We have just returned from the International Quilt Festival in Chicago. We sold a ton of fabric, but that wasn’t the best part. Even the quilting exhibits weren’t the best part. The best part was getting to see so many people that are customers. I even met one of my contest winners from Instagram!
There is one thing that I love to see more than anything at quilting shows such as this one. It is when families are having fun at the show. There will be groups of sisters together. There will be mothers with their daughters. There will be quilt guilds that travel together. It’s really all about doing something fun and social–together.
I met a woman there this year that used to work at a quilt shop that I frequented on a regular basis. She had moved away to another state. She recognized me from the days when I used to come in and browse for hours. When my children were little my husband would send me out on a three hour vacation. I would go to this shop and just sit and page through all the quilting books, and browse through all the fabric. It was better than any therapy. She was happy to see me and I was happy to see her. I remembered that she had a red tabby cat that she used to talk about. She laughingly said “I can’t believe that I used to bore you with stories about my cat”. But to me, those stories were music to my ears.
You can’t find anything better in all the world than a hobby that brings people together. In a time when direct socialization feels threatened by social media, it’s good to see people enjoying something in a common, physical presence. It’s encouraging to see that people have not given up on the physical in lieu of the digital. My spirits were lifted. My worries set aside. It was a wonderful show, and I can’t wait for our next show…Quilt Expo in Madison.
Here’s a picture of the booth. Over to the right, you can see the window shade display that we set up. These window shades are so beautiful and easy to make. Use your favorite fabric to create the ambiance you want in your room.
Here’s a more close up shot straight on from the front. You can see our lampshades and the quilts using the ruffle fabric.
