Meg Cox is a dynamic and creative speaker and workshop leader, skilled at tailoring her message to your audience. She’s had lots of experience speaking in public and appearing on radio and television. She has worked as a corporate spokesperson for such major companies as Pillsbury, Hallmark and KFC.
For more details, fees and availability, contact Meg: meg@megcox.com
Some of Meg’s most popular lectures (all adaptable to Zoom):
Quilts:
On stage at Quilters Take Manhattan, 2014
Behind the Scenes at the Greatest Quilt Museum in the World
Let Meg Cox, who serves on the board of advisors for the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, open the vaults and reveal the treasures of this astounding place. Her PowerPoint lecture will show you masterpiece quilts, introduce you to curators and break down the steps in mounting an exhibition. IQM boasts a broad and unique collection of American quilts, including the red and white quilts that dazzled the quilt world when hung in Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory in 2011. But it has also collected quilts from more than 55 countries. Meg created this presentation to benefit the museum she loves, so she charges less than normal for this talk and donates every penny to the IQM. To make it even more fun, the museum will donate a fun door prize from its museum store to your guild.
Quilt Journalist Tells All! A Reporter Inside the Quilt World
Popular with quilt guilds, this lecture takes audiences behind the scenes of the $3.6 billion quilt market. Meg spent five years researching and writing her popular resource guide, The Quilter’s Catalog and has written for most of the major quilt magazines. She shares it all, from scoops on all the movers and shakers and latest trends, to rising stars and industry feuds. Quilters are astonished at how much they learn, and this talk is constantly updated with new material. Includes a show & tell segment.
Making Meaning: How Quilters Celebrate Life
A fun, inspiring lecture that changes lives: perfect for keynotes and evening programs. An expert on tradition who has written four books on ritual, Meg Cox shares examples of quilters’ celebrations but also shows powerful ideas from her own life. She shares what she has learned in 20 years of research about what makes traditions unforgettable. Whether you’re looking for a way to liven up your monthly quilt group or mark major life milestones, you’ll come away with concrete ideas and inspiration.
Success Stories: Secrets From Top QuiltRepreneurs
With 17 years of experience as a writer at the Wall Street Journal and more than five years writing a column for the Fab Shop News, Meg has a deep understanding of business basics within the quilting sphere. She has interviewed many of the most successful teachers, designers, authors, appraisers and long arm gurus — from Eleanor Burns to Tula Pink –and will lay out in detail what specific qualities and strategies set them apart. Meg continued her research on this topic by running a year-long series called Cash For Your Craft in her free e-newsletter, Quilt Journalist Tells All, researching recommendations for the best websites, books, seminars, professional organizations and other tools. There is nothing wrong with keeping quilting as a passionate hobby, but it if you think you might like to make some money at the craft, then Meg has a lot to share with you. (Available as a Powerpoint.)
What is a Quilt? And Why You Should Make One
This lively talk and Powerpoint slide show has been a hit with audiences at the American Folk Art Museum, the Newark Museum, historical societies and libraries. Meg gives an entertaining romp through the history of quilting, and shows the basic steps in getting started in the craft. (Sometimes this is combined with a Your First Quilt workshop.)
400 Years of Quilts At the Click of a Mouse
As former president of the national nonprofit Quilt Alliance, Meg often gives lectures about the amazing online resources of the Alliance and other quilt archives. These include an oral history project archived at the Library of Congress, and the Quilt Index, an online repository of more than 60,000 quilts. Did you know that you can study every single quilt owned by the Metropolitan Museum online? Or that you can view every exhibit at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum virtually? Meg gives audiences the story behind some amazing quilts and gives them ideas for taking inspiration from online quilts without breaking copyright laws.
Take Better Quilt Photos NOW!
More than ever, quilters need to know how to take clear, well-composed photographs of their quilts for blogs and social media, to enter contests, and to simply document their work. Many more people will see your quilts in a photo than in person, so why not take the trouble to show them at their best? Meg will explain the different requirements for formal quilt photos versus social media snapshots, sharing photos of celebrity quilters and their tips and tricks. She’ll provide specifics about things like lighting and free software to resize digital photos. This lecture includes a slideshow and handouts, and a demonstration of how to create a professional quality photographer’s set-up at an affordable price.
Traditions Lecture Topics:
A Special Birthday Tradition
How to Create Great Family Traditions & Why
Talk or workshop. Very flexible. Has been adapted for moms-to-be, adoptive families, religious educators, daycare center managers and more. Can also be tailored to specific occasions & holidays, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, All About Birthdays, rites of passage, problem-solving rituals etc.
Love Made Tangible: Inventing New Traditions From Scratch
Talks and workshops more focused on the bells & whistles or theatrical aspects of ritual. Delving into choices about the beginning and ending of a ritual, using the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, how to find the words to speak, ritual gestures, and special ways to preserve the memory of a milestone or ritual. How to choose music, food and more. Working with fire, light, beads and tools like smudge sticks.
Texting, Blogging and YouTubing for Love: How our Tech Gadgets Can Help Create New Family Traditions
For the new edition of her book, Meg tracked down families doing very creative things to keep their families close, using tools like Skype and smart phones. Should you have a family blog? When should your family times be screen-free?
Taking a Ritual Inventory: How to Make Sure Your Traditions Reflect Your Values & Passions
This lecture/workshop helps parents create a master list of their existing traditions and celebrations, both everyday ones and holidays, and make sure they match up with their goals as a family. Meg will give them a series of questions to ask as they go down their lists, so they can delete traditions that don’t fulfill them, and add new ones that fit them better.
Girlfriend Rituals: Celebrating Milestones & Friendships: This lecture or workshop covers a wide range of traditions and celebrations for women, and can be tailored to the age group of the participants. This is an especially powerful topic for new mothers, empty nesters, and women going through various types of transitions. It includes loads of fresh, fun ideas for celebrating major birthdays, as well as creative ways to include “girlfriend time” no matter how busy you are.
Sample testimonials:
On Quilts:
“Anybody who has spent even a minute with Meg Cox knows that this reporter, author and quilting community leader is not only a visionary, but one of the more talented and insightful voices the patchwork community has ever known. Meg hit it out of the ballpark when she mesmerized us with her resource guide, The Quilter’s Catalog. As a speaker, Meg is entertaining, articulate and has a greater understanding of the quilt world and how it spins than the vast majority of professionals in the field. Look, I think she’s brilliant. She makes me laugh. She makes me think. Tired of the same old trunk show and lecture? Allow Meg Cox to both enlighten and inspire you. No kidding!
— Mark Lipinski, quilt designer, radio host, teacher and sought-after humorist, www.marklipinski.com
On Family Traditions:
“My staff and I thoroughly enjoyed your workshop and the reason I know this is because they are still speaking about it two weeks later! I have many teachers who have been at the center for many years and they are so excited to hear new ideas, especially when they can be incorporated directly into their work with children. Thanks again. We are really looking forward to having you come back again to speak to the parents!”
— Toby Wortman, director of the Merck Child Learning Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ
Hiring Information:
Most of Meg’s programs run between an hour and two hours, which may include a Powerpoint, show and tell of quilts, or audience questions. Most programs can be lengthened into workshops lasting a half day or full day: Meg has also run workshops lasting a weekend. She generally brings copies of her books to sign.
Meg also teaches quilt classes for beginning quilters, half-day or day-long classes where a small project can be completed. Techniques offered include photo quilts, and small wall hangings.
For more details, fees and availability, contact Meg: meg@megcox.com
