Quilt Market: Sewing Up the Loose Ends

I'm home. Worn out, but happy and satisfied with our work in Houston.

And then there was catch-up and clean-up and all that. But before I go to bed, I want to just wrap-up the rest of our trip. Halloween is coming and I need to get a few of these thoughts off my mind before the holiday festivities begin in earnest. (Incidentally, I consider Halloween a *minor* holiday, for those of you keeping track.)

So what first?

First of all, the appli-glue sold like mad. Jill ended up with four distributors and sold 2000 bottles, with possibilities of more distribution in Korea and Italy. It was incredible. On top of all that she got picked up to design a fabric line (it's darling, of course) and some quilts for a few magazines. It seemed like every possible good thing happened for her. We definitely felt the hand of heaven in Houston.

This is just a quick picture of a sample of the applique we demonstrated the glue with. 

Okay, now a few pictures and commentary. These are just images in my camera that I had to capture and share, in no particular order.

The International Quilt Market is huge. I mean really huge. There were over 2200 exhibitors. I spent an hour one morning trying to see the rest of the booths. I started and 100 and made it to 400 before I ran out of time and money. There was just so much to see (and buy). We were in a perfect booth, at the corner of isle 1200 and the main walkway. Another heaven-sent blessing, I think.

The first night, after set-up, we went upstairs for "Sample Spree," which is mostly a preview of the new fabric lines and other samples from market, and is just packed with crazy women elbowing for fabric. We got there late, long after Moda had sold out of all their fabric, but I found some great fabric by Lecien that makes me giddy when I look at it. I wanted to buy a box of these just because they were so gorgeous, but I took a picture instead. I hope David is delighted by this.

International Quilt Market is full of *quilting stars* and here is one of them...Mark Lipinski. He was signing autographs and I asked him for a picture instead. He happily obliged. He is (happily) the most irreverent quilter you will meet.

There was a Japanese company with an amazing booth, and here is one of their displays...all of it made from felt. I know. I spent a bit of money here, even though the patterns are written in Japanese. I couldn't help myself. Plus, I know a couple of girls who know Japanese. If all goes as planned, you will see these beauties again in December...I have delicious plans for a few homemade Christmas gifts.

 

One night we were walking back to the car and saw this Moda crate.  It was just one of those things I thought was so cool to see.

Okay, now just a few pictures of things *on my list*: things I just really wanted to make sure I saw while I was there. This is the evidence:

The Alexander Henry booth.

The Moda booth was so big I didn't know what to take a picture of, so I ended up with this.  Enough said.

 

The Amy Butler booth.

The Gammill booth...I got four of them in one shot.

Quilt Market ended on Monday afternoon at 4 and then we had the job of taking everything down.  Incidentally, the floor was easier to lay than it was to pull up, but eventually we had everything packed up, ready to head for home.  We had a fit of laughter when we saw these piled up in the hotel lobby.  Of course, we were sleep deprived, but still.  It was hilarious.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.

Quilt Market Day 2/3: It's All a (Gorgeous) Blur

I could write a hundred posts about Quilt Market.

Here are a few in my head:

"There's No Accounting For People's Taste"  (or "Things I Almost Wish I Hadn't Seen")

"So Cute I Could Die"

"My Life as a Glue Salesman"

"How to Make John from E. E. Schenck Deliriously Happy"

"All This AND a Fashion Show"

"I Have the World's Best Husband, So There"

"Quilt Market Survival Guide:  Pack Sandwiches Rather Than Clothes"

"Drooling My Way Through the Fabric Booths"

 

Well, you get the idea.  It is just quite the experience.

I'm going to post a few pictures and maybe a few words, but first a note about my one and only.

Let me just say this:

Last night David took the kids and their friends to the drive-in movie to see High School Musical 3.  I know.  He's a peach.  And then when they got home (late!), he had the girls bathe and then he put their hair in curlers (since the next day was Sunday).  Savannah (overcome by exhaustion) thought they should have been rolled tighter and yanked them all out before finally crashing into bed.  So this morning, David rerolled her hair in hot rollers.  And this is the man I am married to.  It is ridiculous how undeserving I am to have such a husband.  I cannot wait to get my hands on him again.

Okay, enough steamy thoughts.  Back to the convention center:

Another shot of our darling booth.  We opened an old-fashioned sweet shop for market this year...I told Jill that I could be the "eye candy." 

We are here selling Jill's amazing patterns and her new applique glue, which really just sell themselves.   I bet you had no idea I could sell glue.  And how. 

Here's a shot of Jill's sweet treats...yummy little pincushions that draw everyone to our booth...

Here's a picture of her sales pitch...I told her she might want to tone it down, so she took the dance number out.

This is John from E.E. Schenck.  I have never seen a man so excited about applique glue in my whole life.  This trip was worth it just for the look of delight on his face.  Could he be any cuter?  His look of delight was only matched by Jill's after he placed his first order. 

And at the end of the day we went to the Bernina Fashion Show, which was so much fun.  I asked some ladies to take our picture and they asked us how we could be so cute.  I told them it's a gift.  Well, it is.

I'll post more later.  These pictures are taking forever to resize and the other people in the hotel lobby are starting to clear their throats for their turn on the computer.

We are feeling tired, and happy, and blessed here in Houston.

Quilt Market Day 1: Something Out of Nothing

This is mostly for our men, who think we've fallen into some sort of quilting black hole (post some pictures, please...we have no idea why we've been abandoned and we need evidence, etc.).

But my two booth mates want me to come (right now!) and help prep applique leaves..."Make it short and sweet, " they said. "Just post the pictures." They don't know that the words are the easy part...it's the pictures that take forever.

Quilt Market is, well, remarkable. In just about every way.

Anyway, here's a picture story of our adventure in Houston:

After landing,

and car renting,

and garmining our way across the city,

we went to Hobby Lobby were they told us to have "a blessed day" when they checked us out.  (We're in Texas now people.)

Then a little more garmining to find (my lovely and talented aunt) Jill at a completely different airport.

Then a trip to Home Depot, where this man laughed at us for calling this a hack saw and trying to cut steel pipe with it.

You know he was wondering what three completely clueless women were going to do with 60 feet of electrical conduit.

When you go to Quilt Market with your lovely and talented aunt, I recommend packing a couple of extra sandwiches, because there is very little time to eat. We finally stopped for a sandwich at three in the afternoon, which was about 12 hours after I had been up. My blood sugar was a little offended...

 Everywhere we stopped we just kept putting more and more stuff into the car...evenutally I lost my seat.  But luckily I am "young and lithe."  (They disolved into laughter when I announced this out loud.  What's so funny?) 

 When we finally made it to the convention center, the first thing to do was lay the floor. Check out these darling tiles that I expertly layed. Seriously fine job, no?  I know.

There was all kinds of goofing off and redoing and rethinking and undoing, and load of duct tape and a little jerryrigging and then there was this...

(prepare yourself for something darling)

And then it was late and we were starving again.  So we headed for the car, which was almost hauled off by teamsters who were not pleased by the lateness of the hour. 

If you ask me, the chupacabra has nothing on a tired teamster.

There's more of course.  I haven't even gotten to "Sample Spree."  That's a post in itself.  And it will wait until tomorrow or so. 

My lithe body needs some rest. 

The end.

The Unexpected Dangers of Texas

I'm headed to Houston for Quilt Market.

My aunt Jill has a booth there and needs help.  So my mom and I are headed to Texas (very) early in the morning to lend our hands. 

When I told the kids at dinner on Monday, Olivia said seriously, "Beware the chupacabras."

The whole table went quiet for a moment.

I thanked her for the tip.

Caleb rolled his eyes. 

Savannah looked aghast at the thought of this creature roaming free all over Texas.  And only slightly more aghast when she realized I wouldn't be here to "do her hair."

And bless David for not even blinking an eye at my being gone for five days.  A husband like this is more mythical than the chupacabra.

Today Ethan made a list of all the things David can cook.  It included mashed potatoes and carrots and popcorn.  There was a question mark about asparagus and gravy, though. 

Can't wait to get home to you, darlings. 

Budget Be Damned

Okay, after this I'm seriously going to turn off my computer.

I'm headed to Houston on Friday (though it's so early on Friday it's practically Thursday) and I have a million and a half things to do by then, only one of which includes prepping 200 or so leaves for appliqueing.

But when I have lots to do,

sometimes I surf the web. 

(Don't tell David.)

Anyway, in an effort to be a team player (on our budget) I have not been to the fabric store in QUITE SOME TIME. 

And so I don't know how long this has been out there, but this morning I found this *new* Alexander Henry fabric

and I'm wondering

a.  could anything be cuter?

b.  what can I make my girls for Christmas using this darling "starling" fabric?

c.  could "darling starling" be my new catch phrase?

d.  is Alexander Henry a real person and, if so, why did he get his brain that can design this, and I get my brain that can only have arguments with itself?

e.  where's my wallet?

f.  will David notice if there is a large chunk of change missing before I leave town?  I clearly need enough to roll around in. 

g.  do you go all melty and gooey when you look at it too?

I Know Exactly How She Feels

Last night David and I went to a movie instead of putting the kids to bed.  (But that's a post for another day.)

So this morning Olivia quietly said, "I finished my book last night, Mom."

"Oh, Livy."  (I knew it was the last one in the Laura Ingalls series.)

The tears ran down her cheeks.

"Are you a little bit heartbroken?"

She nodded and we sniffed a little together.

This is the sweetest kind of sorrow...the hot, tender heart in your chest as you read the last page in a book that has become your friend.

Bereft and grateful, at the same time.

In love and full of grief.

There is really nothing like a good book.  And nothing quite like the vulnerable, lonely, poignant feelings of it being over.  I told her that all my favorite books make me cry when they're over.

Word of the Week: Otiose

otiose /adj./  lazy or indolent.  of no use.   ineffective or futile.  idle.  laggard.  slothful.  pointless.  profitless.  worthless.  hollow.  superfluous.

otiose /adj./  1.  I'm making myself write this post.  David, for one, wishes I would have written it yesterday.  (I had a rough night, all too terribly aware of my otiose homemaking efforts in the face of stupid and constant entropy.)  So here goes.  First the word itself.  Talk about otiose.  The "t" right in the middle of this word serves as a case in point, as it is pronounced "oh-shee-ohs."  That "t" seems equally lazy, ineffective, pointless, and superfluous.

otiose /adj./  2.  Ethan had three days off school this week and we had such an enjoyable time together, it made me wonder (yet again) if pre-K isn't a completely otiose endeavor.  But then I went to his parent-teacher conference and they showed me how week by week his ability to write his name has improved.  I got a little teary at his progress and even a little proud, despite myself.

otiose /adj./  3.  Caleb had his first official boy scout camp-out this week and David was good enough to go with him.  The camporee was held next to part of the Mormon Battalion trail and as part of the camp they did a 6 or 7 mile hike along the trail (through the middle of the desert) with stops and challenges along the way.  They came back hot and sunburned.  (I packed Caleb an otiose sweatshirt and long pants, instead of sunscreen.  Sounds about right.) 

 

otiose /adj./  4.  Thursday this week was "National Boss's Day."  (Which is quite an otiose minor holiday when you really think about it.)  But they celebrated it at the hospital.  When David came home with a balloon and goodies, Olivia asked incredulously, "You're the boss?"  When David smiled and said he was, Olivia commented that she had no idea. 

otiose /adj./  5.  Caleb is still working on his aerospace project, and I spent about eight otiose hours this weekend helping him with it.  I think I am quite possibly the most otiose "parent coach" ever (ineffective and worthless, not idle or lazy), and am just trying to figure out what we can come up with in 6 more weeks that will be worth standing up in front of a half dozen NASA scientists for.  We are still in the "life-support" stage (do you know how much water and oxygen 100 people use in 2 years time!), though we did make some progress yesterday as a group on the social/cultural/political aspects of the project.  Meanwhile, I am spending my "free time" reading articles about humanure...which is exactly what you think it is.

otiose /adj./  6.  On Saturday morning, while David and Caleb were at the scout camporee, the other kids and I helped out on an Eagle scout project, painting fire hydrants.  The kids were hesitant, at first, to spend their "play day" out in the hot sun doing "scouts" (Olivia says the word with particular revulsion), but all their protestations became otiose once they saw they got to wield their very own paintbrushes.  We had a great time, and even managed to keep most of the bright yellow, enamel-based paint on the actual hydrants...though there are a few obvious bits in David's car.  (David had the camera so you will just have to imagine our sweaty, paint-spotted faces grinning at you from behind a fire hydrant right here.)

Questions of the Day

No way around it, this is an odd post.  (RIM is having fits in the background.)

And I ought to be digging out.  (RIM is insisting that I get my work done first.)  But, apparently RIM is not in charge today.

Here's a picture of me and my completed early ballot.

The number one question on your mind is:

Are you really wearing an orange shirt?

Yes, indeed.  And not just for October.  So there.


Here's a video about voting made by Catholic Vote.

And the number one question on your mind is:

Are you catholic?

No, I'm not.  I'm one of the "countless others" who believe in life, faith, and family.  And I like the thought that everything I hold sacred needs my vote.

This and That and an Appearance by CIM

Not much to say, but need to talk.  Be forewarned, this is mostly CIM at work.  I'm afraid RIM has flown north for the winter.

This:

This week Ethan only had to go to school on Monday and Tuesday and so we had an outing yesterday, to Target, then to Sweetcakes (our secret lunch spot), then to the museum, the library (of course), and finally the grocery store.  Ethan told me he wasn't bored the whole day. 



We're at my favorite part of the Book of Mormon in family scripture study.  Ether, chapter 2.  Though I'm crazy about chapters 3 and 6 as well.  After we had read the chapter, I tried to explain to the kids why I liked it so much.  I said it was like a metaphor for our lives, and asked them if they knew what a metaphor was.  Olivia raised her hand and said, "It doesn't use 'like' or 'as.'"  Correct darling.  (She's been doing metaphors and similes all week at school.)  And then I explained the metaphor and bore my testimony.  A pause for impact.  And then Olivia raised her hand again.  She asked, "Mom do you want to hear the simile I wrote?  The koala is as fluffy as a pillow."  I looked at David who was discretely grinning behind his book.  This is because he finds it charming that I would try to explain my metaphor to the children, and he finds it even more charming that the whole time I was talking, Olivia was thinking about koala bears.


Olivia had an impromptu tea party with her friends yesterday.  She dressed up, of course.  Complete with a hat.  But her bike had a flat.  Miraculously, I had a tube on the shelf and offered to change it for her.  She was skeptical, but agreed.  Halfway through the project I sent her on Savannah's bike because I am not nearly as handy as I thought I was.  An hour later (well-spent, no?) I had the tube changed and pumped up and Savannah took it on a test drive to the mailbox.  I congratulated myself on my brilliance and proceeded to clean up the tools and popped tube.  By the time I did that and went back to park Olivia's bike, could hear a soft hissing and found this:

Apparently I put a hole in the tube as I was putting the new one on her bike.  Which is a real shame.


That:

Savannah came home from school yesterday and said, "Hi, Mom.  You look pretty."  That made my day.


And David came home at 6:30.  That made me over the moon.  How's that for a metaphor? 


Last night was the final presidential debate. (Thank heavens.)  I cannot bear another word from either candidate.  David had it on while we were finishing dinner and I started answering the questions for the candidates.  They would uncanniliy say the exact same thing a few moments later.  Savannah's eyes got bigger and bigger.  She asked me how I knew what they were going to say.  That, my dear, is because I have heard it all too many times.  I can recite their speeches for them.  And that is why I cannot wait for election day.


An Appearance by CIM:

Last night there was nothing on TV (including the debate), and so David and I went to bed early and talked, which turned out not to be early after all and was, in fact, rather late once we finally went to sleep.  I started the discussion by unleashing CIM from her carefully controlled enclosure and telling David that I was desperately failing at everything, and I was pretty sure I never choose "best" when given a choice between good, better, and best, and by the way I was going to shut down my blog as well.  He tried to reasonably talk me through my crisis of confidence and eventually we ended up on safer ground talking about his life at the hospital.  And eventually CIM settled down and went to sleep.  And this is why I love that man.