Market Report #2

So first a little FYI, Quilt Market is a wholesale show.  It is for those in the quilt business.  If you are in the "biz" and want more information, the website is http://www.quilts.com/.  After Market is Festival.  Festival is larger than Market, and anyone can attend Festival.  Information on both can be found at that website. 

One of my favorite parts of Market is Schoolhouse.  Schoolhouse is the day before Market.  All day there are 15 - 30 minute "classes" where companies show their latest and greatest.  I just had a little camera so my pictures are not great.  Here's a snippet of what Schoolhouse is like.

First we have Patty Young of modkid introducing her new fabric with Michael Miller.  She has some great pictures posted of Market at her blog here: http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com/ 

What quilt show can be complete without this pair?  Ricky and Alex were introducing the new GO Baby.  Here's a link to their website: http://www.thequiltshow.com/  They are fun.

One of my favorite classes was one about Quilts of Valor.  I have been involved in this organization for many years.  Here is their website: http://www.qovf.org/.  Marianne Fons of Fons and Porter (http://www.fonsandporter.com/aspx/fonsandporter/default.aspx) was introducing a new program called "Under Our Wings."  Nine fabric companies are printing special Americana fabric for Quilts of Valor and introduced a program with quilt shops to bring non-quilters into shops to sew quilts for wounded soldiers. 

Gudrun Erla (http://www.gudrun.typepad.com/) was also there.  I got a kick out of her husband helping her.

Stash Books (http://www.stashbooksblog.com/) was also there and brought along some of the projects from their new books.

Another highlight of the trip was attending the Moda dinner.  I haven't ever been to one before.  This one was at Minute Maid baseball stadium.  Yummy food, fun music, getting to see a professional baseball field, it was a nice evening.

I've got one more post from Market to go.

Happy sewing!

Market Report #1

If you fly, one of the first things you see when you get to Houston is this cow astronaut.  I love it!

Then off to a hotel somewhere. . . .  This happened to be the view out the window of our hotel.  See the little (they are just little in the picture) red curved smoke stack looking things -- behind the tan skyscraper?  That's the convention center. 

Lovely sidewalk art on the way to the convention center.

Here is a small snapshot of setting up.  There were 23 rows of vendors.  I don't know how many were in each row. 

This picture is actually from the take down -- what's left of the Moda area.

Here's what's left of Fig Tree's booth.  A little pear and some flowers.

I guess one day we actually left the convention center before dark.  This is right outside the convention center.  It seems like it was always dark when we left.

Market was absolutely fabulous, as always!  If you get a chance to go, I would highly recommend it.  I didn't get too many pictures, but I do have a few more to show.

The First Winners of the Layer Cake Quilt Along!!!

We have two -- no THREE winners in our first drawing for the Layer Cake Quilt Along!  This drawing came from the comments of those of you who have signed up to participate. 

On the flickr group, I had misprinted the deadline for the next drawing.  The correct date of the next drawing is:

November 16th

Any block that is posted between now and the 16th will be entered in that random drawing.

Now for the winners. . . .

The first winner is Suzanna who said:

Yippee! I am so pumped. The JRS quilt along was great and now I'm ready for another. Perfect timing Konda. Thanks!
I'll be using a fat-quarter set of Moda's Blush by Basic Grey. (No blog, so nowhere to add a button.)
October 7, 2010 3:17 PM
 
The second winner is Laura who said:
 
I have never participated in a quilt-a-long before, so I am really excited about this one. I am using Moda Tweet-Tweet. Not sure about my accent or border yet.
October 5, 2010 9:49 PM
 
And, just for fun, we will have a third winner!  The third winner is Leah who said:
 
This looks like fun. I like the first block

November 2, 2010 11:56 PM

Please email me at kluckau@moosequilts.com with your mailing address so GENE and I can send you your prizes!  (Sorry Gene for mixing up your links.  At least they both went to you.)

Happy stitching!  The flickr group is looking great!!!

Layer Cake Block One with Gene Black

To start us off, we have a fun block designed by Gene Black.  I "met" Gene through the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along.  Many of you also "know" Gene this way.  If you don't, you will.  He -- yes, he -- is very friendly and generous.  I was excited when he offered to design one of our blocks. 

Now from Gene,

Hi, my name is Gene Black. I live in Northeast Alabama. The town I live has the World’s Largest Office Chair as a “claim to fame.”

Everyone always wonders how a man started quilting. What I have discovered is that each man has his own story, although some are similar. My earliest memories of quilting go back to my early childhood. I sat on the porch under my grandmother’s quilt frame that hung from the rafters and played while “the ladies” quilted.

In high school, I took “Family Life” as an elective. We learned to cook, but before that we learned to sew and made an apron. That was my introduction to using a sewing machine. I liked it! A year after I graduated I got a used Kenmore sewing machine in avocado green. Yes it was the seventies! I still have that machine and it still works.

Fast forward 30 plus years. A co-worker had seen lots of my artwork and thought I should start quilting. She was teaching a class on Foundation Paper Piecing. She begged me to take the class. She even let me take it for free. I knew NOTHING about quilting or piecing. She told me that I would need an acrylic ruler with a quarter inch mark on it. Ha, I got a clear school ruler- not what she meant. So for the class she loaned me a ruler.

I made the block perfectly and was the star of the class. Everyone else in there was already skilled in quilting. So I signed up for the advanced class and made a table runner.

After that I started working on my own and reading blogs. I was already writing my art blog so it became my quilting blog also. I soon let my artistic head take the lead and designed my own ideas. What I have discovered is this: There is nothing really new that you can design in a block. What you have to do is add your own spin to it. This block is called the Alabama Spinner. It is a star type block that I added my spin on. I hope you like it.

I am happiest when I am creating. Besides quilting, I also paint and make jewelry. One of my desires is to use my artistic talents to design fabrics for the quilting community.

Blog -- http://www.geneblack.com/

Art Website --  http://artbygene.blogspot.com/

Thanks Gene!
 
CLICK HERE for the instructions to Block One designed by Gene:
 
Note:  From time to time I get an email saying there's problems with the file.  If you get mumbo jumbo when you click on the link above, try "right-clicking" on the link and clicking "Save Target As."  Then save the file to your computer and try to open it.  It isn't the file that is the problem, it's the download process.  If it doesn't work after several tries, just send me an email -- kluckau@moosequilts.com -- and I will email you the file.
 
It's called "Alabama Spinner Block,"  appropriate since Gene is from Alabama! 
 

Here is my version of Block One.  Notice that I reversed my medium and dark fabric.  I knew the pink was darker, but I thought there was such a good contrast between the green and the pink that it wouldn't really matter.  And I wanted a green center star!  Well, sometimes you get just what you asked for. 

I think I would like the block better if I had followed the directions.  Then the star would have stood out more.  It stands out more in the photo than it does in person.  Oh well, that's what happens you experiment, sometimes you like the results, sometimes you don't.  I love the block, and I love the colors, so I won't sweat that it could've been a little better. 

After you make your block, upload a picture on our new flickr group HERE.

Why do you want to post your picture? Because we all want to see YOUR block! Okay, another reason is because that picture enters you into the next drawing. So there is one rule about posting pictures:

Rule 1) Post only one picture of each block.

That's the only rule. Any blocks posted before the deadline will be entered into the next drawing. Any blocks posted after the deadline will be entered into the next drawing.

Are you ready for the first drawing?! I will post winners tomorrow. 

We have two great prizes for tomorrow (for anyone who has sign up to play along by today):

Prize 1) A couple Dandelion Girl charm packs courtesy of Gene.

Prize 2) A quilt book, Simply Charming Fun, courtesy of me.

Yeah! Start sewing today and stay tuned tomorrow . . . .

Announcements, Announcements, A-nnou-ouce-ments. . .

Was this a common song or was my 4th? 5th? grade teacher the only one who sang it:

Announcements, Announcements, A-nnou-ouce-ments. . .
A terrible way to die,
A terrible way to die,
A terrible way to be talked to death,
A terrible way to die.
Announcements, Announcements, A-nnou-ouce-ments!

We had to sing it every day when he had an announcement to make. 

But I digress.  We now have a flickr group for the Layer Cake Quilt Along.  Here's the link:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1527403@N20/

It's ready and waiting for blocks to be posted on Tuesday.  Why do you want to post your block?  To be entered in the prize drawings!  Every two weeks, there will be at least two lucky winners drawn at random from those who have posted blocks in the flickr pool. 

I am just getting ready to schedule the first block to be posted.  I am scheduling it because I will be in Houston at International Quilt Market or "Market"!!!!!

What is Market?  It is frankly the biggest event of the year.  It is a wholesale quilt trade show.  Right after Market is Festival.  Festival is open to anyone and everyone.  It is bigger than Market, but I haven't ever been to Festival.  I have been to Market a couple times to sale my books to shop owners.  Then I hustle home. 

If you are lucky enough to be attending Market, stop by and say hello.  I will be at:

Booth 2302

Also, I am teaching a Make and Take Saturday morning :

#316 Bull's Eye for Beginners

This is one of my favorite blocks made using a new method that is super fast and super fun.  You can sign up when you get to Market!

I will be leaving the house tomorrow just after 5 AM.  Ugh!  I'm not a morning person.  I will be back Tuesday just in time to see all your lovely blocks. 

Can't wait! 

So sign up to be part of the flickr group and get ready to sew!!!

It's that time of year . . .

when sewing machines take a break from sewing quilts and sew strange things like bat wings,

a couple princess capes,

a witch's cape,

and a fleece ninja turtle that hasn't been photographed yet.

What strange things has your sewing machine been sewing lately?

Layer Cake Concern -- or Non Concern

Many have commented that they are worried about the level that this is appropriate for.  I thought the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along was appropriate for beginners.  I have told the designers of this Layer Cake Quilt Along that many doing the quilt along are beginners and to make their patterns accordingly. 

So. . . .

Beginners are welcome!

While I think the best way for a beginner to learn is in a class where an instructor can help one on one, a quilt along is also a fun way to learn.  During the last quilt along, I was so impressed with the feeling of community.  On the flickr group, so many posted encouraging comments.  Others asked questions in the forum of the flickr group that were usually answered by others of you before I even saw the question. 

Please join and be part of the community.  It's a fun group to be part of!