Spring Market - Day Three

Or is that day one?  I don't know, but it was the first day of the show being open. What a day!!!!

I forgot that we had a sales meeting first thing in the morning and so I had also booked a class with Helen Stubbings. My first priority was to the meeting and once I had said my spiel and listened to most of the stuff, I hustled up to Helen's class and picked up my kit.  At least I was going to get the kit!   It was on redwork embroidery and she has a beautiful, new block of month (13 small embroidery blocks) that are fun. We got one of the blocks to work on in the class.

Razz-a-dazzle by Helen Stubbings - hugs n kisses

I think I have another class with her this morning on English Paper Piecing.  Can't wait.

Technically, I don't have a job here. No need to man the booth and that is wonderful.  Although, I have helped out with some of the customers, showing them quilts, answering questions and bringing in a sales lead or two.  My main focus is to walk the floor, getting ideas, new patterns, new pattern designers, etc.  I know - it's a tough job, but someone has to do it!!!  Seriously - it's hard work - chatting to everyone. 

I'm not sure that I can even describe how it works.  But a lot of companies have designers that design a line of fabric for them. Often those designers did something else prior to designing fabric - like design patterns or teach quilting or something.  So I got to meet a lot of people yesterday - yes - all those big name people are here!  I met Amanda Murphy, Helen Stubbings, oh gosh - I'd need to go back through the literature that I picked up in order to remember it all.  Some of the designers who work for a competitor, while I like their stuff - probably not in good taste to ask them to work with us. Didn't stop me from picking up their stuff.  Some for me, some for work!

Remember that panel that I posted yesterday - the alphabet one?   Well, I got to meet the designer. Marcia Derse. 

Marcia Derse with the coolest alphabet panel EVER!!!!!

OH MY GOD - I just love her stuff and she gave me a charm pack of her fabric because I gushed enough over her work!!! But she is friends with another designer that I'm going to be working with.  It's such a small world!

Remember all those squares I was sewing???  Well here is one of the walls. I made four of them. 

Fabric wall at Northcott booth at Spring Market

It comes in two colorways.

Second colorway of A Stitch in Time

 It is such a fun line of fabric and based on Stonehenge.   I quilted the two quilts on the left of this picture above. I think I ended up quilting 5 quilts for the booth, 10 for my trunk show and made all the squares for the walls.  A totally crazy job, but it's done (until next time!).   And if you want to check out the total collections for A Stitch in Time, go to Northcott's website. 

Got to meet some of the designers that we are currently working with that I had not met before.  I didn't really take any pictures, my hands were full of literature. I have a number of meetings today with the magazine editors and so not sure how much time I will have to wander the floor, but my goal is to get out there and take PICTURES.  There are lots of great ideas, color combinations, and many other things and I want to capture them all!  

It's funny how some of the designers work.  Some of them will throw patterns at you when you walk into the booth.  OK - I'm exaggerating, but literally, one designer gave me four patterns. I've admired her work for years and I told her so. I think her patterns would work extremely well with what Northcott has to offer.  I met another designer and during our lengthy discussion, she ended up giving me two different patterns and a third designer whom we currently work with, wouldn't give me a pattern ($3) - told me I would have to buy the minimum of 6 patterns to get that price. Wow!  Anyway, I don't want to collect patterns from everyone. My principle goal is to pick up the names, get their brochure (with pictures) and then go home and sort out the entire mess.  I need those names as soon as we get home, so I may end up writing down names or emailing myself the links because I am NOT carrying all this literature home with me. It's going in the crate, along with other stuff that I won't need right away. 

Dinner is always a crazy affair - some like to go late, I like to go early so I can get to bed since I get up so flipping early. Oh yes - I've met up with Susan Claire from Town and Country Block a Day quilt.  Always a hoot and so we had dinner together with Deborah. It was a hoot to hear some of her stories about traveling across America from Paducah to Utah.  How fun and I'm quite envious that I didn't get to go with her!  Next time!

Well, I guess I had better do a bit of sorting this morning. I do have to find the paper with my class list on it so I know how to find my classroom. 

Yes - I'm having a blast.  Yes, my knee is doing OK. It's just tired and we're all dehydrated. It's hard to keep hydrated here. 

Oh yes - when I met with the others yesterday morning, people were asking if the power went off?  Nope - it was on all night.  Well, little did I know that in fact, the power was off and there was a huge rain storm.  I heard nothing!  While the others were on their way home from wherever and got totally drenched, I was tucked safe and dry in bed.  I'm not the party girl for sure.  I'm saving all my energy to glean as much information from the vendors/exhibitors.  That is why I'm here!!!!

On that note, I'm out of here.  

Have a super awesome day.

Ciao!