Spring Quilt Market Summary

Even though I wasn’t working a booth this market, there still wasn’t enough time to see everything. While there were lots of new books, patterns and fabrics, there seemed to be a new bag/purse pattern or three on every aisle. Colors seemed to be soft brights.

Kandi Corp had new metal embellishments and non-faceted jewels (in addition to the regular bling). They were also showing a pigmented hot wax that you can use to color fabric. Go to www.kandicorp.com to see their new products.

Crafter’s Workshop showed for the first time: they do stencils that were originally used for scrapbooking (www.thecraftersworkshop.com). These stencils are great to use with Paintstiks or to develop new quilting patterns.

Kreinik Thread (www.kreinik.com) introduced a flat but heavy-duty metallic cord that is great for jewelry, knitting or embellishing, but it’s so new it’s not on their website yet. They also have some new metallic threads.

Quiltsmart (www.quiltsmart.com) has completely redone their look. They have some new patterns, too, including some bags.

Superior Threads (www.superiorthreads.com) has new variegated silk ribbon in three widths that is a luscious as their thread.

Bo-Nash (www.bonash.com) introduced a new line, Tonertex Foils, that includes a Write ‘n’ Rub Pen for applying foil adhesive, foils and glitter. They’ve even got stretchable glue. This is a great way to add bling to any project.

The people who brought you Quilt in a Cup last fall are back with Quilt for a Mouse and Quilted Clocks (Dianne Springer Designs).

The Junk Jeans People from South Dakota showed a Pink Drill (http://www.junkjeanspeople.com/PinkPowerDrill.htm) used with straight bleach to decorate jeans. Maybe this one my dear hubby won’t steal. Until the house gets finished I’m always search for my Dremels.

So much inspiration, so little time.

Portland Spring Quilt Market

Shelley Stokes of Cedar Canyon Textiles asked me to help her and Mary Brandt in the Paintstik booth at Spring Quilt Market in Portland, OR. Then Shelley got sick, is getting better, but decided to just teach and not have a booth. But since the room was paid for I could still come along.

First, flying from Newark to Portland leaves a lot of time to hand quilt, read and watch two movies (thank you Continental). And when the flight has many others in quilting, you also get to talk to some of them. Got to sit next to Rayna Gillman (fabric printer extraordinare) and chat a little with Mark Lipinski.

When you don't have to set up a booth, it means you have lots of extra time. After Shelley and Mary picked me up at the airport, we checked in at the Convention Center. Saw where the booth wasn't going to be and checked on some other locations. Then we headed downtown for lunch and a visit to the world's largest bookstore, Powell's City of Books. Believe the claim. It's almost a full city block and three floors of books, used and new. Wish we had more time there. Really wish I had gotten a picture of the pillar outside the entrance. It's a stack of books.

Yesterday, we drove out to Multnomah Falls, one of the larger falls in the US (excluding Hawaii) and a little of the historical highway where we saw several other falls.

The day was gorgeous, but the falls are better seen in the afternoon, when the sun is shining into the canyon.

Did I say it was a beautiful day?

Thanks to Mary Brandt for some of the pictures. She certainly has a good eye.
Today Shelley does a Take and Teach before the show opens then we have the rest of the day free.
Be happy

Patio Quilt

The new paver patio is officially complete, except for the furniture. It only took a week to lay 960 square feet of pavers and an 18 inch wall. This is the last Major work on the new house for a while. The front landscapeing will have to wait till the house in MN is sold.
But here's the story in pictures:
Before








The foundation is laid and leveled (you don't see the drain pipe)



The pavers are being laid



The patio fairie (next door neighbor Fran) lent us some furniture so we can actually enjoy the finished patio.





So how does this relate to quilting?


Here's the paver pattern "Symmetry"

And here's "Paver Quilt" pinned up on the design wall

So it's still a work in progress, but it will end up on the floor.

That is my positive for today - the Patio if finished!! and we love it!!

And the thought for the day (thanks to the Redneck Mamma) Spread Glitter, the world needs more sparkle!!

It doesn't rain, but it pours (quilts)

OK, so this blog has been sitting for a while with no activity. That's mostly because the rest of my life has been so busy, hectic, crazy. Now that things are settling down a little maybe I'll do some catching up.
First here are some pictures of the latest quilts
This one isn't really mine. I just did the back and the quilting for someone else.


This one is based on Pam Dinndorf's Jubilee pattern that was in Quilter's Home magazine. I did it as an example of the Show Chairs' Choice Category for MQ's 2008 Judged Quilt exhibit.

And this one is Carpenter's Square. Based on the traditional block of the same name. There are actually two of these.




So this is proof that one can be on the MQ Board, Show Co-Chair, move half-way across country and still quilt. Sort of.

Keep quilting, be happy

Movin On

Surprises and heart felt sentiments come in all disguises. The latest copy of MQNews http://www.mnquilt.org/newsletter/documents/May08.pdf (be patient, it may take a while to download) arrived a few days ago after being forwarded from MN. After perusing it for a few minutes, my DH asked "why the tears"? I showed him the pages of the newsletter filled with thoughts from my freinds at Minnesota Quilters. What can I say, but thank you to all for the encouragement and comaraderie. You have been through as much with me as I have with you.
Leaving MN has been hard for me. But remember, we're as close as the phone or computer.

If I hadn't discovered a new quilt shop close to our new house the same day as the newsletter came, I probably would have been on the next plane to MN. As it is, Mouse Creek Quilts (http://www.mousecreekquilts.com/) will probably become a new anchor for me.

Any of you MN teachers or quilters who would like to come east, I'll have a spare bedroom when the rest of the furniture gets moved. Well, I've got the room now, but no bed...
Sew nicely amongst yourselves

Movin In

The 50 ft moving truck came to MN Mid-March. It left 90% filled with our goods. It was fitting that the temperature never got above 10 degrees that day. Here's just a sample of the boxes, there were over 250 total.

Here'a a link to the listing if anyone's interested in a house 20 minutes West of downtown Minneapolis: http://matrix.northstarmls.com/Matrix/Public/Email.aspx?ID=4603199777

Click on the Virtual Tour - the realtor really did a good job.

Once the house was listed we loaded up the van and drove to New Jersey, Jackson, that is.

Delivery in New Jersey was much warmer. A month and a half later almost all the boxes are unpacked and rooms arranged. I've even started working on a quilt top, but that's a different blog.
Imagine the dining room table and chairs from the pictures of the MN house in this area. They do look great in the dining room, but we bought them with this space in mind.

This is the sunroom.

Family Room (from my Nest, aka Cave)

Dining Room

Nest

Library, The Nest is through the Door

Stash Room (on the other side of the Library). The last room to get organized.

And, the Stash which was unpacked before the rest of the second floor (Nest, Library and Stash) was set up.

Things are coming along. The quilts and pictures still have to be hung and most of the collectibles placed. And the house in MN has to sell so we can move the rest of the furniture.

Once the quilt show is over we'll probably move another van load of goods, but we're hoping a family falls in love with the MN house like we did 9 years ago.

Till next time...

New Home Adventures

Our journey to New Jersey has been very interesting. The DH has wanted to go back to his home state for many years. A change in policy at DH's employer now enables him to work anywhere in the country. With his parents getting older and mine gone, being closer to them is more important than staying in MN.

So, last summer we started looking in earnest for a home in NJ, close to family, but not too close, with a master bedroom on the main floor and space for an office for him and a studio for me.

We found a floor plan we liked in an Active Adult Community and were going to build. But within a week the lot we wanted was sold. We were offered a completed house at a price we couldn't refuse and so began our move to NJ.
This is the house as it looked before we bought it. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 1/4 baths, a family room, office, sunroom and now a studio. It's much biger on the inside than it looks (3400 square feet).

It's a little more than hour from Manhattan, 20 minutes to the beach and 45 minutes to Philadelphia, 10 minutes to Great Adventure, smack dab in the middle of New Jersey.

The house came with builder grade (which means really cheap) carpet and light fixtures,black formica countertops in the kitchen and white contractor paint on all the walls.

Before picture of the Kitchen

The second story had a partially enclosed large loft are on one side, a smaller area in the middle and the third bedroom on the other side. Of course, the large loft was designated my studio.

This is the studio before it was enclosed. And on the right is the before view from the living room. While it is a big space, it's about half the size of my current studio.

This is a view from the back of the house with one of our neighbors - There is a flock of turkeys in the woods and a herd of white tail deer along with other critters and birds

It's taken me three weeks to get this posted. Between working on the house and Minnesota Quilters' show in June, I haven't been doing much quilting, though I did get to take a class from Susan Cleveland (the Piping Hot quilter).

Most of the work is done in NJ. The hardwood floors go in the end of February. And hopefully it won't take another three weeks to get the almost after pictures up.

The Movers come the first week of March to take 90% of our goods to NJ. We confident it will be warmer next month. Check back soon for more pictures.