Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Quilt Camp Week 12 - Fall Opportunities

Thanks to everyone for following along with our virtual quilt camp for the past 3 months. We are wrapping up with a compendium of quilt-related opportunities for fall.  While Elizabeth is preparing to close up her New Hampshire summer house and return to Virginia, Sue is preparing for a medical procedure and will be taking it easy for a bit.  So we thought it would be good to leave you with a list of fall online opportunities - hopefully everyone will find something of interest.  But first, a sneak peek of some projects we are working on.  Elizabeth's acorns on the left, Sue's eco print on the right.

Shows

  • Pacific International Quilt Festival Online - Oct. 14-17  While many workshops are closed, it appears you can still register for others.  There will be online vendors as well as a virtual quilt show/competition.  Online Merchant Mall and quilt galleries will remain open through Oct. 31.
  • International Quilt Festival (Houston) - Dec. 3-5  This largest quilt show in the US is moving online to a Virtual Quilt Festival this year.  The corresponding Quilt Market that usually happens just before Festival is moving to January and will also be online.  There will be classes, vendors and exhibits.  Sign up for their newsletter to stay informed.  
  • Fabric Forecast - Oct. 19 - Nov. 9  This Quilt Expo Event  is open to quilt store owners, online retailers and quilters to see the latest fabric lines that will be debuting in the coming months.  A virtual ticket costs $10.
  • The Art of the Quilt at Piedmont Arts in Martinsville, VA - Oct. 24 - Jan. 9  Quilt artists from across the Southeast exhibit work in this biennial invitational exhibition.  This is an in-person exhibit, so if you are comfortable visiting an exhibit center, this is always a worthwhile exhibit.  Sue has 2 pieces in this exhibit. 

Classes

  • Craftsy (formerly Bluprint) is back!  This online class platform is offering a special price for their relaunch - $2.49 for a full year of access (normal price is $79.99).  Craftsy features online instruction in over 20 hobbies, not just quilting.
  • Global Quilt Connection is a series of virtual meet-the-teacher webinars that introduces you to teachers who have moved their instruction online and the workshops and lectures they have available.  While intended to help teachers connect with guilds and others who might like to hire them for virtual instruction, these webinars also give you an overview of teachers whose online classes you might want to pursue.
  • Live Online Quilt Classes - This is a site that allows teachers to teach live via Zoom.  The class offerings continually change so check back frequently for updates.
  • Craft Napa - Jan. 13-17, 2021; additional workshops scheduled for Jan. 19-24 for workshops that sold out.  These are primarily art quilt and mixed media workshops but do include some more traditional offerings.  All are virtual for 2021. 
  • QuiltCon Together - Feb. 18-21, 2021; this is the annual convention of the Modern Quilt Guild which will be online next year.  Registration is underway.  Activities include lectures, mini workshops and mega workshops, quilt show and vendors. 
  • Virginia Consortium of Quilters (VCQ) - Our state-wide guild is now meeting online via Zoom.  We have offered 2 classes so far as well as an informal Come Quilt with Me session on the 3rd Saturday of the month at 9 AM.  Our November meeting is our annual meeting along with a lecture/trunk show by Augusta Cole.  Class offerings will resume in January. Also join our Facebook page to keep up with current events. 
  • Original Sewing and Quilt Expo - ongoing, Oct. & Nov. virtual classes.

Museums

  • Virginia Quilt Museum - The VQM in Harrisonburg is open with 6 exhibits currently on display.  Some are there through December, some will change in October and November.  There are 2 Zoom workshops coming up (Bowl Cozy on Oct. 10 and Scandinavian Stars on Nov. 13).  They are also having a Stash Blast on Oct. 17 at the museum; fabric is for sale at $9 a pound.  One of the upcoming exhibits is the Colors of Fall challenge that Sue contributed a quilt to and shared here on the blog a few weeks ago.
  • National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY -  The National Quilt Museum has reopened to the public.  They have also just announced Quilt Museum Digital.  For an $8 per month fee, you can experience the museums exhibits online from the comfort of home, as well as other subscriber-only content.  One of the current exhibits through December is OURstory: Human Rights Stories in Fabric. Opening October 9 is Inspired by Endangered Species.  Sue has quilts in both of these exhibits, which you've probably seen here on the blog.

We hope this list provides you with some new and fun things to discover over the coming months.  Happy fall!