Quilt Market Houston

Back from Quilt Market. It was early this year, but I was more than ready. Didn't really see any new 'gadgets' that I couldn't live without. Lots of new fabrics, patterns and books. What I'm noticing is that the patterns really are not 'new', but the same old traditional thing done in current fabrics. Does that consitute a 'new' pattern? Reminds me when I was 'little' and Mom would take me to Cloth World to look at dress patterns. She would remind me to look at the 'lines' of the pattern not the colors that the pattern was presented in. I mean really, a Churn Dash or Hole in the Barn Door is still the same. Do we really need new patterns for them? Now, if the 'artist' is presenting a new technique, that is something else entirely. The same thing when your favorite author (Merced Lackey) releases a book and you get it because it is your favorite author after all, you get it home and you figure out it is a book you read 15 years ago, just has a new cover and a new title. Bummer. OK, off my soapbox, and back to the Market report.

I think I only took one picture, and that was of Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. She has a couple of new books. HOP TO IT and FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLES . Friendship Triangles will be available in November 2009. Edyta was doing a book signing, and these were available to us at Market. She loves doing half square triangles and apparently one shop made about 50,000 of the little squares! I don't think it takes THAT many to make the cover quilt. LOL. I'm already doing the HOP TO IT applilque quilt. Well, lets just say I have the first block cut out. Not sure if I have actually put an applique stitch in yet. BUT, this will be one the of the projects that I'm working on while babysitting the OLD FASHIONED QUILTING BOOTH at Festival. I'll be one of the ones sitting around the quilting frame showing others how to hand quilt. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Paradise Found!

What a wonderful week! We just spent the last week in Hautulco Mexico. I bet most of you have never heard of this little piece of paradise. This is an undiscovered area that there are a few resorts in the area, but the has not been highly developed. Only recently, a couple of cruise ships a week stop in there, but otherwise seems untouched by the outside world. One of our shopping trips, we found a textile district. One place had the larger looms where they were weaving cotton blankets. The shop a couple of doors down was a smaller business where they did everything from raising the animals, getting the wool, dyeing, carding, spinning and weaving. They had smaller looms for making intricate wool designs. More on that later.

The main reason for going to Mexico was that our youngest daughter was getting married - on the beach. What a pretty bride! Family and friends attended the ceremony. Most everyone was barefoot! The band that played was a gift from the resort (Dreams Resort & Spa) was a nice touch. NOW, we need to start thinking about next set of grandkids! No pressure!

SHARE THE LOVE - IBOL

Quilts.Inc sent this info about a wonderful project for quilters, sewers, knitters to SHARE SOME LOVE! It's being organized by an American Soldier in Iraq and it's called IBOL...Iraq Bundle of Love.

First, go to your stash and see what you can spare—fabrics, scissors, thread, thimbles, notions like needles and pins, etc. No books—too heavy. If you're also a knitter, yarn and needles would be great to include. Lots of us have duplicates, even triplicates, and what a great way to lighten your stash, gain storage space, and do good, all at the same time!

Then go to the post office and get one of their large, flat-rate FFO/APO boxes, which are fairly sizable (one quilter sent 9 pounds in one box). At just $11.95 to mail, it's a great tool to use in this project. Package your donations according to Major LaFlamme's directions (this is very important as it will reduce the help needed to unpack and distribute these supplies) and mail it to him in Iraq at his special project address (the post office will ask you to fill out a customs form, too).

For more info, go to: http://ibol.wordpress.com. Be sure you read the FAQ and the section on how to make up your bundle. You have to leave a comment on his blog to get the APO address for sending your box. Pass on the info to your friends, too. You just use a Flat Rate APO box that the Post Office provides for free, pay the $11.95 shipping and the bundle will be passed on.