Christmas Quilt for 2011

 "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."  Christmas Lights is my entry for SewCalGal's 2011 Christmas Quilt Show. 

Like all my quilts, this is one that has taken several years to become a QUILT:) It began as a fun mystery quilt from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com in Quiltmaker Magazine. The pattern is now available on Bonnie's website to download for free. (at least today it is)  Christmas Lights has larger pieces than most of Bonnie's quilts. All the completed quilts that I've seen have been stunning. I'd love to try this one in different colors.

One of my goals this past year was to finish some of my Christmas quilts so that we could enjoy them during the holiday season.This is one quilt that will remain in our home. I love the fabrics. The red, gold, green and blacks have become some of my favorite tone-on-tone fabrics. The backing is one fabric. It makes a fabulous quilt, too. Most of these fabrics were purchased at Sweet Home Quilt Shop. I took a big risk with the border fabric. I purchased it in a quilt shop in Baton Rouge WITHOUT having the other fabrics with me. I felt like it might work, but was truly surprised at how much it works with this quilt.

Of course, all quilts including Christmas quilts, MUST be inspected by The Boss of the Family:) Please head to Insights from SewCalGal to enjoy the quilts in this year's Christmas Quilt Show.  

Christmas Quilt Show

As you are beginning to decorate for the Christmas holidays, you might like to snap a photo of one of your Christmas quilts and enter it in the Quilt Show hosted by SewCalGal. The quilt show begins on Monday, Nov. 28th (tomorrow). This is a fun event. There is lots of quilty inspiration and holiday joy. An added bonus is  awesome sponsors who donated wonderful prizes/gifts for the quilt show. Thank you, Darlene for organizing and hosting this event! Happy Holidays, y'all!

May your day be filled with Family, Friends and Food! Blessings to all!

A season of Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving  is my favorite holiday. It has always been my favorite because it is a simple holiday

 - holiday of gratitude and thankfulness.

 This salt and pepper pair from our Publix grocery chain is a favorite.

Don't you just love turkeys and pilgrims?

and then there is the FOOD!

Smoked turkey

Punpkin Pie

Sweet potatoes or Yams or whatever you call them

rich holiday stories shared with 100's of kids

and a prayer for EVERYDAY!

My "Who" from Quilt Market

The thing about Market is that it would be next to impossible to meet and talk with everyone at Market. Near the top of my list of "folks that I would love to meet one day" is

Alex Anderson. For many years, the only connection that I had with the quilting world was watching Alex Anderson on the HGTV program Simply Quilts. It was a delight meeting and talking with her.

Arlene Sachitano is the author of the Harriet Truman/Loose Threads Mystery series. I love combining my love of reading with quilting/knitting/dogs/and mysteries.

One of the hightlights of Market for me was meeting a blogging friend. Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works blog, online shop, and podcast was so friendly and warm. Sometimes, it's a strain meeting someone in person that one has meet online. NOT so with Jackie. It was a pleasure meeting and chatting with her.

Sue Spargo stopped and chatted with Pat and those of us in the booth. 

Another delightful "blogger meeting" was visiting with Anne from Cottons 'n Wool. AnIne does lots of sewing for designer Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs. On her blog, she described building her new home with her fabulous "nest" for sewing. Her wool applique is exquisite.

Mary Lou Weidman, awesome quilt artist, who specializes in bringing Out of the Box the artist in each of her students.

Our "next booth" neighbors were Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison from Bonnie Blue Designs. It was great spending time with these talented ladies. Mary Ellen is a retired elementary school librarian, too.

Kathy Brown from The Teacher's Pet (Take Five Patterns and books). Kathy is from Baton Rouge so it was great talking Louisiana and quilting with her.

 The awesome Kelly Jackson from the online store and blog I Have a Notion.

Barb and Mary from Me and My Sister Designs. Barb is the blogger. She is great about answering comments and keeping us laughing.

and of course, THE KING, Elvis was in the Primitive Gatherings booth.

Thanks for visiting Fall Market with me. Many of the links on my posts have additional pictures and happenings from Market. It's time to morph into action. I have a plumber "visiting" for a leak in MY bathroom sink. Tomorrow, DH and I are leaving for Baton Rouge to attend the LSU game in Tiger Stadium this weekend. With our work schedules, etc, it's been 25 years since we have attended a game in Tiger Stadium. We're EXCITED.  Geaux Tigers!!!!

Some "What I Saw" from Quilt Market

Quilt Market is HUGE!!! I am in awe of the shop owners who preview all the items at Market and actually come to a decision of what items to order for their shop. There was so much to see! I feel like I missed more than I actually saw. Even looking at some of my photos, I'm at a loss of who or what is in the photo. Luckily, I was at Market to work for one company and everything else was "lagniappe" or extra as we say in Louisiana.

Perhaps one of the neatest new notions is the Pilot FriXion gel pen. Our quilting group was introduced to this product last Summer. The pen is used to mark fabric. The marks are erasable using a hot iron. I particularly like using my pens to mark half-square triangles. Red, black and blue are the colors that I knew existed. Looks like they are adding color in the gel pen and thicker highlighter version. Ask your quilt shop owner about these pens.

B.J. of Silver Thimble Quilt Company designs holiday and sewing cards. B.J. had several new cards to add to her line. I loved the Thanksgiving and Christmas additions. Your quilt shop owner can get these from Checkers Distributor or you can order some directly from the Silver Thimble website. Kristie had a wonderful idea. She is framing some of these cards to hang in her sewing room. I may "borrow" that idea.

Like most quilters, I first learned to sew garments or  clothing. Cindy Taylor Oates of Taylor Made Designs  was down the isle from us. The new Camp Shirt pattern has lots of potential. I especially liked the back of the blue one on the left.

Brenda and I both picked up brochures from Serendipity Studio. Look at the awesome lines on this dress and jacket. This is a new company to me. Looks like their patterns can be purchased on their website if your local quilt shop is unable to order the patterns for you.

Trace 'n Create E-Tablet and Paper Tablet  Keepers from Clover was a new item.  I missed the demo at the Clover book but discovered this  video with Nancy Zieman demonstrating how to use this product.

One designer that I've been intrigued with as of late is Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. I wasn't able to meet her. The line in her booth was always long when I had the opportunity to go down that aisle. Reason for Quilts is her newest book. I feel a new project coming on:)

Isn't this the cutest Dachshund bag? Of course, the pattern went home with me. It's from Buttons & Bees. Brenda found THE cutest pig pattern. If I remember right Kristie found a neat dog pattern. Cute stuff from these folks. 

Our neighbors to the left were the wonderful Mary Ellen Robison and Paula Barnes from the Bonnie Blue Quilts company. Their patterns are one of my favorites.

This is one of their new patterns (I've forgotten the name) Several of their patterns found their way home with me. Thimbles Swap partners, we found a new design for one of our swaps!

Charlie Brown fabric! I don't remember which company, but for us Peanuts lovers, this is good news.

Ed Emberley fabric for all of us who loved his drawing books in elementary school.

And you just never know what you will see at market. A bike came in handy for some of the convention center helpers.

Houston Quilt Market - 2011

"To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done."

Pat Wys and B.J. Laird, design partners of Silver Thimble Quilt Company

There are lots of wonderful blessings in my life. Last week I had the awesome opportunity to attend the International Quilt Market in Houston!!!!  It was one of those "I can't believe that I'm here" events. My friend/teacher/mentor  Pat Wys asked Brenda, Kristie and me to help her  in her Silver Thimble Quilt Company booth. Well, this is something 3 elementary Library Media Specialist can do. It's so like our many years of running Book Fairs for our schools.  Just like a school book fair, setting up the booth takes some time. Friday was a busy day at market. We worked on the booth,

 assisted Pat and the gals from Martingale Publishing (publisher of Pat's book Spotlight on Neutrals) at Schoolhouse,

 completed the booth,

new pattern Glory Garden

visited Painted Pony & Quilts in LaPorte, Texas  just south of Houston. The ladies at Painted Pony had starter fabric packs for Pat and BJ's quilt Star Spangled Celebration .

followed by fabulous Mexican food at Little Papasitto 

arrived back at the George R. Brown Convention Center to attend "Spree"

 braved the lines at the Moda table to purchase fabric bundles and "earn" this year's Moda Bag 

I had to  restrict my "quilt budget" for several months to splurge  at Spree. (Seasonal Little Gatherings from Primitive Gatherings , Rouenneries Deux from French General, Good Fortune by Kate Spain, Bali Pops, neutrals, cool batiks and a thread pack from Aurifil

For now, I just want to visually enjoy my new stash. Yes, indeed, lots of blessings from Fall Quilt Market:).