic reserve of species of all sizes and characteristics. The Ocean is this main element of life that is still very little known, but already very seriously threatened.
Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Southern or Indian, the oceans cover 70% of the globe, but few of us are lucky enough to enjoy them on a daily basis. This is precisely what this theme proposes: invent your representation of the ocean if you don’t have one nearby, tell us about this body of water that you may dream of crossing, share with us this corner of the beach that you love, this bird, this ship, this sunset that stimulates your creativity.
Warm tones for the Southern Seas, cold tones for the polar icebergs: the colour palette chosen by each of the participants will perhaps reveal their origins, or at least their artistic sensibility.
Beyond the word “ocean”, it is of course the question of water that particularly interests us . Source of life, constant throughout our existence, pillar of our environment, it is a universal theme that will challenge all the currents of textile art!
And the Sun Talks to the Sea by Ekaterina Bessarabova, Spain
My Pacific by Julie Reuben, USA
Sounds of the Oceans by Levente Sulyok, Hungary
Storm of the Soul, Laura Franci, Italy
Bridges of Brisbane
Bridges of Brisbane is an exhibition by Broadstrokes, a group of nine textile artists based in South East Queensland, who work in textiles and mixed media.
The members are Ali George, Suzanne Marshall, Kathryn Illif, Merody Buglar, Mel Forrest, Kate Oszko, Jane Rundle, Christine Jones and Rebecca Staunton Coffey. They have worked together for the past 12 years, and meet regularly to discuss their work, and give encouragement aiming to progress their textile art.
‘Bridges of Brisbane’ explores the larger well known bridges as well as the smaller ones and of course the Brisbane River.
Rajah 2024 Display: Lorraine Carthew
Each year a quilter is recognised for their outstanding achievement to quilting in Australia.
In 2024, Lorraine Carthew was chosen for this honour. Lorraine has a long string of achievements from being an award-winning quilter, leader in her guild in roles including designer of her state show for 10 years, author, teacher and successful quilt designer.
Lorraine’s quilting styles vary greatly but her signature mosaic portraits of iconic Australians – RM Williams, Steve Irwin – attracted much attention and awards. She has won Best of Show in Australia and prizes at Paducah and the International Quilt Festival in Houston.
Right: detail of Lorraine’s recent work, Yesterday, featuring vintage embroidery pieces in a double wedding ring design.
Evolve II work by Gillian Travis
Evolve II
The Magic Carpet artists will be back with their second exhibition under the Evolve banner.
Gillian Travis (UK), Christine Seager (UK), Stephanie Crawford (UK), Shoshi Rimer (Israel), Brenda Wood (Australia) and Alison Charlton (Australia) are the artists in the group which meets online to share ideas, set challenges and plan exhibitions.
See Evolve II first at AQC 2025.