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!

Quilt Market and Festival 2013 - Thoughts from a Quilt Market Virgin

Hi everyone:

I bet you thought I'd gotten lost at an estate sale, didn't you?! Actually I've been at International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston for the first time and although I'm back, I'm still recovering. All that fabric, all that walking, all those celebrities! 

The entrance at the George R. Brown Convention Centre

Lee of Lala's Lovelys Quilting and I had a great time with hardly a second to spare. When I wasn't oohing and ahhing over the fabric and notions, I was starstruck from meeting the quilting celebrities, who seemed to be everywhere. I'm sure they are used to total strangers rushing up to them, camera or iPhone in hand, begging to have a photo taken with them, but I'm not sure if I would be as gracious if I were in their position. 

Here are a few of the quilting royalty who were kind enough to allow me to photograph them - with me in the picture, of course. Thanks, ladies and gentleman!

Pat Sloan, whose husband was kind enough to take our photo.

Pat Sloan was one of the first people I ran into when I entered the Market floor. She and her husband were on their way somewhere and they were kind enough to stop for photos. I continued to see Pat at various booths throughout Market and Festival. I'm sure she has clones: it's really not humanly possible to be so many places in one week, is it?

Ebony Love of LoveBug Studios
The Queen of Die Cutting

One of the quilters I hoped to see at Market or Festival was Ebony Love. We've been Facebook friends for some time and email back and forth, but had never met in person. I ran into Ebony on the Market floor, while looking for her booth. Ebony was at both Market and Festival and I caught up with her again at the Friday Sampler at Festival where she was demonstrating sashiko techniques. She has just published a new book, Cut it, Sew it, Stow It: Organizers for Your Home, which I picked up while I was in Houston. Look for her upcoming mystery quilt using the Downton Abbey fabric line by Andover Fabrics. Yup, she's one busy lady!

The Downton Abbey line of fabrics by Andover Fabrics

Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs

I've always admired Bunny Hill Designs' patterns, as I love hand embroidery, and was pleased to get the chance to see some of the actual quilts. I managed to get a photo of some of the designs with Anne Sutton, who was sharing a booth with Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister Designs. I'm not in this photo, but that's okay!

Stuart Hillard of The Great British Sewing Bee

You may not know the gentleman in the above photo, but I recognized him right away. It could've been the British accent or perhaps the natty bow tie and pocket square (in American colours, no less), but I instantly recognized Stuart Hillard. If you're an anglophile, you have probably already watched The Great British Sewing Bee and know that Stuart was a contestant in Season 1 on BBC Two. If you haven't watched this reality series yet, you must check it out. The creativity, the craftsmanship, the tension - it has it all. And if you're wondering, Stuart does his quilting on a HQ 18 Avante.

As you can see, I was busy snapping celebrity photos, but I also did check out the new fabrics and the quilt exhibit. I'll be sharing my experiences in future posts, so check back with me in a few days for more Market and Festival photos.