Professional packing!

I should become a professional packer!  I'm really really good at fitting things into my suitcase.  I didn't take a picture of my suitcase, but it is a regulation size carry-on and it's not super big. But I can pack a LOT of stuff in there. I've been known to go to a trade show with several big quilts in my suitcase AND my clothes. You see, then the quilts come home by another means and now there is room in there for fabric!

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, but when we were at Missouri Star, our booths were open the SAME hours as the shops.  So unless we popped out for a few minutes, technically we didn't have time to shop!  

However, on the last day, the vendors were able to close down a wee bit early and so I "ran" to the shops to see how much damage could be done in a very short time. 

I managed to acquire a few things and at the end of it all, oops - but I qualified for ALL the free gifts. I think you had to spend $200 for that. 

What did I get for free?  I got this huge thread box. I knew that was the free gift as I had seen others walking around with it and Ronda had told me about it. Yes - it would have made sense if I had done that BEFORE they left in the van, but it wasn't meant to be.  So there I was with this big thread box.  There are goodies inside it which I'll show you another day. 

We just shoved all our bags into the car when leaving MSQC as I decided to pack properly when we got to the hotel.  I had the thread box, and two other shopping bags as well as my suitcase and backpack. I managed to cram - I mean to carefully pack it all into the suitcase once we arrived at the hotel. 

Here's the thread box.  See how big that is!!

Thread box

I opened the thread box and carefully packed ALL the small items that I had acquired.  All the bits and bobs, charm packs - all went in here.

I have two support poles on the inside bottom of my suitcase where the extendable handle retracts. There's a LOT of valuable real estate between those poles.  I carefully rolled each item of clothing and lovingly stowed the smaller items like T-shirts between the poles. I think I got all my tops packed that way. Then the thread box went right in the middle and let's just say that there wasn't too much room on each side or at the one end.

But I managed to get all this in on top of the thread box.

Layer cakes and magazines that got packed as well. 

Don't you just love that one on top!!!!!   Oh - I love the colors and I love words!!!

Let's not forget that I had a big tape gun that had to be packed as well. That also went into the suitcase at one end of the thread box.  Between those two items, that filled the length of the suitcase.

Tape gun was packed in the suitcase as well

In case you're wondering, I needed the tape gun so that I could close up the boxes that were being shipped back to the office.  And it's kind of hard to pack the tape gun once you've closed the boxes - if you know what I mean!!!

Here's a couple of bicycle fabrics that I found. These were packed in the thread box.

Bicycle fabric

I think it's about time to make another bicycle quilt!

Let's not forget that I picked up THREE license plates for Row by Row.  I wonder how many I have now??

License plates for Row by Row

These ones are all great and I can see another story coming to mind!!

The last time I was at MSQC, I had seen this small cutter and I meant to get one - I think it was the daily deal one day.  Of course, I forgot and so that was on my list of things to get this time.

Appli-cutter by Man Sewing

I think it will be very useful for cutting small patterns and applique. Can't wait to try it!!!

Of course, there is ZERO time to try new stuff.  I'm sewing up a storm. The one quilt on the design wall is almost together.  About 2 hours and it will be done including the backing and binding. I went "shopping" in the warehouse and got the fabric to remake that other quilt and I got everything I need to get these three out the door by next Monday.  It's going to be an intense couple of days, but I'm super excited because all three quilts are very cool - I LOVE the fabrics and NO - it's not Stroke of Brilliance - it's not my normal colors at all, but the theme is cool.  Remember how muted modern fabrics are!

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!