Monday, March 9, 2015

QuiltCon!















I never quite know where to start when I've posted about my depression.  It's a real downer, I know, but I also know that blogging about it is both cathartic for me and good for others to read.  So I'm just going to jump right back in with life like that little blip didn't happen.  Because I'm out of it for now and it feels good to just live.  Onward and upward!

I was so fortunate to travel to Austin, TX for QuiltCon this year.  It was an amazing trip, and I'm so glad I went.

I was a Super Volunteer, so in exchange for 16 hours of my time, I was given the amazing swag bag as well as a free show pass.  Win-win!  There was an entire section of charity quilts.  Quilters are generous people.  Hell, quilters' husbands are generous--James volunteered over 40 hours just so he could spend time with his wife, Paula.  The Gee's Bend ladies blew our collective mind.  Amazing people.

So.  I met my most favorite fabric artist.  I need to tell you my story with that, because it was so real and just a classic me-moment...

I'm standing at the door, being a Super Volunteer and stuff, scanning people in, as you do.  My friend, Amber, was right next to me and we were kind of chatting while I was checking badges, and a woman walks up to me.  She's tall, and in a super awesome black leather jacket.  I thought she was another person I needed to direct to the cheerleading competition down the hall.  "Excuse me, can you tell me where I can pick up my speaker information?  I'm Heather Ross."

And this, folks, is where my amazing brain (did not) kick in, as I realized that this was, in fact, my fabric-designing idol, the very reason I sew because I fell in love with fabric and needed to stash some (all) out of print Lightning Bugs fabric that I have very rarely cut into because it is so, so precious and I want to sit around petting it all day...

"Holy shit!" (That was me.  Not her.)

And then I started crying.

Because I am amazing.  And apparently my brain doesn't work in crisis mode.  Or maybe I was tired and slightly hung over...maybe a little...

And you guys, she was so sweet and the next day I sat in her lecture, and I put on my brave face and marched up to the stage after and apologized for swearing in her face and crying like a baby, and she was just so genuine and nice and reaffirmed for me that the people involved in sewing, even when accosted by crazy little fangirls, are nice.

(And I was shaking when I talked to Melody Miller and Rashida Coleman-Hale.  I might have cried when I met Kim Kight.  But not Lizzy House.  Nope.  I just told her I was glad I didn't pee my pants from excitement.  Because I'm classy in crisis mode.)

Anyway.  I can't even believe the inspiration I left with.  The show was jaw-dropping and amazing; appealing to both my inner quilt nerd and my more outer artist.  (Inner quilt nerd because I haven't had time to make all the fun quilts I've had ideas for--too busy painting, reading, knitting, and mama-ing.)

And Austin was amazing, what little bit of it I saw.  The Whole Foods flagship store?  A-freaking-mazing.  And can I just say that staying in a condo with a kitchen is a life-saver when you have nasty food allergies.  That was one of the best vacations ever food-wise.  And I stayed with friends in my quilt guild, which was fun because I got to know them a little better.  And they are fun and amazing people too.  (Quilters are good people.)

I wish I could go next year to QuiltCon in California, but I just don't think it's in the cards.  But the year after that in Georgia?  Maybe.  Hopefully.

Probably.

(I might have gotten a new tattoo, too...)

3 comments:

Debbie said...

So glad it was a great trip for you and especially loved hearing about your fangirl moments! ;-)

Sue said...

It was an epic trip and I'm glad we were able to hang out!

Jessie Keating said...

It was so fun! I'm so glad we all got to hang out together!