Final Day of Market

Today was the final day of Quilt Market - the wholesale event that retailers attend to find out the latest and greatest in the quilt world bringing home these finds to their shops to share with their customers, you and me! The fabric rep booths are always wonderful to behold -- sample cards of the new lines of fabrics are there with the reps as they lay out sample, after sample, after sample for the shop owners to narrow down their purchases. Goodness, most of us quilters have no idea what our local quilt shop owners must go through! Oh the choices! Um...I want one of EVERYTHING please! (smile). As a longarm quilter I'm the gal that's getting up close and personal with the shop samples made from the new line of fabric that hang in these fabulous booths...I want to see how it's quilted! (I do get a lot of funny looks, but hey, I'm used to that) by the way, did ya'know that most of the fabric companies have free downloads on their websites? they love to have you print their PDF patterns to use with their new collections. Next time you are surfing the net check it out!

If you've been following my webshots you've probably noticed my friend Trish. She's been my side kick all through market. We went to schoolhouse together on Friday, hit the vendor mall on Saturday, took Sunday off, and went together again to day. Here she is visiting with Renae Haddadin in the A-1 booth as well as Janet, a fellow longarm quilter we met today from up around Dallas/Fort Worth -- who, by the way, showed me photos of some of her award winning quilts! Wow, what talent there is in the longarm community! Enjoyed meeting you Janet, hope our paths cross again.

Renae brought her own A-1 so she could work on one of her personal projects. It's amazing to me that she can quilt with so many distractions! But as she said, she'd rather be working on something than just doodling as she demos. But I did catch her ~ found evidence of her doodling...she was "testing" a new thread from YLI, a silk metallic and here's a look at her doodles.. Wish my doodles were half as good! What an imagination, I would have just tested with loops and swirls (sigh) double click on the photo to make it larger, really cool quilting if ya'ask me. Oh, and did I mention that several of her award winning quilts are hanging in the booth? She also has one in next week's quilt show which I'm bettin' is a winner! We'll know in a few days!

While I was sneaking photos I found a "Jamie was here" mark -- easily recognizable Jamie Wallen design element- haven't captured him on film yet this week, always too busy talking to think about taking a photo!! But he's here and he loves to doodle as he demos the machine. Jamie and Renae will be in the A-1 booth this next weekend for Festival, so if you are coming to H-town be sure and stop by the booth and say hi -- tell'em karen sent ya'

Well, as I mentioned, Market is the wholesalers buying mecca. And since I'm a longarm quilter I'm in the market for tools of my trade -- namely thread, batting and such....so where else do longarm quilters gather besides the Superior Threads booth? How 'bout batting booths! Here we are at FiberCo.

And yes, it was the end of the day and we got a little silly. We asked Gary if he would mind to take a photo of us and then we said we needed him in a photo too and that we'd be his Vanna Whites...

How'd we do? Would you buy batting from us?? (grin) By the way -- did you know that FiberCo has a Soy batting?? Trish went home with a sample of that to quilt up and I went home with a roll of Bamboo/Cotton blend. Quilters are "going green" (smile) so I think I'll jump on the band wagon and give it a whirl. Ohhhhhh did I mention how soft this batting is???!!!!!!!!!! The Soy feels like cashmere and the bamboo is luscious. They had quilted samples for us to touch and feel -- of course my question was how did it hold up to washing -- and they showed us...so now it's up to me to do my own test in the Quilts 'N Kaboodle studio....but it won't be tonight (sigh)...so stay tuned I'll have a bamboo batting report soon --- hum....Dangling Carrots is almost finished being pieced , just have borders to go...perhaps I can use the bamboo on that one! Again, stay tuned!

Well my friends..it's been a long day in the saddle. I'm holding up better than I thought with my hip/leg problem...but I really need to put up my goodies and call it a night. Tomorrow morning I'm joining fellow longarm quilters off campus at Diane 's Quilter's Cabin Retreat Center for a workshop on my Machine Quilters Business Manager software program. Looking forward to additional learning on the "business" side of quilting. Then I hope in the evening to photo the newest Quilts of Hope - Blankets of Love ....received a big box today from Ginny & Torrie that I haven't even opened yet (sigh) don't shoot me please...it's a wonder I don't fall asleep on my 35 mile ride home each night ... but I betcha' your bottom dollar that I open the box before my tootsies hit the bed! Again, stay tuned and I'll report in soon!!

Trick Question - At What Booth Will You Find the Most Longarm Quilters?

If you are at the Houston International Quilt Market then the answer would have to be Superior Threads! That's where I ran into Debbie, Julie, Cindy and Rosann.

The vendor mall opened today. I'm not sure how many vendors are here this week - but there are rows numbering from 100 to 2300 and I only made it to 1100 isle today -- will go back on Monday and check out the booths I missed and probably go back through the first isles to make sure I didn't miss anything the first go around.

I wish everyone could come to this, it's so much fun to walk through the booths and see the new patterns, new notions, new fabric lines. I meant to take more photos today but I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot (sigh). Here's a look at Jacqueline de Jonge's booth Be Colourful -- that's her brother Harm in the lower photo. They traveled all the way from the Netherlands to be at Market. He was kind enough to allow me to photo their booth and was a bit shy when I asked to include him. I truly enjoyed Jacqueline's trunk show earier this week in Galveston, such beautiful quilts by an equally beautiful lady, both inwardly and out. She has already had a busy week with teaching workshops for Quilts By the Bay in Galveston, this week is market and next week she'll be in the QBTB booth at festival. Guess if you travel all the way from the Netherlands you have to make the trip worthwhile (smile) I hope they have enjoyed their visit.




I don't think I can even begin to describe the fabulous booths and displays -- hopefully I'll have more photos when I go back on Monday. Today my shopping included Superior Threads and Choice Fabrics as well as a few new patterns that I hope will be future quilts and perhaps future classes. I spent a lot of time at the A-1 Booth visiting with Jamie Wallen, Renae Haddadin, Gerald the Texas Dealer (Sandy, his wife, was out shopping and I missed seeing her today), and Stewart Plank owner. It's like a family reunion for me cuz I dearly love these folks! A-1 is a good family to belong to! Hands down, Stewart has built the best longarm on the market. Couldn't ask for better folks to be associated with. Renae was working on a project in the booth -- she has a quilt in the quilt show next week -- can't wait to see it, I'm sure there will be a ribbon on it! She's so amazing.

All too soon the day was over. I didn't get there as early as I had hoped (sigh) but I knew there would be another day. I won't be going on Sunday but plan on being there when the doors open on Monday, the final day of Market and the first day of classes at Festival.

I have to admit, that it's been a wonderful Ike-stress-release for me. I am not pressured to be anywhere at a certain time, I can meander down the isles and take in all the sights at my own pace. When I run into one of my friends I have time to visit -- for us locals it's been our time to share our Ike stories -- you have to remember how large of an area that this storm encompassed -- many of the longarmers in our Bayshore Longarm Guild live miles apart and this was the first "reunion" since Ike, which effected us all in one way or another.

Speaking of Ike, I received another box of Quilts of Hope. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to pull them out to photo and add them to webshots. Thank you Annis from Arlington TX -- one of my Square in a Square buddies. Can't wait to show off your beautiful quilts -- more importantly can't wait to find them a new home with someone who needs the love you stitched in your quilts!!

Yes, it's been a good weekend. I've needed the eye candy, the inspiration -- can't wait to pull out my new tools, patterns, and fabrics and BE CREATIVE!! Sew much fabric, sew little time (grin)

Time to unpack the shopping bags and find places for new purchases in the studio and time to put up my feet and recoup so I'll be ready to go again!!