What excitement! What fun! What fabrics! Today I will share just a taste of the quilt market experience, the wholesale tradeshow for the quilting industry in Houston, TX. It consisted of a day of presentations, 3 days of shopping and a peak into the quilt show hosted by the International Quilting Association.
This is just a fraction of the goodies I received at market – and they are all for you guys!
But first, I have picked 3, yes 3 winners for all of the market swag I picked up while I was there. Can we just say fabric, patterns and notions galore!! Congratulations to Jenny (aka krousegirl2), Cynthia B, and Cheri B!
Day 1 – Schoolhouse and Sample Spree
The first day was schoolhouse, where fabric designers, authors and other companies gave 10-30 minute presentations on their latest and greatest. I was able to sit in on several of the Martingale/That Patchwork Place author presentations (taking notes for when it’s my turn to shine at next year’s fall market.)
Dana Bolyard showing quilts from her new book Imagine Quilts. We got to hang out quite a bit and get to know each other better over the weekend – she’s super fun!
It was a full house when Kaufman fabric designer Carolyn Friedlander entered the room. I had to snap this action shot of Modern Sewciety host Stephanie Kendron getting pictures of the action! And yes, Stephanie is just as fun in person as she is on her podcast!
Sample spree was that evening – a time when fabric companies let attendees buy precuts of all their goodies on a cash and carry basis. I was like a deer in the headlights that night and although I was there to witness the chaos, I opted out of buying anything. I figured I would just order it for the store later, anyway!
Day 2 – Shopping and Networking Galore
Jason kept track of all the precut orders we placed with our fabric sales reps so that we would stay within our budget. That’s very important for these types of shows!
Quilt market was not only productive for ordering loads of precuts for our business, it was a great place to network with many of the big names in the industry. I spoke with designers, editors, marketing reps and fellow bloggers and made connections that will most likely lead to future work in the quilting industry, so that was exciting.
I had so many awesome conversations about modern quilting with movers and shakers in the industry like Heather Grant and Alissa Haight Carlton. They have big plans for the Modern Quilt Guild and I’m so excited to be a part of this wonderful organization!
That evening it was parties galore! Moda and Kaufman hosted customer appreciation parties complete with food and music, and the modern quilt guild presented a mixer so that fellow online friends could meet and chat in person. If you ever get a chance to attend a social media meetup, I highly recommend it. :-)
Day 3 – Checking Out the Quilts
The License Plate Quilt, part of the Farm to Fabric exhibit hosted by Clothworks to showcase their American Made Brand of solids.
We took a break from shopping on the 3rd day to check out the quilts from the International Quilt Festival. Be sure to check out my previous post about the Modern Quilt Guild Showcase. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many quilts under one roof!
Each year Interweave publishes a special edition magazine called “International Quilt Scene” showcasing highlights from the show and market. It was pretty surreal when I found out they decided to include my quilt “Spiraling Out of Control” as one of two quilts chosen to represent modern quilts at the festival.
It was pretty fun to see my quilt in the pages of International Quilt Scene magazine.
Day 4 – More Shopping
We wrapped up our shopping on Monday, checking our lists and making sure we attended to all needed business. I can honestly say there’s nothing quite like seeing designer quilts made from designer fabrics that really get the creative juices flowing.
I will leave you with just a few of the beautiful booths that were on display. I have ordered precuts of all of these and they will be here before you know it. I can’t wait!
Beloved designer Jen Kingwell debuted her first line with Moda. It’s sure to be a hit!
You just can’t go wrong with Kona Cotton solids from Robert Kaufman!
Pat Sloan is definitely one of my favorite people in the industry. We got to chat for a bit at an industry mixer and I got to meet her hubby, too – aka “The Shipping Dept.”
Moda booth by Zen Chic – I love the modern vibe!
Jennifer Sampou with her latest collection Black and White for Robert Kaufman
Tula Pink‘s next line, Elizabeth is sure to be a hit. I love the throne!!
Cotton and Steel debuted their second collection – and we ordered all the precuts!
It certainly was a great weekend, and I can’t wait to do it all again in 6 months!
Filed under: Quilt Events Tagged: Quilt Market