Ian’s Experience at QuiltCon 2022

I was excited to go to my 2nd QuiltCon this year, but before we get started, I wanted to let you know that this will be a 2-part blog. In part 1 I will talk about my time at this years QuiltCon, but next month in part 2 I will talk about tips/tricks/and good to know information for attending a quilt show. You might not think it but attending a quilty event can be a lot, but we will talk about that next time.

            I had the chance to attend QuiltCon back in 2020 when it was in Auston, Texas. This was my very first QuiltCon or any quilty event. I had registered late so I wasn’t able to attend any classes. Being a member of my local Modern Quilt Guild allowed me to get free access into the show for the long weekend. Being so close to Dallas/Fort Worth I was able to drive down to Austin and was very thankful I knew my way around town. To say it was an overwhelming event would be an understatement. You don’t think you are going to get so mentally tired from just looking at quilts, but you do. There are so many colors, shapes, quilting patterns, etc. There are also so many venders making deals and trying to get you to buy or demo what they have to offer. It is a lot! I went home after that weekend with my head spinning with new ideas and excitement. Then the world shut down.

COVID sucks! However, you knew that already. In 2021, QuiltCon went virtual, and you were able to see all the quilts online and take classes online. It was a good stopgap for a world that was still trying to figure out how to deal with the pandemic. Fast forward to 2022 and QuiltCon is back in person in Phoenix, Arizona. I thought that having had my first QuiltCon under my belt I would not get overwhelmed. I was wrong. My brain got just as overstimulated as it did in 2021 and my eyes hurt with all the quilts I was looking at. However, it was just as much fun and amazing as it was the first time. Getting to see so many quilts and all the techniques used to make and quilt them is just breathtaking. After working on quilts for a while you get into a pattern that you like, and you don’t think about stepping out of the box until it smacks you in the face while looking at how someone else executed a stunning quilt. The ideas that fluttered though my head as I saw new ideas and inspiration, it was great! The categories that a quilt could be entered under were Appliqué, Artisan Cotton Fabric Challenge, Group or Bee Quilts, Handwork, Improvisation, Minimalist Design, Modern Traditionalism, Piecing, Hexagon Quilting Challenge, Small Quilts, Use of Negative Space, Youth. That is a lot of categories for a lot of quilts.

I also took three classes this year, which I had never done before. I am so glad I did and what I learned I think will really help with my quilting career. My first class was Drafting Abstract Geometric Quilts taught by Audrey Esarey. This was a great class and one that complimented what I learned from MJ Kinman. We learned how to create a pattern and how to use freezer paper to help execute the design. Great class and over all great info for when I work up the nerve to design my own quilts. My next class was Quilt Photography from Every Angle taught by Kitty Wilkin. I really hope this quilt will up my quilt photography game. It was amazing to me to learn how just adding a few elements to a photo can change the whole feeling of it. Just moving framing can transition a meh photo to a wow photo. On the last day I took Happy Mail: Quilted Fabric Postcards taught by Sarah Ruiz. In this class I learned about Sarah’s 100 day project to make quilted postcards during lockdown. I love how easy they are to make and how you can us your scraps to make them. Such a great way to use up all those scraps lying around.

I think the best part of this years QuiltCon was getting to meet all the people I had befriended during the past 2 years on Zoom or Instagram in person. Seeing them in person was a thing I didn’t know I needed so much. Getting the chance to talk to them in person, even with a mask was so refreshing and really uplifting. I had been talking to Kitty over Instagram during the 2020 QuiltCon and we just weren’t able to connect. To then have the chance to meet her and get to talk to her in person was amazing and really made for a great QuiltCon experience. This also led to me getting the chance to meet even more people who I had yet to meet though one form or another. People like Lee Zuk (@leema_zulu on Instagram). The organic connections you can make are sometimes some of the best friends a person can find. QuiltCon helped me make those amazing connections and create some fun new memories I will never forget.

QuiltCon is a great experience if you have the chance to go. In 2023 it will be in Atlanta, Georgia. Then in 2024 it will be in Raleigh, North Carolina. I don’t know if I will make it to the one in 2023, but I am for sure aiming to be at the one in 2024. It can be a lot to take in and it might even make you feel inadequate with the talent presented. However, you can’t let that stop you. Everyone is in different places in their Quilty journey, and you can’t compare yourself to other people. Trust your process and keep doing what you are doing. Enjoy letting inspiration take you away and take on the feeling of empowerment. Any quilt show you attend can help inspire you, it doesn’t have to just be QuiltCon. Even just a small show at your local quilt store can have the power to ignite a passion for a new technique for inspiration.