A Bit Of Quilty Gossip

Let's face it.  Most of us enjoy a bit of gossip from time to time.  I'm not talking about malicious gossip.  I'm not a fan of that.  The quilt industry is going through a lot of changes now, so lots of interesting things are happening.  Some seem good and some seem not so good. These past 2 weeks have been full of goings on.

Keepsake Quilting - Have you been?  It used to be a destination for summer travel up in NH.  I haven't heard much about it lately, other than receiving their catalogs.  I think Missouri Star has become the quilting destination.  I guess Keepsake has been in need of a facelift and one of my favorite fabric vendors is going to be doing it.  Pineapple Fabrics has bought Keepsake!

I first saw the gang from Pineapple Fabrics when I was vending at the AQS show in Syracuse a few years ago.  It was a bunch of young guys with a decorated food type truck decked out with fabric.  I heard it was a redecorated stripper truck from Vegas.  I'm not really sure if that's true or not, but you can't miss it.

The people who own Pineapple Fabrics have a very interesting history that I didn' know about until I read the article about the takeover.  They have been in the fabric business for generations and have been in the pre-cut business and do it for lots of the big name fabric companies.  They plan on bringing Keepsake back to its former glory and then some.  You can read  more about it HERE and visit Pineapple Fabrics website HERE.

Exposure is a word that I have come to detest. We deserve to be paid for our work, just as everyone else.  It has value.  Exposure does not pay the bills or feed your family.   DMC, the premier embroidery floss company has not been receiving much popular press lately.  They have been running a design contest.  Their goal is to offer 1,000 free stitching designs on their website.  What's the problem? They are offering no compensation to the designers.  Not only is there to be no payment, DMC retains all the rights to the designs. The designs were to be posted to DMC's contest Instagram account (DMCxstitchcontest). So what are designers to do?  They revolted and posted rebellious embroidery designs.  Some of them I can't repeat  here, but one of my favorites that I can share is:"If I wanted exposure, I'd become a Nudist! Pay Artists".  There was such an uproar that DMC is now offering a pittance of compensation - one $500 prize.

If you're a Bonnie Hunter fan, you have probably hear this.  She is expanding her Quiltville empire to include a retreat center.

Bonnie has to be one of the most generous authors/designers and she deserves all good things.  She has an inordinate amount of energy and travels non-stop.  This will be a wonderful place for her to "hang her hat" when she's ready to slow down on travel.  I can't wait to watch it take place.  You can read about it HERE.  Definitely sign up for her email list if you want to follow along.

And finally, there are big changes at Cotton & Steel.  There was so much excitement at RJR Fabrics in 2013 when they formed a division with  a group of  5 designers to capture the modern quilt fabric market. Not only was the fabric innovative, but their means of marketing was too.  Sadly,  it was just announced that the original designers are moving on. There will be new designers and new concepts. Let's hope for the best.  They really had some wonderful fabric.

Now that I've been a gossip columnist for the day, it's time to get back to work! Just kidding.  I have lots of fabric to iron and cut, because.....tomorrow I am taking a busman's holiday.  I'm heading back to NYC with some friends to take a workshop with Victoria Findlay Wolfe in her loft!!!! I hope to take lots of photos to share.