2024 is turning out to be a great quilt show year for me!
A few days ago, I got a dream-come-true message that I never expected: a quilt is accepted in Houston! "My Mother has Alzheimer's. These last five years." will be hanging at the "Celebrate Life 24" exhibition of the International Quilt Festival of Houston in November. That is the fifth acceptance this year at a show! While the quilt will be hanging downstairs, I will be teaching two classes upstairs....the icing just doesn't stop! Clearly, with an upcoming book, the teaching and quilts accepted at shows , all within 2 years after selling my business, I found a new way of working with fabric and fabric people. I still miss having a shop, I probably always miss it, but I'm realistic enough to see that my current life would not be possible with running a business that size and that way. It's all good.
Houston, I wrote about this before, is so dear to me as I experienced so many ups there. In Texas, every fiber in my body is always getting stretched to a higher level. Texas is challenging, everything is just one step up from being comfortable. The truck drives, the hard work, the intense planning, the pain in back and feet, the responsibility for making the right decisions in fabric collections, all more than you can do at leisure. But also, the laughter, the amazing encounters, great friendships, superb business, wonderful students, gorgeous fabrics and stunning quilts. It will be special that a quilt honoring my mother will now be in Houston. She enjoyed going with me in her (and my) younger years and I remember how sad she was when I told her that she really could no longer come with me, because the responsibility for the business didn't allow me to take care of her in case of an emergency. That was a tough message to hear and say, but she understood. Life moves on and pages get turned all the time. And now, many years later, we go together again...she would have loved that! Houston keeps giving and I am just so grateful for its vast impact on everything I do fabric-related.
This quilt, which was also at SAQA Sew to Speak in Maryland a few weeks ago, is touching the hearts of many people. Not only did I get many touchy comments on social media, I also received many emails from people who had to deal or are dealing with the same situation. It is their own emotions they see in fabric, a reflection, and I realize that I probably never again will have a theme for a quilt that has the power to reach out to so many. The disease is powerful and terrible, but it couldn't change our outlook on her life. I'm grateful fabric can give us those connections and help dealing with it.
Some people have asked me if the quilt is for sale. With a showing in Houston, the quilt has reached its highest honor and it can go to another private place but only for a generous payment to the Alzheimer's cause (a buyer may have the tax credits). Otherwise, I hope I can donate it to a public place for Alzheimer's research, where scientists can feel encouraged to find a cure. If any of my readers have ideas for such a place, please let me know. In the meantime, I have made note cards of the quilt and they can be bought with all the profits going to Alzheimer's.
Other quilts can be sold in a more regular way and I enjoy the possibility of making custom quilts in custom colors. It's a nice bonus from the SAQA Sew to Speak show, where people interested in buying art have been attending. Commissions seem to be surprising all the way, so I can't share much about it...
