Hello, friends! I recently arrived home after spending five days in the Chicago area for the H + H Americas May 2026 event. This was my first time attending this incredible event, and I’m still very much inspired from the artists and displays I was able to see. Keep reading for a few of my thoughts, perspectives, and some photos from the event.
H + H Americas May 2026
What is H + H Americas?
H + H Americas is a trade show for industry professionals in the craft, fabric and fiber arts communities. I attended as part of the Moda Designers group and had a booth where I was able to share our upcoming Midsummer fabric collection with artists and shop owners from around the US and the world. I spent nearly every minute of the day in my booth meeting people on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And I also arrived a couple of hours early each day to walk the show floor and see the rest of the show.
Our Midsummer Booth
Chelsi was not able to attend this event, so I had the task of displaying all of our quilts and items to share with shop owners ready to purchase fabric for their stores. This was my first time doing a booth without Chelsi’s in-person help. (I did call her on the phone several times with photos, asking for her thoughts on quilt and item placement. We start with a pretty blank slate including bare Styrofoam walls and a table, ladder, and miscellaneous baskets/bins provided by Moda for our displays.
Thoughts & Perspectives
Inspiration was found everywhere at this incredible event. I didn’t take a lot of photos, but tried to soak in the incredible colors, textures, and designs. Not only was I inspired by quilts, but I was also inspired by clothing, by yarn, thread, fabric, and designers themselves. Displays were creatively thought out and left me pondering future project ideas.
I’m used to quilt-product related trade shows; however, this juxtaposition of the fabric and fiber arts took the inspiration to a new level. It was awesome to talk with knitters and other industry professionals who were working and attending the show.
Industry Friends, Mentors, and More
Above left, clockwise from top left: me in my booth on day one, Katie, me and Nancy (Katie and Nancy also helped create items for the booth), Vanessa Goertzen, Stacy Iest Hsu, and me after the show, and Lissa Alexander and me in my booth on day two.
Above right and also clockwise from top left are me and Vanessa Goertzen (Lella Boutique) in the Moda Photo booth, me with Moda founder and president, Mr. Mark Dunn, me with Moda’s Design Director, Jamie, and me with the very sweet Minki Kim (of Riley Blake).
Final Thoughts
I’m grateful to have attended this incredible event, and I look forward to attending again in the future. If you are a shop owner or anyone in this industry wondering whether you should attend–I highly recommend it!
Happy quilting!
Leave a Reply