Look who's writing for The Quilt Life now

Look who's ________ing now. You can fill in the blank with many different verbs and this comment still makes sense. Have you ever said, "Look who's quilting now" when you were surprised to find that someone you know is a quilter?  I'm happy to tell you that Meg Cox will be writing a regular feature in The Quilt Life about that very thing: the unexpected quilters among us. Not only is Meg (that's her in the photo) an experienced writer who has been a reporter for the Wall Street Journal; she's also the author of The Quilter's Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide and a quilter in her own right. The feature in TQL is called "Look Who's Quilting Now." I don't know how she does it, but she can find a quilter anywhere. That skill must come from being a curious journalist who knows how to find a good story.
      Next time you say, "Look who's quilting now," hold that thought long enough to email it to meg@megcox.com. With well over 27 million quilters in the U.S., there must be tons of tales to tell about unexpected quilters. Be on the lookout for them.

Facebook Farmers, Merry Band Members, and Celebrity Queries

Little did I know that we'd be buried in submissions from the FarmVille/Farm Town farmers. Thank you everybody! The comments were a treat to read, too. You'll see the fruits of the harvest in issue 2 of The Quilt Life (June 2010).
      If you were planning to submit one question to Eleanor Burns, also for issue 2, you missed your chance, but shortly, we'll have three more quilting celebrities lined up for future issues and you will be able to submit your questions to them. If you have any suggestions for celebrities you'd like us to invite to be the "Answerer", you can post your comment here or send your suggestion to info@thequiltlife.com.
      What fun it has been to hear about the Merry Bands of Quilters. You all epitomize the best about the quilt life--creativity, sharing, having fun, and building lasting, loyal friendships. Are any of you planning to travel as a group to the AQS Paducah Show and Contest this year? Or the new AQS show in Lancaster in March?

Merry Band of Quilters

Show season is approaching quickly. I've started making my travel plans already, starting with the very first AQS Lancaster Show, March 24–27. If you're planning to go, stop by The Quilt Life booth. I'd love to meet you and hear your ideas for articles in The Quilt LIfe. By that time, the first issue (April 2010) will be out and you can let us know how you like it. Better yet, how much you love it!

     One thing that I often see at the large quilt shows that makes me smile is a group of friends traveling together, enjoying their quilt life together, a merry band of quilters you might say. It's obvious they are together; they may be wearing identical patchwork vests, or a particular hat, or sewn and embellished name badges that match (I've been meaning to make my own embellished name badge for years; it's on my to-do list).

     These groups of quilt fans are soooo representative of the quilt life and therefore, perfect subject matter for The Quilt Life. If you are part of a Merry Band of Quilters (does your group have a name for itself?), click here to tell me a little about it, in 100 words or less, putting Merry Band of Quilters in the subject line. Your group could be featured in an upcoming issue!

Calling all FarmVille Fans

Does your farm take the form of a quilt pattern? If so, you may get your farm published in The Quilt Life! We're looking for particularly quilty FarmVille creations. Hurry, the deadline to submit is January 15th! Information on how to capture your farm and how to submit it to TQL is here. Please tell all your quilting FarmVille neighbors too.