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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. And welcome back to the Social Hour podcast, a podcast for Sewists by Sewists. I'm your host, Bethany.
- [00:13]
B
And I'm your host, Audra. And today we are talking about all things Quiltcon 2026.
- [00:20]
A
Yeah, I'm so excited. For those who don't know, Quiltcon was in February and Raleigh, North Carolina, and it's put on by the Modern Quilt Guild. And we both went. We both had a great time. We're going to talk all things Quiltcon in this episode, and we have a lot to cover, so we're going to jump in very quickly. But first, industry or icebreaker question. Why did I say industry? Icebreaker question. If you could attend any sewing or quilting event, what would it be? Because we would love to know if maybe there's a show we should know about and try to go to. So, Audra, what's your show that you would love to get to?
- [00:52]
B
Mine is Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England, followed ever so closely by Al Mente in Italy. Don't act shocked. It is a craft show that travels all over Italy, and I would love to go to that. But really top before that, just edging it out, is Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.
- [01:10]
A
Same. Festival of Quilts is my top. It's the one that I want to get to more than any other show. There's still a couple in in the States that I would love to experience eventually, but I know those are easier for me to get to, but the one in England I would love to go to. So if you guys have a show that you're like, I've always wanted to go to this show. Maybe it's Quiltcon 2027. Let us know. You can comment on this video over on YouTube or you can go to our Facebook group, the Social Sewas, and let us know over there, because maybe there's a show that we're not aware of that we should be attending. So where should we be? Or maybe there's shows, like, in other countries we need to know about. Tell us. We don't know. We gotta know. Share. Share the knowledge with all of us. All right, so we're gonna jump right in to all things Quiltcon 2026, because it was my first time. And, Audrey, you've been a few times. Like, how many?
- [01:56]
B
Yeah, I think I've been four times because I missed a year, and I just love the show and I was really excited. I'm excited to see it grow, continue to grow every year. And I was also excited to get your first impression since it was your first trip. So what did you think?
- [02:13]
A
I mean, I thought it was fun. I. I've done consumer shows. I've done B2B industry shows for this industry. I think what made it even more fun is that I was just there for fun. I wasn't working a show. This was the first time that both of us have not worked at a show that we've attended. So to be able to have the freedom to kind of come and go, even though we stayed there the entire day, except for our lunch breaks, we had the best time. I had a great time because I just. I don't know, it's like. I felt like it was just like a party with all my friends. It just feels like a party with all your friends. I get to slow down a little bit and have conversations. I think it took us the whole first half of the first day to get, like, through two aisles of the vendors, because we just kept stopping and talking to people and hanging out and seeing friends and trying to do a little shopping here and there. But the first day went by fast, and we were like. We only made it through, like, this much of the show.
- [03:03]
B
We made it through maybe three aisles.
- [03:05]
A
Yeah. In the whole first day.
- [03:08]
B
The whole first day.
- [03:09]
A
And we just.
- [03:10]
B
It really was. We. We chatted so much. Both of us, I think, had such an enjoyable time just in walking the show and being able to not feel rushed and take it all in and stop and chat when the moment rose. There was just a lot of networking, a lot of talking, a lot of catching up, a lot of photos. A lot. A lot of photos. And it was just relaxing. It was amazing.
- [03:35]
A
Now, I will confess this. When we first walked up, because you have taken escalator down to the floor, and you can see the whole floor, and it's vendors on one side and quilts displayed on the other side. Okay, so this whole convention center floor is the show, and I'm. We're all taking a little video of the whole floor and everything, and I'll just like, what do you think? And I was like, I feel like it'd be bigger. Did I not say that? I said I felt like it'd be bigger. And I kind of felt like we were going to get through this in a day. And what are we going to do for the next two days? That was my initial thought. I was like, we're gonna walk this in two seconds.
- [04:08]
B
It was three full days open to
- [04:10]
A
close, and I still didn't get into
- [04:11]
B
all the booths, and I still think we felt rushed. Oh, yeah. You didn't even take any classes.
- [04:16]
A
I took no classes and I didn't even get to walk through all the quilts and because it was just crowded and then I didn't. There was booths that I never got to shop in because it was so crowded.
- [04:26]
B
Well, there were some booths that absolutely would have gotten my money if I actually could have gotten into them.
- [04:31]
A
I know, I know. I feel like they shouldn't even offer a 10 by 10 booth at this show because it's. It's impossible to get in to those.
- [04:38]
B
Honestly, it wasn't the 10 by tens that were the issue. It was.
- [04:41]
A
I know, but I'm just saying some of those ten by tens, I'm like, when you put all the quilting stuff and every. It's hard to get in there. But even some of the big booths. I think the Ruby Star booth line was like a three hour wait to shop. They had a wait line and they would only let so many people in at a time just so that people could actually shop their booth, which I thought was smart, but I'm like, I don't want to spend half a day standing in line. So I didn't. I think there was like one booth, a Ruby Star booth that had like a three hour wait to get in and shop because they were only allowing so many people in at a time so that people could shop. I didn't wait in that line, but I did stand in the line for a little bit and talked to some friends that were waiting in the line and chatted with them. But I just. That was one of those. I was like, I can't waste a whole half a day standing in line. So it was crazy. You know what? Good for all these vendors. Good for all these vendors. They were selling out of stuff. They were doing what they were there to do. And I love to see that. For sure.
- [05:38]
B
Yeah, it was great. I think this year for both of us, it being a slower pace, we left every day for lunch. One day we had sushi, one day we had Mexican. It was like, nice to get away and relax. The conversations were. Conversations were meaningful. Instead of feeling rushed and pulled in multiple directions, I feel like we truly just enjoyed the show. The company, the friendship, the people, the creative energy. It was just inspiration. Really, really great. Yeah.
- [06:10]
A
Like, I felt like I needed this to get out of, like a slump and get through, like, the seasonal depression, you know, and really get reinvigorated and reinsp and ignite that fire again. To come home and want to do all the things that I don't really have time to do, but I want to do them because I just saw so many things that inspired me or saw, had so many amazing conversations with people that I look up to that are now I get to call friends that I get to learn from, and now I can message them and ask questions and vice versa. And to me, that is something that is worth all the time and money in the world. To be able to go to one of these shows is to continue to build those friendships in person, and I'm super grateful for that.
- [06:57]
B
All right, so let's talk about the quilts, because at the end of the day, it's a quilt show, so let's talk about the quilts. I just truly, truly love this show. And for so many reasons, I love all quilt shows. There's something about this one that I look at differently, and I love looking at quilts. That one, I can't tell how you pieced it. There were a couple quilts where I truly couldn't figure out construction. I couldn't see where piecing began and ended, and I love it when I'm stumped. And I also love seeing the quilts where you can tell the quilt design. The quilting design itself was as equally part of the process as the piecing design, where the piecing is just one aspect of it. And the quilting design brings a whole nother level of beauty, esthetics, meaning messaging. I really love it when it just. I mean, to quote Spinal Tap, like, takes it to an 11, and a quilting design truly just amps it up in a way that you wouldn't even expect. And I just truly mind blown. I love the craftsmanship. I love seeing the design elements. I love wondering where their inspiration came from. I just. I have so many photos. I have to do a reel with my quilting with the quilt photos, because I was just blown away.
- [08:26]
A
Yeah, No, I agree. I. I mean, this is put on by the modern quilt guild, so majority of these quilts are of the modern styles and techniques. But I still think that a lot of them brought in a mix of the traditional as well. Whether it's with their color choices or with the quilting styles. There is something. Okay. I was a fine art major in college. I love y' all may not know this. I love to paint, and I don't. And I love to paint with knives. I don't do a lot of brush painting. Don't do a lot of painting much anymore anyways. But I always love to paint with knives and add. Add different mediums. To my paints to create different depths, it wasn't just a flat thing. It was very abstract. But I could be very detailed with it and create depth with paint. And to me, when I look at modern quilts, I look at it with that same lens of like, you know, you've got the different ray of colors or gradients of colors to create depth. How are you using different colors to create depth in your quilt? So some of them had definitely, like a cool esthetic of like looking like an optical illusion, right. And it was just flat fabric. But the way that they created depth was through color. Some of them created depth through their quilting, giving it a texture, giving it a puffiness. In other areas, using heavy quilting designs in negative spaces was really cool to draw my eye there that I probably wouldn't have looked at otherwise because the color was here. So being able to take, say, like there's a piecing is this focal point, but the quilting is drawing your eye all the way to the edge. There was one that had the most fun stripy binding. And I just kept going, look at the binding, look at the binding. Because a lot of them use it like a neutral binding or they don't use a binding at all. They just. It's like a fold over. So I was just like, oh, my gosh. Like, to see a fun binding on one of these was really cool. I just. All of it is intentional when they're doing it. It's truly an art. And I love the ones that just make me go or one of the things I love to do. If you've never been to a show or if you've been to show and you just kind of walk by and look at them straight on, I want you to, like, look at it straight on. And then I want you to get close and look at it down the side of the quilt, like along the front, like from the side, because that's where you're going to see the depth of. Of layers. Whether they're doing applique, maybe they even added some piping in there to accent pieces. The depth of their quilting is going to pop their, you know, thread choices. Maybe now you're seeing that, oh, my gosh, this is a variegated thread that's changing colors. That's why this is showing this weird dimension. Get up and close and personal. Don't touch them. You're not supposed to touch them. But get up close and personal. And there's always people, volunteers working with the little white gloves on. If you want to see the Back of the quilt. They'll lift it up and show it to you. They love showing off the quilts. If there's one that literally makes you stop in your tracks, stand there, take it in from every angle. Ask to see the back. Read the little description with it. It is like walking through an art exhibit at any art center, frisk center, wherever you are. You got to look at it from different angles. I just was blown away by the use of color and texture to create shapes I hadn't seen before with fabric. The circles. So many circles. I really gotta learn how to sew circles. Okay. Like, unquote. I mean, I could put a sleeve in all day, but the fact you can do circles. I know, I know, I know. I just need to sit down and do it.
- [11:36]
B
But glue is your friend. Glue is absolutely your friend.
- [11:39]
A
I do. I have been using more glue in my quilting, but it. It is true, like, just seeing some of these things. And I think the other thing for me is I love seeing what people will spend so sometimes upwards of a year putting together. And I admire that with abundance, knowing I will never take something on like that. And when I say never, I probably really mean that. That's just not how I'm wired. But I can admire it and appreciate it. And I love that there are people in this world who like to do these kind of things because they need to be seen and shared. There was over 400 quid quilts on display, but there was well over 2, 000 plus quilts that were submitted. You and I have talked about it before. We feel like all these quilts we want to see. Right. Even if the ones that didn't get accepted into the show. I think even just submitting your quilt is a. Is a huge amount of courage and bravery. And I feel like you should. There should be, like, an online lookbook of all the quilts that were submitted just so we can see all the brave people who did amazing work and had the courage to submit a quilt. Because that's the first hurdle, is just having the courage to submit your. Your quil. It's very vulnerable.
- [12:49]
B
Yeah.
- [12:49]
A
But congratulations to those who got chosen and were in it. And we were so grateful to get to see your work in person. Yeah.
- [12:54]
B
And if your quilt did not make it in the show, know that that doesn't mean it's any less than anything that was hanging in the show. And I know Bethany doesn't love the term quilt con. Reject.
- [13:08]
A
Y' all are not reject from my book. Y' all are like the Bravest people in the world.
- [13:11]
B
I would never.
- [13:12]
A
I don't know how you do it.
- [13:14]
B
Well, and I think that hashtag has become
- [13:18]
A
almost like a badge of honor.
- [13:19]
B
Yeah, right. Because.
- [13:21]
A
Yeah.
- [13:22]
B
The fact that you put yourself out there to be judged and be considered, and then that's why it's one of my favorite days on social media is when people are like, I didn't make it. Here's my quilt. Because it is just so cool to scroll through Instagram and see all this creativity, all this passion, all these incredibly beautiful quilts, and to know that when you walk into quiltcon on that floor, you are seeing a small percentage of the amount of creativity that was offered up for display. And just know that your creativity is respected, it is honored. We love seeing it. Whether it's in person, whether it's online. Please do not stop.
- [14:05]
A
No, please don't. And submit again. Whether it's a quiltcon or another show near you or your local state fair. Like, submit it. Your work needs to be shown. Don't take it personally. I will say, out of the 450, 470 quilts they had on display, it was tight to walk through all of them. I couldn't imagine there being a whole bunch more on top of that. They would need the whole show floor for all the quilts that were submitted. And I get why they can't choose all of them. And gosh, I need a week to walk through all of them if they did.
- [14:36]
B
Oh, absolutely.
- [14:38]
A
But I wish we could say, but that's why I was like, man, it'd be really cool if any of these shows, not just Quilt One, but any of these shows that take submissions if they would have, like, an online lookbook of all the ones that were submitted that weren't accepted just so we could see them. I want to see them anyways. Yeah, let's talk about community and connections. Because we had the best time seeing past podcast guests in person. Some we had never met in person before that I finally got to hug and spend some time with, which was wonderful, and continue to build those friendships. We saw people we've been following for a while in person and got to connect. We saw people that we would love to have on the podcast, and we now have a pretty long list of potential guests. And just the amount of people that were coming up to us and saying, I love your podcast. I listen to it. I listen to it on the way here, just means the world to Audra and I, and I'm speaking for her, but I know it means the world to us that not only are you guys listening and telling us about it, but then also those that we look up to that are like, so, when am I going to be on your podcast? When can I be on your podcast? That is huge for us. We're like, you really want to be on our podcast? Oh, my gosh.
- [15:42]
B
And then we're like, we're like, wait, what? You. You want to hang out? You want to hang out with us?
- [15:46]
A
Like, you want to go have lunch with us? Amazing.
- [15:48]
B
There was one really sweet girl, she's like, you fold my laundry with me. I listen to you while I fold my laundry, and I'm like, that's awesome. Like, I'm happy to fold your laundry with you. Really?
- [15:59]
A
We have. I have a few listeners that are like, every time I clean my house, I listen to your podcast and I it done so much faster. And I enjoy it because I'm just like, and then after I'm done cleaning my house and I'm done listening, I'm ready to jump into my sew. Jo. And I love that. I love that we are giving you that encouragement to keep doing what we all do. And we love.
- [16:19]
B
It's really the power of this community through. Through the virtual community. But also this quiltcon reminded me it's about the power of those in person connections, too. Every now and then, those in person connection. In person connection touch points are so huge. Being able to put a face with a name or hug someone that you think the world of or see friends you haven't seen in a year. Do the retreats, go quilt with your friends, go to the quilt shows, go take a class. This is a very solo sport. And to go out and put yourself with your peers, share creativity, share your passion, learn, hone your techniques, pick someone's brain. Those are all so powerful because we can sit here and sew by ourselves for hours and hours on end. But the ability to go out and see your friends and talk to your friends or make new friends and share creative ideas, it's worth the time, it's worth the money, it's worth the effort. I know there are times where I'm like, oh, I signed up for a class and like, crap, I got to pack up all my stuff and I got to do all this and, like, do I really want to do it? But then I'm so glad I did. I'm so, so glad I did every time.
- [17:35]
A
This is why I talk about retreats a lot. And this is why I have six retreats this year, because I Love connecting with people. It's a lot of work to host and put on retreats, but sometimes I feel like I get more out of it is. It is so refilling. It is soul refilling. And that's because my why. Why I sew is, and why I share so much is because I love to see people grow in confidence, build skills, skills, learn something new, tackle something that felt really hard. But when you're there in person, they know they have support. Like, I literally have a group chat with my March retreat attendees, and one of them was like, I think I may just bring this quilt I'm working on, but I kind of want to bring a harder project that I need help with. So since I'll know, I have moral support there. And I'm like, bring the zippers, honey. We're gonna tackle zippers. Let's go. You know, we're gonna learn. We're gonna learn. Like, bring all the projects. Have fun with it. Don't be scared of it. This is. This is the time to sit down and. And even at shows, like, we sat down and had a little afternoon chat with Verushka with pride and joy Quilting. And if you haven't heard her podcast from us, she was on last year. She's amazing. This is my first time to get to meet her in person, but we've messaged quite a few times.
- [18:47]
B
I feel like amazing is like an understatement.
- [18:49]
A
It's such an understatement because we literally had, like, fruit punch and apple pie with her and sat there for I don't even know how long. But this is what. Really, they're not enough.
- [19:02]
B
Wonderful, intelligent, caring, unimaginable.
- [19:06]
A
Just unfathomable. I could, like, just keep the wisdom
- [19:10]
B
out to talk about Varuska. I have. I have a crush. I have a total crush.
- [19:15]
A
Hard crush, hard crush, hard crush. I'll fight you for it. I'm just kidding. There isn't. What's really cool about Varuska is there's so much to go around for everyone, and she really treats everyone the same when she is meeting all these people for the first time and reconnecting with friends in the industry. It's like, when you talk to her, it's undivided attention every single time. She's so good at it. We were standing there taking pictures real quick because we finally got to meet in person. She also gives the best hugs, and she, like, we're taking pictures. We're all standing there, and she leans over and she goes, so how's Biscuit doing? How's your pup doing? I'm like, you knew about that. Like, you've watched my stories. Like, you thought. You thought about it in this crazy moment with all these people, and you're busy, and you still took time to say, how's your dog doing? That meant the world. And so many of you actually came up and asked how Biscuit was doing. She's doing great, by the way. But that meant a lot. But then we got to sit down with her. And what really shocked me just about. I think one of the words that comes to mind when we think of Verushka is her generosity to share her knowledge so freely. So I had released a pattern recently, my Valentine's pattern, and it had some fpp. And I'm learning how to do the FPP in Illustrator on my own, because that was not a part of my quilt class that I took last year. And I. I just was struggling with a technical thing, and I asked Audra. I was like, do you think I should message her? Maybe? She. I know she uses illustration. She's like, yeah, message her. So I did. We chatted back and forth with, like, voice messages, and she helped me figure it out. That was weeks ago. We come to quiltcon. We sit down with her, and she pulls out pen and paper and draws out the block. She goes, I've been thinking about that, and here's another way to make that same block. And she draws it out for me and just in two seconds explained something to me that I don't know that I would have ever figured out on my own. But it was her willingness to still think about it, of ways that she could help me learn, and unprovokingly just said, hey, I want to show this to you real quick. I've been thinking about this, and it's been on my mind, and I want to help you with this. And here's another way to look at it and just to take the time to sit down and draw that out for me. I was like, okay.
- [21:18]
B
And I want to. I want to digress real quick on who digress real quick on who had the pen and paper, because I am the group.
- [21:24]
A
You are the mom of the group.
- [21:26]
B
I am the mom of the guide. Of course. It's like I'm the one that had the notebook and the pen ready to go.
- [21:31]
A
But truly, she was ready to write it on a napkin. Like, she was like, oh, I know. But just for her to sit down in the middle of a crazy show with us and have such a heartfelt Conversation about industry, about running a business, about pattern design, drawing out FPP to help me learn. Like, wait, she's just such a wealth of knowledge, but she just also just gives it so generously and she's so believing in the passing it forward, creating a path for others to follow in her footsteps to learn. It was wonderful. And we had so many conversations like that with so many amazing people there. Truthfully, those are the greatest takeaways that are worth all the money in the world to go to one of these shows. Right? You can't put a dollar amount on the value that is connections with people,
- [22:17]
B
quality and human connections.
- [22:20]
A
It's not just a hug and a picture. That's what you see online. It's so much more than a quick picture. It was. That picture was taken after we had stood there and talked or had lunch together or whatever it was. There's so much more behind those photos. Those photos are just a quick little reminder for us of just how wonderful those moments were.
- [22:37]
B
Exactly. Okay, so what'd you buy?
- [22:40]
A
Oh, my gosh. Well, I really, I. I went in not thinking what I needed, and then I get home and I look at what I have and I'm like, clearly had my long arm in my in mind when I was shopping. So a couple things that I want to share that I picked up a few things, but I'm going to highlight the things that I grabbed for my longarm specifically. So for those who don't know, I got a long arm recently, I'm a Janome longarm maker and so I. I've got all these new accessories I need to learn to use. And. And one of those is the ruler base and ruler feet. But I didn't have any rulers, so I picked up two rulers. These are from String and Story. Holly Ann and I chatted and I said, girl, I am new to longarming. I'm learning all the things. I just recently learned that rulers for long arms are different than regular rulers because they're thicker. I need to know what I need. Just. Just put it in my hands and tell me to buy it because I don't know where to start. And honestly, after, at the end of the day, all these rulers start to look the same to me. So she was like, well, if you don't have a straight edge ruler, you need one of those. So I got her straight edge ruler, but then she's got one that's the quilting Rockstar ruler, and it's got like five or six different shapes in one. And she said she created this because she would teach classes, and she hated that every time she teach, taught a class, they had to buy a whole nother ruler and spend more and more and more money. And she's like, I think we can put some of these basic shapes into one ruler just so that you're not just spending a fortune when you're getting started. She's like, you may eventually want to get those bigger rulers, but for getting started, she goes, these are the two you need. So I grabbed those two in addition to a couple of her panels. Now, these panels look like quilt blocks. So what's great about these is you're not spending all this time piecing. You can just jump right into quilting with these panels that have big quilt block shapes on them. So you can practice your free motion quilting with said rulers. And when you're done, you can make it a wall hanging, you can make it a lap quilt. You could turn it into a bag or a tote or whatever you want. But it's a great way to practice without spending so much time to be able to practice. So that was really cool. And then the other thing I got for my longarm was over in the Superior Threads booth, and I have never. I have so much thread, y'.
- [24:43]
B
All.
- [24:43]
A
I have so much thread, but they're all like domestic cones. Like the small ones, right? I got the big ones. I got the big ones. Mickey over at Superior Threads, she walked me through. I said, girl, I. This is my first time buying thread for my longarm. I need to know what I need. And so she kind of, these may not be the most exciting colors, but she said, these are great for getting started. White, cream, silver, they blend well with just about anything. And then you can always expand. But start with these. So I got those, and then I got some bobbin line thread for my. Because I do like to wind my own bobbins. So for longarm, I think I did pretty well. What about you, Audra? What were some of the key things that you picked up? You did great.
- [25:18]
B
And I'm going to talk to you about those colors for your longarm. I mean, like, nine times out of 10, when I'm doing all over quilting, those are my go to colors. Gray creams. Because you don't want to take away from the design. So I completely agree with Mickey. Okay, A couple things I got. I also got that same ampersand ruler on the quilting Rockstar ruler.
- [25:38]
A
Is that what it's called?
- [25:39]
B
Well, it's like the ampersand, like in her logo Oh, I had never noticed
- [25:42]
A
that, but I also hadn't taken it out of the plastic yet.
- [25:44]
B
So I got that. I. I went with one thing on my list. The one thing on my list was some box bottom line bobbin thread from Superior. I got that. I also got some thymtech thimble tape, which I'm excited to try. Very excited to try that.
- [26:01]
A
Yes.
- [26:02]
B
And I posted it in my quiltcon haul reel. And a lot of people like, oh my God, I love it. And equally as many people were like, oh, tell me more about it. So I'm really excited to try this. I got a couple of quilt patterns because I need quilt patterns like I need a lobotomy. But I got one. I got two, actually.
- [26:19]
A
You show your patterns and I'll show mine.
- [26:20]
B
Okay. So I got the Sew Speedy mini quilt from Whole Circle Studio. Because for those of you who follow me on social media, you'll know I have a wall, like right outside my sewing studio that I changed the wall hanging out. And this wall hanging is 32 inches by 32 inches. So it's a really nice size. And it's like all paper, foundation paper, piece, needles. So I'm like, that is perfect for when it's not a holiday and I need something to hang like right now. So I need to make this sooner rather than later.
- [26:48]
A
So I also got one from them too, the Whole Circle Studio. So I'll show mine real quick since we're talking about their patterns, because they had some amazing FPP patterns and their booth was beautiful. I got the six foot ruler quilt, so also fpp. And I thought I might make this twice because one I want to hang in my sewing room above the window. I think it'll fit perfectly up there. The other one I want to give to my niece and nephew because they're two and four months old. And I thought, oh, as they grow, they can see how. But it's cute because it's like quilted anyways, so that's why I grabbed that one.
- [27:19]
B
That's gonna be super cute. I also from Whole Circle Studio, I've been eyeing this pattern for quite a while, ever since it came out. It's the around the world quilt pattern, which if you're watching on YouTube, you can see it, but it's all the different. It's a full. How big is this? I don't even know how big it is. It's on large. It's large, but it's like luggage tag kind of vibe from cities all over the world. And you can do it like with abbreviated names of the cities or with just some landmarks. Super exc. For this. I really need to stock up on some solids because I really want to do this all in solids. So I need to stock up on that. And then my big purchase was not planned. I'm just going to blame Bethany and Missy. I'm going to call it peer pressure, even though it really wasn't guilty. We went to the EQ8 booth. For those of you who don't know, EQ8 is quilt design software. And Missy was like, I need some books to use as references. I'm like, oh, that's cool. And the next thing I know, I'm like, oh, this actually looks like a lot of fun. And I was like, yeah, should I get it? And Missy and Bethany are like, yeah, you should. And then I went, okay, let me
- [28:26]
A
tell you for the record, we all bought stuff from that booth.
- [28:30]
B
There was. They were having a quote comp promotion. So that was. That did make it more enticing. But I did get EQ8 quilt design software and I also did get some of the same books Missy did. So I have like a physical reference because I like having a book. I am one of those older millennials that still like to have tangible. The word. It's right there. No, like analog. That's really far. I. I am one of those older millennials still like having analog things. Like, I have a paper planner. I like having physical manuals to reference. I like having tangible things.
- [29:05]
A
Yeah. No, I couldn't be more opposite. This is where we differ because I was like, I don't want the books. There's got to be a video for that. I can figure it out. It's fine. But what I did, I already had EqA and I don't use it a whole lot. I feel like I need to be using it more. I have the encyclopedia book of all the quilt patterns in EqA. And EqA comes with like 6, 000 blocks, but then they have an additional block base plus that adds another 4, 000 blocks to your software. So I did get this one. So I did upgrade my EQA with this. Which reminds me, I need to put this EQ8 software and this block base on my new laptop. So that's a tech problem for me later. So that was a good. Like, we all got stuff from the EQ8 booth because I think Missy also got block based plus, plus the work. But like the textbooks or whatever. But yeah, they, they. We had a great conversation with them. I think I'll still, I'll use. EqA is great for, like, designing stuff. But then, like, for me, I still like to write and draft everything in Illustrator. So it's a great addition in the process, and I'm going to try to utilize both more. I do have one other pattern that I bought that I have to share, because as soon as I showed this on my stories while we were at Quiltcon, everybody messaged me, and it was like, I can't find it on their website. Where is it? So I was like, I'll go back tomorrow. I'll talk to Carrie. So I went back to her booth, and then by the end of the show, I was literally dragging people to her booth. I was like, you have to see this. Like, Jenna Hall. I grabbed. I was like, jenna, you need this. You need this. Okay, so I'm gonna. I'm gonna hold this up on YouTube, but I'm gonna explain it. Okay, so this is the quilt sandwich travel sewing kit. Sandwich. His name is Sammy the Sandwich. This is by Full Quilt Boogie. We'll link them in the description. They. Carrie is the designer. It's. She does a lot of FPP and applique patterns in traditional patterns. This is just a fun little project she made right before quiltcon, and by the time this podcast comes out, it should be available on her website. So that wasn't available on her website during quiltcon, because they had just finished it. But let me tell you, if she hadn't had one of these samples on display, I don't know that this would have gone as viral as it did at the show. But when you open it up, it literally is a sandwich with a smiley face, and it has lettuce and cheese and everything. But when you open it, there's like, a tomato, a little pin cushion. There's little pockets for your toes. It's a sewing kit that's a sandwich, and it zips. It zips shut. It's a sewing kit. That's. It's so. It's a novelty thing, but it is so freaking cute. And it's a cute. It's so freaking cute. Anyways, I think I may make this at my upcoming retreat. So I have a little project to work on. I need to pull it out and see what all I need. It's finished. Size is only 7 inches by 7 inches. It's. It's. I love little travel kits for when I'm traveling and sewing. This is a conversation piece.
- [31:52]
B
It's absolutely.
- [31:53]
A
I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Anyways, I had to share that because Carrie was so sweet and fun. Fact, Carrie is in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm in Nashville, Tennessee. So we're right down the street from each other and I'm like, we have to hang out. So I love supporting designers, but especially ones that are here local, close to me somewhat. Anyways, shout out to Carrie and full quilt boogie. She has some amazing. Her nut quack nutcracker pattern was stunning.
- [32:15]
B
They're absolutely stunning. I think we all, we all were restrained. We didn't go over, but we got stuff that I think would really help all of us grow creatively. So I think one of the things I wanted to talk about too, which I think is fascinating that I've seen as quiltcon has grown, is it is a consumer show. It is a B2C show, but it has definitely become an industry networking show as well.
- [32:41]
A
Yeah, you see, I wasn't expecting that. I have to say, I wasn't expecting that.
- [32:46]
B
There's a lot of big. There's a lot of creative networking, professional networking. It's really a place to be seen, to expose your brand, to create content. There's a lot of content being created. So it's kind of this, like, mixed bag of. It is a consumer show and there's a lot of people who just, just come and explore the quilts and shop and leave or take. And take classes. But then there's also a very large contingent, and I'm not going to put a percentage number out there because I'm totally guessing, but there's a large contingent that come for the networking, for the, for the exposure, for the content. It's definitely expanding in regards to. If you want to network, that's a place to be.
- [33:30]
A
Oh, yeah. It was definitely more of that than I anticipated from previous consumer shows because a lot of times in these booths are not decision makers for what we do. Sorry. But I will say I. I was so glad that I brought my business cards. I was so glad that I brought things to hand out and to show. I did not bring like examples of my patterns with me because I wasn't thinking I needed to hindsight. So now I know for next time. But I. It was a great networking opportunity also with the brands, with the fabric lines, especially as a design, pattern designer. Now that really was more than I anticipated and it was great. It was great.
- [34:08]
B
Yeah. I think it was great for all of us personally. It was great for us with the podcast and making connections and putting faces with names. I would recommend quiltcon to anybody. If you are a maker who wants to be inspired. It is absolutely the place for you. The class options are endless. It's usually in a really great location that makes it worth going to as well. If you've liked spouses or partners or kids who are coming along, they can definitely stay entertained. It's absolutely worth your time, you know, and to each their own. There might be people who beg, who beg to differ, but I absolutely love it. I love going back next year. It is in Atlanta, Georgia, February 25th through the 28th. So if you are interested, mark your calendars now.
- [34:52]
A
Yeah, and we even did like a little meetup the Saturday morning. We had people come and meet us. We had a little giveaway of some of our coffee mugs that we had. We were handing out. One of the things that's really trending with quiltcon is stickers. Everybody makes stickers and hands out stickers. So I made two stickers. Audra had the podcast sticker and one of her personal stickers as well. I had a sticker of Frost Yourself, my first quilt pattern. And it's like holographic shimmer glitter. It's called Pixie Dust. It was really fun and everybody loved that one. And then I also made the. The Diet Coke sticker with the assist sewist on it. Crispy sips and seams with a little straw and bubbles. And everybody loved those. And so those were really fun to hand out. And it's a. I think what's really cool about the stickers is even if you're just a consumer and you have some sewing stickers you want to make with fun sayings or your quilts that you've made or whatever, it's a conversation starter. If you're like, I want to go up and talk to someone that I follow online, I've never talked to them. I don't know how to, like, just go up and be like, oh, my gosh, I follow you online and I have stickers. Do you want to share, like, swap stickers? And even if they. There was a lot of people that didn't have stickers and they were like, I don't have any stickers. I'm like, that's fine, take my stickers. Like, have fun with it. I have so many stickers and I actually saw someone post this online after the show and I thought this was genius. So I wanted to share it. Here is if you've collected stickers and you're not sure where to put them because water bottles only have so much space, right? And my laptop only has so much space. So but you want to hold on to them. Get. You can order on like Amazon and stuff, like magnetic sheets. And they're putting the stickers on magnetic sheets and then putting the magnets on anything in their sewing room. Like, I have filing cabinets I can stick it on. Some people have those like tool carts that they'll stick them on or their fridge or whatever. I thought that was genius for an alternative way to hold on to these stickers without them just sitting in a drawer. So anyways, Food for thought stickers. Those were a big hit.
- [36:43]
B
That's fun.
- [36:45]
A
Yeah.
- [36:46]
B
The diet Sewist was a hit. So we're gonna go into stitch and share quick to keep consistent with our form. Matt, what did you make for quillcon? Bethany?
- [36:56]
A
I made a vest. I made a quilted vest. It was my first time making a quilted vest and it will not be my last time. It was so much fun. I got asked what the pattern was many times. It is the Britney vest by Mellie and me. It's an Australian based designer and the vest actually comes in three different styles. I chose to do option B without the pockets and it's super cute. And I think it was the perfect handmade item of the entire show because it was the only one I could wear the entire time without melting because like I said, the AC wasn't working there. So it was really hot in the show. But I wore it with like a little T shirt underneath and it was so cute and I got so many compliments on it. And I made it with Ruby Star Society strawberry fabrics. So now I have to make a matching pair of shoes for my vest. But I. It was a really quick and easy pattern and it was fun. So 10 out of 10 recommend that.
- [37:47]
B
It was absolutely adorable. And I made nothing. And I loved it.
- [37:51]
A
Oh, now we have. You love to see it.
- [37:54]
B
You love to see it. Audrey, what's your.
- [37:55]
A
What's your. You'll love to see it.
- [37:57]
B
To wrap us up, my tank is recharged. I loved meeting new friends. I loved seeing old friends. I feel excited and I feel ready to create and you can't ask for more than that. Coming off of a great trip with
- [38:12]
A
friends, it was great. I couldn't agree more. I am gonna plug something else though, if. If that's okay. Of course. Since my diet sew stickers were so popular, there's a few of them on my website if you want one. But I also took this logo and put it on notebooks on water bottles, per yalls request, by the way. And I think My favorite is the shirt because it says the little sewist thing on the front, but it has the big can on the back. And these come in, like, a women's cut or a unisex cut, depending on what you prefer. But I just. I soak. And I've already had people say, I don't drink Diet Coke, but I drink Coke Zero. Can you do a Coke zero one? Or I drink Sprite can. And I'm like, I'm doing a whole line of sodas. Apparently, I have to redesign them all. I haven't had a chance to even think about that yet, but I'm taking requests, I guess. So if you have his soda preference, I'll try to figure it out. But it took a hot minute just to design these. But it's fun. I just. I love Diet Coke. I love how crispy they are. But everybody's sodas to them are crispy. You know, the little bubbles are just, like, spicy. I love it. So that's why I put crispy sips and seams, because we also want our seams to be nice and crispy too, so they line up perfectly every time. So it's just a little fun play on words. And. And. I don't know, it was a fun little conversation starter every time. If you guys would like any of the merch, it's on my website, craftobethany.com and I would appreciate your support.
- [39:36]
B
They were a hit. An absolute hit.
- [39:39]
A
Thank you. Who knew Diet Coke was such a fun thing? It's the energy I need to keep going, keep sewing all night.
- [39:46]
B
All right, our next episode, we are going to have Julius from Julius Handmade as our guest. And we are so excited to talk all things foundation paper piecing with Julius and all things creativity.
- [40:01]
A
If you're not following him, you really need to. You really need to. Audra, when you met him at quiltcon, was that your first time to meet him in person?
- [40:08]
B
Yes, it was.
- [40:08]
A
Okay. He is the sweetest person.
- [40:11]
B
He's a doll.
- [40:12]
A
I've met him several times. I. We still joke because when he came to Quilt Market in October of last year, it was the first time we had met in person. And I. We were at Sample Spree, and I could see him. I'll have to tell the story again, but I could see him recognizing me. So after I got done with my conversation, I found him, and. Because I knew who he was, and we ended up hanging out the whole time. And then. Poor guy. He's. He's. He's. It was his first time to a show like that, and it's definitely a networking industry side of the show. And I was like, who do you want to meet? What are your goals? What are your objectives? And I, like, took him under my arm, under my wing, and I, like, dragged him all over. But finally he was like, I need to eat food. Are we gonna stop soon? And I'm like, you've only got one day here. We have to make the most of it. I think I may have traumatized the guy, but he is such a trooper. He is so freaking talented, y', all, and he couldn't have a bigger heart, so we're really excited to have him on and. And he's just the first of many amazing guests we have lined up post quillcon. Thanks to our wonderful time spending time with all of our friends at quiltcon. So just get ready. This year is going to be full of amazing guests. Really good topics. Audra and I sat down the other day and planned out, literally the next year. It's wild. And we're so grateful for all of your support. If you're not subscribed to our YouTube channel, please go do so like us on Facebook, like us on Instagram, and join our private Facebook group, Social Sewist. It's where we continue the conversation after the podcast ends. And we just are so grateful for all of you and all the wonderful people we got to meet at quiltcon and our listeners. Y' all are the best. Truly the best. Truly so truly the best.
- [41:41]
B
We had the best time, and thank you so much for giving us your time and happy sewing.
- [41:46]
A
Happy sewing. Bye.