Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 | By Patrick Lose | 0 Comments

To Market, to Market

I can’t wait to go to Quilt Market in Houston, the semi-annual trade show for the quilting industry. I decided (at the last minute, of course) to take my new patterns and exhibit for the first time on my own. It’s been a real madhouse around here trying to get ready and I may have bitten off more than I can chew but I’m still looking forward to it. 

I can tell that everyone else I’m in contact with in the industry thinks I’m nuts when I say it’s like a vacation to me. I think they get the impression that I don’t get out much. That might be true. My office/studio is at home and I work alone, mostly, so I’m always up for a “field trip”. Going to Market is the best one I can think of. It’s what gets the creative juices (over)flowing for me. There’s so much inspiration and color and new things to see that it’s just short of a sensory overload.  I also love the time I get to spend catching up with all of the friends and peers I usually only get to see once or twice a year. 

It’s a great way for me to connect with the people I design for. I enjoy meeting with shop owners to see what their customers are looking for and to hear how my latest designs have been received. The more we talk, the more inspired I get. And the more inspired I get, the more I start wishing I was back at home at the drawing board or the sewing machine working on the new ideas that are beginning to stir and come to life in my head. That’s when I know that all of the mad rush of preparations was worth it all.