This is the tale of two Quilt Market rookies and our trip to Houston with Jinny. We, staffers Dana and Nancy, have taken over Jinny’s blog to give you an inside view of the Fall Quilt Market in Houston which we had heard so much about yet never attended.
It is at Market that fabric manufacturers, designers and all who create quilting products present their goods to shop owners. It was our job to help Jinny select goodies for the Studio and for our Weekly Web Specials. We did not, however, begin with shopping.
We spent our first day attending many of the almost 300 “Schoolhouse” classes offered covering a wide range of topics including new products and techniques, marketing and business education. Of course we made sure not to miss Jinny’s two classes.
Heather Spence didn’t know she was pitching her pattern to Jinny Beyer until Jinny commented that it was her fabric in “Dan’s Climb.”
Day two was a day of shopping for items that the Jinny Beyer customer would like and appreciate but it was so much more than that. We enjoyed seeing the wonderful mix of modern and traditional ideas and people of all ages. We found it very inspiring to see how vendors presented themselves and their products with such contagious joy and excitement.
It was fun to hear the stories told by the vendors and people we met of how they discovered quilting and sewing and where life has taken them! And, of course, there was the people watching.
What probably made the biggest impression on us was what happened by just hanging out with Jinny. To us, she is just Jinny. We forget that out there in the quilting world she is Jinny Beyer, the legend. We can’t count the number of times where individuals, from famous quilters to small shop owners, came up to Jinny (and to us) to say that she has influenced them, inspired them and helped them to grow as quilters. Many were brought to tears. And we saw the joy on Jinny’s face when she spoke to the next generation of quilters seeing that the love and joy of quilting is being carried on.
Thanks so much, Jinny, for letting us tag along.
Editors’ Note: Jinny will ask us to take out the last paragraph because she is very modest. However, she did ask us to write this blog today AND she doesn’t know how to post them. We do that for her. Sorry Jinny!
Please don’t take out that last paragraph. Jinny is such a major influence in the quilting world, inspiring so many quilters, myself included. I could start counting the ways however it would take an hour or so to do this adequately. Thank you Jinny for so much in the quilting world.
Teri Lucas
Associate Editor Generation Q Magazine
Quilter, Quilting Teacher
Thanks for this amazingly heartfelt tribute to Jinny and her contribution to the quilting world, Dana and Nancy! It is almost one year to the day when I purchased a copy of Quiltmaking by Hand and a Crayon Box kit, not knowing the impact it would have on my life and the countless hours of joy they would bring. Jinny’s eye for design and colour are unmatched. I’m so thankful to Jinny and all of you at the studio for doing what you do to bring us not only amazing fabric and products, but also your world-class customer service, support, and friendship.
I met Jinny and some of the staff on a quilters quest I did not know was going on. I had some of her books and had read them as reference guides not really paying attention to the author. Learning how to use color and shapes really ‘shaped me’ as a quilter then when I went into her studio there she was!!! I knew her face and struggled to know why, I was in need of appliqué silk and was trying to find the right shade of pink. No one had it. Jinny told me to take it outside and check it with my work. It was perfect! I bought several more items including another book and chatted for 10 minutes. I was a mad woman trying to get around the quilters quest in 2 days! I managed all but 2 shops. When I got home and thought about it I wish I had gotten her autograph! Or told her my name! Still when my book arrived later there it was ‘Happy Quilting Janet’
Jinny Beyer!!!
Thank you for your inspiration and the beauty in your work and the patience in your teaching!
Janet Green