I Survived h+h... and Apparently I’m Going Back to Houston

It took me pretty much the entire weekend to recover from h+h americas Fall Edition.

I don’t know what I expected. Learning about quilting, running a shop, meeting vendors, taking classes, walking a giant show floor, talking to people all day, and getting up for 8 a.m. classes is a lot. My body was not prepared.

But I had such a good time.

I went to Houston with three other quilters, and all four of us are completely different.

Trudy loves piecing and just bought a mid-arm. My sister Sharon is a longarmer who would be perfectly happy if she never had to piece another quilt again. Kathleen dyes fabric and is incredibly creative and eclectic.

And then there’s me, still fairly new to quilting, learning my longarm, building Tootie’s, signing up for every class that looks interesting.

Day One

Wednesday started EARLY.

Sharon and I signed up for business classes while Trudy and Kathleen went to demos and shorter sessions.

I took The Business You Decide to Build with Ricky Brooks and Cringe to Creator: Unlocking Your Creator Potential with Tiffany Hardin.

Tiffany was great, though I figured out pretty quickly that the class was aimed more at people whose business is content creation. I’m creating content because I have a business, which is a different starting point. Still got some useful takeaways though.

And because the morning wasn’t interesting enough already, we had a fire drill right in the middle of that class.

At first, nobody really moved.

We all just kind of sat there like, “Is this really happening?”

Eventually they made us leave the room, so we went outside, stood around, did some unexpected networking, and people-watched until they let us back in.

Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing serious.

So that was my first h+h class experience.

Business education plus emergency evacuation.

😂

One lesson I learned for next time?

I probably won’t load up on as many business classes.

There were SO MANY business, quilting, and creative classes happening at the same time, and I kept looking at them thinking, “Ugh, I want to be in that one!”

Finding My People at the New Shop Roundtable

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the Fall Forum Lunch and Networking session.

There were several roundtable discussions based on different stages and types of businesses, and I chose the New Shops table for owners in their first one to three years.

Kathy Cruz moderated our group, and we talked about things like how much inventory to start with, building an email list, and figuring out what your customers actually want.

But the best part wasn’t necessarily one particular tip.

It was sitting at a table with other people who are figuring it out too.

Some were right around the same stage I am. Some were a little further along. Some hadn’t gotten as far as I have yet.

We each got to tell our story, ask questions, and even give advice to each other.

Sometimes when you’re building something by yourself, it’s easy to think everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing.

Spoiler alert: they don’t. 😂 We’re all learning.

Then the Show Floor Opened...

At 4 p.m., the show floor opened.

And OH. MY. GOODNESS.

Vendors everywhere.

Fabric. Patterns. Books. Notions. Rulers. Yarn. Quilts. Garments. Displays. Classes. Ideas.

Everywhere I looked, there was something else I wanted to stop and see.

And that was exciting.

And overwhelming.

Part of the overwhelm was knowing I wasn’t there to place a bunch of orders.

I already have inventory that needs to find new homes before I start buying every beautiful thing that catches my eye.

And let me tell you, EVERYTHING catches my eye.

So at first, I wasn’t quite sure how to handle the show floor.

Then I started looking at it differently.

Instead of thinking, “What can I buy?”

I started thinking:

What can I learn?

What might work for my shop someday?

What would actually help a beginner quilter?

What could turn into a class?

What could become a kit?

What would make someone excited to come back to Tootie’s?

Once I started looking at it that way, the whole experience felt different.

That was probably one of the biggest things I brought home with me.

One Class I Really Needed

I also took Building an Email List of Fans Who Actually Buy with Elizabeth Chappell from Quilters Candy.

That class was GOOD.

Did I miss about the first 20 minutes because these people insist on scheduling classes at 8 a.m.?

Yes.

Yes, I did.

But I still learned a lot.

Elizabeth gave us access to her My Flodesk Made Easy course and a whole year of email prompts from copywriter Dani Paige.

Since I’m still figuring out newsletters, blogs, email lists, and how often you’re supposed to talk to people without becoming that person who sends 47 emails a week, this was one of the most useful classes I took.

Patterns, Scraps and More Ideas Than I Need

I also met several pattern designers whose patterns I’d love to eventually carry in the shop.

But I’ve decided I want to make some of them first.

If I’m going to tell a beginning quilter that something is beginner friendly, I want to know that it really IS beginner friendly.

I found RGA Design, which has machine quilting skill-builder panels, books, and some fun printed panels.

And one of my favorite discoveries was Aunt Em’s Quilts.

Emily Bailey has written Crumb Quilts: Scrap Quilting the Zero Waste Way and Scrap Quilts: From Crumbs, Strips & Strings, and she has tons of scrappy patterns.

I especially loved the Scrappy Love wall hanging.

Because I need more projects.

Everywhere I turned, there was another booth, another pattern, another display, another “Ohhhh, I could do something with that.”

My brain was basically one giant running list by the end of the day.

Ideas for Tootie’s

One thing I started noticing at the show was how many different ways there are to build a quilting business.

Classes.

Kits.

Patterns.

Online learning.

Affiliate partnerships.

Tools.

Skill-building products.

That really got me thinking.

One idea I especially liked came from C&T Publishing.

They have online classes, and I learned there may be opportunities to pair those classes with kits I create for them.

I don’t know exactly what I’ll do with that idea yet, but I like the idea of giving someone more than just a product.

Maybe they get the class.

Maybe they get the supplies.

Maybe the whole thing feels easier because someone already put it together for them.

That fits really well with what I want Tootie’s to become.

Helpful.

Beginner friendly.

Not intimidating.

So What Did I Bring Home From h+h?

Not a giant pile of inventory.

Thank goodness. 😂

I came home with ideas.

Ideas about classes, beginner-friendly patterns, email marketing, kits, teaching, and things I didn’t even know existed before I walked in.

Probably another 300 ideas are still fighting for space in my brain.

For where I am with Tootie’s right now, that was actually more valuable than coming home with a bunch of boxes.

I’m still figuring out what kind of shop I want Tootie’s to become, and trips like this are helping me see the possibilities.

And Now... Back to Houston!

I barely recovered from h+h and I’m already getting excited about heading back to Houston for International Quilt Festival in November.

This time, I signed up for FIVE classes.

And yes, I wanted more.

The problem is most of them are half-day classes, and despite my best efforts, I have not figured out how to be in two classrooms at once.

Here’s what I’m taking:

Borders Out of Nowhere with Julia Quiltoff
I’ll be learning how to quilt beautiful border designs. Borders are one of those areas where I sometimes stare at the quilt and think, “Okay... now what?” So I’m really looking forward to this one.

Beginning Ruler Work with Stacie Spradlin
This one is right up my alley. I’ll be working with longarm rulers to create more precise quilting designs and learning how to combine ruler work with free-motion quilting.

Passion to Profit with Linda J. Hahn
This is a lecture about getting started teaching classes in your shop, including supply lists, class timing, and teaching from other designers’ patterns and books. Since beginner classes are part of my long-term plan for Tootie’s, I’m very interested in this one.

Shape It Up with Stacie Spradlin
Triangles, circles, diamonds, and all those awkward spaces where you’re trying to figure out what in the world to quilt. We’ll combine rulers, free-motion quilting, and stencils to fill different shapes.

This one may make my brain hurt, but in a good way.

Watercolor for Quilters with Swan Sheridan
This one is completely different for me. I’ll learn how to use Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils to create watercolor images on fabric and make them permanent.

I’ve never done anything like this before, which is exactly why I signed up.

So now I just need to recover before November.

Because clearly one trip to Houston wasn’t enough. 😂

If you could take ONE of these classes with me, which one would you pick?