Quilt Festival - Day Two

Good grief - I see the post from yesterday didn't post and that is very frustrating.  You see the internet is weird.  You have to set up the log in when you connect to the internet. Then technically you should be connected anytime you want.  However I AM connected to the internet, but I'm only able to post the blog when I get that log in and I was certain I had that log in come up yesterday.  Today, I can't make that log-in come up at all.   Oh yes -me and technology. I've been pretty good so far.

Had breakfast by myself yesterday.  I think that was the first meal that I ate by myself and it was nice to just relax and enjoy. No business, no quilt talk - just peace and quiet.

Off to the class of the day which started at 9:00 AM. Another class by Cheryl Sleboda called Cartooning for Quilters!   I know - why would I take that?  Well I really wanted long arm classes but they were long gone and well - I like this kind of thing so I signed up.  And the only supply we needed was a pair of scissors. I like that!!!!   We spent the morning learning to draw.  Actually it was a very good class and once you set yourself down to draw those kinds of things - it was pretty easy. Of course - I have relaxed my style a LOT since I first started to quilt - many years ago.

A two hour lunch break - again - there were lectures you could attend, but not for me. I grabbed my book and sat and read for two hours and finished the book just in time to get back to class.

The afternoon was spent making some little cartoon pieces. I really had fun with them and now I can take some of the other techniques I learned  and embellish and quilt the pieces.  The whole thing for me is to FREE up the process.  Have fun with quilting instead of making quilts. I guess - I want to do the art side of the quilting and I never seem to have time.  Well - I made THREE little pieces in a matter of a couple of hours.  They just need to be finished which wouldn't really take long once I get to a sewing machine.

The class was supposed to go until 5 PM, but we didn't really need all that time. Although there were a few in the class who had never used fusibles before so they needed some extra help.  One of the winners from the previous night was in the class so I had a chat with her. Funny enough, the technique on her winning quilt was fusible applique!!!!

Before I get to the BIG event of the day, here are a couple of crazy stories to share with you.

There is a Starbucks here. It was so cold the previous day, that in the afternoon - I desperately wanted a tea. I went to their kiosk and ordered a goodie and a hot chocolate.  Why I ordered the hot chocolate, I don't know because I hate their hot chocolate.  Anyway - it came to 7.95.  I only had twenty dollar bills or a five. She took the five and said that was good enough since she didn't have a lot of change. Yesterday I went back in the afternoon to buy a tea, a goodie and a small sandwich.  I asked for the sandwich first and the cashier yelled at someone in the back to put the sandwich in the toaster.  Then between the cashier talking to another cashier - I attempted to place my order.  It was extremely rude and I was going to call her on it, but I didn't. Then I paid her - it was 5.95.  When I moved to the side to wait for my stuff I realized her mistake - she didn't charge me for the sandwich and I wasn't about to correct her.  That was her fault for yapping so much when trying to take my order.  I now know why I hate StarBucks, but so far, I'm ahead when it comes to paying them.

Let me tell you about my hotel room.  There is a fan in the middle of the room which helps with air circulation. It also has a light that is controlled by a switch at the door when you walk in.  I think it was the second night that I was here, I woke up and that damn light was on.  How????   I've no idea.  But since I didn't turn the light on and had never turned that light on - I had no idea where it was controlled. I finally found the switch and turned it off.  But how did it get on???   If I was the nervous type - I guess I wouldn't have been able to get back to sleep - but I had NO problems.  When I got back to the hotel last night - the light was on again.  Is is a faulty switch or a ghost????

One thing I hate is having the bed made.  GASP!!!!!   I know - but when you first get into a bed in a hotel, the sheets are so tight - it is impossible to sleep.  And then they come and make the bed and then you have the same issue the next night.  Well - if you hang a certain tag on the door, they won't come in and clean the room and make the bed.  You get a $5 coupon that is good to use in the restaurant.  Once I learned that - I hang that sign on the door every day and my bed is nice and messy and VERY comfy for sleeping.   So yes - it wasn't the hotel staff who left that light on!

But things aren't cheap here - like a bottle of water.  I think the other day when I bought a sandwich for $8 at the convention center, and then I added a bottle of water - I paid $13 for that.  Seriously?????   Thankfully, they have water coolers in the classroom area so you take your own bottle and fill it up and you are good.

I mentioned earlier about the police presence here.  No security guards - these are police officers.  As I was standing in the line last night to get into Festival, I mentioned it to someone because as we entered Festival - there was a paramedic and two police officers at the door.  A lady I spoke with said that theft was a HUGE problem at Festival and for me to hang onto my purse tightly. Now that is appalling, but I am hoping that it is a NON-quilter who is the thief and they are here because they know there is a lot of money on the floor.  I would hate to think that some sweet little grey haired lady is the culprit. So tightly clutching my possessions - I entered the floor.

Wednesday night was preview night.  If you were an International Quilt Association member, you could get into Festival starting at 5 PM.  If you had enrolled in a class, you could also get in at 5.  Otherwise, you could get in at 7 PM.  Since I had been in a class and since I was here at Market, I got in for free at 5 PM.  The line ups were HUGE!!!!!!

My first thought was to run to that booth where they had the orange bicycle fabric.  I couldn't remember the booth number, nor the aisle, nor the name of the store.  I went to where I thought it was and couldn't find it.  Seriously??????   So I walked the entire back of the show as she was the last booth in her row.  Nothing.  So I walked ALL the aisles and still nothing.  That took one hour! I know - I saw nothing but walked very fast. I thought I was losing my mind so I decided to stop wasting time and start going down the aisles to see what good things there were.

As I was doing the mad rush, I came upon Riley Blake booth (I know - a competitor but I wasn't deterred. I just turned my name bag over so they couldn't see I was from Northcott.  After all, I am here for research. They had a giveaway for the first 50 people who participated.  You had to visit three shops in the Festival - get a punch on your card and then return for the bag.  Yep - I did it right away and got back within 10 minutes (I walk very fast) and got my freebie.

So I started in aisle 29.  I have decided to not look at anything primitive.  There are some absolutely adorable stuff, but that style just isn't fitting on my plate at the moment.  That helped to weed out some booths.  No finished items (well except for one) - no jewelry, no mops or massage items.  I'm still on the lookout for pattern ideas, block of the month and then stuff for me!!!!!   I did see some booths with huge displays of Northcott fabric which warms my heart.

Instead of shopping, I picked up their card and with my handy pen, I wrote the booth number on the card and exactly what I was interested in and sometimes the price so it would be easy to go back.  Those cards went in my name tag holder.  A couple of booths, I traded cards with the store owner or designer.

I did three aisles and then decided to visit the quilts which of course were at the other end of the hall - which is about a couple of city blocks down the convention center.  The exhibits opened at 7 PM.  So I wandered through half of the exhibits. Well probably not quite half when I look at the floor plan. I did not stop and study each quilt to see how they matched seams or the quilting.  If the quilt didn't appeal to me - I moved on.  We are talking a GREAT number of pieces of art.  I did find some amazing quilts and some fabulous ideas.  I won't be posting any of them - the photography rules are too strict and I'll just not rock the boat by not posting any. I met my counterpart (more or less) at Moda as they have a huge display of quilts to celebrate their 40th anniversary. And there is a quilt made of the Mark Dunn (I hope that is his name) who is the owner of Moda.  I wonder if we could make that for Brian????

There were some amazing quilts, some great concepts and well - they were spectacular.  But there were some that were just OK as well.  Many that were OK.  This is a congregation of a lot of quilt shows and you may not like some of the styles.  One display I was particularly perturbed at was the Kaffe Fassett display.  He had the original quilts that inspired his designs.  Remember the quilt called Radiation (or something like that) - well the original quilt was hanging.  Of course - it really isn't a pretty quilt - it is old.  But big signs NO PICTURES.   And why not????   Because if you want pictures - you have to buy the books.  The books weren't there for sale, but you know.  Despite the signs for no photography, I heard the Keeper of the Quilts loudly reminding a lady to NOT take pictures.  Seriously - she couldn't see the sign????  I think the keeper made her delete the photos too. 

There were modern log cabins made with satin - they weren't really appealing to me despite the fact that I like log cabin. Lots of antique and artsy quilts in the section I was in.  I left the good stuff for today.   So I wondered around the quilts for about 2 hours or was that three - I have no clue.  Then decided to walk all the way back to the other end of the convention center to take up where I had left off in my "shopping".

I continued my business card collecting process - writing down the booth numbers and the items I wanted.  It wasn't that big - but big enough if I buy everything I saw that intrigued me. I saw this one quilt which I am going to buy - it is a year long project slated to start in January 2016.  One quilt block a day - they are cartoonish (perfect!) and they are tiny.  The gourmetquilter.com is the designer.  It all comes via e-mail and it looks like so much fun.   People all over the world are signing up for the project - there will be a Facebook page and well - it looks amazing. I am seriously contemplating this one.

I decided my last row would be 20.  I walked down 21 and then had to walk up 20 and THERE IT WAS.  My missing booth.  Oh yes - I walked past that booth how many times????   You would think I would have recognized the quilts in the booth, but NOPE - I did not. Anyway - there was the bag and there was the orange bike fabric.  It was 9:30 PM.   What a dunce.  Anyway - I took all they had (2.25 yards - it was on sale) and a yard of another color way.  I also bought their book with the tote bag in it.  It was about 9:45 PM by the time I reached the end of the aisle and that was it for me.  The show closed at 10 PM and I walked back to the hotel to get something to eat. I never get hungry at these silly shows, but force myself to eat to keep my energy up!

I sat in the bar and had a salad (they were serving until 11 PM) that night. Thank goodness.  I would imagine that the lobby of the Hilton was CRAMMED with quilters.  There were NO other quilters in site in our lobby. No other women for that matter. What bliss.  I sat there and went through my cards to see which ones would go it the keep pile and which ones would go in the deal with at home pile.  That shortened the list by about 4 cards and now I will have to sort through even more to figure out what I actually want (and can afford) to buy.  Oh - and put in my suitcase.

Did I  mention that some stores have brought their license plates with them.  I picked up four different ones last night - Texas, Minnesota and Indiana - from Yoders!

Let me go and figure out how to get that damn internet sign up to come up so I can post both of these blog posts.  So sorry about that. I'm sure Shirley and Susan and all the others were in a tizzy because there was no post to read!

Have a great day!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!