The Kansas City Wrap-Up!

We’re pleased to report that last week’s Quilt Market in Kansas City was upbeat and exciting! The mood overall was one of creativity and optimism, as everyone in attendance immersed ourselves in the best that this industry has to offer.

As always, it was a pleasure to meet and greet our shop owners, and industry friends and associates. Everyone was pleasantly surprised to see Indra Rampersaud, our newly retired customer service maven – she came to visit with the many customer-friends she’s made over the years! We also welcomed a few new sales reps to the Marcus family during the sales meeting.

The schoolhouse session by Vicky McCarty, and book signings by Paula and Mary Ellen of Red Crinoline Quilts, and by Sarah Maxwell, rounded out the activities at Market. Did you attend Market? What trends and style directions did you notice? These are just a few of the directions our designers noted:

  • Continued interest in visible mending
  • Oversized wholecloth printed panels, several in florals and inspirational text
  • Blue… and more blue!
  • Neutrals – whites, greys, and taupes in cooler tones
  • A resurgence of wovens, including first-time collections from some print houses.
  • Crochet is emerging as the “next” handwork direction
  • Applique – from mending to purely decorative, from heirloom to whimsical
  • Cute animal motifs with no particular animal-du-jour