28

Hold onto that number  for just a second while I go off on a small, newsworthy tangent:

I have been secretly helping to work on something for nearly half a year that was announced just today. Late last summer Heather Grant reached out to me to bounce her idea of starting a sewing and quilt summit for those entrenched in this industry to truly collaborate to further the industry in today’s retail and digital environment. Growing our industry has been something I have been passionate about for more than a decade wearing different career hats in publishing, TV hosting, and events.

I started Quilting Arts when I was 28 years old (hence that number in bold at the top), and I would love for people of that age in today’s environment to be entrepenuers and launch quilting and sewing businesses.  I have enjoyed much success in this industry over the past 20 years and I would love for others to enjoy success and career satisfaction like I have–not to mention for younger generations to immerse themselves in quilting and sewing.

Heather Grant is exceptional at launching a non-profit entity and is super knowledgable about this industry.  I am proud to say I am on the board of what she is spearheading: the Strategic Sewing & Quilting Summit. The first Summit will take place in the Chicago area this summer (more information to follow).

I think the assembly of industry leaders in a two-day, roundtable-style forum will help further a candid discussion of what we can all do to grow the industry. The more we talk, the more forums and places we have to discuss, the more who are invited to the table, the more we try to think outside the box, the better.

My second bit of news is that I just posted the proposal form for Craft Napa 2021 (our 6th edition), and the link for the proposal form can be found here. If you have thought about teaching and want to join us, please submit! We have more than 40 workshops over the course of five days, and we have a super fun time together. The receive-by proposal deadline is March 31 and we will announce the line-up by April 21st, 2020.

Thirdly, I am finding a lot of joy in teaching again– specifically small groups in my art barn. I will be teaching a two-day surface design class in my barn on April 4-5th, 2020–limited to six students.

Details can be found here.

Wishing everyone a great weekend and an early spring,