I’ve sewn since I was six years old, when my parents shipped me to Florida for the summer to stay with relatives, and my Aunty Shirley taught me and my two cousins how to make matching halter tops and wrap around skirts (we were children of the 70’s, after all). Over the next decades, I loved making my own clothing creations: dresses, tops, pants, formals, bags, truly anything. 

Two years ago, a dear friend invited me to attend QuiltCon, as it was in North Carolina, in Raleigh. The overachiever I am, I signed up for *way* too many classes and workshops, and left with many half-finished projects and utterly exhausted. Even though I had sewed for years, I was new to quilting.

QuiltCon was in Raleigh again this year. Again, we made plans to go. I was more judicious in my class and workshop selection, and aimed to sign up for only one class per day (although one day I did take two; I just couldn’t help myself!). The instructors were fantastic; the fellow students were delightful, and the people watching was incredible. We challenged ourselves to talk to a person from every US state. We managed to talk to folks from 34 states and 9 foreign countries. I’m already looking forward to next year! 

A summary of the workshops I took: 

Sashiko – all day – Atsushi Futatsuya
We learned the art of Japanese sashiko, a form of mending to repair and reinforce garments. It’s different from regular stitching, in that you create folds of fabric, then guide the needle through with a thimble on your palm. The mending is usually done in geometric patterns. Our teacher encouraged us to focus on our form (sitting position, breathing, shoulders relaxed) as much as the actual needlework. It was incredibly relaxing and I loved hearing his stories about the history of sashiko. 

Wild Stitches – morning – Nichole Vogelsinger
We focused on creating tapestries for embroidery from patterned fabric. Nichole taught several embroidery stitches, as well as how to attach beads and sequins. I loved the slowness of the technique. Again, very relaxing.

Saeksilnubi: Colored Thread Quilting – afternoon – Youngmin Lee
I took a bojagi class with Youngmin Lee in 2024 and was enamored. When I saw she was teaching this year, I immediately signed up. Saeksilnubi is a technique where you wind mulberry paper into thin strands, then stitch them in between two pieces of fabric and create a small pouch. It’s slow handiwork, and incredibly relaxing. Picture is of a work in progress.

Kawandi-Inspired Quilting: Hand-Stitched Traditions with a Modern Lens – morning – Lorena Uriate
Kawandi is an African and Southeast Asian technique of quilt-as-you-go, using scraps of material to quilt from the border in (the opposite of traditional quilting techniques). I loved the organic process and it’s a delightful way to use scraps of material. Picture is of a work in progress.

Happy Mail – morning – Sarah Ruiz
This class description resonated with me so hard! I love to send mail, and I aim to send an average of one piece of mail per day. I’ve been doing this for the last five years or so, and it brings me so much joy. This class focused on making quilted postcards. Oh, heaven!!!!! It’s a fairly simple process, and depending on the complexity, postcards can be made in anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. I’m so excited to make bespoke creations to send to friends! I attempted a star-shaped quilting pattern on this postcard, which didn’t really work as I intended , but it gave me great insights for future postcards!

Juried Show
And then there was the juried quilt show. My goodness, these quilters had thoughts to share! I loved the boldness of the messages. Find a gallery to peruse:

Returning Home
And then the four hour drive home. Road trips are so much more fun with a friend. There’s talking, there’s carpool karaoke. Most of the ride we listened to 1970’s country music, and then the last hour-ish, she rose to the challenge of playing only songs with “walk” in the title. We giddily sang along with: 

• Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
• Walking on Broken Glass – Annie Lennox
• I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
• I Would Walk 1000 Miles – The Proclaimers
• 500 Miles – Sonny and Cher
• Walk This Way – Run DMC
• Walking After Midnight – Patsy Cline
• These Boots Were Made for Walking – Nancy Sinatra
• Walk Like An Egyptian – The Bangles
• Take A Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reid

As we neared Asheville, snow flurries appeared. A perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Beautiful, light, magical. Until next year, QuiltCon. ❤