I attended International Quilt Market last weekend in Minneapolis. This is the trade show for the fabric/quilting industry showcasing new releases in fabric collections, patterns, books notions, etc. This is geared toward independent shop owners who are ordering stock for their shops and other professionals in the industry, therefore is not open to the general public.As you can imagine, the eye candy is amazing - and almost overwhelming. There are hundreds of booths over a giant convention center floor. In years past I've tried to provide some kind of cohesive analysis of up coming trends, styles, etc. This time I came home and got sick and just don't have the head for it. But I did want to share many of the images I took before it's too long after so you can get a flavor of what's coming soon as well as some of the eye candy for yourself.
So here is the onslaught of pictures in no particular order:
Here is Allison Harris with her new collection for Windham Fabrics called Hazel. I love this one! Great prints and colors. And great new patterns from Allison as usual.
Another love was this new collection by Anna Graham for Cloud 9 fabrics called Rainwalk. Anna also has a beautiful new book,Handmade Style with a 23 different beautiful bag, quilt, and clutch patterns. Even a pattern for this bench!
Here is Emily Herrick with her booth for her new collection Sodalicious for Michael Miller fabrics. Emily won the award for Creativity. So well deserved!Emily also made this amazing quilt on the right called Over the Rainbow. This is a free download pattern on the Michael Miller website. The amazing quilt on the left is called Jungle Abstractions by Violet Craft.Details from the Riley Blake both including Lori Holt's Farm Girl Vintage quilt. That Lori is so amazing. Also cool from Riley Blake is their upcoming Sashing Stash collection - a "cheater" print in red/white, blue/white and black/white. This print can be cut apart and reassembled to make a variety of complex looking quilts, with much less effort. Comes out this fall. Here is Amanda Herring with her newest collection La Vie Boheme.
Also new from Riley Blake is Four Corners from Elizabeth and Liz Evans.
This collection was so fun. It's called Backyard Circus by Jodie Carlton who is one of the funniest people I've ever met. This cheerful fabric collection was so her. Loved it! It will be available later this summer from Fat Quarter Shop and elsewhere.Jodie is also the creator of patterns for these adorable softies.
This is Pat Bravo's newest collection for Art Gallery fabrics called Artisan. I'm totally smitten with the colors - love the Indigo and mustard especially.
More pretty from Art Gallery April Rhodes Bound and Bari J's Anna Elise.
Cute Jeni Baker's beautiful collection, Curiosities.
My personal favorite of the new collections from Cotton+Steel was Melody Miller's Picnic (the apples!) I'm also loving the Cotton+Steel Christmas prints from the Tinsel collection.A new collection from RJR Fabrics is Pie Making Day by Brenda Ratliff. Great retro-inspired prints in beautiful saturated colors. Great Blenders. On the right is a Modern Buzzsaw quilt from Fabulously Fast Quilts (yay!) by Karen.
Gorgeous quilts made with Alison Glass prints from Andover Fabrics.
I've already declared my love for Robert Kaufman's Chambray fabrics. I'm so inspired by Heather Jones' quilt on the left. I want to use my chambray/denim scraps to do something similar.New from Robert Kaufman is Elizabeth Hartman's new fabric collection, Rhoda Ruth. Gorgeous colors and fabrics. And isn't that booth amazing?Carolyn Friedlander was teaching her method for applique in her booth. At first I resisted sitting down to learn because I felt like I had so little time and I needed to hurry. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of my Market experience - learning to applique Carolyn's way. I loved it!
Gorgeous color in Tula Pink's booth for Free Spirit. Love her True Color's collection.
Lee Heinrich's first booth at Market, selling her patterns. Lee has such amazing style.And finally the Moda designer booths: Vanessa Christenson's new collection of her Simply Colorful range. And Vanessa Goertzen's new collection Gooseberry - adorable!Sherri McConnell and her cute daughter released their first fabric collection, Bright Sun. Also with a first collection, Corey Yoder's Prairie. And darling Brigitte Heitland with her latest collection Paper & Ink.Always love to see one of my perennial favorites, Sandy Klop - aka American Jane. She told me that I am her favorite stalker. (I am not making that up!) Check out that use of selvage for the airplane banner. So cute!And finally lovely Jen Kingwell - along with my friend Holly LeSue (part of the Stately Type duo that designed the Moda sewing T-shirts). Jen is so lovely. And don't you love that picture of her sweet husband, Richard, holding her latest My Small World quilt? Inspiring. Post edit: Patterns for My Small World are available in the Spring 2015 edition of Quiltmania. There's also a My Small World Quilt A Long you can find out more about here.
And if you made it to the end of this post, congratulations! You now have a vicarious taste of the overwhelming inspiration that is Quilt Market.
If you're looking for new projects after all that fabric inspiration check out some of these Memorial Day Sales:
LadyBelle Fabric: sales include all bundles and kits on sale, Precuts 15% off and sale yardage starting at $2.95 per half yard. Ends Wed May 27
Southern Fabrics: 25% off all regular-priced items in stock with code MEMORIAL
Craftsy: big sale on fabric and supplies. Prices marked
Southern Gal
I loved the tour! Thank you. We must have similar tastes. Everything you photographed was just beautiful.
Louise
There are so many beautiful and fun items on this page that I have spent about an hour just pouring over ever picture. Southwestern colors and themes seem to be on the rise. Thanks for sharing all the fun.
Sherri
Thanks for sharing! I hope someday I can get there myself. I bet it's totally overwhelming!
LauRie friedman
Thank you for this fabulous post. So many great ideas and so much gorgeous fabric! Hope you're starting to feel better!
Jocelyn
Wow! Great pictures. I love seeing all the smiling faces. Smiles after all their work 🙂 Thanks for sharing the fun.
Lee @ Freshly Pieced
Thanks for including me, Amy!! : ) It was so fun hanging with you at Market!
Sandra B
Thanks for sharing all the beautiful inspiration quilts! An awesome post!! ....I hope you are feeling better!
Jodie
That's a great collection of all the colour and fun. It was great to see you.... Thanks for including my collection ( and little creatures) in your market wrap up. It was a total whirlwind ! P.S You are pretty funny yourself woman.
Amy Smart
Well, that is one of the best compliments I've ever had. Takes one to know one. Hope you made it home safe and sound!
Des
Great report!! Next best thing to being there. Love Chambray, OhFranson, and that it's a small world quilt!! Wow! Do you recall at all if that was a pattern or just her awesome original never to be replicated again.......??
Karen Seitz
I think I read that the quilt is in a special issue of Quiltmania this spring. I will be hunting for it myself!
Amy Smart
Yes, Karen is right. The pattern is in Quiltmania. I've heard of people having success finding it at Barnes and Nobles. There is also a My Small World Quilt Along going on right now (you're not alone in the love!) You can read more about it and find links here: https://www.liveacolorfullife.net/2015/05/my-small-world-quilt-along.html
Karen Seitz
I love your market photos! There are some different ones from what I have already seen. I am sorry you got sick after getting home. I just had the same experience a couple weeks ago after returning home to Ohio from Wyoming -- blah! Hope you're back at it full steam by now.
Amy Smart
Blah is right. I'm on the mend. I actually feel like sewing again today, so that's a good sign.
Trudy
Thank you Amy for sharing your Quilt market experience, your a gem. Being an Aussie I love to see what our girls (and boys) are are up to, and I have to agree that Jodie is a hoot she always makes me laugh and Jen Kingwell is one of the loveliest, generous, inspiring people I know. X
Amy Smart
The Aussies had a great presence this year!! They bring so much flavor to Quilt Market.
Wendy
I couldn't agree with you more about the enthusiasm, inspiration and whimsy from Sandy Klop. She is one of the greatest quilters, indeed! Thanks, too, for sharing your experience at quilt market.
Amy Smart
She is one of the best, isn't she?
Beth T.
What fun. And wasn't it just perfect that you initially resisted taking the time to sit down and stitch slowly at Carolyn F's booth and then found how soothing it was? I'm not judging--when I read that, I was nodding, because I am exactly that way, even though I'm not nearly as busy as you are, either at Market or in real life. 🙂 Thanks for taking such great pictures and then walking us through.
Amy Smart
Right?! Such a good reminder. I know I'm in need of more slow stitching in my life. Especially with summer approaching.
Karen
Thanks so much for sharing my quilt here, too. Your patterns are well written and easy to follow. Fabulously fun!
Amy Smart
Oh, that's so great to hear. Thank you!
Sharon
Thank you for sharing the eye candy. So much inspiration -- it's all beautiful. I will have to look for Cotton + Steel's Christmas collection -- there are a few prints there that look like stash additions.
liz n.
I've been dying for Anna's Rainwalk fabrics since she previewed them on her site a month or two ago!
Barbara McDonald
Wish I could go to Market someday just to squeal, sigh and touch!! LOL
Karen
Amy, thanks so much for the great tour! You've got me drooling. Hope you're feeling better (but don't forget you can always use it as an excuse to vege out a little longer)!
Anita T.
Thanks for this recap! I go to fall market every year but not spring market, and I have been hoping for more pictures and opinions.
Lisa Estrada
This is one of the best market recaps I've seen. I really appreciate the time you invested to tell us the names of what you photographed!
amy deason
OMG!!!!! I think I would have thought I died and went to heaven being there!!!! I can see why you were overwhelmed! I know you had a blast!!! Jealous!
patty
I will try to email you a picture of the quilt I made 7 or 8 years ago for my nephew's wedding quilt. It looks a lot like the Heather Jones quilt. I bought vintage French linen and hand dyed it for the quilt.
Debbie
Not sure if it's improv, but I cut, arranged and sewed without a set pattern for my last quilt and loved the results.
Brianna
Oh wow. What a year for fabrics. You captured all my favourite designers and some new ones to seek out Thanks for the awesome recap 🙂