As I sit here in the Austin Airport, I am searching for the words to describe my experience at QuiltCon these last few days. Epic. Inspiring. Humbling. Overwhelming. The list goes on. In a way, it's difficult to process everything that's happened this week. This was the second QuiltCon that I've attended, so I loosely knew what to expect. It was a thrill none-the-less.

"What is QuiltCon?", you ask? If you're a quilter, you may or may not have heard of the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG). According to the Guild's website, there are over 14,000 MQG members across the world! QuiltCon is hosted by the MQG and is an annual event that alternates locations throughout the United States. I like to describe QuiltCon as the ultimate celebration of modern quilting. A highlight of the show is the amazing display of various quilts from members across the world. You can enter your quilt into an assortment of categories, and if it's juried into the show, it will hang during the event. The conference features several days of workshops and lectures, and there is also the opportunity to shop from several venders in the quilting industry.

Like I said, this was my second QuiltCon....last year, the show was in Nashville, Tennessee, and it was a BLAST. We have never been to Nashville before, so Peter and I not only really enjoyed the show, but we loved getting to explore the city as well. 

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This year, we were equally excited that the show was in Austin. We have visited several parts of Texas over the last few years (Waco x2, Houston, San Antonio), but this was our first time in Austin! Of course, Peter was pumped. If you didn't know this, he's a real foodie. I think he's probably seen every single episode of every single show on the Food Network, haha. Apparently Austin is a big food hub, so this was a win/win! I get to see quilts, he gets to eat food. We were both thrilled about this trip. ;)

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Back to QuiltCon! Last year, we didn't take any classes nor lectures....this year I wanted to take advantage of all that QuiltCon had to offer! I registered for 5 lectures and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. The topics included everything from modern design to the history of quilting. They were a mix of informational and inspirational and I left each one with lots of notes and a new-found love of the craft.

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This year, I was extremely honored and humbled to have two of my quilts juried into the show. I've had a lot of people ask me what the secret is to having quilt accepted into the show...honestly, I have no idea! What I can tell you is that there are several categories, from Piecing, to Modern Traditionalism...theres even a Small Quilt and Youth category. You can find more information about submitting your quilt on the QuiltCon website, but my best advice for you is to GO FOR IT! You might surprise yourself. :)

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I was extremely surprised and humbled that Model Farm was accepted into the Negative Space category. The quilting is by Andrea Walker of Walker Quilt Co. If you didn't know this quilt is a part of my Lois Quilt Collection and is inspired by a quilt that my grandmother made. I name the quilt after the street that she lived on. The design is extremely personal and is a treasure that I was a little nervous, yet excited to share with so many people. You can find the pattern for this quilt below.

Model Farm quilt pattern - PDF Digital Download 

Model Farm Quilt Pattern - Paper Copy

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I was also pretty surprised that Interwoven was excepted into the Piecing category. You might remember that my original Interwoven Quilt was accepted last year. It was the two color version that was hand-quilted and VERY low contrast. This quilt is the polar opposite of that one. I used eleven shades of pink and purple to fade across the length of the quilt. The quilting was also beautifully done by Andrea Walker of Walker Quilt Co. You can find the pattern for Interwoven below.

Interwoven quilt pattern - PDF Digital Download

Interwoven quilt pattern - Paper copy

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Here are 3 of my favorite quilts from the show:

"Me" by Kristen von Minden of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild

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Clementine by Debra Jalbert of @madeofhonorquilts from the Orlando MQG.

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I failed to grab the name of this one, but it's STUNNING! It's by Rebecca Loren of @rebeccalorenquilts. 

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Peter's Choice Awards

Everyone kept asking Peter what he thought about all of the quilts. Believe it or not, he thoroughly enjoyed himself! Since I chose my top three favorites, we decided to let Peter name his. :)

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"Zenith" by Cassandra Beaver of @cassandra.beaver from the Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild.

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I also failed to grab the name of this one, but it's by Steph Skardal of @stephskardal . 

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Last but not least, there's Bob. We loved Bob. This quilt is by Patti Coppock of @patticoppock from the Tulsa Modern Quilt Guild. This was inspired by a drawing that her grandson made. 

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Another highlight of the show was meeting so many of you! I cannot begin to tell you the joy that filled my heart when someone stopped to tell me that the love my patterns or that they are simply a fan of my work. Cue all the warm, fuzzy feelings!

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That's a wrap! We had such a fun time and we are already looking forward to QuiltCon 2021 in Atlanta and QuiltCon 2022 in Phoenix! For more information about QuiltCon, visit their website: www.quiltcon.com