Branding, Featherweights and me - more experiences from Quilt Market 2013

Hi everyone:

I took several classes while I was at International Quilt Market, one of which had to do with branding.

No, not as in cattle branding, but as in how to create your own recognizable business image and prescence. The panel of experts included Kelly Wilkinson of Creativebug, Michele Muska from Simplicity Creative Group, Linda Nitzen of Sizzix/Ellison, Nancy Soriano of F & W Media, Hope Gibbs of Inkandescent Public Relations and was moderated by Jo Packham, editor of Where Women Create.  These women all had amazing ideas and I was furiously writing them down in my journal so I could act on their ideas after the class. Check out their websites to see what I mean. 

Speaking of after the class, I was waiting to talk to Linda Nitzen and found myself staring at the sign on one of the attendee's rolling cart. Could it be? Yes, it was Nova Montgomery of Nova's Featherweights & Quilting. 

Nova Montgomery of Nova's Featherweights & Quilting

If you are a featherweight junkie, as I am, and you want to learn more about them or need a part, you'll definitely want to visit Nova's website. I've ordered parts and accessories from Nova and been very pleased with the products. She has developed a sew straight guide to use with your Singer Featherweight that doesn't permanently affix to, nor does it mar the finish of the machine bed. It is adjustable and helps you maintain that perfect quarter inch seam allowance. I highly recommend it and was even more pleased to discover that it also fits on my Singer 99 sewing machine. Nova also publishes a monthly Featherweight tip and is available for workshops.

One of my Featherweight babies

The theme of Featherweights continued when I discovered the following pattern at Cynthia England's booth. 

Gotta love a Featherweight pattern!

I was fascinated by Cynthia's "picture piecing" technique and watched her demonstrate it several times. I had to buy one of her books so I could use this technique to create designs from my own photos. And I had to buy the Featherweight pattern of course!

Hoping this will help me create my own "picture pieced" design

While at market I went in search of The Pattern Peddlers. They distribute my patterns in the U.S. and although I have talked and emailed with them, I had never actually met the owner, Penel Jensen. I found her husband, Rollie, in the booth and was pleased to see my patterns and sample prominently displayed in the booth. 

One of the versions of Tweet-Heart 

Several of my designs in posters
Note the butterfly design behind me by Castilleja Cotton

Look for more of my Quilt Market and Festival experiences in upcoming posts along with book reviews. And I know that you're just dying to find out what I brought back!