Downton Abbey Costumes on Display at NEC March 22 - 25

All you lucky Downton Abbey addicts who live in Britain & near the NEC are in for a treat! Costumes from Downtown Abbey are on display at the NEC for Britain's biggest stitching, beading, knitting and textile art show - Sewing for Pleasure/Fashion & Embroidery (Public) & Hobbycrafts.The show runs March 22 - 25.

The following excerpt from an article in Coventry Telegraph talks about Susannah Buxton, Downton Abbey costume designer:

WHEN Susannah Buxton was asked to create costumes for a TV mini series, little did she realise that her designs would go on to be worn by A-list celebrities such as Dame Maggie Smith.

For the mini series turned out to be Downton Abbey, one of the most successful period dramas in the UK, and has even created a stir in the US after being picked up by an American TV network.

Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief at American Vogue, has lavished praise on Susannah’s work, passing a message on to her to tell her she is a fan of the costumes. “That was the ultimate compliment,” said the designer, who studied a degree in graphic design and illustration at the former Birmingham School of Art.

She’s come a long way since her days as a student in Birmingham – last September she clinched an Emmy for her work on Downton Abbey.

And her work has not only bagged her gongs, it has won her some Royal fans, too, with Pippa Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, visiting the set of the show to get a glimpse of her designs. “Pippa liked to see what Mary, the main character in the programme, wears,” said Susannah.

“Some of the servants from Buckingham Palace stopped by as well. “It was very interesting to meet them — a lot of their work is very similar to that of the staff on Downton and the maids said they preferred the uniforms on the show to their own.”

Fans of the show can get to see the costumes up close when a collection of them are put on display at a major craft shopping event set to be staged in Birmingham this week.

Three shows – Fashion Embroidery & Stitch; Sewing for Pleasure and Hobbycrafts – will come together under one roof at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from Thursday until Sunday. Thousands of people are expected to flock to the event to get a glimpse of the latest stitching, beading and knitting products. There will be more than 150 exhibitors selling their wares, as well as displays and advice from experts.

Read more about what else is happening at the show here.

For more information on the show or to buy tickets visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425 277988.

What a dream it would be to see those gorgeous Downton Abbey costumes up close & personal! Totes jealous of any of you who get to go!