Home From Another Quilt Market

I'm home from yet another Quilt Market experience, this one in Minneapolis, MN. I must say, Minneapolis was a great city to visit, and this turned out to be a great Quilt Market. I came home with as much as I could carry, and ordered even more than that to be shipped to the shop!
C had fun too, I think, especially since we were able to do a little site seeing in between time at Market. However.....he has already ran out the door this morning to go meet G for some man time, so maybe he got a little more girl-i-fied than he could handle after all.
They wanted $9.95/day for WiFi access, so I didn't blog from Market at all. I mean, come on, that's like over a yard of fabric! That means I have a back log of great stuff to share with you all. To get started, I'm going to begin uploading new items into the online catalog. Watch for them to start appearing today!
Oh yeah, a little birdie told me that new Christmas fabric from Moda arrived in store while I was gone. You can check it out at Fruitcake in the online catalog under fabrics.

The Final Count Down to Market

I leave for International Quilt Market in less than 12 hours! I have yet to finish packing and get my thoughts in order. It has been a crazy week. I've spent all week fighting off a nasty head cold, and completely lost my voice yesterday. I've burned through nearly half of my sick leave at work, and spent every afternoon sleeping in an effort to avoid attending Market with a box of kleenex and bottle of cold syrup in tow. I think it's working, as I'm starting to feel better, but it's working slowly. And, chances are C will just start to come down with it by tomorrow and I'll end up towing around a box of kleenex, a bottle of cold syrup, and a miserable husband! Should be fun, huh?

Our plane leaves at 6:15am sharp tomorrow, and since the airport's a 2 hour drive from home we'll be leaving the driveway at 3am or so. Another reason this has been a crazy week? C's started back to work, with a night shift of 4:30pm-2:30am. That means that he'll have just enough time to take a shower and inhale a few of those donuts he bought today just for the occassion before we hit the road.

Despite all of this, I'm really excited! I think we'll have enough time to check out the Mall of America tomorrow afternoon, before Sample Spree. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow of Sample Spree, so watch for those. That is...assuming I don't get trampled over, Day After Thanksgiving style, by the mass of quilters waiting to get through the door!

So, I'm off to finish up the last minute tasks. A t-ball practice to take Ky and Will to, packing to finish, thoughts to organize, kids to organize, etc. etc. etc. Let the count down commence!

Origins-Sneak Peak

A couple weeks ago my Moda rep visited with a preview of new fabrics. One line really stood out for me in particular, making both my mom and I drool with excitement. What can I say? sometimes fabric "speaks" to me!

So....I got an awesome email from Moda with links that I can share with everyone. Here is a link to "Origins," which I loved so much that the ENTIRE line will be in store this August!

Origins by Basic Grey for Moda

Happy drooling!

Surivor..........or Sewing

I had high hopes of getting a lot done tonight in last minute prep for the Shop hop this weekend. I planned to finish blocks 3-6 to display 1/2 of the new Block of the Month this weekend. I also wanted to finish my Caulipuss wall hanging. But, when 8 o'clock rolled around I was done for....or so I thought!

I popped a big bowl of popcorn, poured a bigger glass of wine, and settled into the couch for some fantastic vegging in front of the T.V. So, here I am, thinking I'm done sewing for the night cuz it's time for Survivor, when the phone rings.

It's G, my husband C's cousin. And when G calls, it's usually so he and C can discuss and solve all of the world's crisis in the world's longest phone conversation. (They're worse than a couple of women!) So, after sitting long enough in front of the paused, Tivo-ed, Survivor to finish my popcorn, I gave up and hit the sewing machines again. And before the world's latest crisis was completely resolved, I managed to finish a few things up!

First, my Caulipuss wallhanging. Finally, my own Garden Patch Cat for the quilt shop!

So, I moved on to some more Piece, Love, & Applique. Blocks 4 and 6 are done!

And then there's Block 5, which happens to need red fabric for a big basket of flowers. Red fabric that I don't have at home, so for now it's a big block of background.
I am officially 1/2 done with my Piece, Love & Applique quilt (minus the missing red fabric). Here's a picture of the top half.

BOM Blocks 1 and 2-Piece, Love Applique

Well, it turns out this BOM is very quick to put togther, and with only a couple of evenings after work I have churned out Blocks 1 and 2! Here are some pics for you to enjoy:
Here is "block" 1. With this project, they're more like sections than blocks.


Here you see two shots, one before and one after I've button-hole stitched the fusible applique. I went with my favorite method, fusible applique and machine button-hole stitch.




Here is section 2, the first try.


I didn't like how light the green of the leaves turned out, so I switched fabrics. Here is my final block, before the buttonhole finish:


So, I'm off to finish the button hold and section 2 will be done! Perhaps you'll find a picture of sections 1 and 2 attached to each other later tonite!

New Block of the Month-As Promised

OK, so I promised at Moda University that I would post pics and info about the new block of the month idea I've been cooking up. Here are the basics, about 90% organized and decided upon in my head. I'm still fine tuning the details, and won't be starting it until my sample is all but quilted, so you have some time to ask questions, get details, and think about how much fun you'll have participating!

First, the quilt. A pattern I picked up in Salt Lake City at a quilt shop about 2 or 3 years ago. Not exactly a new pattern, but one that I loved and have been saving for the right time and fabric.

Next, my idea of how this will work:

1. A 12 month block of the month. Pick up your pattern by the 10th of each month. First pattern section is FREE as long as you pay for each month's kit for the entire 12 months! You will get a fabric kit with a variety of fat quarters and a background fabric that will make the entire top. I don't know prices yet, as I'm making mine first to determine how much fabric you really need.

2. On months 2 thru 12, bring in your finished block so I can take a pic, OR email me a picture of your block if you are not in my area. This is meant to be fun for everyone, no matter where you live! I want to share all of the different quilts and different fabric combinations, so pictures will be posted either here or on the shop's Facebook page for everyone to view. Even if you get the same fabrics as someone else, you're bound to pick different fabrics for different blocks, so no two quilts will be the same!

3. If you complete and bring/email a picture of your block each month by the 10th, you will get the next portion of the pattern for FREE!!! (Do you all love FREE stuff as much as me???) If not.......sorry, you will have to buy your next pattern to continue.

4. I will post tips, tricks, and pictures of the steps my quilt goes through each month to help you construct yours.

5. After you receive the 12th month's instructions, submit a picture/bring your quilt in by the 10th of the 13th month to be entered into a Grand Prize Drawing!!! Number of prizes is yet to be determined, and will depend on just how many people are participating. The Grandest of Grand Prizes??? FREE (yes, another FREE thing!) Quilting for you quilt top! If you get your quilt, back, and batt to me I will quilt it for FREE! If enough people participate, I might even quilt 2 for free, and will also include a second and third place prize.

Questions, suggestions, and/or general comments? Please reply, I'd love your feedback!

Oh, So, TIRED!

Let me start by saying that working a 40 hour/week regular job AND running a business STINKS. Would someone tell me why I didn't request tomorrow off, because I will be lucky to crawl out of bed and drag myself anywhere in the morning. I am so tired, in fact, that I didn't even have the energy to be in this picture of my quilt show booth:


I did, however, actually finish a few things this week in the way of quilt projects. They are the Ellie Bag, and my Spring Needle Punch. Why yes, this is the same needle punch I started over a year ago. Thanks for rubbing it in!

Here are some pics:





Now, off to bed with me!