I just got home from my very first QuiltCon in Raleigh, North Carolina. I had seen photos and read reviews of previous QuiltCons: A large exhibition of modern quilts. Fabric everywhere. People wearing quilt coats and other fun garments. Coming from a small country with a much smaller quilting community, nothing could really have prepared me for the scale of it.
It is inspiring. It is overwhelming. It is social. And it is so much fun!
Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had known before I went, and also a few things I did think of that I was very happy about. So here is my list for you if you're planning your first trip to QuiltCon!
The very unofficial Norway contingent: Me, Daisy Aschehoug (Warmfolk) and Lisa Fuller (Millie and Bun designs) – My friends Lisa and Daisy are Americans living in Norway.
What is QuiltCon?
First of all, what is QuiltCon? QuiltCon is the world's largest event for modern quilting. The Modern Quilt Guild puts it like this on the QuiltCon website:
"QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting event in the world, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. It is a quilt event full of quilters, makers, artists, vendors, and PEOPLE LIKE YOU from all around the world!! Join us to celebrate modern quilting every February!
QuiltCon features a vibrant quilt show full of competition quilts, community outreach quilts, and special exhibits as well as an enticing vendor hall, with all booths curated with the modern quilter in mind. QuiltCon also hosts lectures and workshops, available for registration with a four-day show badge."
And now over to my best tips!
TIP 1: Be ready when registration opens
This is probably the most important tip. The most popular workshops sell out fast – sometimes within minutes.
Registration does not work like a normal online shop. When booking opens, everyone who logs in gets assigned a queue number. Then you wait. When it is finally your turn, you only have a short time slot to choose your workshops and complete payment.
This means you need to be ready before it opens.
Make a prioritized list in advance. First choice. Second choice. Third choice. Maybe even a fourth and a fifth. Because when your time slot appears, you will not have time to scroll through the options to see what you'd like to do.
By the time it was my turn (I was number 1200-ish, if I remember correctly!), my first choice was already sold out. However, I did manage to get three other workshops that I wanted.
TIP 2: Understand the registration purchase
- To enter QuiltCon, you choose between single day show passes or a four day show badge. In order to sign up for workshops or lectures, the four day show badge is required.
- For lectures, you can purchase lecture passes for single lectures, or a four-day lecture value pack.
- For workshops, you purchase the workshops you want (read: the ones you manage to sign up for.)
As a QuiltCon newbie whose first language is not English, I did get a little lost in translation during the registration process. I didn't really have a clear understanding of the difference between lectures and workshops, so I purchased the four day show badge, signed up for three workshops AND purchased the four-day lecture value pack – because I thought the workshops fees would be included in the lecture value pack. For that reason, I found it strange that I was being charged for the workshops I signed up for while also purchasing the lecture value pack (which was rather pricey!). Since I was a bit stressed out by the urgency of signing up in a short time slot and getting the workshops I wanted, I figured I'd just pay for it all and contact the MQG after registration to get a refund. I had a bit of an embarrassing moment when I contacted them and they told me I had misunderstood. Well, luckily I was able to get a refund for the lecture value pack, because there was no way I would be able to attend $260 worth of lectures while also doing three workshops and enjoying the quilts and the vendor hall...
Workshop: A class, usually where you make something! See my fussy cut letter label up on top?
TIP 3: Don't overbook yourself
It is tempting to fill every slot. There are so many interesting topics.
I took three half-day workshops, each three hours long. That felt just right.
More than that, and I would have missed a lot of the other good stuff. The quilt exhibition alone deserves hours. There are also lectures (I didn't go to any), social moments (I met with a few online friends, which was awesome!), and the simple joy of just walking around looking at everything.
A note on workshops: My most fun workshop was on a topic I had never tried before. I realised I enjoyed that more than one where I already did have quite a bit of experience on the topic. Lesson learned: QuiltCon is a great place to step outside your usual habits and learn something new!
EPP design lab with Michelle Bartholomew was my favorite workshop – 3 hours of drawing just flew by!
TIP 4: Arrive earlier than you think
QuiltCon runs from Wednesday night (when there is an award ceremony) until Sunday afternoon. I arrived Thursday night. If I could redo my trip, I would definitely arrive a day earlier.
That extra time would have given me more hours to explore the quilt show and attend lectures. It also increases your chances of getting into workshops, because waitlist spots sometimes open up close to the event. That happened to me: A workshop I wanted was offered to me less than two weeks before the event. Guess what? It was on Thursday, and I would arrive just an hour too late. Changing my flight would cost me about $500. I just couldn't justify that but I sure wish I could have jumped on that workshop!
If you are traveling across time zones, plan for jet lag, too. It is real. And QuiltCon is not the kind of place where you want to feel half asleep. A jet lag bonus for those traveling from Europe or similar time zones, is that it's easy to get up super early in the morning and be ready when everything opens! Nightlife is a different game, haha. No late evenings for me!)
TIP 5: Book a hotel close to the convention center
Book your hotel early and as close to the convention center as possible.
Being only a couple of minutes away was incredibly helpful. I could take a short break in the middle of the day, drop off shopping, and avoid carrying everything with me all the time (which quickly becomes a lot).
The vendor hall. You will do a lot of walking (and perhaps shopping!)
TIP 6: Bring good walking shoes
You will walk a lot!
Between the exhibition halls, hotel, classrooms, and vendor area, the steps add up fast. Bring comfortable shoes. I brought two pair so I could switch between days. One of them was a rather worn out pair that I actually planned to leave behind, to have a little extra room in my suitcase.
TIP 7: Bring a credit card
This one surprised me!
My Norwegian Visa debit cards were set up to work in the US, but they were declined most of the time, even though there were money on all three (!) different cards. It was stressful, inconvenient and also a bit embarrassing.
Most stands and the food places at the convention center did not accept cash. So bring a credit card. It will save you trouble. I was lucky to have friends nearby most of the times when my cards failed, or the vendors would set things aside for me to come back with a friend later. But I would prefer not to rely on that next time.
Most of my shopping! I mostly stuck to my plan... Not pictured: Wood clapper, book, and a couple of patterns.
TIP 8: Plan for shopping... and weight
The vendor hall is… a lot. In the best possible way. I had never seen that much fabric and notions in my life. The options were endless, and the selection of fabrics...? Nothing like it anywhere in Norway! There will be temptations everywhere.
It helps to make a shopping list before you go. Otherwise it is easy to feel overwhelmed and buy random things just because they look nice in the moment.
On my list were a wood clapper, mustard gingham fabric, Fableism fabric and Ruby Star fabric. I found all of them (plus a few extra items that somehow jumped into my tote).
Also, bring an extra suitcase or a foldable bag inside your luggage. Fabric does not take much space, but it is heavy. Tools are heavy too. I originally had around 10 pounds/5 kilos left to the weight limit. Still, my suitcase became heavy very quickly, and I had to move some items into a friend’s luggage just to be sure.
One of my many favorite quilts from the exhibition: Gerrymander by Karen Kepley of Triangle Modern Quilt Guild.
TIP 9: Take time to enjoy the quilts
QuiltCon is all about quilting – and there are several hundred quilts on display in the show. Political quilts were huge this year (2026) and many of them were among my favourites. But there were also so many that were just beautiful in terms of color, composition, texture and other aspects. There was just so. much. inspiration.
I wish I had spent even more time just walking slowly through the exhibition. I keep seeing Instagram posts of quilts I do not remember noticing, which probably means I missed a few aisles entirely.
Give yourself time for this part. Read the labels. Look closely at the details. Take photos of both the quilt and the information sign so you remember later. And if you post online, remember to tag the maker!
I finally got to meet some online friends, including my sweet and fun pattern testers Hande @quiltwhatfeelsgood and Natalie @sewfabquilting! Such a joy to have lunch together and get to know each other a little better.
TIP 10: Say yes to the social part
QuiltCon is an opportunity to be very social, even if you are a bit shy. Plan to meet your online quilty friends, join dinners with Facebook groups or other groups you're in, talk to the people sitting close to you at workshops. Compliment people on their outfit. Everyone is so friendly and the people are truly the best part of the experience!
Take selfies with people you meet (yes, even if it feels slightly awkward in the moment – as a Norwegian this is way out of my comfort zone!) It becomes a lovely memory afterwards, and it helps you remember names.
Sticker swapping is also a real thing. I brought a few hundred stickers with my logo. Maybe not the most creative design, but they worked perfectly as conversation starters. Everyone I asked was happy to take one, and many had stickers to trade. Make sure to follow your new friends on social media!
TIP 11: Wear something you've made
I wore my quilt coat and a dress I had sewn myself. People came up to me throughout the weekend to comment on the coat, which made starting conversations much easier. At one point I walked past the stand of Ruby Star Society and somehow ended up joining their fashion show. I even won a jelly roll! That was definitely not in my original plan for the day, but so much fun, and would not have happened without my quilt coat!
TIP 12: If you run a quilt business, come prepared
Bring business cards. QuiltCon is a great opportunity to make connections, even if you don't have a booth (which is a whole other ballgame.)
I also made a simple handout with a short introduction about me and my patterns, and possible quilt kit collaborations. I gave these handouts to shop owners and others in the industry. Stands are busy places, and there is rarely time for long conversations. A handout makes it much easier for people to remember you later and follow up. Pro tip: The stands are less busy on Sunday and towards the end of the day. It might be a little easier to squeeze in a conversation at those times.
Thank you Melody Miller for stating that it's OKAYYY to hate poly-cotton! <3
TIP 13: Do not skip Sunday
Sunday has a different atmosphere. It is calmer and less crowded. Some popular items may be sold out by then, but you might also find good deals or unexpected surprises.
The Ruby Star stand had very long lines earlier in the weekend. I waited about thirty minutes myself, but I heard about people waiting for two hours! When I came back on Sunday just before closing, there were no lines, and they also had a stack of cute risograph prints by Melody Miller that I didn't see the first time I was there.
I asked how much they cost. They were free!
It was the perfect souvenir to bring home (in addition to the $$ I spent both in their booth and others), and it will hang on my sewing room wall as a reminder of a very fun weekend.
Ruby Star dress in Ruby Star booth!
Final thoughts
QuiltCon is big, busy, and full of inspiration. It can feel a little overwhelming at times, but it is also warm and welcoming.
Plan well. Leave some empty space in your schedule. Wear something you made. And take time to stand quietly in front of the quilts that speak to you.
Happy QuiltCon!