Back from Quilt Market!

I can’t believe it’s over.

I’ve been dedicating every second to Quilt Market (and Festival) for at least 6 months, and just like that, it’s over!

I know how huge of a support system you guys are for me and you’re probably wondering how it went. So I’m here today to tell you (unfiltered) and to let you in on what is coming down the line for me!

First, I’d like to Thank…

Before I get to the details of Market, I must preface with some serious thank you’s…I’m not one to ask for help and I had to ask for an incredible amount of help in preparing for this adventure. It’s been a learning experience and I am so humbled by the number of people that care enough about me to help me out. So, just real quick:

To my dear hubby: Thank you for getting home from a long day of work and then taking care of the baby so that I can hunker down in the basement and prep! Thank you for letting me leave home for 12 days! Thanks for believing that I can do this.

To my wonderful in-laws: Thank you for taking care of my sweet girl while I was gone- there’s no way we could have pulled this off without you!

To my sweet girl: Thank you for being a peach while I was answering emails, loading pallets, and not playing as much as I should have. Double thanks for not skipping a beat the morning I got home and just asking for waffles like you always do!

To my dedicated “helpers”: These two ladies were my booth managers while we were at the show, and calling them “helpers” is the understatement of the century. These ladies transformed into moving men, salespeople, sister, aunt, and best friends during our few weeks together. Thank you for putting your life on hold and helping me out during these long days.

These ladies worked tirelessly every day that they were with me! We got to take a short adventure to Waco to see the stomping grounds of our hero, Jojo!

Christina: Thanks for hosting me and my wild counterparts at your lovely home! That was a LONG time to share your space! Also, you’re the best skirt model I could ever have asked for and I’m so glad God made us friends!

Pattern and Kit folders: You know who you are! Thank you for all of your help…I would have been completely freaking out and drowning in fabric if it weren’t for you.

To my Lancaster Modern Guild Members: Ladies! Thank you for your valiant efforts to make my Tea To Go samples! You made just over 100!! The shop owners that received them were ecstatic and the hand made gesture really gave me a memorable edge!

To my Longarmers: Thanks for putting up with my insane deadlines…I know I always say I’ll have it to you in plenty of time…Big shoutout to my Aunt Lori (contact me for her info) and Northstar Longarming!

Cindy is one of the most talented longarmers I know…I just hand quilt tops to her and tell her she knows better than me! It’s an art and she is certainly an artist!

To my friends: Yes, I’m still alive—call off the search party—they found me. Thanks for being my friend after this long long absence!

There are a thousand other people that have supported me in this journey- thank you so much! It’s big, overwhelming moments like this that remind me of the incredible support system I have backing me up.

Now, onto Market!

OK, thanks for sitting through my long long list. I’m sure you’re ready for me to get on with it and tell you how market went. And you’ll probably be a little surprised to hear me say that I’m not really sure.

But first, THE BOOTH! No matter how things went, I was pretty pleased with my booth.

Market was OK. I knew I wouldn’t make my fortune there—it’s always been about networking and connections at market. I was hoping for more shop orders and will probably see more come in over the next few weeks as people return home and dig through their swag bags and catalogs. I learned a ton about marketing at a large show like this and I’ve got lots of suggestions for new exhibitors that are prepping for their first Market (blog post coming soon!).

Another great part about a physical presence at Market is finally getting to meet all my “online friends”! There are so many great creatives that I’ve been working with online but never met in person. Now I finally got to put a face to the name and actually chat.

Festival…

I don’t have a ton to say about festival as a trade show. I wasn’t super pleased with the turnout, but I do feel like I’ve learned a lot about what attracts customers and how to draw people in among the distractions. I’m still on the fence about whether or not I’ll return next year, but if I do, I’ll certainly be more prepared! I wasn’t the only one disappointed with this show—other vendors were really mixed on their results. Some had record breaking years while others were furious about the turnout. Once again, a blog post for new exhibitors is coming soon!

I can say that I had a bit more of  a Disney Princess filter on when thinking about Market and Festival…it was certainly not what I expected! But I think it was a good experience overall. Despite any disappointment, I think it was well worth the connections I made and the credibility I gained by having a presence there.

Now what?

I’m sure you’re curious about what’s next for me.

Me too!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be submitting some new patterns and fabric designs to my new contacts…these sorts of things take forever so don’t be worried if you don’t hear about it for a while!

Over the next few months I’m going to be prepping for my Bernina Academy Series at the Old Country Store and a brand new curriculum for shop owners and teachers that I think is SO needed in our quilty community. And quilt patterns…of course!

Spring will come quickly and I’ll be getting closer to the release of my new EBook that you’re going to LOVE.

Hopefully things will quiet down for the summer and I’ll get some quality time with my little family.

That’s all I’m going to say for now. There’s always so much going on under the surface and I don’t want to ruin all the surprises!

Upcoming Posts:

Market and Festival have been a burst of creativity for me. There are so many possibilities and ideas that I never knew about. I certainly have some great material for upcoming blog posts and tutorials, here’s just a few:

What to Expect at Market: A new exhibitors guide to Quilt Market

Vending at International Shows: A new exhibitors guide to Quilt Festival

Market Swag: Olisio Iron Review

Market Swag: Daylight Review

Market Swag: Martelli (I got so many great products from them…there will be lots of Martelli posts coming your way!)

There you have it! I’m so excited to see what comes of my most recent adventure and I’ll be sure to keep you updated as things start happening. Thanks so much for being part of my story. I look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds.