On Spring Market and Other Things

Sometimes it feels like I’m a little late to the party making announcements or doing what the other quilt pros are doing, like making video content or podcasting. So here goes. Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh is cancelled. The link takes you to their official statement and below is an official statement from them: regarding upcoming shows:

Statement from Quilts, Inc. about 2020 shows

4-22-20

As you can imagine, we’re receiving many inquiries from exhibitors and attendees about the status of the remainder of our shows scheduled to take place in 2020.

We are actively planning and preparing to hold International Quilt Festival in Long Beach (July 9-11) and International Quilt Market & Threads of Success (October 24-26) and International Quilt Festival (October 29-November 1) in Houston.

Of course, we’re also paying close attention to announcements from the U.S. federal government—as well as those from the governors of California and Texas—concerning instructions for public behavior and mass gatherings. We’ll be issuing a statement on the Long Beach Festival no later than May 15.

As the entire world battles the coronavirus pandemic, the situation changes daily, even hourly. We want to produce wonderful shows for quilters and the quilting industry—that is our business and our passion. But we are also very cognizant of protecting the safety, health, and security of our exhibitors, teachers, attendees, and staff.

For any updates and new information, please visit our website at Quilts.com, or follow Quilt Festival or Quilt Market on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Please note: We are also responding to changing information about the fall shows in Houston by posting the class catalogs online exclusively (there will be no print versions produced or mailed). And please watch for enrollment dates that may differ from last year.

We will all get through this – and quilting will continue to thrive!

No matter how you look at things in this moment, as difficult as they are, we are quilters, and the Quilting Industry, though very effected by this pandemic shutdown, will thrive. I have already watched so many shops doing everything they can not only to meet their customers needs in this moment, but do more in terms of reaching out to them. It’s been really amazing to watch. Over the next few weeks I’ll be giving regular shout outs to shops, and industry pros for a bit of a bump up.

This is going to sound a bit odd, however I’m excited to see how we as quilters, and quilt business owners get creative in the next few years. We’ve already survived a dip in the industry. We will need to get creative in terms of reaching out to each other, to our shops, and to the companies we work with. This creativity will lead to innovation, and the innovation will allow us to grow. Some things will stay the same. Beginner piecing and quilting will always need attention, let’s take time to refresh our samples. Start that podcast. Partner up with someone who has the skills you want and need. Seek out a mentor, I have several informal relationships and these are quilters I admire deeply. Find some way of being generous. I’ve watched so many quilters doing what we do best in a crisis, in this case making masks and finishing up quilts; many quilt shop owners are working on keeping quilters supplied with what they need from elastic to doing video. This is a great time to purchase gift certificates from our favorite shops to help keep the cash flow going. The shops still have rent and utilities to pay and I’ve heard they like to eat now and again. That part is so weird, know what I mean eating, who knew.

Personally I’ve been a bit quiet because we’ve been in the process of moving as I’ve mentioned on the blog as recently as my last post. And this while I have a book being published in July, I have some work to do! And quilts to make, thread to purchase, batting and sew much more.

Back to Quilt Market.

In my inbox are emails from Quilts, Inc to apply to teach at Fall Market, this will be for School House and other business related classes. I am applying to teach, and if my classes are accepted I will let you know what and when. I am teaching at Threads of Success a class called On Writing and Beginner Free-Motion quilting at Fall Festival and classes are live on-line for signing up I will let you know on each of the social media platforms.

While this post might seem a bit Pollyanna, a little on the wildly hopeful side, it’s intentional. I do have great hope for the quilting world all the way around. I think we all see deeply how much we need each other and how we benefit each other, how our gifts and talents, and hard-won skills complement each other. Let’s go be there for each other in a tough moment, just like we’re doing with the mask making, cap and scrubs making. Let’s be creative figuring out how best to teach, be taught. Let’s remember that all of us including our teachers, shop owners, and sales reps need to eat dinner and pay their bills.

Quilters are amazing people. Let’s go be amazing.

Happy Quilting,

Teri