Shirley's breakdown!

Good morning Shirley!

There are times where I have so many pictures that I don't know where to start.  Shirley very graciously cropped and sized these photos for the blog and today's the day they get published!

This goes back to the breakdown of our booth at QuiltMarket.  I cannot have you thinking that going to Market is all shopping and fun.  Nope - two days to put the booth up - and because it was humid there - it was not a pretty picture.  We were all sweating!  However what goes up, must come down and thankfully the break down was MUCH faster - a total of four hours. Brian has an agenda which he didn't share with me until we were almost done - two hours to tear the booth down and two hours to pack the crates.

Let's see how Shirley perceived the break down.

The first thing is pack up all the paper, shade cards and other bits from all the selling stations. While some are doing that, others are taking down the quilts, the fabric squares and the drapes. The quilts ae rolled up and will be placed in plastic bags and then loaded onto the crates.

Quilts rolled up

Quilts rolled up, fabric squares and black drapes are ready to be packed

Once the paper has been put away, the tables and chairs need to be folded up and put away.

Booth is very empty at this point

Grouping stuff in preparation for packing - that is a LONG booth

While we had many many hands on deck to do the tear down, there isn't always a job for everyone.  Sometimes we have to wait for one task to be done before we can move onto the second task.  And hey - sometimes we just needed a break

Debbie and Hannia taking a quick break

Then the lights come down

Team work required to get the lights down without breaking anything!!!!

Then the structures come apart in pieces

This is probably the worst job - well it isn't that hard - much easier to take it down than put it up. It just requires a few people to get it down without injuring anyone or damaging the structure.  Next year - I'll have to give Shirley a video camera!

Paul and Dee packing up the lights

The timing was perfect this year.  In exactly two hours everything was down and then it took another two hours to load those crates.  Just as we were finishing the tear down - the crates arrived by the union guys at the convention center.  Couldn't have asked for more perfect timing on that one.

Debbie and Deborah tearing up the floor

Rich carrying a box of something???

Until stuff started to go into the crates - it all looked very chaotic.

The crates have arrived and the packing begins

The smallest crate packed with all the extra stuff

That's where I shoved my box of stuff to come back home.   I was hoping in the pictures that I would spot the missing tote bag - but nope - I don`t see it.  I wonder what happened to it.  It is probably still on the crate somewhere????????

The big crates open on both ends.  We couldn't get one end open on one crate when we first arrived so people had to crate dive to get stuff out!  I did get a picture - I'll try to load it one day.

Crate is almost packed

Brian loading the last of the structure onto the crate

 Three structures - three crates!    But we were done in  - I think it was 4 hours and about 10 minutes.  Very impressive as it is a huge job, but everyone pitched in and we got the job done.

Oh and yes we had snacks - HEALTHY snacks (love Shirley's name for the photo file!)

Healthy snacks!!!!

Now that I have loaded the pictures - I have a couple of observations. Let me start by saying that Shirley is one of our Sales Reps in the US. She is a quilter, got lots of ideas (OK - call it like is - opinions!) and well we got along like two peas in a pod!!!  

I noticed that there were a LOT of pictures of the boss - Brian in the yellow shirt. There was ONLY one very distant picture of me as I was ripping up the floor tiles.  So - is that a good thing or a bad thing?  At least there wasn't one of me sitting down - how would I explain that to everyone! And perhaps Shirley edited out the bad ones of me and that's why there aren't any!  Or I was moving so fast that all the pictures that had me in them were too blurry - Oh yes - that's what happened!!!!!

So now you know how much work is involved in tearing down a show and thanks to Shirley for the photos!!!!!


Here's an update on the iPod situation.  Both Rose and Helen Anne were not having the same trouble as I was.  However I spoke to Helen Anne in person the other night and AHA - here's the problem.  They are using their iPod Touch (which connects directly to the internet) and using OverDrive so you are 100% on an Apple device.  I am using the iPod Nano which requires being linked to the computer (in my case - a non Apple computer).   Apple doesn't like that and requires that ALL uploads go through iTunes.  None of this direct transfer stuff - OH NO!!!!   And Tracey Ann mentioned something about an embedded code in the downloaded books that would delete the files upon expiration.  Well - my library mustn't be doing that because NONE of the books that I have downloaded and several have been there for years - they are still there.  I will delete them when I run out of space.


Now here's a licene plate update.   I have sorted through the US and the Canadian ones. And of course - I want MORE.  So I am working my way through the list province by province.   I am good for Quebec - no plates, PEI - only one plate and I have it.  Three in New Brunswick and I got those three.  There are two in Nova Scotia. I got one and Mary was supposed to get the other, but when it wasn't ready for pick up she cancelled the order.  DUH!!!!!   Oh well - so if anyone has this plate and is willing to part with it - I'd be happy to buy it from you.


The store is caled Atlantic Fabrics - they are sold out - don't bother calling.  I need to find someone who has it and willing to sell/trade.


There are five in Saskatchewan and Susan did a great job of collecting four of the five for me, but I am missing this one.




 The store is called Shirley's Sewing Room in Moosemin.  Again - they are sold out.  I need to find someone to trade/buy from.


There are three in Manitoba. I am missing one, but called the store and that one is winging its way to me.


That leaves BC, Alberta and Ontario to post later.


Oh yes - I am like a dog with a bone at work.  I managed to rejig that EQ7 file that had the incorrect fabric scan and waiting for the new file to be created by our graphic team and it will get uploaded to the internet next week.  Still one more pattern instruction to edit and then the process starts all over again. I think I still have at least four more patterns (that I wrote or writing) to get done.  I need to take one or two days and just clear it off my plate.  So much more stuff coming in that I have to get this done.


On that note - I am out of here.  Got a pretty wide open weekend.  Two short classes this morning and then LOTS of long arming this weekend.

Have a great day!!!!!


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