The last year has been an exercise in letting go. We’ve had to let go of almost all our expectations, and float like jellyfish in a mayonnaise jar. Jobs, school, travel, even friendships…all put on hold, or even lost. Quilters know how to take advantage of weeks and months suspended in a confined space. We pull out our stash and we start cutting and sewing. But, it does get tiresome after a year. It is fun to dream of traveling to quilt festivals again, but nobody knows for sure when this rollercoaster of pandemic chaos will end.
The collage above is inspired by the show “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”. I am madly in love with this show. The music, the dancing, the colors, the costumes, and the sets. It makes me so happy. They have a playlist on Spotify so I can keep the snappy music going during the next day. Whatever happened during the day, if we can watch another episode at night just before bedtime, I have the most creative joyful dreams that night. It’s a kick. If you like Broadway musicals, Karaoke night, Bollywood and/or Wes Anderson movies…check it out.
Every few months our suppliers come out with new batches of designs, and right now we are poring over the ‘Spring Release’ collections from many designers and manufacturers. I am seeing the 2nd wave of creativity from artists who have been prolific in Covid lockdown. I am ordering things that won’t ship until Summer of Fall, but it really lifts my spirits to see all this incredible outpouring of creative zingers.
Today I saw artwork from one of our larger suppliers, and several times I gasped out loud with delight. I just love when designers come up with something that nobody has ever thought of, that I know is going to make our customers buzz with fabriholic rapture. And aren’t we lucky that we get to curate these collections and bring you a smorgasbord of textile euphoria each week?
Hope to see many of you at the SAQA online annual conference which starts Thursday (tomorrow!) and runs through next week. If you are interested in art quilting and haven’t heard of SAQA, just google “Studio Art Quilt Associates” or pick up their “Art Quilt Quarterly” here.
…with hope for the future,
Luana and Paul
