Tuesday, February 7, 2017

3 things to pack for a quilting conference

I'm attending the annual QuiltCon in Savannah, Georgia in about 2.5 weeks (ah!) and I've started making a packing list. If you've never heard of QuiltCon, imagine a huge convention center full of quilts (there's the largest modern quilt show in the world), fabric, and hundreds of quilters. Or, Comic Con with quilts instead of fandoms.


I've been to this shindig once before (2015 in Austin, TX - here's part three of my recap, which includes links to the other parts) and it was a blast. So, in anticipation of this year's event:

3 Things to Pack for a Quilting Conference
1. Business cards. Or pins or stickers or what have you. It's a fun way to meet people and make connections. In the past, making pins was a huge "thing" - though I never participated, I did collect them from others. Quite honestly, though, they take up more room than cards and they don't really have a purpose after the conference (unless you display them). Anyway, the cards were especially helpful.

2. Good walking shoes. Or put some inserts in your boots. You'll be walking miles and miles without quite realizing it (unless you're in one of the 9 hour classes, bless you). The only other time my feet have hurt so much was when I traipsed around Europe during college. In addition, I've never been to Quilt Market (the quilting industry's trade show), but I've heard many times that good shoes are a must.

3. Hand sewing. Whether you're in the airport, on a plane, or trying to relax in your hotel room, you might want something to keep your hands busy. I am already having a little anxiety about being away from my sewing machine for a week (I know, that seems crazy, but it's true - I sew every day). I didn't bring anything to sew last time and I sorely regretted it. Therefore, I'll be packing a sashiko panel to finish and one to start.

These are my top three picks. I'm curious - what do YOU recommend (besides the obvious clothes, toiletries, etc.)? And will I see you in Savannah this year? If you see me wandering around, please feel free to say hi!

15 comments:

  1. Have fun!! Sashiko is my #1 favorite for on the go stitching!

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  2. I'll be there for the first time. I hope I see you and get to say hi.

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  3. I've never been to Quiltcon, but I used to travel a great deal for work. Bring pajamas you are comfortable wearing out of the room. You don't want to get dressed to go for ice, coffee, etc.

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  4. A camera is on my must have list! :) I will hopefully be able to hand out the last of my pins this year. I agree that while they are fun to trade, I never know what to do with them afterwards. Business cards are much more handy. Good shoes are an absolute must, and as I am hoping to fly with all my luggage carryon, we'll see if I can have room for some handwork. See you soon!

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  5. I understand the anxiety of being away from your machine for that long. Hand sewing is great, but the machine's sound is so soothing. Enjoy Quiltcon!

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  6. I've never been, but maybe a pad of graph paper and a small selection of colored pencils, regular pencils, and a pen (whatever YOU design with) would be good to have. Also, lists, such as: 1) Shopping: what fabric or other goodies do you want for planned and current projects. 2) Goals: what people/quilts/stores do you want to see? 3) Design problems: what planning/design problems are you having? Maybe you can figure out solutions by looking at quilts and talking to people.

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  7. I'm going to take a look at the vendor list ahead of time and note down a few I really want to see. Otherwise I'm likely to get there and throw up my hands because it's too overwhelming. And this isn't packing, but I have downloaded the QuiltCon app.

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  8. Have fun in Savannah... I would like to go there!

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  9. A bathing suit and a hotel with a pool or hot tub. This is a must for me after a long day to work out the kinks. So many times I hear 'I wish I brought my suit'.

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  10. Thanks Jess! I hadn't thought about a hand sewing project but of course that makes sense!!

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  11. note book, camera and about the shoes: when I do a vendor booth I always have a second pair of shoes (different soles, so not just different colour all stars ;-) ) is helpful and change them midday, before the hurt starts!
    And lots of empty luggage space. I travel in with my cabin trolley inside my checked luggage (so I have that one extra on the homestretch and I don't have to carry it on the inward stretch)

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  12. I can't wait for this event! I've been trying to figure out what kind of bag I want to carry around all day. I want to have snacks (of course) and some room for purchases but not TOO much room. Don't want to break the bank!

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Let's start a conversation! I love comments and I'd be happy to reply to all who have an email address accessible. Thanks for commenting!

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