FARFIELD Mill has gained a national reputation for showing textile work of the highest quality and until Sunday, March 4, the Sedbergh arts and heritage centre offers a rare chance to see some of the best textile art in Europe - if not the world. This is the third year running they have been specially selected to be the only UK venue for this exciting touring exhibition.

Trip to the End of the World is this year’s theme for the 23rd Le Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork textile competition. The exhibition contains stunning pieces selected by a panel of international judges from the hundreds of entries by artists from Italy, South Korea, France, the Czech Republic, China and many others. These make up the touring exhibition - where traditional techniques including patchwork, quilting and embroidery are used to create what is best described as extraordinary, contemporary wall-hangings, some of them, from a distance, almost appear as paintings.

Among the incredible 40 or so artists exhibiting are Rita Dijkstra-Hesselink (Netherlands), Sylvia Rouffet Veronique (France), Romana ?erná (Czech Republic), Chang Misun (South Korea), Barbara Lange (Germany), Dalia Eliraz (Israel) and Maria Stoller (Switzerland),

Launched in 1993 to mark the 300th anniversary of Jacob Amman’s founding of the Amish community in the Alsace valley town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, in north eastern France, Le Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork is now the largest patchwork festival in the world, attracting more than 22,000 visitors.

Quilting has always played an important role in Amish life; traditionally sewn by the women of the community as functional bed-covers and commemorative pieces to mark marriages and births, the quilts are still made in the region today, making it the perfect location for a celebration of the best the contemporary patchwork and quilting the world has to offer.

Trip to the End of the World follows last year’s The Magic of Colour, which drew audiences to Farfield from all across the UK to the renowned centre of excellence for showcasing textile exhibitions.

Farfield is located on the A684 Garsdale to Hawes Road just one mile east of Sedbergh.

For further information telephone 015396-21958.