Booth shot at One of A Kind Chicago 2014

Day One at One of A Kind Chicago 2014 Cindy Grisdela

Thanks to all for your kind words after my post yesterday!

The hanging sticks did arrive just in the nick of time and I was able to hang my three large quilts for the first day of the show. I sent them to myself at my hotel via FedEx two day delivery on Monday, but for some reason they didn’t arrive until Thursday morning. The staff at the hotel was incredibly helpful to get them to me from their shipping and receiving department in record time so I could be ready to go when the show opened at 11 AM–thanks Holiday Inn at the Merchandise Mart!

The color in the photo at left is a little muted because the lighting wasn’t directed properly at the walls when it was taken just before the show opened–the show staff was great about sending an electrician to redirect them and I’ll try to get a better photo today.

This is my first time doing the One Of A Kind Chicago show, and it has a very different feeling to it than any other show I’ve done. I think this is because it’s held in a showroom space on the 7th floor of the Merchandise Mart venue. All of the booths are hard walled and uniform lights are provided as well as part of your booth fee. The ceilings are normal height, instead of the cavernous space in a convention hall, and the entire show is carpeted. All of that combines to give it a more intimate feel, like you’re right there in the artist’s creative world in each booth you visit. That’s my impression after one day, anyway! The traffic was steady all day long with lots of knowledgeable art lovers to chat with.

Orange and Gray Quilted Wall hanging

“Burst of Orange” 2014 Cindy Grisdela

One of my favorite pieces, Burst of Orange, went to its new home yesterday and I had a wonderful time talking with the purchaser about what drew her to that particular piece and to my work in general. I was gratified that what I was trying to do with this piece with the composition and texture came through and spoke to her in a special way.

The show continues today from 11-8, Saturday from 10-7, and Sunday from 10-5. Admission is $12 and is good for entry every day of the show. I’m in Booth 3063 and I’d love to see you if you have a chance to stop by.

There are over 600 artists participating in the show, so there’s bound to be something for everyone on your list. Consider buying handmade for the holidays this year!

I just realized that I neglected to share that my latest newsletter came out earlier this week. You can read it here or click on the “12/01/14 News from Cindy Grisdela” link in the right sidebar. This newsletter’s article is about naming my quilts, which is an integral part of my process. I was reminded how important they are by the number of visitors to my booth yesterday who commented on the names!

There’s also a 20% discount coupon in the newsletter for anything in my Etsy shop through December 20, 2014.

And if you’d like to get the newsletter delivered to your inbox every other month, just click on the “Subscribe to my newsletter” link in the right sidebar!

Enjoy your weekend.