Lancaster Quilt Show Day Four

I guess I could have called this post - The Long Way HOME!

Anyway, as is the norm, the show was a bit slower on the last day than the other days, but there was a steady stream of people and each one of us in the booth had a job, so it wasn't that easy to get away.  I never did make it to the second floor to see those quilts. Sorry Pat!

I was showing how to print labels on an inkjet printer, but not just any old label - no I was showing people how to print a label inside a preprinted label.

Just like these ones which I copied from Northcott's website.

I have to say that my demo was very well received. And many people took the handout that I had prepared. No worries - that handout will soon be available on our website or I'll make sure that I have some with me. I must have said that spiel thousands of times! But as I said - it was well received.

Shirley was there with her fabric touch test which is really interesting. She had six different manufacturers' black fabric. They were secretly labelled and we had consumers touch the fabrics and rank them to see which ones they liked the best.  I'll go into more detail later. Rich was getting people to sign up for our free consumer newsletter (full of quilting tips, free patterns and other educational materials) and they could then spin our wheel to get a fabric freebie!   People LOVE our wheel.  I hear Wheel of Fortune over and over.  Next time, I'm dressing in a gown just like Vanna White!

All in all - it was a great day.  I did run around and do a bit of shopping before everything shut down and I chatted with another designer.

Then it was time to pack up - the show closed at 4 PM. Shirley and I left at 5:30. Rich was still waiting in line to get to the door to load his car, but he said he could manage it on his own. And I had a long drive ahead of me.

My plan was to drive so far and then stop for the night and get up early and drive home. However - the best plans just never work out!

I was doing just fine until about 10:30 PM.  Of course, I'm on some TurnPike in Pennsylvania and there are no hotels around. So I pulled into a rest stop. Could not figure out how to recline my seat - no I wasn't that tired - just brain dead!  Fortunately, I had M's quilt with minky on the back (I had taken it with me in hopes of getting some of the binding stitched down - that didn't happen). But the quilt was warm. Because the stupid temperature was below zero and it got cold in the car!

After a half hour nap - I was good to go. I got about another 50 KM and decided to try and find a hotel.  Ah - there is a Travelodge - I'll go there.  All the while, I'm thinking about Shirley who checks out the bedbug report on any hotel before she goes in. Well, this hotel was way up on a hill - it was really weird and when I went in - there was no room!   Crap. Went down the hill and no left turn to go to the others, so back onto the TurnPike and let's just keep driving.

I did stop one more time and did manage to figure out how to recline the seat.  HEY - how many times do you recline your seat!   I thought it was really neat because at one point we went through a tunnel that went right through a mountain.   What you can't go over - you can go through!!!!   Just did a quick google search and looks like an interesting story about the Turnpike in PA.    Too bad it was dark when I went through that area.  Road trip!!!!

LeHigh Tunnel

Anyway, this time, I slept for almost an hour and I was toasty warm with the quilt, but eventually it was the cold that woke me up.  I did have a whole lot of quilts in the car, but too lazy to dig them all out.

Back on the road.  Then just before the border into NY state, there was a Tim's.  Whoa - where did that come from?  I stopped in, got something to eat and I was back in the car. Of course, the closer I got to home, the better I felt.

No big deal to cross the border - no wait - well I did have to wait as I arrived at the border just as the shift changed at 3 AM and I got a big STOP with the lady's hand as she walked away from the booth.

One last stop for gas and then I was home by 4 AM.  I know - don't ask me why - but that's the story!

It was good to wake up at home rather than having to drive home this morning.

It's been a busy day today, but I think I might need to have a nap before I go to bed!

On that note - have a great day what's left of it!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Lancaster Quilt Show Day Three

What can I say - more of the same!   Didn't really get a chance to get out much - the show was quite busy yesterday.

I did manage to sneak out later in the day and I'm glad I did.  I found a new designer that I want to work with.  I'd seen her at QUILTCON, and I loved her stuff then and when I saw her this time - I still love her stuff.  I had a good chat with her and we are set!!!!!

Then I was looking at other designers who have booths here and OH MY - I found the perfect couple of projects for work.  Well - I did at the other booth as well.  I'm excited to take those patterns back to work. I think they are going to fit our bill perfectly!!!!

Yes - I decided to save my pocketbook and shop for the company. Much cheaper that way!!!!

Rich and I went out for dinner and had another great chat!  I'm getting so much information and learning so much and so exciting to be learning it from the vendor perspective.  Yep - I so like coming to the shows as a vendor.  Way more exciting! And I shall try to influence the market/industry in my own little way!

I was back in the hotel room by 8 PM and I could barely read my book.  I went to sleep!  The days are long - but at least we have chairs in our booth or I'd be absolutely dead!!

On that note - I'm hungry and it's check out time so must pack up all my stuff.

Have a great day!

Ciao!

Lancaster Quilt Show - Day Two

I think the office back home is never going to send me on a road trip again!  Nope - I'm coming home with my head swimming with ideas and it's going to take a long time to digest them all.   If I was like Shirley - I'd be in my room making notes!

Matter of fact when I arrived at the booth yesterday, Shirley presented me with a handout of all the ideas we had discussed the day before.   She brings a printer along with her!  It was pretty funny but extremely useful since I got all the ideas and can follow up on them.  I also have a lot of my own ideas and thoughts and need to get them sorted out.

Anyway - the trip so far has been amazing and as much as I have whined in the past that I never wanted to go to another big quilt show (after my 1999 Houston experience), I'm having fun. But then it is a different story to be a vendor as to being a consumer!  I think I like coming as a vendor (even though there is set up and take down) rather than coming as a consumer!

I think we are doing a great job here. People are excited to see us, we have great activities in the booth (freebies  - which everyone likes!)  and getting to meet a lot of people.  I've seen TWO people so far that I know.  One from back home and one is a designer that we're working with.

People also love the quilts that we have in the booth and that is encouraging.  I chatted with a vendor yesterday (a sewing machine vendor) and all she has heard is complaints about her company or the products and that is very frustrating.

Managed to get out and look at the quilts - well those on our floor yesterday before the show opened. Wow - some amazing pieces of work, some of them I had already seen at Houston. The style of quilting is very very different from QUILTCON.  Some of the quilts are so heavily quilted, they are like cardboard and I thought the quilt I just completed was heavily quilted.  It was nothing compared to these quilts. I think I like the density of the modern quilts better than these ones.  Although one has to keep in mind that these quilts are show quilts and will never be used.  Still - I appreciate the quilting, but can't see myself doing it.

I did buy a couple of things at one booth yesterday but keeping myself in check!  More or less.

After the show ended, Shirley and I headed out to Intercourse, Pennsylania.  What an absolutely quaint little town. And two quilt stores!!!!  I did take pictures, but I'm having a very hard time with the internet here.  I do have a plan while I'm here, but it doesn't seem to be working properly and I can't seem to upload anything at the convention center despite the fact that there is internet.  I have no idea and no time to figure it out!!!!

While I was at one of the stores in Intercourse, I saw they had the new license plate for Row by Row.  Couldn't help myself.

First plates for 2016!!!!!

I also bought one at Zook's as well. That was our second stop of the evening.  I've decided that I will participate again in 2016.  That took all over 2 seconds to break that rule!   Shirley is on my case and  she is way too practical for me!!!!  However, I'm only going to purchase plates at stores that I visit in person.  No trading, no swapping, no exchanges.  It got insane last year and I'm not going to repeat that. So I now have three!!!!   It will be a good souvenir for the year!

I have to say that I HATE this computer.  It is my laptop from work, but I usually use an external keyboard and mouse.  This mouse is so sensitive (I think I've complained about it before) that I must find if there is a sensitivity level to change.

Oh yes - I forgot about the other excitement from last night.  I made it back to the hotel around 9 PM.  I'm sitting here and I can hear sirens getting louder and louder. Many of them. Wow - that sounds serious.  Then I look out the window because they are really close and look at that - they are outside the hotel.  Next thing I know - there are all kinds of firemen in the hall outside my door!!!!   I had heard a very annoying beeping sound since I got back to the hotel.  I heard them talk about getting the building engineer in - there was a false alarm for something!!!!    I hear that firemen are supposed to be good looking, but with all that equipement - you can't see a thing!!!   I mean these guys had tanks on their backs, hats, boots, the whole nine yards!!!     Thankfully it was a false alarm!   And no I didn't take a picture!

On that note - I'm off to get ready for the day.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Lancaster Quilt Show - Day One

Wow - what a day!!!!   We knew this show was going to be a lot different from QUILTCON and it is.  There is a much different feel to it.

We arrived at the booth in advance, but by the time we got everything organized - the signs up and all the materials out - there wasn't time to walk around.  And I found out that there are quilts on TWO floors, not just the floor that we are on. And yes Pat - I will try today to get those pictures you want!

The main show floor is a bit weird as we are in a hotel ballroom and part of it is quite dark and when you pass into the other area, the change in lighting is pretty significant. We are in a bit of a different area so our lighting isn't bad.

We spent a good part of the day with a steady stream of people coming to our booth.  We have our spin the wheel for a fabric prize, I did my demo and handed out instructions for printing labels on fabric and Shirley did the fabric touch test. It was a great day and we got to meet many people.  

There was the bus load of quilters from Peterborough/Thousand Island area.  We had great fun talking to them - well I did. And hello to Mary! who sent some of  them looking for me specifically.

I did  manage to sneak out of the booth and went to a couple of booths.  I told Shirley that she better hang onto my credit card. Which I will NOT do as she would keep it and not give it back to me no matter how much I begged so that won't work.  I can't tell you what I bought because it would incriminate me since I'm working in the Northcott booth!!!!

I have to say the most interesting part of the day was after the show.  Shirley and I went on an adventure. You see, Shirley is the Northcott sales rep for this area so she knows her way around and knows the stores.   OH MY GOD - we went to Burkholder's.  Which is way out in the country  -way out in Amish country on a farm.

Burkholder Fabrics

I can't even begin to describe the inside of this MASSIVE store. It's just MASSIVE.   There are bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric.  The shelves are tightly packed and the young girl who works there - Destiny - she knows where EVERY bolt is located.  You ask for this or that - and she responds - Aisle 2 near the middle, top shelf!!!!!   Wow - pretty amazing.  Thanks to Shirley, they stock a lot of Northcott fabric. They advertise 30,000 bolts - owned by a man whom I  met.

I did buy a couple of things and when I was finished paying, I remembered that Shirley gave me a coupon for 15% which I had forgotten to use.  Oh well - wouldn't have amounted to a whole lot, but still!!!

Then we did the most amazing thing - we visited a couple of retreat houses.  Both of the ones we visited had quilters in them so we poked around and chatted to the quilters and these places were out of this world.   Houses that were obviously made for a LARGE family - a VERY large family and they were amazing.  I chatted up a storm with all the retreat goers and had a blast.   If I had of known that we were going, I would have taken Northcott samples with me.  Next time!!!!!  Will have to start toting the darn things with me everywhere!

A serious kitchen

All I can say is this is a SERIOUS kitchen and it is one of THREE in this particular house.  Need I say more!!!!

By the time we left the last house, it was late.  We then went for dinner at a local diner where we both had omelets!!!   Yeh - pretty crazy.  I got back to the hotel at 10:30 PM!!!!   So much for having a bit of free time. I've been running since I got here!!!!   And tonight is going to be the same!!!!

On that note - I'm out of here.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!

In the car.....

After my little incident with that online application and the fact that I didn't get everything done - I had to get up early.   Out of the house by 6 AM or shortly thereafter.   Starting the day off tired.

It was going to be a long day as it was pouring rain when I left.  I hate driving in the rain and I hate driving when it is dark and raining.   And I was a little concerned because I was going through the border. But no quilts were harmed in the border crossing and none should have been as they technically do not fit the "commercial samples" category.  But you hear these horror stories!

However, the border crossing was a piece of cake and the rain decreased once I was in the US.   I swear that the GPS took me around in circles - I was never going to get there.  I had to stop for bathroom breaks twice, then a stop for gas, then lunch and yes - I had to pull over in a rest area and have a nap. None of those events happened at the same stop - so yes - I stopped five different times.  It wasn't my best drive!

I did listen to a great book on the way down - called Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull who was the President of Pixar - the company that made the first animated movie completely made on a computer - Toy Story!   What a fascinating story and it's about business versus creativity.  There were a couple of quotes that I want from the book so I must get the book because I do not remember them. The book is read by the author which makes it all the more fascinating.    Check out these quotes from the book.  You can bet that I'm going to be posting them as I LOVE THEM ALL, but none of them were the particular quote that I want.

Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull

Well as I'm driving, there is NO mention of Lancaster.  And I'm driving from one highway to another.  At last, I see signs for Lancaster - thank goodness because I was getting worried that I didn't have the right address in the GPS and wouldn't that be funny if I ended up in Idaho!!!!   Although I knew I was in Pennsylvania.

Met up with the rest of my group and we got our booth together, then out for dinner and then to the hotel.

Northcott booth - just need to hang our sign this morning

We are staying at the Lancaster Arts Hotel which used to be a tobacco warehouse!!!   Exposed beams and brick walls - it is gorgeous and I want to buy it and make a studio here.  For some reason, I have exposed brick walls on my brain and a studio.  Now I just need to win the lottery and I'm all set.  I also saw this big beautiful old house on the outskirts of town - must go back and get a picture of that.  It was stunning.

Hotel room

Lancaster Arts Hotel

Wow - had a quick peek at some of the vendors yesterday.  Had a quick peek at some of the quilts!!!   Oh my - hide the credit card and just take the camera!!!!!   I've already seen the most gorgeous fabric - I know - I don't need fabric, but it is stunning and some of it may just find its way into my suitcase.  Heck - I got an entire car and thanks to Mary for the reminder - I can bring back $800 of goods. Now how does that exchange rate work???   Who cares - just fill the car and pay the consequences.

On that note - I better get ready.  We can get in ONE HOUR in advance - so that gives me four 1 hour windows to get my pictures.  And there is much to see!!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!