Hey there! It has been a busy Spring Summer Fall! A great season of traveling -- sharing my passion for quilting through classes, demos and trunk shows, and promoting my book throughout Utah and surrounding states here in the Intermountain West.
I've hardly had time to come up for air! That includes getting Covid in the middle of it all, and having to pause for a few weeks, Luckily it was between commitments. Aaaand, I kinda lost my "sew-jo" for a while. Haven't posted on Social Media for months!
I keep forgetting to take photos, but here is a shot from a random visit to Nuttall's in Layton, Utah this summer. I was teaching nearby and went shopping for a new foot for my Bernina on my lunch hour. When I was ready to check out, the gal at the till asked if I was in their system. I told her, and all the ladies that were working heard my name and came running to the counter! They had been using my book for a series of classes for beginning quilters. (Brilliant idea, by the way!)
The gal who had been teaching the binding classes brought out her class samples, and also grabbed her copy of the book to have me sign it. Then she brought me the rest of the books on their shelf so I could sign those, too! One of the gals told me she had chills, and I told her I did too! Then all the customers in the shop wanted to see what the fuss was about, and gathered around to look through the book. Within a few minutes, all the books were sold out! They'll have to reorder. Oh, my goodness, I felt a little like Minnie Mouse at Disneyland! That was awesome.
Now it's time for International Quilt Market, a wholesale trade show for the quilting and sewing industry. The day before the actual show begins, Shop owners and other attendees can go to Schoolhouse sessions - essentially info-mercials of what's new in the industry.
Friday, it's my turn to present my book and talk to shop owners about how they can utilize it as a great little resource to draw in customers, cross-sell notions and patterns, and develop classes and workshops. I'm bringing select samples and quilts to showcase the many different "alternate endings" featured in the book. I'm a little nervous, I'll have to talk fast, but I think it will be so fun!
My publisher, Fox Chapel, will also host a book signing at booth #818 on Saturday at 2:00 pm.
And of course, I want every quilter in the world to have a book of their own. It's off to a great start -- it came out in February this year, and even the distributors could hardly keep it on the shelf. By May, the book was already on its 3rd printing. And if my visit to Nuttall's is any indication, it will keep going!
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f you would like a copy and your shop doesn't carry the book yet, have your local quilt shop order it. All major quilting distributors carry the book: Checker, E.E.Schenck, United Notions/Moda, Brewer, and of course, Fox Chapel Publishing. Or, you can get a signed copy from me!I present to one more guild this month, and my schedule is already filling up for next year. Whew! I figure I've got to ride this train as long as I can. Meanwhile, I'm thinking about ideas for the next book... and I'll have to work backward and document some of the quilty shenanigans that went on this summer. Couldn't do it without my good Quilt Honey! He's a keeper.
Happy Sewing,
