Q-buds: Quilt! Knit! Stitch!

By Teresa Coates

Since Quilts, Inc. announced that the Long Beach Quilt Festival was ending and a new event was coming, we’ve all been curious about what exactly it would be like. Quilt! Knit! Stitch! is all about the crafts that the name implies: sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet and embroidery.

The inaugural show was held August 14-16 at the Oregon Convention in Portland Oregon, where it will return next year as well. Vendors from around the country showed off products that ranged from fabric to yarn, sewing machines to spindles, embroidery hoops to quilting rulers. It was all there from both local and national companies.

Several of the larger machine manufacturers set up booths, showing off their newest domestic, mid-arm and long-arm machines, including Janome, Baby Lock, BERNINA, Elna, Handi Quilter and Tin Lizzie.

Janome's booth featured not only its sewing technology but also quilts by Latifah Saafir of The Quilt Engineer

There were plenty of pattern designers as well, featuring their newest patterns: Mo Bedell, Beyond the Reef Patterns, McKenna Ryan Designs, Busy Bee Quilt Designs and dozens more.

A glimpse of the fabric action in Beyond The Reef's booth

Each day’s agenda included a variety of classes and demos. Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio and Pati Palmer of Palmer & Pletsch were just a few of the faculty offering tips and techniques for visitors.

Pati Palmer in one of her demonstrations

Then, of course, there were the quilts, which included Modern Metallic, a special showcase of modern quilts by members of Modern Quilt Guilds in the Pacific Northwest. Robert Kaufman Fabrics sponsored the challenge. Participants were encouraged to use of metallic design details,  including but not limited to fabric, thread and themes.

Metallic Bonding by Ann Marie Cowley was one of the quilts hung in Modern Metallic, a special showcase sponsored by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Plain and Fancy by Kristin Shields

A Truly Feathered Star by Karen Sievert

Next year’s Quilt! Knit! Stitch! is already on the q-niverse calendar.  these dates–Aug. 13-15, 2015–and be a part of the fun!

Teresa Coates is a sewist, teacher and social media strategist based in Portland, Oregon. Follow her sewing adventures at Crinkle Dreams and @crinkledreams on Instagram.