Wish you were here - Quilt Market is a blast!

It's late and I'm too pooped to type, so I'll put my disclaimer right up front on all the typos and grammatical errors (grin)

WOW! What a great start to a fabulous fun 10 days!

Do you recognize the famous quilter standing in front of her A-1 poster ad that you all recognize from the magazines? Renae Haddadin was welcome to Texas by some of the local longarm quilters today in the A-1 booth.

NEWSFLASH, if you are coming to festival this next week there's still a couple of spots in some of Renae's classes so check it out! Wish I could take advantage of this opportunity!

Yesterday was Schoolhouse, 15 thirty minute info-commercials for all the new books, patterns, fabric lines, notions, and nifty ideas. It's a grueling day from 10 to 6 but oh so worth it!!

Here's a few photos (I'm ashamed to say I'm slacking here, enjoyed so much I forgot to pull out the camera - sigh).

I'm into bags right now and couldn't resist a schoolhouse on usable totes - isn't this a cute bag to take to the grocery store instead of the 'name brand' ones? Mother Nature (aka Eleanor Levie) shared how we could quilt green with several market bags.

This is my new friend from down under, Helen Stubbing I met Helen through the internet as her sister, Tracey Browning, is our Australia A-1 dealer. When I learned that she was the author of Faux Applique I knew I had to attend her schoolhouse! I was blown away by her beautiful quilts, her technique, her lovely personality and charming accent.

Helen will be staying for Festival and has promised a little "tutoring" in her technique of using artist colored pencils for the faux applique, a technique she calls Colourqué® I am sooooo excited to do this, especially since my play day a month or so ago didn't have the results I was looking for....don't you agree that her work is stunning!

It's sooo hard to narrow down the class selections. I did attend several concerning painting on fabric as well as anything that had the word tote bag in it (grin) I'm really into bags right now.

I also attended a couple of fabric manufacture schoolhouses....it's soo cool to be among the first to see a newly released line of fabric as well as the quilt designs that complement the collection. My last schoolhouse of the day was with Robyn Pandolph and RJR fabrics - and what a trill to be sitting on the front row when one of the quilts from the new collection was unveiled to a captive audience (okay, and knowing that I was the quilter, gotta admit that I love the braggin rights, grin!) Robyn's new fabric line, Beach House, is simply elegant - truly inspired by her living on Galveston Island. And I dare say it was well-received as the fat quarters from this collection were sold out at sample spree before I could nab one for myself (sigh).

After a long day of thousands of ideas spinning around in my busy little brain it was past time for a break and some catch up time with friends as we lined up outside the ballroom for sample spree -- a crazy shopping frenzy that just whets the appetite for the following day's events!

I'll keep my secrets as to what I purchased for now, but stay tuned for a time when my brain is fresher! Needless to say leaving the house at 6 AM and returning about 11 PM only to return again today at 8 and staying until 6 makes for mushy mumbled thoughts! Not to mention that my puppy misses me and needs some attention...

OH, but I will say that today was fabulous! The A-1 booth was so busy we barely had time for necessities (is that a nice way of saying it was a long walk to the ladies room with an equally long line?) So many folks came to test drive the machine, several looking to purchase their first longarm, others planning on how they can sell what they have and upgrade, and several just stopping to play just because - that's what the show is all about! the "just because" (grin). I was so blessed today to see so many of my friends and receive so many hugs! I love this on a good day, but it has been especially wonderful to receive the love and support during this time of missing my Ma-ma....funny, sometimes I can smile and remember the good times and again thank the Lord for His mercy in taking her home peacefully, and sometimes the emotions just get the best of me and .... well, lets just say again how blessed I am to have friends - many still contacting me through the internet, or cards, and many today with their hugs....I'm overwhelmed, and right now overtired, and my eyesight is getting a little blurred (good thing I'm a touch typist) so perhaps it's time to call it a night and continue to ramble another time....

Oh, but not before I introduce you again to my side kick Trish and her long tall good lookin' cowboy hubby who I tease and call the Marboro Man... Yep, good times down here in H-town, wish you were here!!