Int. Quilt Market ’25: the Recap
It's doesn't seem possible, but it was eighteen years ago when we first ventured to Houston, TX for our very first Fall Quilt Market.
The way I figure it, we've spent close to 8 months of our lives living in downtown Houston, & by now we may well know more about the downtown Houston area than the majority of the people who've lived in the Houston burbs all of their lives!
But you know what? A lot has changed since 2008 when we first stepped onto the wholesale Market stage. First, Covid ravaged our industry, with the mandated closures and the eventual bankruptcy of hundreds of independant quilt shops!
Then, just as our industry was starting to recover, along come these challenging tariffs and since LOTS of our fabrics are created in India, (with a 50% tariff), there was serious concerns that this Fall's Quilt Market might be a problem.
Would our store owner buyers show up?
Unfortunately for all of us as it turns out, the answer to that question was a pretty resounding... not so much! The "foot traffic" was WAY OFF from previous shows, & while we enjoyed chatting with those who did come, it was pretty much a disappointing show for most everyone, particularly the big fabric houses (and in turn, the fabric designers)! 🙁
But enough doom & gloom... here's what WE brought to the Market this year. Of course our BIG feature was our two new patterns from this year, the Carolinian & the Cignet Phone Pal, and I think they were pretty well-received. I also brought some items to "close-out" permanently. You can see them at left in the picture above. These included our translucent, tire track, & gray zebra striped zips (in the 10", 20" & 22" sizes) as well as a big selection of hardware, all at rediculously low prices.
And actually, only 7 of those zippers came home with us, & we'll be featuring the remaining hardware in a huge sale coming up soon in our bi-monthly newsletter!
So stay tuned for that?
And finally... here's a close-up look at our "Sneak Peek" box, which of course highlighted our two new patterns from 2025.
So in summary, this may well have been a watershed moment for the International Quilt Market. Rumor has it that 4 or 5 of the major fabric houses have already announced that they will NOT be back in 2026, and if this is true, it would be a blow that would most likely be an unsustainable loss.
Have we seen our last Fall Quilt Market?
I hope not, but only time will tell!
And what about the return of the Spring Quilt Market in St. Louis in May?
And now.... it's YOUR turn!
As disappointing as Quilt Market was, the Quilt Festival was conversely VERY upbeat & successful, so please stay tuned for our "2025 Quilt Festival Recap" coming up soon!
And remember, we love reading your comments and answering your questions too, so please feel free to leave either or both in the space provided below.
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Times are tough. I think people are spending less and really thinking, “should I buy this or not?” before they do. With the cost of living having increased so much, people are spending their money on just the basics.
I get it! It’s not surprising, but so sad that thiis is the way it is! 🙁