Two famous faces will be joining visitors at the National Festival of Making in Blackburn next weekend.
Patrick Grant and Esme Young - judges of the hugely popular BBC 2 series ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ – will be in town for the arty extravaganza.
Lucky fans have already bagged tickets to see them at the ‘Conversations in Creativity’ event being held with them both in partnership with Creative Lancashire.
The tickets went like hotcakes and the event is fully booked, but Patrick will also be doing meet and greets at his Community Clothing pop-up event.
Visit the shop in King William Street – just up from Café Impresso – and bag a bargain at their ‘jumble sale’, with many of the garments made in Blackburn. Or step into the fabulous sock shop, with colours and styles to suit all feet!
Community Clothing relies on traditional making skills in the UK, using British-made materials to create its sustainable collection, and Patrick is set to be at the CC shop all day on Saturday.
He will be signing copies of his new book, LESS, a Sunday Times bestseller and Esme may pop in to sign copies of her book too.
They will be in good company with fashion designer, Red or Dead’s Wayne Hemmingway – a founder of the award-winning festival – also visiting as well as an impressive list of nationally renowned artists who are showcasing their work as part of the Art in Manufacturing programme.
READ MORE: All the food and drink coming to Blackburn for festival extravaganza
Blackburn pubs to host music gigs for National Festival of Making
Lauren Zawadzki, Co-Director of the National Festival of Making, said: “We promise something for everyone at the National Festival of Making and there really is.
“Our programme of talks are always incredibly popular and this year we have Esme Young and Patrick Grant, judges of the hugely popular BBC 2 series The Great British Sewing Bee, joining us for a very special afternoon.
“The tickets for this event sold out in record time, but we’re sure visitors will spot them both around the festival and Patrick will be doing meet and greets at the Community Clothing pop-up too.
“With more than 70 things to see and do across the weekend, fans can come and make a full weekend of it while enjoying workshops, art installations, new galleries, live music, performances and more.
“Patrick is a great friend of the festival and we’re really looking forward to welcoming him back once again and this time with Esme too.”
For those who love a spot of sewing, a visit to the Stitch School is a must with the chance to make your mark on a large embroidery cloth that’s been travelling around community networks here in Blackburn in the run-up to the festival.
Hosted by local artist Sana Maulvi, previous Stitch School collaborators include the V&A Dundee, Alexander McQueen and TRImarchi – the biggest design gathering in Latin America.
And for those who love to shop, The Makers Market curated by Hopeful & Glorious is also a must on Saturday.
Head over to Blackburn Cathedral to find emerging and established crafters, traders and artists bringing handmade jewellery, homewares, limited edition fashion items and artworks.
Start making your plans now - you can view the full festival programme now at: www.festivalofmaking.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel