Quilt Market 2011 Day 1

First I'm sorry it has taken so long to get this post up but holy wow was it a riot in Houston.
I had intended to do updates each night, but that was out the window when I wasn't getting into my room until 12-2am every night and then talking etc with the girls I was staying with.

I had an absolutely WONDERFUL time! I have no favorites, there was just so many awesome people, quilts, fabrics, notions and conversations!

My head is spinning trying to figure out where to start so I'll try to go chronologically.
I flew in on Thursday and was picked up from the airport by the gorgeous and fabulous Laine, of Just Plaine Laine, and we eventually hooked up with Jacqueline and Sha. Thursday was spent just getting settled and chatting with each other, and my first trip to a Joanne's which was fun.

This is the gorgeous stained glass, wall fountain in the lobby of the Hilton, which had a lot of gorgeous glass art.

Friday was Schoolhouse, which is mostly for shop owners, and focuses on improving their business, and designers etc telling them why and how utilize their products. It was really informative and I enjoyed sitting in on about 6 of these mini info sessions.
I got into Verna Mosquero, of The Vintage Spool who really is just the Queen of Applique! I adore her new pattern and was lucky enough to win a copy!

Next I got into Lynette Anderson's session, and she is just the sweetest, and funniest lady! It was awesome and I think a ton of people just sat and listened to her fun Aussie accent!
I loved her little stitcheries, the hadn painted button club she has for stores, and of course her new fabric line, which while duskier is not heavy or dark. You can read an interview with Lynette here from Sewn Europe.

During a break of the session I ran into the GORGEOUS and super sweet Vanessa Christenson, she really is such a sweet person.

Then it was off to more schoolhouses, this time with the designers of Lecien, Sarah Fielke, Lynette Anderson, Natalia Lymer from Cinderberry Stitches and Brenda Riddle from Acorn Quilt Company. You can see their fabrics by clicking in the link. We got to see all of their up coming lines, plus a few more and they really just span the entire range from sweet, to hip, cute to cool, and traditional to contemporary.

I spotted Katy of I'm a Ginger Monkey and Tacha the editor from FatQuarterly in that schoolhouse.

Next was Stash Books, and I absolutely adored this one! We got to see all sorts of new and coming next spring books! They all look so gorgeous and full of inspirational photography! I'm incredibly excited! Susanne Woods is the acquisitions editor there and she really is such a wonderful lady! Very sassy!

I took one schoolhouse with Pat Sloan and I have to say I was star struck! I don't think I took in much in that one except that I was in the same room as she was!

Then it was my personal hero and the person I blame fully for my quilting life, Joanna Figueroa from Fig Tree Quilts!! She designed the first line I ever fell in love with and my first foray into design was with her fabrics, and even my first Bake Shop quilt used Whimsy!
I've been begging her for more blues like those in Urban Indigo and Folklorique and did she ever deliver with California Girl, which is out in the spring!! I'm in love all over again!!
Joanna is also just a really funny person with lots of good things to say about Fresh Vintage and what those mean! She is brilliant!

My final schoolhouse was Jan from Daisy Janie, whose fabrics are all GOTS certified organic and she had a really interesting presentation on the making of fabric, its environmental impact, and what alternatives are out there.
Having felt and worked with her line Shades of Grey I can tell you that the feel of her fabrics is superb! Very silky and strong, with rich colour. You'd never guess it wasn't highest quality conventional fabric unless she told you! Tilly is her new line and has lots of colour to it. I don't have more pictures as I was helping out a bit.

This is her with Betz White who also has GOTS certified fabric. I'll be doing a post on it all soon.
There are also pictures of Betz's new line Stitches for Robert Kaufman.

If you can believe it Friday was not over! There was still Fabric 2.0 to go to which was a great party! I had such a great time there, and was able to chat up so many people! I really had an incredible time there. I don't think I could list everyone I spoke to even if I tried! It was truely amazing and I loved it, and will try to find some of the pictures to help  me remember who all I have to tell you about!
I did miss Sample Spree but really I wouldn't change that because of the great conversations nd connections I was able to make.

But I think I may have to put off the rest of this recap until another time as for some silly reason Little Bit wants some dinner!.

Market Day One

I'll do more comprehensive posts when I get home but just wanted to share how awesome a time I'm having here!! Everyone has be so wonderful, and sweet. I can't even think let alone tell you all the people I've met and chatted and I have to tell you I just love them even more! Today was schoolhouse, which is mostly for shop owners, but some great advice in general about retailing, how you can use whatever the teacher was hawking etc. I really feel like I have learned soooooo much!! Laine, Sha, Jacqueline and Tiff are also just so much fun, we are just a party. So glad we were all able to stay together. I will post pictures etc as soon as I find the cord. I have some yummy too show you!

To Market I go!

Yes I am going to the insanity known as The Fall International Quilt Market in Houston! I am sooo incrediblt excited to meet so many awesome people I have only know through the internet. Which is a good thing seeing as I'm rooming with 4 women I've never met! 

 Who are the people you would most want to meet? Or what questions would you ask? Leave a comment letting me know and I'll try to get everyone favorite celeb with a mini interview!

I've had my business cards printed and I pick them you tomorrow!! Which I am so excited about! The awesome and lovely Bari J, after seeing my attempts told me they offended her and took over and designed me these amazing cards!!! I can't not say enough thank yous for them! I feel more confident and professional just having them!

 

 and the back is as cool!

I am so excited but also super scared! I'm going to be showing my patterns to some distribution companies, and other fabric co's in hope they'll let me design with their fabrics too!

Oh and the winner of my Thanksgiving post is....gill! Send me an email and I'll get your treat out to you soon!

Uber Fest Block, correction

I realized thanks to a few emails that I made an oopsy in the directions for the Bear Cabin Block, one was the strip was the last cabin strip is 1" too long and another came from a redesign not being updated in the instructions, meaning you made an extra set of HSTs. I've updated the instructions.
If I didn't reply to your email about the correction it is because you are set as a no-reply and I can't.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my Canadian and Canadian wannabe friends and family!

I have so much to be thankful for in my life and this last year has been especially wonderful.

I am thankful my daughter is healthy and generally happy. She is growing and improving every day.

Shane is working today and I am thankful he has a job, our city has the highest unemployment in the country.

I am thankful for being able to chat and make friends with so many people around the world, some who have become my closest friends.

I am thankful for a family that was able to help us buy our house this year, a place we can all continue to grow and improve as a family. It has solved or helped with so many issues.


I am thankful I can design and write quilt patterns, sharing my love of craft with others, making quilted wraps ( I have a few in my etsy store) to sell and hosting Talkin Tuesday, connecting with quilters and crafters all over the world. FYI  Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring tomorrow night and we're giving away 2 yards of Panier de Fluers, French General's new line!

Today the rule in our house is there is no wishing or wanting of things we don't have, only saying what we are thankful that we do have.

I am so thankful for all of the opportunities this blog has opened up for me I'm going to do a little giveaway since I can't have all of you over for dinner!
Leave me a comment on something you are grateful for and I will draw a name and give a prize later this week. Not sure what yet but it will sewing/quilting related!

Uberfest! My turn!

Welcome all of you Uber-fest Quilters! I`m incredibly excited to be able to contribute a block to Scott`s quilt along! Did you see April's block yesterday? No pressure following that! lol

We were asked to design a block using HSTs (one of my ultime fav design elements) and log cabins, the original trendy block!
One of the reasons I loved the fabric I was sent, Sleeping Beauty by Nel Whatmore, was because I got one of the pieces that is technically a strip but it is so big I could use different parts as different colour patches. The orange fabric came from there.

What I came up with is what I`ve called Bear Cabin! Can you see why?

You can download the pattern sheet here. If you have any question just sent me an e-mail! I'm happy to help!
Make sure you check out Heather's block tomorrow! She is one creative lady!

Twilight is here!

I'm am so excited to announce that I have a new pattern! Twilight, which you may recognize as originally being a pattern for Stitchin Heaven's charm school, is available at Fat Quarter Shop!
Because of delivery issues it was never used for Charm School as I re-made it in Terrain and this is my favorite quilt!
The pattern I love because with 2 charm packs of ANY line you can make it by adding your favorite solid or marble! It works with any colour!

I've included some of my fav "art" shots of the quilt. The hardest part of making a pattern for me is getting a shot of the whole quilt to use on the cover! It is so hard, and as you can tell with this one for it to work I had to chop off the outer border in the picture. And having looked at it I think the quilt doesn't really need the outer border except to give it more size, which is 61" square with it, 48" without.

What do you think?