Koelnmesse, Inc., has announced the launch of a new trade show for the crafts industry. h+h americas Fall Edition will debut in Houston, Texas, October 1-2, 2026, with education offerings and a preview party on September 30, the day before the trade show opens. According to the December 17 announcement, the new show will feature “a curated, streamlined format designed for high-impact meetings, new product showcases, hands-on activations, and focused education.” Craft Industry Alliance will be the fall show’s strategic partner.

Several of the industry’s key companies have already committed to exhibiting at the new show including:

• Moda Fabrics
• Shannon Fabrics
• Lewis & Irene
• Benartex
• Checker Distributors
• Windham Fabrics & Anthology Batiks
• Janome America
• P&B Textiles
• Renaissance Ribbons
• Cloud9 Fabrics
• Universal Yarn
• Riley Blake Designs
• Graphic Impressions/ The Toy Department
• Belagio Enterprises
• Famore
• Andover Fabrics
• Oliso
• Trailhead Company
• Mook Fabrics
• Knitting Fever
• Trendsetters Yarns
• Koigu
• Poppie Cotton
• Corinne Lapierre
• EE Schenck
• Necchi
• INNOVA

Quilt pattern designer and teacher, Carolina Moore, appreciated seeing the list of committed exhibitors up front.

“I really appreciate h+h having the commitment of some of the exhibitors in advance of announcing the show,” she says. “It saves us all from guessing ‘Will the show actually happen? Who is even going to be there? Knowing that key exhibitors will show up gives me confidence that even more will be signing on, and that it will be worth my time to attend.”

Moore was also satisfied with the timing of the release of the new show’s dates. “I also appreciate the advance notice of the dates – those of us who teach have schedules that fill up quickly. Not waiting until the Chicago show or even after the holidays to announce really helps.

Quilt Market is Ending

The announcement of the new fall edition of h+h americas came two weeks after the permanent closure of another craft industry trade show held the same month in the same city. On December 3, Quilts, Inc., the company that owns International Quilt Market, announced that it was discontinuing the trade show permanently. The show, which launched as a fall show in 1979, played a significant role in forming quilting as an industry in the United States. “Helping to create an entire industry where none existed before has been a joy,” said Karey Bresenhan, the company’s founder, in the press release announcing the closure. “And we’re proud to see that so many larger companies and well-known fabric designers today got their initial start in the business at our show.”

Quilts, Inc. explained that the business environment has shifted over the last several years and “the options and ways for shop owners and retailers to conduct business has evolved and expanded” making there less demand for the fall show.

The choice of Houston for the location of the new show is a nod to the 45+ year tradition of hosting a trade show for the quilting industry, International Quilt Market, in that city.

The press release noted that Houston is “a city with a long, meaningful, and cherished place in the craft industry’s history.”

Like h+h americas in May, the Fall Edition show will include both the fabric and yarn sectors.

For many industry professionals, attending Quilt Market each fall and spring has been a decades-long tradition, evoking many fond memories of networking and growing their businesses. “I was sad to hear that Quilt Market was ending,” said Amy Barrett-Daffin, publisher at C&T Publishing. “I am so impressed with everything Karey and Nancy have done in the quilting industry, and I have so many fond memories of the shows, the people, and so many beautiful quilts. I will miss going to Houston every year.”

On October 24, several months before the announcement of the closure of the fall show, Quilts, Inc. announced that it was permanently discontinuing Spring Quilt Market. The spring version of the trade show began in 1981. “We’ve heard from exhibitors and attendees clearly that business models have changed, and holding two Quilt Markets a year is no longer warranted,” Bresenhan said in the press release about the change. “We both respect and understand that feedback.” Quilts, Inc. has pivoted to exclusively hosting consumer shows with International Quilt Festival in the fall and a new fabric and yarn-focused show, Quilt! Knit! Stitch!, in the spring.

In 2019, the yarn industry’s trade show, TNNA, went from two shows each year to just one and, in the spring of 2020, closed permanently.

Koelnmesse launched h+h americas in Chicago in the spring of 2022 as a unified show for the fabric and fiber sectors. The show has grown in the number of exhibitors and attendees by approximately 20% each year and anticipates over 5,500 attendees at the May 2026 event. In 2026, Koelnmesse added a consumer show, Fabric + Fiber Festival, the weekend before the trade show opens.

Abby Glassenberg