Elkhart County Quilt & Fiber Expo
June 8-10, 2023
Thursday & Friday 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm.
Saturday 9:00 am. to 4:00 pm.
The inaugural Elkhart County Quilt and Fiber Expo (ECQFE) will take place at the Northern Indiana Event Center connected to the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum. The Event center is conveniently located at Exit 96 on the Indiana Toll Road (I 80/90). The ECQFE will utilize all 21,000 + square feet of air-conditioned event space, as well as some exterior spaces on the campus. In addition, there is theater seating for 70 where a variety of presentations will take place. Parking for the ECQFE is FREE.
Join us for the inaugural Elkhart County Quilt & Fiber Expo 2023!
A new event to entice quilt and fiber artisans of all types is taking place June 8-10, 2023 in Elkhart, Indiana!! The ALL NEW Elkhart County Quilt and Fiber Expo is being held at the Northern Indiana Event Center at the RV/MH Hall of Fame, conveniently located at Exit 96 on I 80/90 (the Indiana Toll Road).
Planned by a diverse team of quilters, fiber enthusiasts, sewists, color and interior designers, these three days will offer a plethora of events. The Elkhart County Quilt and Fiber Expo (ECQFE) came about through several seemingly unrelated happenings…..the desire to have a joint quilt AND fiber event, to inspire creativity on many levels, to offer educational opportunities, and to recognize the considerable and varied quilt and fiber artisan talent in the Elkhart County/Michiana area. One by one the Planning Group took shape and the stars aligned, resulting in the 2023 Elkhart County Quilt and Fiber Expo!!
Attendees can feast their eyes on and be inspired by the work of many talented artisans in the Quilt and Fiber show area (with both Judged and Exhibition opportunities) featuring a wide variety of categories for projects. We anticipate over 150 entries for the show, as well as exhibits on current and upcoming trends, such as upcycling and repurposing. We would love to see what YOU have been creating! (For HOW TO ENTER your project, CLICK HERE for fiber arts and CLICK HERE for quilts.)
Demonstrations, presentations (in a theatre setting), and hands-on workshops will enable attendees to learn new skills and hone their faves:
- Demonstrations are plentiful and varied and are being offered AT NO COST!!
- Presentations will take place in the 70 seat theatre with a friendly ambiance.
- Workshops have been carefully planned to offer hands-on skills and a depth of knowledge to broaden creative endeavors.
- Vendors (even yarn trucks!!) will be displaying and selling their wares in the vendor areas. From the latest fabric collections, the newest gadgets, patterns to spark skills and creativity, to one-of-a- kind hand dyed yarns, cork material and cork products of all kinds. There will be much to choose from and inspire!
See you in Elkhart, IN in June!!
"Who We Are"
The Elkhart County Quilt and Fiber Expo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity formed to plan and present an annual event promoting the textile and fiber arts in the greater Elkhart, Indiana area. Other related events throughout the year may be added as the opportunity, interest, and need arise.
Our Mission:
The Elkhart County Quilt & Fiber Expo (ECQFE) seeks to inspire, encourage and showcase the textile and fiber artisans in our midst through workshops, presentations and demonstrations. Through collaboration, educational opportunities, exhibitions, and juried contests the ECQFE includes a wide variety of textile and fiber arts. The ECQFE is open to all, with the goal of building community among those teaching, learning, experiencing and discovering the joy of “textiles and fibers.”
Our Vision:
Celebrate, educate and inspire through textiles and fiber!
Meet Gracie:
Gracie is our Elkhart County Quilt & Fiber Expo mascot and logo, her personality is our business card, and the way she makes you feel is our trademark! You will see her with your many opportunities to be a part of the ECQFE. She asks you to participate, will answer questions, and to share all of these opportunities with your friends. To contact Gracie, email her at gracie@elkhartcountyquiltfiberexpo.org.
Workshops
Here you learn crafts in depth and leave with a project that you will have done.
We have some incredible experts teaching the workshops.
Presentations
You can learn about some of Elkhart's art culture and how it developed plus you can be inspired learning new crafts and techniques.
Learn in a theater setting.
Demonstrations
Whether it is about cork jewelry, spinning, weaving or special techniques, you'll find something that interests you in our demonstrations.
You'll learn the tricks others have discovered.
Vendor Show
List of vendors coming to our Expo.
- Annie’s Catalog – Berne, IN
- Briar Rose Homespun – Corunna, IN
- Dragon Keeper Fiber Arts – Bloomington, IN
- Grandma-N-Me Quiltin – Portland, IN
- Green Dragonfly Studio – Grand Haven, MI
- Heartland Country Sewing – Goshen, IN
- Kay Marie Quilt Co – Kimmell, IN
- Little Shop of Spinning – Roanoke, IN
- Lowery’s – Warsaw, IN
- LsG Creations Creations – Nappanee, IN
- Martelli Enterprises – Pensacola, FL
- North Water Quilts – Honor, MI
- Pineapple Press Patterns – Coloma, MI
- Pumpkin Vine Quilting – Dowagiac, MI
- Robin’s Nest: Quilts & More – Edwardsburg, MI
- South Bend Farmers Market Fiber Artists – South Bend, IN
- Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop – Chesterton, IN
- Thyme to Sew – South Bend, IN
- Wabash Woollen Works – Wabash, IN
- Yarn Adventure – Berryville, AR
- Yoder Department Store – Shipshewana, IN
Meet Our Experts
Read the bios of the experts that will be participating in our expo.
See who's here, learn about them, and then when you meet them you'll know them better.
Planned Features
- Free demonstrations
- Textile and fiber workshops
- Presentations in a theater setting
- Elkhart’s Blazing Star Quiltworx pattern designed exclusively for ECQFE
- Textile and fiber vendor mall
- Quilt & Fiber Show
- Quilt appraisals
- A “selfie” photo location
- Local guilds will welcome guests and act as docents for the show area.
- Proprietary knitted hat “Quilt Blocks” pattern
- Food and snacks to be provided by food trucks
- And a few surprises!
Heirloom Quilt Appraisals
Donna is a Certified AQS Quilt Appraiser and will be available to appraise quilts on Thursday and Friday of the event.
Cost is $75.00 (paid day of appraisal cash, check to Donna Kooistra, or online when you send email to Donna Kooistra)
Get some great deals
Connected Event: Shop Hop
HOW TO PARTICIPATE in QUILT TRAILS SHOP HOP
Purchase a bag & Passport for $5 at any of the 9 participation shops. Visit each of the 9 shops and get your passport stamped and pick up your goody bag. Your goody bag will have the shop’s free block pattern and a piece of fabric to be used in the charity block. More information in the bag.
Once you have all 9 stamps on your passport, leave it at the last shop visited. Make sure you have completed your contact information! We have 10 prize baskets to award (one is the grand prize basket) and you don’t want to miss out!
After the end of the shop hop, the shops will meet and draw entries starting the grand prize drawing. All winners will be notified.
We can only stamp your passport. Please do not bring extras to be stamped for others.
HAVE FUN!!!