Lean Into the Weird

My QuiltCon recap and more

WOW. I can’t even begin to describe how incredible QuiltCon was this year! We’ve (Ruby Star Society) been doing this show for a long time, and our shop grows and evolves each time. This year, the line for our Ruby Star booth wrapped around the aisle for three days straight— an absolute dream for an artist!

I am so grateful that our years of attending the show together have paid off. We really flippin’ love designing fabric and being in the sewing community. Fabric design can be a great license for artists, but to make it strong, and to become a significant part of your income, it takes thoughtful work to ensure people can get the most out of your designs. As designers, we must consider how it will be sewn, how it fits into precuts, how sales reps will showcase it… Will they like it? Are the colors working together? You get it.

Trade shows in general aren’t easy for anyone. I remember hauling booth materials into Surtex, hoping all my preparation would lead to a breakthrough. The pressure is real— the art has to be strong enough to earn a spot in someone’s line. Retail shows carry that same weight: curating the best selection of goods to help your customers, and hoping it resonates.

2013: My first year at Surtex after leaving my job designing stationery. I believed putting in the effort would pay off, and it did! I cherish this time, bringing a chaotic mix of ideas without overthinking. The teddy on the pillow is now one of my best-selling fabric designs. The slow journey of attending shows was worth it for my business.

If you’ve exhibited at a trade show, you know that feeling of being overwhelmed, and worrying if it will pay off. But this one? Completely worth it. Connecting with people who love my fabric and seeing it come to life in quilts and projects is my everything. I always leave QuiltCon exhausted but overflowing with inspiration, and way too many ideas (always having to reel it in;).

One of my highlights was teaching a fabric design workshop. Seeing so many people interested in my process was beyond rewarding. It really reminds me that there’s a whole community out there of people like me who love this world. Needless to say, QuiltCon was a hit— so many friendships and bonds formed. I couldn’t love it more.

I promised a post-show sale of booth items. That’ll be hitting my shop tomorrow, including the infamous bunny sticker, which (to my surprise) sold out on Day 2 and was reselling for $12 on Facebook (!). And to think, I almost skipped reordering it because I thought it was too weird. Who put that limiting belief in my head? We have a few exciting new collabs that I will also share tomorrow.

I tell my students: the moment you put a price on art, self-doubt creeps in. How do you push past it as a working artist? For me, it’s about feeling really good about what I put out there. If you’re ever asked to change your art to the point where it no longer gives you that stick-it-on-the-fridge pride, it’s time to reflect.

That’s what I love about Ruby Star Society—they let us be ourselves. No one questioned my ability to sell a goofy goldfish on fabric (which, by the way, flew out of a few QuiltCon shops, pictured below). The RSS team encouraged me to add it to the line, and they were right—it worked!

And that silly bunny sticker? It resonated. So, thank you, fish bunny fans— your love for the weird made my day. It was another good reminder for me to lean into my own personal weird.

A few asked about the story behind it. Honestly? It’s just a sticker that makes me laugh. I joke that it’s my self-portrait when invited to a slumber party! I’ve always loved comedy and theater; this was a fun way to bring that into my art. Sometimes, a piece is just for you… and turns out, it’s for a lot of others, too.

I’ll send out a newsletter tomorrow with the post-show sale for those with QuiltCon FOMO! Meanwhile, here’s a sneak peek of Alice, my latest collection. It’s currently available for shops to order and will be shipping to stores this fall. You may see some online preorders pop up later this week!

Sarah