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From the Editor

Friends new and old. Fabrics and patterns classic and refreshed. Tips taught and learned about running our businesses. Every minute of Quilt Market in Kansas City was filled.

In the pages that follow you’ll see a few of the highlights from classes, events, and the show floor (check out our June issue for even more). Because this is an interactive publication we’ve included videos and downloads.

And web addresses will link directly to sites where you want to learn more information.We hope you’ll take advantage of these exciting extras.
One of the advantages of driving to Quilt Market is to be able to take in local attractions or businesses. Upon leaving Quilt Market on Monday morning, our first stop was just minutes down the road in North Kansas City, Missouri, at the home of Fabri-Quilt. Owner Adlai Kunst invited us in to see the many aspects of his family-owned business. Not only does this company create quilter’s cottons for independent quilt shops under the name Paintbrush Studios, but they create drapery for major hotel chains and the quilted lining for Carhartt outerwear amongst several other products.

So many things were going through my head during the behind-the-scenes look. His company, just like our retail stores, must have several income revenue streams to handle the ebbs and flows of business changes. It was clear that he has a rapport with the employees, and we talked about what it takes to retain employees and the challenges he has for finding staff for his varied businesses. But the most fascinating conversation for me was how digital fabric printing is and will continue to change the face of our fabric industry. The potential of quick turnarounds for collections, the ability to manage inventory better (yes, he has the same inventory challenges we do of getting rid of the fabrics that don’t sell well), and the chance to create unique collections for designers and shop owners, giving us an edge by having fabric collections not found anywhere else.

Once again the miles home were filled lots of discussions about what we’d seen and learned and about how we were putting this information into action. We hope your trip to Quilt Market was equally exciting.

Contents

• From the Editor
• On the Cover
• E is for Education
  • Schoolhouse Series, Demo Alley and Take and Teach all offer opportunities to expand your horizons
• Meet Artist and Fabric Designer Stephen Wilson
  • Learn about his digitized designs and how he is using it to create new fabrics with FreeSpirit Fabrics.
• 10 Trends
  • Highlights from the show include trends and new products.
• Booth Awards
  • See the creative efforts of designers and manufacturers acknowledged with an award.
• A Letter from Karey Bresenhan
  • The Quilts, Inc. leader shares her thoughts on the future of our industry.
• Who’s Who
  • Every aisle you walk, every corner you turn, you’ll find a creative person there. We’ve captured just a sampling of those wonderful personalities.
• What’s Happening
  • Watch the videos we took and see the array of ideas we walked away with from Quilt Market.