Sunday, February 28, 2016

Who is your hero? (heroine?)


The vendor mall and the exhibits at QUILTCON opened to the public at 10 AM everyday for four days.  However, the vendors could get into the vendor mall and one of the exhibit halls at 8 AM.  Guess where I was every day at 8 AM?  Yep - I was there at 8 or slightly after 8 every day and I learned a lot. I was able to take pictures of what the competitor's booths looked like, I got to really enjoy the quilts with no one around.  I got to see patterns or ideas that I would like to make. And when the other vendors started to trickle in around 9, it was a great opportunity for networking.  NO wasting time for me!!!

There is ONE RULE OF THUMB when attending a show and that is you NEVER NEVER NEVER step into a booth (that you don't work at) unless you are invited or the show is open to the public.  It's just show protocol!

So I was wandering around the floor and saw this most adorable quilt. I even snapped a picture and posted it on Facebook!   I wanted to make it, but because there was no one in the booth and there was no sign on it - I had no way of knowing how to get the pattern if such a thing even existed.

On the last day of the show, a lady walked into our booth. She had a paper in her hand and was asking some questions to one of the other staff members in our booth. When she was finished, she put the paper in her purse and started to walk out.  My eagle eyes spotted what was on that paper and I went over to her and asked her about the paper.  She was a bit taken aback as I "demanded" that she take the paper out of her purse so I could see it.  I mean - how cheeky can you be?   OK - so I was a quilter on a mission - all is forgiven!

The paper had a picture of this particular quilt that I had seen and wanted to make. The paper was a picture of the quilt, the requirements and where to DOWNLOAD the pattern for free!!!!   You see - if the designer had sold the pattern - there would be legal action so fast, the poor designer's head would be spinning.  But I know of this designer and she is a very smart and astute person when it comes to copyright and the value of what we do!

The poor lady in our booth!  I thanked her profusely and off I was to get my OWN copy of that piece of paper even though she offered to give me hers - or was that just my imagination?

Now I'm not always the best at getting things done.  That's an understatement.  I buy trendy patterns or fabric and never make the project that it was intended to be made into.  Gosh - I still have Harry Potter fabric, no I still have a HUGE basket of millennium fabric that I haven't made a thing from.

I couldn't stop thinking about this quilt.  So I cut fabric at work - I used the beautiful Toscana line of fabric from Northcott.

Here is my palette.

Palette for my secret project


Oh and let's not forget that I decided that one of these quilts wasn't enough - NOPE - I had to make TWO of them.  One is a gift (god forbid that I try to sell it or the lawyers will be down my neck!) and the other is for my Northcott trunk show.

I had a little help along the way to make sure those seams were straight.

Energy drink to keep sewing



At last the cutting was done.
Cutting is done!!!!!


Wait - how many of you scrolled to the bottom of the post to see the quilts????   BAD!!!!


And at last the FINAL seam of the SECOND quilt.

Final seam of the second quilt

Are you ready??????    Here they are!!!!!



The final quilts!!!!!




Now aren't they adorable???    The pattern is called "The Droid is not for Sale".  The designer is Sam Hunter.

I have a copy of Sam's book and am trying to get something else made with words, but there are so many ideas swirling in my head - literally hundreds of quilts that are begging to be made. OK - maybe not hundreds, but lots.

And if you get a chance - read this article that Sam wrote - I think it is brilliant and you should think twice about your work.

I'm disappointed that I didn't get to meet Sam at QUILTCON, but no worry - I'll try to hook up with her in Savannah in 2017!  Or somewhere.


This was such a fun project to do and easy.  Some fiddly parts like BB8's body and Rey's head, but seriously - it was super fun and I MUST make a note to work on more current stuff.

 They aren't super big - 42" by 52".   EASY PEASY!!!!


And you know how it is - one thing leads to another.  By working on this project, I came up with a super idea that I need to expand so I can have a quilt to enter into QUILTCON 2017.  Don't worry - it has NOTHING to do with StarWars.  

Oh speaking of Star Wars - I guess you see why this pattern is offered for free.  And that's why NO ONE should ever be selling this.  If Disney found out you profited from one of their images - OUCH!

I would like to thank Sam Hunter for creating this pattern and I especially love her reason.  Read her blog post (the one with the pattern download).  It's really awesome.


Sam - so sorry I missed you at QUILTCON, but thank you from the bottom of my heart - I had loads of fun with this.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


4 comments:

  1. Elaine! I was at QC - I wish we had connected! I love your versions of the quilt, and I'm so thrilled to see you made Rey (most people are making just BB-8). Thank you for the linky love <3

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    1. Sam - there's always Savannah 2017 to meet up! I'll be there. People are loving my (your) quilt. And yes - they just want to make BB8. Oh well. Thanks again for making the pattern so available. Elaine

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  2. That's awesome! Love the pattern, love Sam Hunter! Such a fun project, and you had twice the fun with it.

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    1. Bill - I know - I love the pattern and love Sam Hunter. Hope you make one too!!! Elaine

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