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The “Big 24” Quilts Exhibition 2024
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
26th Apr
10:00 - 16:00
27th Apr
10:00 - 16:00
28th Apr
10:00 - 15:00
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Sat Nav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Tickets
£5 Cash on the door only
Under 18s free
Exhibition of Quilts
Come and see this wonderful Big 24 Exhibition, a celebration of the fantastic work by quilters throughout East Anglia, including members of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles.
The exhibition will be officially opened by The Quilters Guild President, Sheila Evans, on Friday 26th April, with over 90 individual quilts being shown from members of Region 8 of The Quilters Guild and 19 of its Affiliated Groups within Essex and Suffolk.
Visitors have the opportunity to get involved and vote for their favourite quilt in the “Visitors’ Choice” competition and to enter a daily Sewing Themed Tombola, Handmade Bag Auction and Raffle, with tickets £1 each (cash only please).
The Exhibition Competition theme is “8” and has over 30 entries of A3 size quilts, which will be on display in the entrance area and will be judged by Sheila.
Special Exhibitions
There will also be a showcase of the work of former Region 8 committee member Helen Vivian: “A Lifetime in Quilting”, and a chance to see the wonderful Denman Quilt made by members of the Federation of Essex WIs depicting special places of Essex.
Don’t miss this chance to see such an amazing collection in one place.
Gallery
01/08
02/08
03/08
04/08
05/08
06/08
07/08
08/08
Traders & Designers
A wide variety of fabric shops and designers will be at The BIG 24 Exhibition
Traders
- Crafty Baba
- Crafty UK
- Daisy May Quilting
- Franklins
- Oliven
- Patch Fabrics
- Simply Haberdashery
- The Cosy Cabin
- The Fabric Fox
Designers
- Helen Howes (Helen Howes Textiles)
- Helen Butcher (Little Patch Pockets)
- Melanie Missin-Keating (Mellymade Designs)
Where to find us
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
There is plenty of free parking available.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the Café/Shop area.
Please Note: The car park closes when the Roots Café closes and the entrance gates are locked after this time.
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
Blackthorpe Barn’s black and white signs direct visitors from local roads.
Related Events
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Rougham Estate in Bloom continues by turning our attention to one of the Estate’s quieter but most vital habitats: the ponds and the life within them.
Across the Estate, we have 34 ponds and wetland areas support a surprising variety of wildlife, from insects and larvae to amphibians and birds that rely on these spaces through the seasons. Often hidden just below the surface, this is a world of constant activity, playing an important role in the wider balance of the landscape.
These still waters are anything but still when you take a closer look. They connect into the wider ecosystem of the Estate, supporting biodiversity in ways that often go unnoticed but are essential to everything above ground.
Part of Rougham Estate in Bloom, celebrating the hidden connections that bring the Estate to life.
#RoughamInBloom #RoughamEstate #PondLife #Biodiversity #NatureInBalance
Following on from our other post about the insects on Rougham Estate, why not explore the Estate yourself?
You can zoom right down to the fine detail with a hands-on macro photography workshop designed for beginner to intermediate photographers looking to build confidence and refine their skills.
Led by Danny who took these amazing pictures, the session will focus on how to compose striking, wall-worthy images while learning the key camera settings and techniques needed to achieve pin-sharp results.
Working outdoors, you’ll be guided through practical tips on equipment setup, lighting and approach, with support throughout to help you get the most from your camera and subject matter.
Please note this course is not suitable for mobile phones, and attendees should bring their own camera equipment along with comfortable outdoor clothing and footwear.
More information and booking from our website - link in bio.
#macrophotography #RoughamEstateInBloom #eventsinburystedmunds
Rougham Estate in Bloom is as much about the smallest lives on the Estate as it is the sweeping landscape.
Minibeasts are everywhere here once you start to look closely, moving through wildflower fields, hedgerows, ponds and gardens, quietly doing the work that keeps everything in balance. From pollinating crops and flowers to supporting the wider food chain, they are a vital part of how the Estate functions through the seasons.
With wildflower strips, diverse planting and carefully-managed habitats across the Estate, Rougham provides the conditions for this insect life to thrive, often just out of sight but always at work.
It’s a reminder that some of the most important parts of the landscape are the ones you have to slow down to notice, and it’s all part of Rougham Estate in Bloom, celebrating the connections that hold the Estate together.
#RoughamEstateInBloom #minibeasts #insects #biodiversity
This week at Roots Café we’re serving two delicious specials, perfect for the sunny weather! ☀️
Salad special: baby spinach, creamy burrata, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, pasta, olives, tossed in a zesty pesto-lemon and garlic yoghurt dressing.
Brunch special: shakshouka with chorizo, finished with lemon, dill and tahini dressing and salsa verde, served with toasted sourdough.
Don’t miss out. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
#Rootscafe #RoughamEstate #foodspecials #wheretoeatinburystedmunds
Rougham Estate in Bloom continues into Week 2, where we turn our attention to one of the Estate’s quietest but most vital forces: the honey bee.
Dotted across the Estate are around 48 colonies of honeybees, working steadily through the seasons to support pollination across the wider landscape. Over the last 6–7 years, the number of hives has gradually grown, playing an increasingly important role in the health of wildflowers, crops and hedgerows across the Estate.
At this time of year, the first honey crop is typically taken after the oilseed rape has finished flowering in late spring, with bees also foraging on blossom from sycamore, blackthorn, horse chestnut, damson and hawthorn. A second, main crop follows in late summer, influenced by plants such as blackberry, sweet chestnut and the Estate’s own pollinator strips, rich with borage, phacelia and sunflowers.
The result is a honey that changes with the season and the weather, from light and set, perfect for toast, to deeper, more complex flavours that reflect a summer’s foraging across the Estate. No two years are ever quite the same, shaped entirely by nature’s conditions.
It’s a reminder that honey is never just one thing, but a reflection of the landscape itself, and the delicate balance of weather, plants and pollinators working together.
#roughaminbloom #roughamestate #honeybee
Last chance to book on to our Reset Retreat!
A gentle, restorative experience set within the calm surroundings of the Estate, where things naturally slow right down. The pace softens, the noise fades and you’re given time to pause without pressure or distraction, just space to reset in your own way.
Held at Blackthorpe Barn, it offers a peaceful setting to take a proper break from the week and come back to yourself, even if just for a few hours.
If you’ve been thinking about it, this is your sign that it’s meant to be!
Find out more and book your place via the link in our bio.
#RoughamEstate #ResetRetreat #Wellbeing #TimeForYou #SuffolkEvents
As we celebrate Rougham Estate in Bloom, and if you are visiting the Estate over the weekend, we encourage you to take a moment to discover what goes on below the forest floor with our carved oak sculpture.
It reveals the hidden world beneath woodland floors, where trees, plants and fungi are linked through vast underground networks, sharing nutrients and supporting one another in ways we are still learning to fully understand.
It’s a reminder that a forest is far more than what we see above ground; it’s a deeply connected living system where everything plays its part.
The oak itself once grew here on the Estate for around 400 years and is now thoughtfully repurposed to tell this story of ancient woodland and natural resilience.
A fitting companion to Rougham Estate in Bloom, where everything on the Estate is connected, above and below ground.
#treesculpture #RoughamEstateInBloom
Rougham Estate in Bloom is all about celebrating nature in motion, and now you can take some of that inspiration home with you too…
We’re welcoming Watson Plants back again, and what an appropriate time as we celebrate Rougham Estate in Bloom for his special pop-up plant stall, bringing a wonderful selection of plants alongside expert growing advice and seasonal inspiration for 3 days over the bank holiday: Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th May.
From first-time gardeners to seasoned green fingers, it’s the perfect opportunity to add a little more bloom to your own space and get in the spirit of the Chelsea Flower Show.
#RoughamEstate #RoughamEstateInBloom #ChelseaFlowerShow #Biodiversity #WildlifeUK
Tag us @RoughamEstate
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