From quilts, jackets and backpacks to sewing machines and personalized thimbles, QuiltCon kicked off its annual five-day event at the Phoenix Convention Center.
The convention brought people from around the world together, along with well-known quilters and fabric-based artists such as Latifah Saafir, Mary Fons and Roderick Kiracofe. Known for her bold and innovative quilt designs, Latifah Saafir hosted this year’s QuiltCon special exhibition. Her creations are known to be “graphic,” “contemporary” and “detailed.” Saafir is also a co-founder of both the Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild and Modern Quilt Guild.
Beyond the special exhibition, QuiltCon also included lectures, panels, tours, workshops and vendor halls where everyone could find something to their taste. The convention, which Modern Quilt Guild has hosted since 2013, is intended for anyone that has a passion for quilting.
“Events like this are the only reason I get to see people,” said Ana Gomez Villa, a stay-at-home mom from Mexico City. “My sons are in college now and with COVID-19, events like this have helped me keep my sanity.”
After being online in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, QuiltCon required 2022’s in-person attendees to wear face masks, and all workshop attendees were required to be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, according to the event’s safety guidelines.
The convention exists thanks to the supportive quilting community, according to Modern Quilt Guild. The convention brings together people of different ages into a showcase of “hundreds of modern quilts on display,” according to Modern Quilt Guild.
For many, quilting is a family affair.
“It’s generational. My mother taught me, I taught my daughters, and they are teaching theirs,” said Emily Grasmick, co-founder of Rosie Girl Quilting. During the convention, Grasmick took part in the vendor hall, selling fabric, tools and patterns. “People think quilting is only for 60-year-olds but is more of a tradition, there are all kinds of styles for all kinds of people.”
Along with the exhibition, the convention also holds an annual giveaway and public contest. The contest involves 16 categories voted on by a chosen jury and one public show contest. The categories involve prizes from $500 up to $5,000. To be part of the competition, participants sent their quilts before the beginning of the convention for them to be voted on and featured during the five-day event.
“Today I get to see my quilt and babies’ smiles hang in the exhibit hall with a first-place ribbon next to us,” Veruschka Zarate said. Zarate was the first-place winner of the piecing category, which requires quilts to be machine pieced and reflect a strong or innovative use of piecing. Piecing is the process in which “fabric pieces are sewn together to form a block, garment or quilt,” according to the National Quilters Circle. “It took me four months to make and is a tribute to my family.”
For the people’s choice award, participants sent their entries before the convention, allowing their pieces to be exhibited during the course of the convention. Convention attendees vote on their favorites. The winner for this year’s peoples’ choice award will be announced virtually on QuiltCon’s website on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
Just as smaller creators get to show off their work during the convention, brands also connect with the community in a way they haven’t necessarily been able to over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michelle Muska, the director of content and community relations for Oliso, said the convention and social media have opened a path for her brand to expand and reach more people. Oliso, a quilting tools seller as well as a sponsor of small creators and brands such as Vintage Modern Maker, boasts nearly 36,000 followers on Instagram.
“During the pandemic, we partnered with a lot of influencers to do giveaways to help bring the community together,” Muska said. “Social media has been a key to our success and the reason quilting has become so popular among younger generations.”
Julie Dess, a representative from Quiltsmart, said things have changed in the last couple of years and people are paying more attention to quilt making. Quiltsmart is a lightweight tool for quilting beginners that allows quilts to be completed more quickly.
“People who are thinking about quilting or doing things that are quilted, like fashion, used to be my grandmother or me, but now is my children,” Dess said. “Social media has helped the quilting community increase exponentially because younger people have found a new way of expression.”
The quilting community has grown exponentially during the past few years, especially bolstered by people looking to keep busy and start new hobbies during stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. In fact, Google searches for “quilting” spiked in March and early April 2020, Google Trends revealed.
QuiltCon allows new and old passions to unite and grow together.
According to Michelle Ramsey, a quilter with 10 years of experience, people have the common misconception that quilting is just for older generations. A 2021 study of quilters found that the average quilter is a woman in her mid-60s, according to the Craft Industry Alliance. However, Ramsey says quilting is more of a tradition, and with the pandemic keeping people at home, more people have picked up quilting as a hobby.
“As you can see, it can be very traditional or very modern. It can be fashion, a hobby or your whole life,” Ramsey said. “It’s for everybody.”
Attend QuiltCon
Special exhibit tours can also be bought for $30 on the website before the date of the desired day. They include a 30-minute walkthrough of Saafir’s exhibition before the quilt show opens to the general public.
Tickets to lectures and day passes can be bought on QuiltCon’s website or in-person in the registration area throughout the five-day convention. QuiltCon 2022 ends on Feb. 20.
QuiltCon also offers volunteer opportunities. Community members can register on their website before the day of the event or register early for next year’s convention.
QuiltCon 2023 will be held at the Atlanta Convention Center on Feb. 23-26, 2023. Next year’s convention will feature a lecture and special exhibit by Chawne Kimber.
Contact the report at avzaval2@asu.edu.
