Quilt Market - Day Three

I have failed you all in my quest to keep you in touch with what's happening at Quilt Market.  I've been in the booth having some amazing conversations with editors and quilt designers and people in the industry that I just didn't have time to make it on the floor. I literally did NOT walk this floor at all.  I did manage to get into a few booths - people I wanted to thank for supporting me in some of my endeavors which I managed to do.

I got to show Elizabeth Hartman my version of her Florence Flamingo. She was thrilled to see it done in another colorway from her original pattern. Shoot, I should have taken a picture of her and me with the quilt.  I'm realizing something - if I rely solely on my phone to take pictures - it isn't going to happen.  I checked my phone this morning and found that I hadn't taken any pictures yesterday.  Well, just one!  And it was a bicycle in the booth next to us.

The booth belonged to Kimberbell and she has some amazing new stuff out.  I must go shopping when I get home!

Anyone for a ride?

 I was going to borrow it to go to the washroom, but then I never did!  But I asked and they said yes but of course, they were kidding and so was I!!

The color of the year for bicycles appears to be teal. I found one more on set-up day!

Another teal bicycle

I did have about two free hours at the end of the day but I was busy trying to get some business done for one of our customers.  So that didn't allow a whole lot of time, but I was OK with that.

I did manage to purchase one thing at the show so that really didn't do too much damage to the pocketbook or did it?  You'll have to wait for that one. And there were a number of people who influenced that purchase and I don't know whether to love them or hate them.  Thanks to Marilyn and to Jean!

Tear down was the usual chaos!  Thankfully we had lots of people to help which really helps out.  We tore down one booth and reconfigured the second booth and thanks to everyone who stayed a wee bit later than they planned, but we are basically set up for the preview night which is tomorrow starting at 5 PM.

That means that I now have one day and a half with no firm plans.  I'm contemplating taking a class. Found one or two that are still available and I could get away with not having any fabric or tools. The other option was to go to the Quilt Museum, but it's 100 miles away and without a car, that's a little difficult to manage.  I think someone is going to several local shops so that might be an option?  I'm not sure what the day will bring.

Oh - I ran out of the hotel yesterday and it was only hours later that I realized I forgot to edit the post and hit PUBLISH!   DUH!!!

Have a great day!

Ciao!

Quilt Market - Day Two

Hmm - I must have been very tired last night.  When I went to bed, the score in the baseball game was 7-4 for the Dodgers. I wake up this morning to find that Houston won 13-12?????   Seriously?  the crowds must have been wild and I heard NOTHING.  I didn't even wake up and fall back asleep - I heard NOTHING!  No earplugs, no alcohol - just plain old tired!  I'm glad actually to know that I can sleep that well!

I guess things will calm down in the city somewhat, but I'm sure that security will remain high as the stadium will likely be open for people to come and watch on the large screen. Next thing you know there will be holographic baseball where one can "watch" the game even though it's in another stadium. Wouldn't that be cool!

But I've never seen so much orange and blue!  T-shirt vendors, I believe you can't get an Astros hat if your life depended on it.  Snipers on hotels (including ours), cops and more cops. Homeland Security. In the evening there are always several tables of cops in the restaurant.  I guess I don't get out much.

This was projected onto the side of one of the hotels.

Projected onto the side of a hotel

I believe that is the Marriott and that huge wall (probably their ballroom floors) is an amazing screen. And how do they get that projection on the wall???  The projector is in the parking lot across the street on a Skyjack or whatever they call those scissor lift things!

Enough about baseball! Let's talk about quilting!

I'm afraid that I don't have a lot to report about quilting. I was in the booth almost the entire day chatting to people.  I had appointments almost the entire day and so I wasn't able to wander far from the booth.

The day started with our Take n Teach class.  We were making a bag - oh shoot - the least I can do is show you the bag. I'll take a picture later today as I have one of the bags with me and the other one is at the booth.  I spent countless hours prepping these bags - countless!!  I ended up making 20 kits and we had 19 in the class so all but one were taken.  I'm giving the last one to one of our sales reps who is a quilter so I know the tote will get finished.

It was crazy to have 19 in a tote bag class, but EVERYONE finished the bag and they look awesome. I think we got pictures of most of the folks, but I had no time for taking pictures. Thankfully that is done and while I might be persuaded to do a Take n Teach again, we shall be giving some serious thought to the project!   But it is fun to see the ladies parade through our booth with their bags.  A HUGE HUGE thank you to the Motivational Monday group for all their help!  It was much appreciated.

I was also part of the Demo Alley for one and a half hours.  I was showing the Bold Basics by Northcott. We actually have an amazing selection of Basics and I've been working to make a number of quilts using only the basics.  Which is easy to do so I tried to not get carried away. 

Oh, shoot - I need to upload a couple of other photos for you!  But no time this morning. Speaking of photos, I'm thrilled to have uploaded the latest version of Photoshop Elements.  Nice to be able to edit photos. I know nothing about it except to crop and resize.  I'll have to learn the rest when I get home and I'll be loading that software onto my "NEW" home computer and trying to wean myself off of that laptop which is so slow.

The rest of the day was a blur as I met with various editors and other people that I wanted to touch base with.  I forgot the show is closing early today as it's already the last day!  I'm making up a list this morning of those that I must get out and get to their booth. So much I would like to see, but there is no time.  But I figure if I can forward five new contacts that is better than getting 20 leads that go nowhere.  I have so much to do when I get home!   But it's all fun stuff so I can't wait!

I think it was about 5 o'clock before I realized that I hadn't eaten all day at the show. I managed to get a soup and half a sandwich before we headed off to a cocktail party. I'm just not into having any alcohol while I'm here.  I'm so dehydrated that I can't afford to have any.  I have water with me but don't remember to have a drink.  Yep - I'm like a kid in a candy store and I'm networking my heart out!  Don't worry - it's all fun.  Oh yes - I'm having a blast. And there are some super exciting things to talk about - but not now!  I promise to take better care of myself today, but this is normal for me at any trade show.

It's great to get back to Market and see all the friends/acquaintances that I've made over the last two years.   I'm a happy camper, to say the least.

Here are some close-ups of some of the quilts in the booth.  I promise to take pictures of the rest today.  I can't believe I haven't had time to do that.  Although if you search on Northcott Facebook, I'm sure they have posted pictures.

By Robin Long

 My brain has turned to mush.  I think this one above is called Colorful Sunshine Garden. The background is Northcott ColorWorks and the flowers are made with Shimmer - Northcott's metallic collection. I need to get to Robin's booth today to chat about her technique.  Isn't that a cool quilt?

And here is a full shot of my favorite - Wolfgang.  You can find more of Yanicka's work at this website.  Including the pattern for the wolf.

Wolfgang

When I was wandering back from the cocktail party, I saw this amazing sculpture. It's actually a water fountain and all those parts move.  It's very beautiful.

Water fountain sculpture

I'm sorry that I'm not showing you all kinds of shots of new stuff as I haven't even had a chance to see much myself.  As I scoot around to my last appointments, I'll try to take some pictures.  I'm off to finalize the list of those that I MUST see today. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!

Quilt Market - Day One

Yesterday was a terrible day.  Well not terrible in a bad way, but I (and many others) received some very sad news.  Our beloved local quilt shop will be closing.  Yes, Ruti's Needlebed will be closing at the end of the year. I know that we lament everytime we hear of a quilt shop closing, but this was my GO TO shop.  I was there twice this past week to get emergency supplies.  It is 8 minutes from my house.  What am I going to do???? 

DH says I should buy it as it will likely be less work than I'm currently doing!   I won't be buying the quilt shop, but this is very sad news.  I'm happy for Ruthi as she will be able to spend way more time with her family, but sad for me!

There was another baseball game last night, but the fans were a tad more subdued when they left the stadium as the Astros did not win.  In a way that's a good thing as if there was a chance that they could win the World Series tonight, the town would be wild.  As it is, there's heavy security EVERYWHERE.   There are helicopters flying overhead, snipers on rooftops, cops EVERYWHERE, streets are blocked off. I guess we should feel safe!

And did I mention the weather?  We are in Houston. Houston is south. South is supposed to be warm. Well, it's NOT warm here. I saw people walking around with parkas (well winter type coats with hoods) yesterday.  I have a sweatshirt!  I do have a nicer jacket, but it doesn't go with everything I brought with me. Thankfully I packed a couple of scarves - they are a godsend to staying warm. But yikes - it's cool!

Yesterday was a crazy busy day.  I met with a number of editors from magazines and got things set up for moving forward. They are a fun bunch and we had some great laughs. I sat in on a couple of sales meetings and I learned which is always exciting.  How does a quilt shop owner buy fabric?  Well - that depends.  It's just very interesting and I was able to help out on several calls so that was exciting.  I barely left the booth all day. I did pop out once to the washroom where I spent a few moments chatting up the APQS (American Professional Quilt System - the long arm guys) because I want something!  Something big and well I'm not ready to talk about it just yet.  But oh my!   That darn Marilyn - it's all her fault!!!

Here are a couple of photos that I snapped of our booth.  Good grief, there isn't even time to take pictures.  This is the Bold Beautiful Basics side of the booth.   I'll take close-ups of the quilts today.  I might actually take my camera so I'll remember?  I doubt it.

Northcott booth - Bold Beautiful Basics

 All the quilts on this side were made with Northcott basic collections.  Stonehenge, Toscana, Colorworks, and Shimmer.  It's very exciting to work with these basics. No dangers of not being able to get more.  But this one below is my FAVORITE --   I met the designer at Quilt Canada and she designed and made this quilt.  It's stunning in real life. And Marilyn quilted it.  I'll show you more another day!

Wolfgang  and Salvadore Dali

 Those eyes are very piercing.  It's a pattern that you can buy online.  I don't have all the info with me, but I'll put it up tomorrow.  Anyone want a class???

Speaking of classes, I started the day out with a mini-class. They are called Take n Teach.  I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the class that I signed up for.  It was about an interesting topic, but there were issues.  I wanted to stop by our booth before attending the class. Can't into the booth area until 8 AM and the class starts at 8 AM.  I thought, oh boy - I'll be late - well that's OK.  By the time that I arrived - about 8:15, the instructor was just starting.  And then she muddled through a power point presentation.  About 1/3 of the class left which isn't a good thing.  I fiddled with my phone, did my nails but I stayed.  It did get better but was a wee bit disappointing.
I had appointments booked all day. When someone doesn't show, you can't say "oh I now have a free hour". Because what if they do arrive and then you could be meeting with them. But then I got involved in the sales calls so that was OK.  Will try to reschedule those appointments. 

Often times it's a question of the right time, wrong day.  Anyway - it's not a big deal.  Nothing life or death and it allowed me to get involved and meet a few more people that I wouldn't normally have done.

Here's something I learned.  When you make appointments for meetings in another time zone, you should include the time zone in the meeting set up.  Otherwise, the times are all wrong when you get to the new time zone.  It appears that you can't change that - it has to be done while you set up the appointment or I suppose you could edit each appointment, but you can't just change a setting on your phone.  Who knew!    I have a print out on paper so it doesn't matter about the time zone on my phone. I just look at the paper!

I went to the Modern Quilt Guild meet up last night after having dinner with a customer and some of our crew.  It was great and I got to meet up with some friends that I know and made new friends.  we're all becoming one big happy family. With the designers, with the competitors, and with the shops.

I hope to get out and walk the floor at some point. I did make a list of several booths that I'd like to pop by and visit.  Sometimes that is way easier than just walking the floor. 

Here are a couple of shots of the floor that I took last night on my way to the Modern Guild meet and greet. I was on the third floor of the convention center looking down.

Trade floor

Another area of the trade floor

While it's loads of fun to be here, you wouldn't want to have my job.  I didn't have lunch, realized at the end of the day that I hadn't even drunk any water all day, had to be "on" for almost 12 hours (except for one hour before dinner when I went back to the hotel after pulling my wagon with all the supplies for today's class so it could be sorted properly) and here it is early again so I can do the same thing all over again! 

I hope to make it to the quilt displays and I hope to walk the floor. But if I don't, well that's OK because sometimes your brain goes into overload and it's just not fun to do either of those things!

Don't get me wrong - I'm having fun!  It's just not the same when you're working versus visiting!

On that note, I'm out of here to get prepped for the day.

Have a  super day!!!!

Ciao!

Quilt Market - Schoolhouse

 I'm running late. But I sacrificed a wee bit of time to edit two pictures for you!!

There was more set up yesterday.  And there was Schoolhouse. I had a lot of show and tell for Schoolhouse so I loaded up my wagon and away I went.

Loaded for Schoolhouse

There were more quilts that this but the others brought them. I did a Schoolhouse on all the Northcott basics which when I have more time I can explain.  And you have to see the quilt top that I made in two days instead of months!  I must be crazy.    Shoot I should have edited pictures last night when I couldn't sleep.  I had a hot chocolate just before I went to bed. Must have been the caffeine or it could have been all the noise from outside. I think it was a combination of both! 

I'll try to post some of the quilts that I showed in Schoolhouse so you can pretend that you were there.  The other collection I showed was Maplewood which is on the Northcott website.  It's absolutely stunning.  I'll take pictures of the booth today - should have done that yesterday when no one was around.  My brain is working in slow motion these days.

Needless to say, I'm a bit tired this morning.  Drat - I hate waking up tired. But once I get going, I'll be fine. 

I did manage to sit in on a few other Schoolhouses as well - I was tired by the last one and had trouble staying awake!

Popped out for a quick dinner and then back for Sample Spree. It was a zoo.  But here's the thing - why do they crowd everyone.  Sample Spree was held in a large open space, yet everyone was crowded into the middle?  That didn't make sense at all. So of course, you're tripping over each other and stumbling just to get down the middle of the aisles - never mind getting close to a table.

Sample Spree

I did manage to pick up a few things that were interesting. A pattern - a really cool pattern that might make a class. Two tile packs of fabric and a FQ bundle.  Hey - it was all fairly inexpensive - I do believe I spent less than $100. I found some other great patterns that would be awesome for a class or just to make.  But they were in huge bundles and I didn't want 16 patterns of the same style so I'll see if I can get an individual one today.

Oh, the eye candy that is here will knock your socks off.  It's like being a kid in a candy store, to say the least.  Thankfully I have a lot of meetings and won't necessarily get to walk the floor a whole lot.

My mornings prior to the show are booked up with classes as well although that is a super opportunity to walk the floor when no one is around.  That's what I do at consumer shows when there is no small class before the show.  I'm a sucker for punishment for sure!

As we left the convention center last night (before Sample Spree), the traffic was crazy as people were coming in for the baseball game. Why they wouldn't use public transit is beyond me as there was the train right by the stadium.  They had huge metal barriers in place near the hotel, valet parking was making a killing and the regular parking lot was something like $50.  It was insane.

Our hotel lobby which is normally the quietest spot around was jam-packed with people.  We did manage to snag two seats in the restaurant.  Then once the game started things quieted down, except that I could literally hear cheering from the stadium in my room. As I sit here and look out the window, I see the stadium on the next block.

The crowd in the bar went crazy and I could very clearly hear them as there is an open atrium up through the center of the hotel.  Then once the game got out, everyone walked down the street right under my window.  It was insane.  Once the main part of the crowd went away, it was quieter and I must have fallen asleep!

Oh - I have to run.  I need to get breakfast before my class starts at 8 AM and I still have to walk over there.

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!

And so it begins......

Look -- there are PICTURES in the blog and I'm away from home!   Now isn't that exciting!  I brought my camera (small one) and my phone so I'll be able to edit anything.  Ronda will be so happy to know that these pictures are from my phone and I just plugged my phone into the computer in order to get them!!!  Now isn't that just the coolest!!!   Just remember to hit ALLOW on the phone. 

I did sleep in yesterday which doesn't surprise me considering the odd times I've been going to bed and getting up the last couple of days and the fact that it was so late when we got to bed.  We had a good breakfast and got to the booth where some of our stuff had arrived but not the main part of our stuff. I walked to the loading docks at the back and soon spotted a trunk from Ontario and caught a picture of the guy backing into the loading dock!!! 

Yep - that's our stuff in those big crates!!!

Stuff arriving at the load docks

 For those of you who do not get to enjoy the experience that we call set-up day, here is a shot from the floor early on in the day. As the various crews arrived and the crates and boxes got opened, it became almost impossible to wander around.  The aisles were blocked with stuff. Total mayhem.

On the floor before most of the total chaos begins

When I was hanging out at the loading dock, I overheard one person say to her friend, those fabric companies take up all the aisles with their stuff.  And it's true - the fabric companies are the ones (mostly) with the huge crates. But there are loads of pattern designers, long arm companies, thread companies - you name it - they are here.  Celebrity spotting yesterday included Alex Anderson and Marti Michell. Actually had a good conversation with Marti who remembers me so that's always a good thing!

It was a long long day but we were kicked out at 6 PM so that was good - at least there is an end to the setup day.  There's still a lot of work to be done today, but I'm hoping to attend a couple of schoolhouses as well as give my schoolhouse presentation.

I'll take some pictures of the area outside the convention center. It's beautiful.  They've been working on it forever. This is my third show here and each year it gets a wee bit more finished. Now I think they are finished.  Looks nice and lots of artwork and a whole lot of restaurants in the area.  Previously there were none.

This is a happening town to be sure.  Not only are there thousands of quilters in town for Quilt Market and then Quilt Festival, but the Houston Astros have got themselves into the World Series.
They won the first game a night or two ago and the people around here were going crazy - horns honking, crowds cheering. 

Let's put this scene into perspective for you.  In the picture below is our quiet hotel on the left.  It's not one of the much larger hotels that are affiliated with Quilt Market.  We like it quiet!  That's the Westin in case you are wondering.  On the right in the picture is the Minute Maid Baseball Stadium.  And behind me is the convention center. So you think it's going to get crazy???   Oh yes!!!

Hotel on the left, baseball stadium on the right and convention center behind me

Now let me tell you what's going on right at this moment.  It's now 6 AM here. The church bells just ran 6 AM. Actually, I don't think it was to announce 6 AM, but some church service???  And it would appear that there is a movie being filmed???   Yesterday I saw a big truck full of AV equipment driving around and a guy on the street said - Oh that's for me, drive around the block to that corner to drop it off?.  Never thought anything more about it.  Then this morning around 5:20, I could hear cheering. I'm thinking that it's a wee bit early for the baseball fans to be cheering.  But what the heck - they could be enthusiastic. But when I hear the drums, I had to get up to see.  It looked like a mini protest?  Oh, now they are cheering again!  But it's not ongoing so that's why I'm thinking it's a film shoot.  What weird timing!

I have to laugh when we come to these events. We have two camps - the ones that eat dinner right after the event closes for the day and those that are just going out when we are finished. I'm in the early camp for sure.  I'm exhausted enough without staying up to all hours of the night. 

My legs were super tired yesterday - oops - there goes the drums again!  I can see them from my window.  Doesn't look like a film shoot - no cameras or such.  I've no idea what's going on!!!

Anyway, my legs were super tired last night. I checked my Fitbit - only 17,700 steps. No wonder!!!


On that note, I'm out of here as I have to get ready for the day. We have a meeting and then back to the convention center to finish setting up and it's Schoolhouse today!!!!   More on that tomorrow.

Have a super day!!!


Ciao!

By the skin of my teeth!

I know that there are some of you who like to live vicariously through my blog.  However, there are times when perhaps that wouldn't be such a good idea!

Like getting ready for Market which as you know has been a teeny bit stressful. It's not really the sewing and the quilting that has been the issue, it's been the sheer volume of stuff and never mind that those three magazine quilts go into the mix. 

So I finished the last quilt top that I wanted to get done. I didn't need it to be quilted so that was good because there was zero time to get quilted. BUT I had one other tiny project that I thought would be fun so I was merrily working on that last night.  Hey - my plane doesn't leave until late so I've loads of time.

DH was away but would be home in time to take me to the airport.  I heard him come home and then I got a text on my phone stating that there was a gate change for my flight that was leaving in   ONE HOUR and SEVENTEEN MINUTES!!!   WHAT?????   Oh god - what I thought was 11 PM was in fact 9 PM.  How did I mix up 20:55?????   I hate that 24-hour clock - drive me nuts as I can never figure it out. We were to arrive at 23:11 which I knew was 11 PM.  I must have looked at that time and that's what stuck in my head! 

Needless to say that a tiny little panic went through me as I scooped up the project that was on the cutting mat, threw it into a plastic bag and shoved it into my backpack. Thankfully I was all packed. I ran up the stairs and said: "we need to leave NOW!"  It was like I was having a baby and there was NO time to wait!!!

Thankfully I don't live that far from the airport and I made it in plenty of time.  No issues to get through security and they hadn't even started boarding the plane when I arrived.  No problem!!!!   However, I wouldn't recommend that for the faint of heart!

Regardless of the fact that we were flying out two hours earlier than I had expected, it was still a late night by the time we got to the hotel. I was glad to arrive and get into bed.

Now here's the situation around here.  The Minute Maid stadium is a mere couple of minutes walk away.  Guess what has happened?  Yep - the Houston Astros are in the World Series!     They won the first game last night and people went crazy around here even though the team was playing back east.  Imagine what it will be like tomorrow with thousands and thousands of people here to see the game in real life.  It's deadly quiet right now - tomorrow it will be a zoo.

And the cost of the hotel rooms??? More than QUADRUPLED!!!!  I bet they are not happy that the rooms are full of quilters who booked months ago at cheaper rates.
I'm going to try and install the photo editing software that I got a trial for so I'll be able to post some pictures in the next couple of days - well while I'm here at the show. 

I'll tell you all about today - tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

A secret......

There is NO way that I'm going to tell you what needs to be done before the crate leaves next week. And NO way that I'm going to tell you what else needs to be done before I leave.  You all think I'm a loonie tune now - and if you didn't, those numbers would tip the scales for sure.  Nope - I'm keeping all that a huge secret.  Even from myself because if I really understood the sheer amount of work that still needs to be done, I might shut down and there is zero time for that!

So as I work, I'm prioritizing - what can get done in this amount of time. What shortcuts can be taken - amazing how quickly your brain can come up with shortcuts for cutting when there's a deadline. My brain is working overtime but I think I've got all the cutting figured out. Now it's just a question of getting it all cut out and moving onto the sewing part.  So far so good. On track?  Well I would like to have all the cutting done by the end of today but I'm not sure that is going to happen. There's a lot!  But it could be done!  And that would be a relief.  I'm thinking how can I take a portable sewing setup to Houston on the crate. A sewing machine? An ironing board? It can be done!  I'll keep you in the loop as each problem gets solved!

The scrap basket

Don't think I've ever had to empty that scrap basket so often! And it's all going in the garbage and I'm perfectly OK with that!

And it looks like I'm going to be staying home for a couple of days this coming week to get all this stuff sewn. There are so many distractions at work - like my job! -  that's there's no time to sew.   

I rarely get to a quilt store these days unless it happens while I'm travelling.  I miss visiting and seeing what's new in person. I see much on the internet, but it's not nearly the same as seeing it in person!  I had to pick up a quilt from Sew Sister's and decided to brave the traffic yesterday to do so.  Why is traffic geting so stupid?  People are taking more and more chances all the time time and it's freaking me out!  People cutting in and out, cutting people off and speeding. It's totally insane!  Breathe in deep, count to three, hold for three, exhale, count to three. 

So while I was there (there being Sew Sisters - which is about 20 minutes from work), I had to have a peek around the store and look what I found!   Yes - bicycles!  How fun is that. Of course, I had to buy some.  I did pick up a few more things as well. I may or may not share those with you.  I must confess that the purchases that I make in the last couple of months are still sitting in bags on the floor!

Bicycle fabric

There appears to be zero time in getting stuff done!  However you're going to laugh when you see one of the projects that I'm working on!  It was one of those moments of insanity and I'm all for double dipping. If I have a personal project that I can use to help with work, then I'm all about getting it done! Wait for that one!
The problem with some of these is that they are going to get such a small amount of focus time, but takes hours to make that happen.  That's the problem in our industry!

Did you check out the new tab on my blog?  QUILTsocial Blog posts.  Yep, M has been hard at work behind the scenes and has compiled the first two years of posts that I've written for QUILTsocial. I'm super excited about that because it will help me to direct people if I want to show them something specific.  Like there was the video about that twirling of the binding. It's in there somewhere - I need to look at my master list to get the specific post.  But it will happen!  We need to compile the next two years worth of posts - there are fewer of them!  No time though until after Market.

Just so you don't think I'm going to have fun at Houston (Market), although yes, we wiill.  But we have two booths to set up, there are many scheduled meetings with various people over the course of the show and inbetween those meetings, I'll be out checking the floor, catching up with people and doing some research!  And let's not forget that almost every evening, something is scheduled.  And I don't get to go back to my hotel for a nap if I'm tired!  Oh yes - wear comfortable shoes!  But it's all fun if you go with the right mindset!

On that note, I'm out of here.  The girls are somewhat patiently waiting to go to the park, if you call teasing each other and Lexi howling patiently waiting!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Other people's quilts

Yesterday was a very productive day! And I had fun!  Well - almost all day!  I've got a few things that I'm working on - there are the quilts that have deadlines for magazines. This month, there are three of them. There are quilts that I need for my presentation at Quilt Market - there are three of those, technically four, but I managed to farm out one entire quilt yesterday to someone. Phew - that was a huge relief!  Then there are the quilts that we need for our display.  There are a number of those - let's say about 15. I don't know the exact number.  ALL of those quilts are being made by the designer.  Top sewn, quilted, sleeve and label on - the whole deal. I just have to receive the quilt and OOOH  and AAH over it.  However certain circumstances have happened and I seem to have received one quilt and three minis to go with it that are NOT bound and have no sleeve. Then there are two others that I received with no sleeve and no labels.  And let's not forget that huge project that I also have to have done before our crates leave.  Thankfully the numbers of that project have been reduced.

Ok taking all that into consideration, here's where I stand this morning.

First things first - I was working on the cutting table and getting thoroughly frustrated because of the lack of space to lay out borders.

Cutting table, yet again - not entirely useable!

I didn't dare do a clean sweep like I did the last time because that stuff is still sitting on the floor.

Stuff from the last clean sweep!

Nope - this time, I cleared a wee space on the work tables - actually, these are no longer work tables. They're just for storing things at the moment!  Yes - one day - I'll get there!

Once I cleaned the cutting table off, I lined up the projects that I'll be working on in the next couple of weeks. But I've left the front of the cutting table clear so I can easily work on the borders. Do you know how much that helps?  Not just in terms of physical space, but psychological space as well.  It's HUGE.

A useable workspace!

I've added two bags to the table as that project needs to be worked on as well. Let's not forget my laundry basket full of that massive project, but it's still on the floor.


Now let's see what I accomplished.   I worked on Florence Flamingo by Elizabeth Hartman at our last retreat. I had all the blocks together except one because I miscut one of the pieces and had no extra fabric with me.  And of course, it's sat for months.  Now I NEED the top finished and so yesterday it was a pretty easy job to finish the one block and sew the top together.   Isn't it a fun quilt!!!

My version of Florence Flamingo

Next up was to make the binding which took no time.  No backing at the moment. I'll go shopping on Tuesday for that or try to find something in my stash later this weekend.

Binding for the flamingo quilt

 Time to work on OTHER PEOPLE'S QUILTS!!!

I got the bindings made for the three mini quilts. That was easy - two strips each.  Happy to report that all three bindings are completely stitched to the pieces!

Binding for three mini quilts

 And then I made the binding for the lap quilt that matches the mini-quilts. Yes - this binding is also completely stitched to the quilt!

Binding for the lap quilt

 Next up was to make sleeves. I could have gotten away with little triangles in the corners for the sleeve on the minis or even nothing at all as I imagine they will have to be pinned to the curtain because of their size?   But not taking any chances, I made a sleeve for each of them. The sleeves are pinned on and waiting for hand sewing!

Three sleeves for the mini quilts

Next up was a sleeve for a quilt with a scalloped border. Yikes - not an easy task, but I made seven small sleeves and those are also pinned to the quilt and ready for hand stitching. Guess I'll be watching a movie tonight!

Sleeves on a scalloped edge quilt - ready for stitching

I have two more sleeves to make today - one for the lap quilt with the orange binding and one more.  That should finish off all the other people's quilts.  Then I can get back to focusing on my own stuff.

But I was even more productive yesterday because as my ender/leader project while doing all that sewing, I got all the half square triangles for one of the magazine quilts sewn.  Not just sewn, but I trimmed as I went along. A bit more cutting and I'm ready to sew the blocks together.

Some of the trimmings from the HST

I even popped out to do some errands yesterday - I had forgotten to mention to DH that we needed icing sugar in order to make the whipped cream. Finished my book while I sat outside and enjoyed the weather with the girls. Then we went out to dinner and when we got home, I was too tired and not hungry to even eat my pumpkin pie. I went to bed!

So yes - prioritizing and focusing means I'm getting a huge amount of stuff done. Today and tomorrow are going to be more of the same. It'll all happen - it's just a question of watching those deadlines and getting stuff done to meet the dates!

On that note, I'm out of here for today!

Have a super day!

Ciao!

Don't leave me alone!

It's a bit of a sad day as most of our team either left yesterday or they have left this morning. I came down to the lobby early and chatted to them as they waited for their rides.  Now I wait for the rest of the new group to come tomorrow. Oops - just saw a couple more who will likely be leaving soon.  It's just weird as I'm not going home with them.

Yesterday was the last day of Quilt Market. I barely had time to get around the entire floor.  I spent so much time talking to several contacts.  But very excited about some of the opportunities.

Also want to share with you the Block of the Month program that Northcott is doing.  I worked on the project (didn't make the quilt).  I might be teaching this quilt next year so if anyone is interested - let me know.  I absolutely love the colors.

Kaleidoscope by Stephanie Soebbing

Can't wait to make my own version of the quilt.

A few more celebrity photos.  I've certainly earned a reputation of no holds barred.  I wonder where that came from. I remember how in Grade 6 I got into trouble for dismissing a class at the end of the day without permission from the teacher. Oops. Didn't learn from that and I've gotten worse.  I love it!

Speaking of that, I have to tell you this story about Joyce. Joyce does some beautiful work with thread painting on panels. The other night she was off to a dinner with a sponsor of hers. Got on the shuttle and ended up speaking to a couple of women who were off to a Stevie Nicks concert. Ends up they had two extra tickets. So Joyce ditched the sponsor dinner and went to see Stevie Nicks!!!!   Even the shuttle driver got into the conversation - he wasn't going to let Joyce off at her stop - they all said, "you only live once!" I love it!!!!  And Joyce did speak to the sponsor the next day and all is good.

More star gazing.  I'm sorry Susan, but I saw Alex and thought of you when we took this photo.

Me and Alex Anderson

No shame!!!!  There were more people around and obviously more coming to the next show. Oh yes, I did see Paula Nadelstern as well, but no picture as she was buzzing off to her class.

Let's see - I also saw, Dawn Cavanaugh from APQS, Claudi Pfeil, Marti Michell, Virginia Wolf, Barb Vlack, Sue Patten and Dusty Farrell.  I'm sure there are many others whose names I've forgotten or didn't recognise.

And there was the incident!  Well not an incident, but Susan Claire stopped by our booth on her scooter. She is a riot and I asked if I could take her scooter for a spin.

Having fun on Susan Claire's scooter

I've never been on a scooter before. So I start in a circle around our booth.  "How do I stop?????", I yelled.  "Just stop pushing with your leg!" was the response I got. OH!  I guess what I meant was how do I stop and not fall off?  It was loads of fun and would be a great way to zip around the convention center. But not when Festival starts as it will be much more crowded.  And I've noticed that pretty much all the service people at the convention center have some sort of motorised vehicle to get around - golf carts or scooters or segways.  I want a segway but they don't rent them - only a four wheeled scooter.

It was late when we packed up the booth. I was so tired, I barely ate anything. Off to bed and then up early - just because!

Today is a bit of a rest day. Some of us are going to visit a couple of quilt stores - yes - I will leave my credit card at home - I mean the hotel. And then we get the fun task of setting up the new booth.  Got to be ready for the show opening tomorrow at 5 PM.

Oh - when I unpacked the crate and went through my duffle bag, guess what I found? Yep - my Halloween headband and my power cord. All is good in the world!!!

On that note, I'm out of here.

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!

Star Gazing

There are numerous people who are here at Quilt Market because it is their job. But sending a quilter to Quilt Market is like sending a kid to the candy store. This is not work! This is play 24/7.

Not only do we get to see some of the latest and greatest stuff, but we get to see all kinds of quilt stars. Tish had asked me to check out the latest Tula Pink fabric - a cat fabric and well - the fabric doesn't ship until March, so why not get a picture of me with Tula as a compensation.

me with Tula Pink

Tish - I got you a catalogue so you have something to fondle until the fabric ships!!!!

I've earned myself a reputation for being bold.  As if that wasn't known before. I've been snapping pictures of EVERYONE's booth (for my personal viewing pleasure of course) and when I'm back home and missing Market, I can browse through the photographs for memories!  I've no shame in picking up literature from anyone - yes even other people who sell fabric!  That's why a scarf is so darn convenient -it can hide your name badge! Oops - did I say that out loud?

We were invited to a party by the American Patchwork people as they celebrated the launch of their new logos for their magazines. We had a great time, learned a super cool story about how Jody Sanders (their Senior Editor) got inspired into quilting when she was 25.  Through her grandma and a quilt.  It's a beautiful story. And I got a picture of Jody and her quilt. Just can't post it yet.

While at the party, one of my Facebook friends suggested that I need a picture of Edyta Sitar. I had been in her booth earlier in the day, but other groupies were occupying her time.  Next thing I knew, there was Edyta leaving the party at the same time. So I asked her for a photo and voila -

Edyta Sitar and me

See what I mean about that scarf???   I have a name badge on, my little purse and a camera - all is concealed by that scarf!!!

I also ran into Susan Claire from New Zealand who is going to be at Festival with her latest Block of the Day quilt.

The Gourmet Quilter with her latest Block a day (for a year) quilt

Let's see what else?  I have to say that I did NOT wear running shoes yesterday and I was fine with all the walking. I think my knees are starting to settle down.  Just a lot of walking that first day and I was extremely tired. I'm back to my old self!

I did walk the floor with greater depth yesterday. Saw some cool stuff - got more contacts and I still have a LOT of the floor to walk today. But not before I go back and chat to a few people that I missed yesterday.  Imagine that there are others that want to talk to these people.  I'm out there to make contacts and collect free stuff!  I'm kidding - I'm on the hunt for contacts for various things that I want to teach or use for future projects.

Now I have to tell you this story about the missing fabric. It was a test of the quilter's soul. In the room where my Schoolhouse presentation was held, we saw a fairly large (not huge), pile of fabric in the corner. Hmmmmm - this is really cute fabric - it had a knitting theme.  We looked at each other and thought - this would be fun to have. My colleague said she saw it first, but taking it would be stealing so we left it. I know - we left it and it was cute cute cute!!!!  There was also a fabric ornament that didn't really go with the collection.

I had to go back to the room at the end of the day because I've lost the power cord for my laptop. Not my fault - that's a whole other story.  The fabric was still there. Hmmmmm - if I leave it there - it will get tossed. So I picked up the bundle and the ornament and put it in my bag. I knew who the fabric company was, but I didn't drop it at their booth.

Then yesterday as I was wondering the aisles, I saw the booth with the designer of this fabric. I was oohing and aahing over it and decided to fess up that I had found her fabric. It's the strike-offs so it's not the quality that you would buy in the shops.  She was super thrilled as she didn't even know it was missing. I handed the fabric over (and my card so she could send me a piece of it when it comes out!!!)  Oh god - I'm so pathetic!  As if I need more fabric, but this was a super cute design. It's by Henry Glass called Knit Happy.     Carla - check it out - it's adorable!!!!!!

The ornament didn't belong to her, but she thought it looked like Patrick Lose. So off to Patrick's booth.  I'm dangling the ornament in my hand and was aiming for Patrick who was in the booth.  I mean if you're going to return something - go to the top!  I was waylaid by one of his booth employees at the edge and she took it from me!!!!   Darn - next time - hide that damn ornament under the scarf until I get to my destination!  

But all in all - while it hurt to part with that knitting fabric, I felt good that I make that designer's day!

Madly making more notes this morning in my little book and now it's time to get ready for the day.  It's Halloween and I brought my costume. A headband with a bright orange bow.  BUT - I can't find it which means, it must have gotten left in my duffle bag on the crate!!!!!   GRRRRRRRR - I'm ticked off or perhaps it's in the same place as the power cord for my laptop.  Oh well - live and learn.

Oh yes, I was in a lecture with the Schmetz people yesterday morning and I thought I knew a lot about needles before - I learned a couple of things.  What fun!!!!!

On that note - I'm out of here. It's almost time for breakfast!

Have a super, super day - and hello to all my Monday friends!!!!  I'm thinking of you!  And I must find Jan today!

Ciao!

Coming Up for AIR!!!!

It's been a bit of a whirlwind and I don't think I've ever gone so long without blogging.  I literally didn't have time!

Thursday was a travel day. My flight was early in the morning and once we landed, it was time to have a quick lunch and then get to the convention center so we could set up the booth. Set-up went smoothly but it's a big job and of course takes more than one day to do it.

I think we finally had dinner around 7 PM and I was so tired (from NOT sleeping - well not much the night before) that I had a hard time to keep my eyes open during dinner.  I did a LOT of sewing the previous night so I could get some last minute things prepped for the show.  Yes - better timing would be great.  Next time, I will do that - it's OK to leave some last minute things, but there were a LOT of last minute things.   I was in my room and within minutes, I was in bed and fast asleep.  I did not wake up once!  

Then we were up early as we had a meeting first thing in the morning and then back to the convention center to finish prepping the booth. Never mind that it was Schoolhouse day and we had three presentations (two of them were mine) and that it's a long walk from the main floor to the Schoolhouse area.  My FitBit showed over 20,0000 steps yesterday. Yes my knee is swollen and it's slightly painful (just from the swelling), but at least it's not like it was a couple of weeks ago.  Or - I would be renting a scooter for sure!!!

I managed to attend a couple of other Schoolhouses as well - hey - I'm on the hunt for ways to improve/teach things for myself and in turn for work. I brought a notebook just for taking notes for Market and I've already got pages and pages of notes in my book and we haven't even started the show!!

I do have appointments today (and had a couple yesterday), but my camera and I are going to walk the floor to take pictures.  There is so much to see and learn here.

I was going to go to Sample Spree last night, but it was sold out and they wouldn't let casuals in until 8 PM.  I was so tired, I was not going to wait one hour. I hadn't eaten lunch or dinner at this point, so back to the hotel where I met up with a couple of others in the lobby and had a drink and dinner and then off to bed.

It's been go-go-go since the plane landed.  The next couple of days should be busy, but much quieter and less walking - I hope, although we have plans on all evenings and I'm taking some classes in the morning so not tons of spare time, but I'll blog when I can.

On that note, I'm hungry and I need to get myself to the breakfast table.

Have a super awesome day!!!!

Ciao!!!

365 days is a long long time

Have you ever noticed how we get ourselves into trouble?  And it happens in a blink of an eye.

There are TWO Block of the day quilts happening this year.  Yes - Block of the DAY.  It was bad enough when it was Block of the MONTH, then we had Block of the week, but Block of the DAY? Think about it - that is 365 blocks in ONE year.  Imagine that you spend just ONE hour per day to make that block - that's a lot of hours.

As you know, I signed up for not one, but TWO of the quilts.

That Town and Country Quilt by The Gourmet Quilter

I haven't started this one yet, but I do have my fabrics picked.

This is the second one.

365 Block a Day challenge quilt 

 I made it to February 17th. But I know people who are up-to-date!!!!   Holy cow!!!!   I can't even begin to imagine.  I'm so far behind, I don't even get notifications of updates in the Facebook groups anymore!!!!


Now I understand that the 365 block a day challenge is going to run again in 2017.  I may have a chance to get it done???   I doubt it, but I might actually make it to March!!   I'm going to start in January when it's calmer?  Maybe, I'll start in December - it'll be dead then and I can actually get some of the blocks completed.  I'd love to get the center done!  Wish me luck!!!!

Now The Gourmet Quilter is releasing a NEW Block of the Day quilt.  You can check it out here.   I will see that quilt later this week and I WILL just walk past with blinders on.  I WILL NOT sign up.  I WILL NOT sign up!

Please give me some willpower to NOT SIGN UP!!!

Making good progress on my crazy to do list.  I'm actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel which is a good thing since there are two days left. After that - well, it just won't happen except for some hand stitching.  So that means heads down - focus. Never mind that I'm still writing patterns and handouts as well.

Better run!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!

Yes - there is a light at the end of the tunnel

I'm not going to shock you with the details of my day yesterday.  I have no idea how many quilts were bound - I do know that I did quilt two. I was aiming for three, but too tired to make that happen. 

The day did NOT start well.  My allergies kicked in full time and my eyes were watering so bad, I could barely see what I was sewing.  Perhaps that and the clogged sinuses were the reason that TWO bindings got put on the FRONT of the quilt, not the back.  RIP RIP RIP!!!!

This is what the bags looked like on Sunday morning. 

Bags waiting to be filled

And this is what they looked like this morning.  Filled to overflowing.  That's great news.  There were three that had the binding stitched on only one side, but now everything (in those bags) is done!!!!!

Overflowing bags!

I was going to save some time and serge the edges, but NO. The binding is on all the projects that are completed so far.

And what does the studio look like???  There is still LOTS to do before I leave, but the bulk is being shipped.  The rest will go in the suitcase.

Before

After

Now what hasn't been completed did get shoved into ONE of my tote bags. Yep - just one!!!   That will be my thing to work on for the next three days.  Get as much done as possible.  

I did NOT eat well yesterday.  Pauline had brought me a pumpkin spice muffin the day before - that evil girl!  And yesterday - well I thought I deserved another one, however when I stopped at TIm's - there were NO pumpkin spice muffins, no fruit explosion and thus I was reduced to taking a blueberry.  Nothing wrong with blueberry, but it's NOT pumpkin spice. Then I had a cupcake for dessert at dinner and licorice.  It was NOT one of my better eating days.  Bottom line - my weight is very much in check so I'm not going to complain.

Thankfully my allergies didn't hang around all day - they were on and off which was very annoying.  But I got loads done.

On that note - I'm back to work!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Quilt Market - Day One

Yesterday was a very long day.

Never mind that I got home the evening before at 9 PM and had to pack for the trip.  I know - I know -  who leaves everything to the last minute.  But I got it all packed and I was ready!

The flight was at 7:45 AM so there was ample time to get to the airport without getting up at a ridiculous time.  Couldn't do pre check-in because we were flying United, but that process went very smooth, as did getting through Customs.  "Where are you going?"    "Tradeshow."  "Have a nice day."    Christina got a different Customs agent and got grilled.  I sailed through security as well - just take your shoes off - but everyone had to take their shoes off.  And I was through - very painless.

Then a long long walk down a hallway to get to the gate. I missed the Tim's because it was down another aisle.  No worries - I found a bagel shop and ate there.

The flight was pretty uneventful and Christina and I had a good chat since we ended up sitting beside each other in the back of the plane. 

A car awaited us at the airport and we were off to downtown Houston.

Of course - our rooms were not ready when we arrived so a quick bite in the restaurant and off to the convention center which is walking distance from where we are staying.  Some of our group was already here, but the plane behind us got delayed by an hour.

I remember the convention center with the big red pipes and the big round windows.  I was here in 1999 but I remember that and likely took pictures!!!!   BUT the area around the Convention Center is a MESS.  A huge construction mess.  The sidewalks around the center are closed off, no signage - oh yes - it's a mess. But we entered through the Hall A door and we were good  Quickly found our booth - right at the front - and the crates were open and some of the crew was starting to unpack. 

We have three very large metal structures that have to be assembled. And they have to be assembled in a specific order. The first one went smoothly, the second one - I screwed up.  I had the numbers in the right order, but counterclockwise, not clockwise. DUH!!!!    Not before we laid all the floor tiles.  I think we are 20 feet wide and 80 or 100 feet in length.  That is a LOT of floor tile.  I would never complain about Alma's booth at 10 by 30 again!!!! 

Of course - it is muggy here and we were all soon drenched in sweat.  I never thought to bring shorts - DUH - well I guess I did and I didn't pack them.  Note to self for next show - bring shorts!!!!

We managed to get the structures up, the lights on and some of the other display units assembled.  Today apparently is an even bigger day as we hang the drapes, the quilts and the fabric squares.  I can hardly wait!!   Today is also Schoolhouse so I'll be making the presentation with Patti.  We also have a meeting where I'll be meeting all the reps and everyone I didn't meet yesterday.

I took several spins around the show halls yesterday.  Seriously - this is like letting a kid loose in a candy store.  I mean - this is HUGE - all the products, all the designers, - it is fabulous!!!!!   I met Debra from Zebra Designs - she designed the graphics for the license plates.  Actually, I think she can up with the idea for the license plates.  No pictures - we were all a mess yesterday. Perhaps today!

We left the convention center around 6. Had to get my room and then worry about something to eat although I wasn't very hungry.  I got my room and there was a fruit/cheese tray welcoming me to the room.  That was just about all that I needed. I hopped into bed, ate my way through the fruit and cheese and fell asleep.  I was EXHAUSTED.

Today is another day!!!!   As much hard work as all this is - I'm very excited to be here.  

Don't forget - today is the last day of my blog posts on QUILTSocial.   I don't have access to the internet at the hotel - too cheap to cough up the dough.  I'll upload at the convention center later this morning.

On that note - have a great day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!   

Organization - is it worth it?

I am a Virgo and we have a tendancy to love organizing things. I must admit that there are times and places where I am not the most organized person and if you could see my studio right now - well you would say that it is a tad unorganized.

Ah - chaos!!!!!

Yes - it actually looks like chaos there and I have 8 people coming to sew next weekend.  I think a bit of tidying up will be in order!!!!

I have this sign which I love, but there are times when one must be organized a bit more.

Case in point - at work we are prepping for Quilt Market.  We have three large booths - each one is 20' by 20'.  They will be filled with quilts and fabric samples - thankfully NOT notions as I have had to set up at Creative Festival.  Still - set up takes more than one day and that is with a LOT of hands on deck.

Prior to getting to Market, there is a TON of work that needs to be coordinated. Partly by me and partly by others. I am absolutely paranoid that something is going to slip through the cracks.  I am in charge of the paperwork - yep - me - paperwork.  Do you see where I am coming from with that one?  It is one thing to wiggle yourself out of a corner if it affects only yourself, but in a very public space like this - well it isn't quite so easy!   I spent a good part of yesterday making a list - it is not a big list, but it has all the key dates on it with things that have to be done - mostly by me - but that is OK - it is my list after all.

And what kinds of things have to be done.  Well - I am washing fabric this morning - lots and lots of fabric for garments that must be sewn BEFORE we leave.  Thank god for a Mother-in-Law who has excellent tailor skills.  A quick trip to Fabricland to get the necessary extras and I am off to see her.  She is so good - she doesn't need patterns, although I will have patterns for a couple of items.  Yes - you will see them, but NOT before Market.  I don't want to spoil the surprise.

There are a "few" quilts and runners that need to be made before we leave.  I won't go into details on that one, but let's just say that the fabric is still in Asia.  Hey - this stuff is HOT off the press. Thankfully I have quilters standing at the ready to get their hands on the fabric the moment it hits the loading dock. Long armers are standing by to take the completed projects and GOD FORBID, but those bindings will be stitched down by machine.  I'll just pretend I didn't see that. I'm NOT doing that part - I can't bear to do it!

I've prepared a schedule of events and times and locations for the time that we are at Market.  I have a couple of small paperwork items to do and I think I am done.   Even though that took a lot of time yesterday to create that list - I feel much more in control and less likely that something is going to go amiss. Talk about tight deadlines!

I am constantly e-mailing myself at work (when I am at home) or myself at home (when I am at work) with things that need to be added to the appropriate list - the home list or the work list!

And let's not forget that we are already gearing up for the next show in February and another one in May so I will be hopping as I keep things up to speed on those shows. But you know me - I just LOVE that kind of thing and I'm in my glory.  I'm sure one day - someone will slap my wrist and tell me that I don't need to get so enthusiastic - but NO - that is never going to happen.

However I have to say that I have become much more efficient with my time - for the most part! And let's just say that after my class this morning - I will be sewing/quilting my little heart out because I also have a quilt or two that needs to be done by Market.

I had lunch with Sophie yesterday. This is the third time I have gone out for lunch near the office and each time it has been about license plates. That is another area where I desperately need a list. I still owe plates to about 5 people and about 7 people still owe me plates and I owe people money.  I can't finish off the swaps until I get everything in hand.  It is a bit frustrating because I really really want this to be over.  It is taking a lot of time to keep track of, but I think once I have my list - then it won't be so bad.  The problem is trying to get everything swapped and NOT have any duplicates left over.

So Sophie walks into Panera Bread with this.....................  (like she's a drug dealer or something!)  I'm kidding but I had to laugh when I saw it.

Sophie's suitcase

I love the suitcase and she got it for a couple of dollars at a thrift shop.  How lucky was she!!!!

And inside the suitcase????   Yep - that is all her rows and kits and license plates for Row by Row.   She has some gorgeous ones - she did a lot of trading on-line.

Kits, plates and patterns

While she was collecting for herself, she collected a few for me as well.  

New additions to my license plate collection

 I will show you the license plate stacks - yes - there are TWO huge stacks of the things.  Not sure how that happened, but it did!!!!   And like I said - there are still quite a few more yet to come.  OK - I am exaggerating - let's say no more than 20 - yes - there are at least 20 more to come.  See - if I had that list - I could tell you right away!!!!


Speaking of organizing -  I am still cutting for Misty Pines.  Trust me - you are tired of hearing me say that - I am even more tired of cutting!  Although I do like cutting. I just turn on the radio and I am good to go.

The good news is that I am delivering TWO kits today.  Yes - I have been through all 12 fabrics once and there are kits. Which is a good thing because I have a class next weekend.

Two kits for Misty Pines

 Now I must got back though the other 10 fabrics and make up the rest of the bits that I am missing. I am not sure that I will even get my sample started.  Depends on much sleep I get this week.  Oh no - I can't miss my sleep.  I have to go to bed at the same time every night or I am a wreck, but I can wake up early and I am OK.


Speaking of prepping - I am teaching two classes today.  My on-going classes that are one hour each. So I am prepping this morning - getting everything organized. Then I look at the book with my class schedule in it and realize that I have already prepped today's class and in fact I was prepping for next month.  Ah - now how often does that happen?????


But I've been photocopying, e-mailing and making lists since very early this morning.  I am in CONTROL!!!!


I snapped this picture on my way home the other night.  This is the view from three blocks north of our office.  Yep - that is Canada's Wonderland just behind Vaughn Mills shopping center.  You can tell I don't get out much when that excites me!!!!

Roller coasters from Canada's Wonderland behind the Vaughn Mills mall

On that note - I still have stuff to get organized for the day - no I want to get those stupid license plates organized.


Have a great day!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!