QuiltCon 2023: A Recap

I don't have anything very profound to say this year in my recap!

This year, I didn't teach and I didn't participate in the swap. I took a break from these things because 2022 was the year for me to invest in my professional career much more than in previous years. I enjoy teaching and sharing with other quilters, but I also thoroughly enjoyed attending QuiltCon as a regular attendee without the responsibility of ensuring other's experience was great, too!

I came away from this QuiltCon feeling reinspired to have better balance in my life that allows me to continue my own artistic journey. I have begun to correct some of my terrible work/life balance habits that have developed in the past year and a half. For me, one of those habits is to set small daily quilty goals which allows me to continue the practice.

In addition to feeling reinspired over my creative practice, I also enjoyed catching up with quilty friends in real life - which mostly involved me walking with them to and from their various teaching commitments and telling them how great it was to not be teaching :).

The Quilts

Below are some (27) of my favorite quiltes from the show. I enjoyed many of these quilts for color, texture, composition, or complexity. I enjoyed wandering the show many, many times with various friends and my cousin! There were always new quilts for me to study or appreciate for ever wander. The modern quilty community represented in QuiltCon has so much variety and talent.

Click through to the Instagram links to see the quilt titles and attribution!

The Quilt Category Breakdown

If you've followed me before, you know I've tracked QuiltCon categories throughout the years. Credit again goes to quilter Caroline Hadley for these numbers! The big change I noticed this year was an increase in the fabric challenge category - there were many quilts here relative to past shows. There was also a new non-judged category to celebrate 10 years of QuiltCon (MQG Modern X Exhibit), but about the same number of overall quilts relative to 2022.

QuiltCon 2024: Raleigh

QuiltCon 2024 is sticking around on the East Coast next year in Raleigh, North Carolina. I plan to attend!