Today, Quilt’s Incorporated finally announced that they were canceling  Fall 2020 Quilt Market and Houston’s Fall Quilt Festival. These are but the tail end of many sad but sensible announcements about quilting events that will not take place this year with many of these closings extending into spring of next year. I applaud them for making the choice and know the economic impact heralds in a new age for the quilting industry. These choices while TOTALLY necessary  this pandemic and the fall-out will have  a trickle down effect that will at some point touch every quilter in one way or another.

These are unprecedented times. Things are going to look really different going forward even once we take the halting steps into what will become our new normal. There will be shops lost, and dream put on shelves. We already have at least one shop where the owner has died of COIVD. If you don’t already you will know someone at some point that was touched by this virus.  We have much to consider as we move forward.

For my part I had some rather amazing plans for not only the new private platform but an exciting sewing and quilting get-together for late 2020- early 2021. As of this past April when I was so sick everything is on hold when it comes to anything that has to do with travel, gathering or the chance of becoming our very own super-spreader event.

All of this has me stepping back and taking a deep look at what our quilting community means, how it functions and what role it plays in our lives let alone how it impacts all of my friends who also own, run and live off the money they make from this industry.

From designers, to fabric manufacturers, to store owners and quit show vendors and all the other industry professionals I know there is not one of them that is not sitting on a pile of panic about what each day will bring, let alone if they will still have a business tomorrow, which might make what i am about to say seem really weird.

For my part I am moving forward tomorrow with launching the new BadAss Quilters Community, Let’s take a moment to talk about that choice.

Yes, this is a difficult time and I am taking a risk but the truth of the matter is that difficult times can bring out the best in people as they gather together and find support from each other (at a safe digital distance of course).  We are looking towards to a brave new (quilting) world and we might as well all decide what role we will be playing in it.

Even from a young age  I was the kid to organize the lemon-aid stand to help a friend buy roller skates, carry the coffee can door to door to collect donations for  “crippled children” ( anybody remember doing that?) and of course Trick or Treating for Unicef. As an adult I work  publicly and privately for multiple causes from kittens to national catastrophes. When Mr. Rogers said  “Look for the helpers” I was like, fuck that.. BE THE HELPER.  It is just my nature.

Tomorrow is the launch of the BadAss Quilters Community, it is a paid membership group.Yes, I will make money from it. BadAss Quilters Society is a real tax paying business not some sort of benevolent society and is what I do to make a living in the same way that someone who is a butcher or a baker or a sex toy maker (now really, did you think I was not going to be me?) makes a living from what they do.

What I do has value and the plans I have are big.

• I plan on having a retirement where I don’t have to eat cold beans from a can for every meal.
• I have plans of sending my youngest child to the final two years of college and then on to graduate school so she can make epic positive differences in the laws and protections for trans persons like herself and others.
• I have plans to donate with extravagance to causes the further BIPOC and LGBTQ equity in the name of progressive quilting.
• I have plans for a platform that partners with and promotes the best, the brightest and the boldest shops, designers and products so that those who work in this industry going forward are also making a fair and equitable wage in exchange for their hard work and talent so that they might also feed their families and send their children into the world to do great things!
• I plan to show the industry as a whole  that progressive quilters are a force to be reckoned with so the industry will sit up, pay attention and give us our due.
• and much, much more!

After 8 years of free content here at BAQS some people are going to resent that I am opening up a paid option in addition to the free content I offer here in my plan to move forward in this new quilting world. They are going to wail and gnash their teeth and tell me what a horrible and unworthy person I am to expect payment for my work and I need you to know that I will not be catching any of the shit they are going to try to throw my way. As quilters and creatives we must be stronger than throwing shade when any one of us gathers their courage (and do not doubt that is takes shit-loads of courage) and holds out to the world their heart in the form of an idea. Because that is indeed what I am about to do.

There are things we each see every day that we like and want and those that are not for us. Maybe they are not our style or maybe they are not in our budget. Maybe our current circumstances or plans mean that while we would love to have them now it is not the time. But I suspect that no one marches through Target  shaking a dress in the face of the manager and saying hateful things to them when the dress is not something that is right for them for any reason., style, budget or size.

Care and kindness are important here at BAQS. I manifest my care for the community by creating content and being an industry advocate.  You share your kindness with each other by being part of community  and in turn I ask that if tomorrow’s BadAss Quilters Community Launch is not for you for whatever reason that you treat me with the BadAss kindness and caring that I do my best to bring here every day.

As I said to a friend, “I am not sure I would even bat an eye if I saw a lama strolling down my street, everything is just so weird these days”, and the truth is we don’t know what the next day, week or year will bring I just know that I am doing my best to support myself, my friends, and team BadAss by bringing my heart and my idea that community matters and is worth paying for more than ever during these difficult times.

Much Love,  Maddie