5 Things I Learned from my First QuiltCon
Last month I attended my first QuiltCon and it was both a fantastic experience (can’t wait for next year!) and very overwhelming. I had the wonderful shock of winning first place in the “Use of Negative Space” Category which left me a giddy (not a word anyone would usually use to describe me) daze for the first 24 hours. I am very happy that I had all four days to experience the exhibit and vendor hall, and that I followed the one major piece of advice that everyone had given: wear comfortable shoes.
These are the five biggest things that I learned from my experience:
1.Talk to People.
You may feel a little weird just opening a conversation with someone, but QuiltCon is one of the easiest places to introduce yourself and meet new people. Everyone there loves quilting, wants to talk about quilts, and they are so friendly. So ask if a seat is open, mention something you love about the quilt you are looking at to the person next to you, or just tell someone that you admire their quilted coat.
2.Make time to look through the quilt exhibit.
When I was first making plans, I did not take into consideration how much time I would want to spend looking at the quilts on exhibit. Seeing them in person is an incredible experience because you can see details that you just can’t see on a screen, and it inspires you to try new techniques, color combinations and more. So, I definitely recommend planning in lots of time to look through the exhibit but make sure that time is broken up. That way you can take in more of what you are seeing (and give your feet a break from all of the concrete).
3.Take the time to check out the demonstrations.
There are tons of opportunities for learning at QuiltCon with workshops and lectures going on for all four days. But there are also tons of opportunities to learn in the vendor hall, which is great for those new to the event. Keep an eye on the demo stage, but also check with all the different vendors. Most of them will be demonstrating how to use new tools, materials and more. This is a great opportunity to learn more in person and ask questions about products and tools that you have been looking at or wanting to learn more about.
4.Carefully choose your handmade item.
I had a ton of fun seeing all of the quilted coats, applique jackets, and more. They are a great conversation starter and a fun project to make and I would definitely recommend making one to use for QuiltCon, but I advise carefully choosing what you make. Much as I loved seeing the quilted coats if it had been me I know I would have gotten too warm walking around in one (same goes for an applique jacket), but the bag I made worked perfectly. I was able to have a fun quilty item for the show that I could keep on, provided storage, and helpfully for me made it easy to talk about my quilt (it was made from Modern Art’s quilting samples). So my advice would be to explore your different options and think about what you would be the most comfortable wearing/using.
5.Take advantage of show specials and promotions.
So let’s start with the high ticket items. If you are seriously thinking about buying a new machine this is the perfect place. Walking around the vendor hall I think I saw every type of machine represented, and attendees had the opportunity to try out the machines; there were also fantastic specials going on. I really love that because it’s rare to have so many options under one roof that you can try immediately. So even if you have it narrowed down to two choices this is your chance to try them one right after the other and get a really good comparison (along with great pricing!). The other part that I really enjoyed are the different promotions that are going on. This year’s promotion from Cotton + Steel was fantastic because I found several new stores that carry their fabric (and purchased some for a new sample of Trellis), and I am going to be doing a mock up of a new design using their mini-charm packs which will be a great remembrance of QuiltCon 2023.
I learned so much more, but these are the biggest takeaways for me. I would also say that the biggest thing that I am going to work on for next year is learning more people’s names. It was a little strange going around and recognizing folks but only being able to recall an Instagram handle. So one of my goals for next year is to start being able to put names with handles and faces.
Wish me luck, and I hope to see you in Raleigh 2024!
-Siobhan
