Category: Quilt Market

Quilt Market

Houston Fall Market 2012

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Market was good!

This was my home away from home for the weekend.

I enjoyed speaking to lots of shop owners about my new patterns & books.

Some came from as close as Texas and as far away as Australia & Chile to name a few.

This is also where other quilt entities such as catalogs, magazines and fabric companies come to get ideas for their next business endeavors.

I met up with old friends & met some new ones too, that’s the best part of market.

My neighbors were

my friend Celine Perkins, of Perkins Dry Goods.

We shared a hotel & car at this market.

Celine always has new, expertly pieced quilts with great patterns.

My new friends & neighbors this market were,

Margaret Travis of Eazy Peazy Quilts.

She makes the cutest placemats with Bosal’s Placemat Craft Packs.

Margaret’s booth was directly across from mine,

so I had plenty of pretty to look at while not chatting with anyone in my own booth.

Next to Margret was

Sue O’Very of Sealed with a Stitch.

Sue has lots of cute designs for machine embroiderers.

Her theme for this market was Paris.

Her business cards were attached to French coffees and teas.

On the other side of my booth was

Sheila McKay of McKay Manor Musers (and her sister).

They have the cutest patterns for making super-soft animals, scarves and other cute stuff.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a helper at this market so I didn’t get out of my booth much to look around at what others were showing.

Market is always a whirl wind.

I work frantically getting everything done, then before I know it, I’m back home and starting the next round!

I hope your fall is going well, and that you’re getting some quilting time in.

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, Quilt Market

Off to Houston for International Quilt Market

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Market, like Christmas, seems to come faster each year.

Is this a sure sign that I’m getting old?

DON’T answer that!

I’m off to Houston…again.

Houston is home to some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever eaten,

and home to some of the smallest parking spaces anywhere I’ve even driven!

It really is a pretty city.

We’re staying out at the Galleria again.

Our drive each day will take us through beautiful Memorial Park.

It will undoubtably be full of joggers, walkers, and sport enthusiasts of all types.

If I lived in Houston, it would have to be near Memorial Park, so I too could be one of them.

For us market workers,

we will just have to enjoy the park on our drives to and from the convention center each day.

We will get plenty of exercise setting up our booths and standing in them all weekend.

That’s ok, I’ll take it!

I hope you have an enjoyable week.

I’ll be back with photos upon my return.

Until next time,

Susan

New Quilt pattern sample, Quilt Market

New Pattern for Fall Market – Daisy Baby Buggy

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Pictures of fabric are nice, but nothing compares to having the fabric in-hand.

I’m ALWAYS inspired to design with fabric that I can handle, how about you?

That’s why when once I had all the samples for my “Name That Quilt” book made with Odds & Ends fabrics by Julie Comstock for Moda, I was inspired to create this next sample from my scraps.

Once I have the fabrics and start sewing, my brain just starts creating and won’t stop.

By chance I had just enough of the right fabrics to create this.

Daisy Baby Buggy is all pieced, using two fabrics for the buggy, plus a background fabric, then the daisy wheels & handle are appliqued on top.

This kind of piecing always reminds me of building a puzzle.

I lay out the fabric squares on my design floor and start to sew.

Too many big windows in my sewing room for a design wall…

If you chain piece the squares, you’re less likely to get the squares out-of-order while sewing.

Another cute baby quilt don’t you think?

Want to know something else nice about this pattern?

It’s small enough you can easily quilt is yourself.

A great way to practice your machine quilting if you’re not already proficient.

So how about you?

Do you shop for fabric on-line,

or are you like me and want to go out to the quilt shops and see the fabric in person;

visit with a friendly shop owner & have some fun?

I spend plenty of hours at my computer, but not fabric shopping!

Daisy Baby Buggy is available on my website now.

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, New Pattern Sample, New Quilt Book, Quilt Market

New Book & Patterns Ready For Fall Market

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I finally have all of my printing done for market, yeah!

My new covers and books were delivered last week, but I’ve been busy doing other things like getting my distributor packets together, packing & putting the new designs on my website.

So, as I introduce my new designs this week, know that you can go to my website and order them and not have to wait for me to do that task after market.

Now for the best part, introducing them to you.

First, my new book.

You may remember me showing you the new Odds & Ends fabrics a couple of months ago, and then showing you the backing and batting of all three of these quilts basted and ready to sew.

Along with them I also designed and sewed some name banners.

I was lucky enough to get two more perfect models; Delaney my little friend, and my new great-nephew, Benjamin.

Aren’t they cute?

In this new book you’ll find Quilt-as-you-go instructions to make the name quilts in either baby size or lap size.

You can see from the photos that the lap quilt is the perfect size for any age kid to cuddle up in and the baby size is generous enough for wrapping any age baby into. (you know, for when the baby is 6 months old and you still don’t have a gift…)

The name banners can be made either horizontal or vertical and can say anything you want, not just names.

Entire full-size alphabet is included.

Instructions and yardage guidelines are given in the book too.

This summer our family moved into the next generation with the birth of Benjamin.

Upon trying to decide what to give the expectant parents, knowing I would be setting a precedence with 10 nieces & nephews plus 3 kids of our own, I decided on a quilt using my unique quilt-as-you-go technique.  It’s really quick, cute and usable!

I was able to match Benjamin’s nursery colors, personalize it with his name and it was quick & easy.

I also thought ahead for those of you sewing for babies that maybe are not named in time for gift sewing and giving, just put on it the word “BABY” such as I did for the quilt above that Ben is lying on.  Problem solved!

I’m so excited knowing when all those babies start coming very close together, and you know they will and soon, I will be able to sew up a quick quilt by just selecting 3 fabrics and starting to sew.

Pretty smart of me, huh?

I hope you will give them a try.

Look for two more new designs coming up.

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, Quilt Market

Biting my nails

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I feel like a child, anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for Christmas!

I’ve been waiting for my new patterns…

FedEx has my covers and brochures for Fall Market in Houston where I’ll be going in a couple of weeks.

Tracking says I should get them today.

Wood River Printing is working on my new booklets.

They’re local and told me Tuesday or Wednesday, so as soon as I get the call, I’m there!

I don’t know why, but it’s always exciting to see my patterns in final form.

Yes, I’ve looked at them many hours already, but seeing them in polished form is so exciting to me.

It’s kind of like finally getting to wear that new Easter dress mom made along with the new coordinating shoes that were bought weeks in advance.

I can still remember trying them on in front of the mirror countless times.

I hope I survive.

I guess I’ll get busy by finishing up other market prep;

lighting & booth pole rental agreements,

boxing up freshly washed booth drapes for shipping,

and creating a new list of items that I’ll be taking with me to Houston.

Does this look as fun as standing in front of a mirror with shiny new shoes???

I think not!

For now I will just keep moving toward my final destination…market!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, new fabric collection, New ideas, New Pattern Sample, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts Patterns

Oh, how I LOVE color!

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Is it just me…

or could you too, sit and sew with these all day long?

I love color(s)!

This is more of Julie Comstock’s new Odds and Ends fabric line by Moda.

I’ve given you a couple of glimpses of it recently,

but yesterday I received a bit more for a few projects that I’m working on for market next month.

Yikes, that’s way too soon!

I noticed as I moved our

latte bowls from Anthropologie

from this serving (not tray, not platter, not bowl) whatever it is,

that the colors of some of the bowls matched the fabrics perfectly.

Color!!!

This is our kitchen table centerpiece this summer.

My daughter Clare and I bought these at Anthropologie last winter, one of every color they had.

When we brought them home,

they landed on this cool platter with wire base…thing.

How perfect to set our useless adorable little latte bowls on.

They make me smile, kind of like a new box of 64 crayons.

It would seem Clare has a few of my genes, she talked me into buying them.

Back to the fabric…

You can see the whole collection at Moda.

I like to go here and look at “Future Groups” to see what’s coming out.

Odds and Ends is due out this month, so check you local quilt shops.

I need to get sewing.

I’ve got some quilts to name (hint, hint).  ;)

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, Quilt Market

More about Kansas City Spring Market

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As promised, a bit more about Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City.

International Quilt Market is held at the convention center, downtown.

This is a neat convention center, because you can drive right under it.  You enter on level 2, so the main convention center is on level 3… it was a bit confusing in the beginning.

I vended my very first market here in 2005.  What’s really amazing is how much more I know now than I knew then.  Getting early to the dock to unload.  Asking the dock parking team the best (and cheapest) place to park once the show starts…Where the nearest Starbuck’s is for some people…  The nearest Subway sandwich shop for others…

My friends and neighbors:

Robin in her Nestlings by Robin booth,

The Quilt Branch ladies, Mary Jane & Susan

Celine & her daughter, Molly from Perkins Dry Goods,

& lastly my daughter, Chloe & me in our booth.

Lots of standing and handing!  It makes for a very long day when you stand in basically the same place from 9:30a.m. until 6p.m. for three solid days (4p.m. on Sunday).

Then when it was all over we had to kick it into high gear and pack it all up and haul it all out to make it to Mass at the Cathedral, luckily just a block away.

And yes, this is my photo!!!

What a beautiful cathedral, and the music was wonderful.  The organist must have been a professional, no kidding, it sounded on the level of Phantom of the Opera, wow.  The soloist too seemed like a professional. Chloe and I were very glad it was air conditioned and not too crowded.  It was very hot that afternoon and we were sweaty by the time we made multiple trips to the van with all of our booth “stuff!”

Our hotel was across hwy. 70 from the KC Royal stadium.  Nope, we didn’t go see a game, but one night we had the pleasure of watching fireworks from our window.

Not sure what they were celebrating, they lost…but the fireworks were nice!

The real cool thing about staying near the stadiums was this car,

pretty cool, huh?

All in all a very good market.  It’s a whole lot of work, preempted by a whole lot of work, then it seems like a flash and we’re on our way home!

My new patterns are now on my website, so check them out.

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, New Pattern Sample, New Quilt Book, New quilt pattern, quilt as you go lap quilt, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts Patterns

Home again, Home again, Jiggety jig!

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…and I’m so glad and so exhausted!

There’s a lot of physical labor required for attending market, both as a vendor & shopper.

I was fortunate enough to have my daughter, Chloe help me out again.

This shows our booth after everything was moved in and the drapes were hung.

Since we drove a short 4 hours to Kansas City this year, we could bring along some fun props.

This is a photo of the booth almost set-up, Chloe filing a broken nail?  Lots of that happening!

You would not believe all the compliments we got on the hanging chairs!!!

Market was great, with lots of shop owners walking the floor & shopping!

We handed out over 600 brochures.

Here are some of our first shoppers.

I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again. There are so many nice people in the quilting industry!!!

We had many compliments on our booth and the quilts.

Of course my favorite part is taking orders and sharing the weekend with friends that I’ve met over the years while attending market.

More photos of market neighbors & friends to come.

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, Quilt Market

Kansas City, here we come!

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We’re off to Kansas City today.

I’m happy that we can drive a short 4 hours to International Spring Quilt Market this year!

This is so much better than spending the better part of a day in airports…being limited to 2, 50 lb. suitcases, etc.

My daughter Chloe is once again helping me with this market.

It will be nice to spend time together now that her classes are over for the summer and the stress of deadlines for all my market prep have expired, yeah!!!

Now for the manual labor part of this job…

Stay tuned for my new designs.  I will post them here for you in the upcoming days.

Until next time,

Susan

New Quilt Pattern Magazine, Quilt Market

New Magazine:Quilts from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks

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It’s always fun to find something new and exciting, yes?

I heard at Fall International Quilt Market last October that Quiltmaker was working on a new publication, a magazine that quilt designers use multiple blocks from previous issues of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks magazines and put them together into one quilt. They can be your blocks or other designers’ blocks.

QFcover opt2 Announcing QM Rocks the Blocks

 Last month I was contacted by Quiltmaker because someone was inspired to use one of my blocks in their quilt and it made it into the first issue!  I couldn’t wait to find out which block they used and to see how they used it.

The issue goes on sale this week and on Tuesday, Quiltmaker is giving away 20 copies.

Good luck!

Until next time,

Susan

P.S. My friend, Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods, has a quilt included in the issue.