It’s always exciting to see what’s new on the market, whether that’s fabric, notions or a new magazine. Here’s my take on some of what I saw at Quilt Market last week.

1. You’ve been catching it online and now it’s live … in print. With its tagline “Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.,” Generation Q magazine, or as it’s known GenQ, is a reality. Shared first at Quilt Market, the publication blends the interests and design aesthetics of today’s modern stitcher with that of the  contemporary quilter/sewists. It’s all about creativity regardless of where you fit in the picture. I love the size of the book – it’s 7″ by 9″ – and it’s filled with profiles, tips, patterns, product reviews. You’ll definitely find something to engage you.

2. Ever head to your local quilt shop and pick up the perfect fabric, get home and find out it’s perfect only not for the project you had in mind? Swatch Buddies™ to the rescue. The system features 1″ by 2.25″ plastic cards with an adhesive that lets you attach a swatch to one side and a label to the other. The label lets you track where you purchased the original fabric, the designer/collection and the quantity. The individual cards are stored on a wire ring or a chain ring. You can also use you Swatch Buddies to identify those fabrics you’ve got stored in plastic bins without having to open the bins and sort through them.

3. New from Kona Bay is Shadowland, a 33-piece tonal collection inspired by vintage Kona Bay fabric and designed by Jason Yenter, president of In The Beginning Fabrics. The collaborative collection features subtle elements with lots of depth in five designs in a variety of colors. It’s a great addition to Kona Bay’s line. An accompanying pattern book with six projects will be available in September.

4. Pat Sloan has a new collection with Moda Fabrics. Her 51-piece Eat Your Fruits & Veggies collection features an array of prints with fruits, veggies, leaves, dots and textures. My favorites are the batiks, especially the carrots! Also new to Moda is German designer Brigitte Heitland with Zen Chic with its 33-piece Jugging Summer line featuring overlaying laces, dancing balls, juggling circles and nesting labyrinths. The colors range from rich jewel tones to classic, decadent neutrals. I love the variety, texture and fun in these prints. Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. was Moda’s third new designer with her 40-piece Simply Color collection. The seven ombre solids are the focal point and will be perfect for adding more depth to your quilts. They are complemented by textures, fun florals, dots, and chevron stripes. I loved the colorways – mustard, lime green, tangerine, aquatic blue, to note just a few.

5. New Castle Fabrics introduced Style Mod, a 15-piece slightly retro, 1950’s look collection. I loved the avocado green prints. Also new from New Castle are two reproduction lines, the 22-piece Civil War Album Two designed by Pamela Weeks and the 20-piece Charleston 11840 collection designed by Jean Ann Wright.

6. New from Sew Very Smooth is its Ideal Seam Guide. This repositionable guide sticks to your sewing machine table. It’s 1.25″ wide, .25″ thick and comes in four lengths. It has a beveled end to make it easier to lift up and it’s been tested to last for hundreds, even thousands of placements. Also battled tested by the owner’s grandchild and black lab!

If you saw something new that you loved at Quilt Market or your local show, please share it below.

With quilt show season at its height, I thought I’d share some tips for shopping large shows, both wholesale and retail.

1. Pack comfortable clothes and shoes. You can easily be on your feet for eight hours or more. Take to heart the Quilts Inc. admonition, “Remember at Market, fashion stops at the knees!”

2. Take some healthy snacks with you, like fruits and nuts. All the booths will have snacks of the chocolate variety and while a bit is fine, you want to be sure to keep your stamina up. Once you start walking the floor, it’s hard to leave. Something new or an old friend catches your eye. That sugar rush just won’t sustain you. And, don’t forget to bring water or an empty water bottle to fill to keep hydrated.

3. Take advantage of the learning opportunities. Quilts Inc. has lectures and classes the day before Market opens and then the mornings and evenings when the vendor floor is closed. This is a wonderful opportunity to take back knowledge to share with your staff and customers and to build your business. At retail shows, you can often find wonderful classes that will teach you something to share with your customers. Even just bringing back knowledge of “what’s new” is important.

4. If you go to Quilt Market, don’t wait in line for Sample Spree. I always check the lines for Sample Spree and often find the same people at the front of the line every show. They recognize me coming now! Some of these attendees get in line at 2 pm for an event that starts at 8 pm. They miss half of the Schoolhouse Sessions and terrific learning opportunities. Once the doors open, most everyone in line gets in within five to 10 minutes. Even latecomers get in. Last I heard they weren’t giving a prize for first one in the door!

5. Don’t forget your business cards. You are going to meet shop owners and quilt business owners from around the world in addition to buying for your business. A good tip is to make a note or two on the back of the card as a memory jogger for when you get home. And, to make it easy for ordering, try printing the information on labels to make filling out forms easier.

6. Start with a plan to shop the floor. Spend time the night before going through the show program, marking those you must see. Set a schedule that includes any appointments you have with fabric companies or distributors. If you are shopping with a group, be sure everyone knows the schedule. Many shop owners walk the floor and collect literature during the first day, go over the material at night and then buy the second or third day. Other shop owners know what their shop needs and buy on the first walk through. Figure out the plan that will work best for you.

7. If you are traveling with a group, be sure you’ve got everyone’s phone numbers programmed in to your phones. Market is really big, and it’s easy to get separated from your group. Even keeping up with your group at a small show can be a problem.

8. Keep a journal so you can track what you see, need to follow up on, etc. I usually have a small 5″ by 8″ notebook where I make notes about what’s new, action I need to take when I get back, and secure business cards I collect. It’s fun to see what’s transpired over the years.

9. Look for ways to connect. Everyone has to have lunch and/or dinner. Look for someone at a table, go join them. You’ll probably pick up a business tip and be able to share one, too. And, likely you’ll make a new friend.

Please share your thoughts below.

Last week I shared some of my impressions of Quilt Market: new products, fabrics, inspirations. I’m continuing with more this week.

1. Michael Miller Fabrics introduced a number of new lines. In Kathy Miller’s Schoolhouse presentation she mentioned trends of navy, gray and red. For sports fans, Emily Herrick with Crazy Old Ladies introduced Hall of Fame. Her designs were inspired by vintage photographs of sporting events. Mark Hordyszynski showed his Halloween-themed fabric complete with glow in the dark pieces. And, I loved the bright and cheery designs from Pillow & Maxfield in their Ooh La La line in Citrus, Sky and Spice colorways.

2. Andover showed a number of wonderful collections from its designers. I loved the Pear Tree line from Thomas Knauer with its clean blues, greens and salmons. New from Lonni Rossi are Bubbles & Swirl and Lala’s Garden. And, the Winterthur John Hewson  collection is based on work by this important textile printer who came to Philadelphia at the invitation of Benjamin Franklin in 1773. The line includes a large panel, florals, birds, a border stripe and a textured leaf print.

3. Noble Notions had some great quilting notions. I particularly liked their multi-use Quilters Clamp. It can be used as a channel lock for longarm machines or for securing your quilt to a table for basting. It can be used also for hanging items from your work area, such as a trash bag. They also offer both hand and finger grips for machine quilting.

4. eConcept Mall introduced a number of useful sewing products. The Sew Straight Guides are positionable rulers in 1/4″ markings that go on your sewing machine bed. They would be great for beginning and experienced sewers alike. Very handy is the dual thread stand, perfect for twin-needle sewing and also for easy bobbin winding. I also liked the KISS Laser Line. By positioning the laser light on your fabric and holding the fabric in place, you have a line to guide your cutting. eConcept also overs a variety of sizes of hoop shields for embroidery.

5.  I also discovered some scissors developed by Marry J’s. They feature a 1/4″ stop so that you can easily trim appliqué pieces or cut into corners without going too far.

Please share your impressions on Quilt Market below.

Quilt Market is always inspiring: new quilts to see, the latest fabric releases, new designers, new products. Here are some of my impressions. I’ll add more next week.

As always, Quilt Market is inspiring. Fabric companies have new lines to show, pattern designers have their latest releases, and new products are introduced to the quilt industry. Here’s some of what I saw.

1. Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star. Following up on her success with the Rapid Fire Hunter’s Star, Deb Tucker has introduced a ruler for this block.

2. Big Beautiful Bugs! Andover Fabrics introduced this latest line from Lonni Rossi that features moths dragonflies and bumblebees, bugs with wings. The bugs, all drawn with dots, are available in 3 colorways: spa colors; red, gold and black; and green and brown.

3. Shabby Chic Hits Quilt Industry. Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame has released a line of cotton quilt fabrics. The 46-SKU line is her first for quilt shops and will be followed by a home dec line. Rachel told me that she was humbled by the tradition of community of quilters.

4. Quilt Designed Hot/Cold Bags. Kona Bay Fabrics introduced a line of hot/cold  bags in 11 designs. Available in two series, the Great Northwest and Elegant Beauty, the bags retail for $8. These would be perfect for shop hops that want to include a meal.

5. Bag, bags, more bags. We continue to see lots of bag patterns. Sometimes I wonder why, and then I remember a bag always fits! I also saw lots of patterns for aprons and little girls’ clothes.

6. Water-soluble, iron-on, pre-printed guides for crazy quilt stitches. These came in kits with wool pieces, threads and the guides. I saw people on the plane using the product and the results were lovely. They were from Sew Cherished.

7. Lots of bright, clear colors. I really like the clean look of today’s fabrics,  and I found lots to like in many booths. I particularly liked the display in Michael  Miller’s booth with the story boards of the colors that went with the new lines.

8. On the gift side, I liked the lotion bar from LaviShea. The bars melt with your  body heat and absorb quickly and completely without leaving a greasy residue, perfect for quilters and fabric.

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Quilt Market can be daunting and overwhelming, especially for the first time attendee. Here are some tips to make your experience more productive.

1. Pack comfortable clothes and shoes. You can easily be on your feet for eight hours or more. Take to heart the Quilts Inc. admonition, “Remember at Market, fashion stops at the knees!”

2. Take some healthy snacks with you, like fruits and nuts. All the booths will have snacks of the chocolate variety and while a bit is fine, you want to be sure to keep your stamina up. Once you start walking the floor, it’s hard to leave. Something new or an old friend catches your eye. That sugar rush just won’t sustain you. And, don’t forget to bring water or an empty water bottle to keep hydrated.

3. Take advantage of the learning opportunities. Quilts Inc. has lectures and classes the day before Market opens and then the mornings and evenings when the vendor floor is closed. This is a wonderful opportunity to take back knowledge to share with your staff and customers and to build your business.

4. Don’t wait in line for Sample Spree. I always check the lines for Sample Spree and often find the same people at the front of the line every show. They get in line at 2 pm for an event that starts at 8 pm. They missed half of the Schoolhouse Sessions. Once the doors open, most everyone in line gets in within five to 10 minutes. Even latecomers get in. Last I heard they weren’t giving a prize for first one in the door!

5. Don’t forget your business cards. You are going to meet shop owners and quilt business owners from around the world in addition to ordering for your business. A good tip is to make a note or two on the back of the card as a memory jogger for when you get home. And, to make it easy for ordering, try printing the information on labels to make filling out forms easier.

6. Start with a plan to shop the floor. Spend time the night before going through the show program, marking those you must see. Set a schedule that includes any appointments you have with fabric companies or distributors. If you are shopping with a group, be sure everyone knows the schedule. Many shop owners walk the floor and collect literature during the first day, go over the material at night and then buy the second or third day. Other shop owners know what their shop needs and buy on the first walk through. Figure out the plan that will work best for you.

7. If you are traveling with a group, be sure you’ve got everyone’s phone numbers programmed in to  your phones. Market is really big, and it’s easy to get separated from your group.

8. Look for ways to connect. Everyone has to have lunch and/or dinner. Look for someone at a table, go join them. You’ll probably pick up a business tip and be able to share one, too.

9. Don’t forget to stop by our IAPQ booth and say hi. We’re in 2413.

Please share your tips on blogging here on our blog.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

This is a continuation of all the new fabrics, notions, and other products I saw at Quilt Market this year. You’ll find last week’s impressions on our blog.

1. Clover introduced a number of new products this fall including a 18 mm rotary cutter. The cutter is slender, easy to hold and perfect for cutting out small curved pieces. Also from Clover are “Door Knob TIps” by Judy Hansen. This series of six sewing and quilting reference guides hang like “Do Not Disturb” signs on a door knob. Topics include Binding, Machine Piecing, Machine Quilting, Paper Piecing, Fusible Machine Appliqué and Quilt Measurements.

2. YLI has introduced a new set of threads from Elly Sienkiewicz to celebrate her new book Elly Sienkiewicz’s Beloved Baltimore Album Quilt and the exhibit at International Quilt Market and Festival “Baltimore Album Review II: Baltimore’s Daughters – Friends Stitch Past to Future.” The threads are designed to be used for embellishing after appliqué and are available in at set of four 30-weight silk in variegated colors and also in a set of six that adds two 100-weight silk twisted with metallic. Plans are for the threads to be sold individually.

3. New from designer Robyn Pandolph is her “Scarborough Fair” collection influenced by street festivals, carousels and maypoles. Robyn has also opened a studio in Galveston that features her fabric collections, quilts and other treasures.

4. Pinmoor is a product from Loretta Ivison that lets you use straight pins to baste. After pinning through the fabric you push the pin into a small, pliable plastic tube. This system is easier to use, takes less time to use and also easier to remove than safety pins.

5. If you missed Quilt Festival, you can still get some behind-the-scenes looks at some of the exhibits, new fabrics and ideas for small projects and quilts in International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene, a special publication from Quilting Arts and Interweave.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

Each year I’m always amazed at the numbers of new fabrics, notions, tools, etc., that are introduced at Quilt Market. Here is some of what I saw.

1. Gammill Quilting Systems introduced a new tracking system. The Breeze Track System features 16 stainless steel wheels on a vertical track. Customers found the Breeze Track System offered less vibration and was quicker moving than the horizontal 8-track rubber wheel system. You can have your machine retrofitted for $1,000.

2. I saw more laminates and oil cloth. Several designers, including Tula Pink with Westminster Lifestyle Fabrics, did a line that featured some of her designs in both fabrics. Also from Westminster’s FreeSpirit division is the new Designers Basics Program featuring solids, dapples, houndstooth, twine, instincts, pinwheels, beads and frescos that combine with the prints from Westminster.

3. Hoffman Fabrics has terrific new Bali batiks that feature seahorses and shells. The lines have been popular with buyers along the coastal areas.

4.  Also in the batik area, I saw a wonderful 1/2 inch batik stripe in the Elementals line from Lunn Studios and Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Also from Kaufman is the bright, fun and cheery Daisies & Dots by Piece O’ Cake Designs.

5. Shelly Stokes with Cedar Canyon Textiles introduced her new book Design Magic for Paintstiks on fabric as well as new DesignMagic(TM) stencils and new Sorbet Paintstik colors.

6. Joan Hawley with Lazy Girl Designs was in the Checker booth showing off her newest patterns, including the “Suzi Purse Insert and More” designed to be used as an organizer for your purse or a desk caddy. The pattern includes two sizes and is perfect fit for any of bags made from Joan’s patterns or bags you already own.

Stay tuned for more next week.

With the travel I’ve had this month and that I see ahead – hello, Houston and its deadlines – I have to be quite organized to get it done. Here are some tips for accomplishing all that’s on your to-do list.

1. Start with a written plan. Clear, written goals are essential. What is the major goal and what are the sub-tasks? For example, my trip to our industry shows, Quilt Market and Quilt Festival in Houston, is a major goal. It has a number of sub-goals, including creating handouts for the two classes I will be teaching, developing a look for the booth, shipping supplies, developing an order form, etc. I have written out all the specific tasks for each sub-goal in my plan. It lets me focus easily and assures I don’t forget anything.

2. Prioritize the tasks and set deadlines. You need to determine when all the sub-tasks need to be done for the goal to be completed. In the case of Quilt Market/Festival, we know it takes place beginning Oct. 29, so I create a schedule backwards showing when my display materials and class materials need to be shipped. I also like to build in a little extra time. And, you might find out that not everything on your list will get done, so focus first on those activities that have the greatest impact on your business results.

3. Make a daily schedule. Take time either first thing in the morning or the night before to plan your day. Then take daily action toward your goals. How you work toward your goals will vary. You may like to work on one project to completion or divide your day into large blocks for different tasks. In my case, I plan to work on the handouts for my classes on one day and then ship the materials this week. That way they are done, I can check them off the list, and I won’t rush at the last minute.

4. Create and use systems if possible. I have a checklist for booth supplies for trade and retail shows. When it nears time for me to pack my supplies to ship, I get out my checklist, note any additions I may have added at the last show, and print a revised copy to use. I allow extra time in case I need to replace something on the list, e.g., masking tape or a new bulb.

5. Not everything on your list will get done. Remember the 80/20 rule. Twenty percent of your activity results in 80 percent of your results. Concentrate on work in the 80 percent; that’s where your ROI (return on investment) will be.

6. And, finally, let go of perfectionism.This is a hard one for me. One of my mentors says to work to “good enough.” It might be that you set a timer for some of the tasks and what you accomplish in that time is “good enough.”

One of my favorite resources for getting things done is Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. The book’s title references a quote from Mark Twain: “Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

Brian goes on to offer his own two rules about “frogs,” your most important task. “The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first. The second rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very long.” So when I have lots on my plate, I look for the frog and start there.

How do you handle getting everything done on your list?

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.