QuiltCon: Unexpected Encounter

QuiltCon was full of interesting and fun people.  I met a woman from Canada who had been hit by a car while riding her bicycle just a few months ago.  She made the journey to QuiltCon alone and fought through some painful days of walking and sitting just to enjoy the experience of this inaugural event.  I can't remember her name and I regret not getting her contact information.  (If any of you out there know of whom I'm speaking, please forward this post to her.  Thanks!)

I was also very impressed by Casey York.  Casey and I were in a lot of the same lectures and I had occasion to hear her conversations as groups of us stood around talking in between lectures.  There's definitely something special about Casey and I believe she's one to watch.

Then there was Amanda of The Cozy Pumpkin.  I met her in the lecture hall on Saturday.  She made my insides giggle.  She was so full of energy and made everything seem bright and shiny.  It was Amanda that encouraged me to spread the word about my blog and said that she would be bugging me via email if I wasn't posting on a regular basis.  I sure hope I don't disappoint Miss Amanda.  :)

Now, on to one of the biggest and most unexpected highlights of my trip.  I met Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio. 

Jacquie's blog was one of the first that I found when I started quilting.  Her quilt entitled "Tin Roof" was part of the inspiration for the design of my "Affirmation".  Jacquie was also the first blogger that actually responded to a question I asked.  When I contacted her back then, I had no idea that she was one of the giants of the industry.  I just knew that I liked her work.  She was so thoughtful and encouraging in her response to me.  It's something I'll never forget.

Jacquie was the speaker right before Denyse Schmidt's keynote address.  She spoke for an hour and made us cry no less than four times.  She spoke so lovingly of her family and how they influence her work.  She was real and spoke in terms that I could relate to.  She impressed my soul.

I was thrilled that I was able to have a brief conversation with her after her speech to tell her how meaningful her response to me was back then.  She was gracious and kind and allowed me to snap a few pictures.  If you're interested in hearing Jacquie's speech, you can watched it for free on Craftsy.

The experience of QuiltCon has left an indelible mark on me.  I am hoping that what I gained while there will last until the next convention in two years.

My next (and possibly last) QuiltCon post will be about the quilts that were on display that inspired me.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

QuiltCon Checklist

I went to QuiltCon last week with two purposes; to buy some Cherrywood Fabric and to gain some insight from Denyse Schmidt. I am happy to report I was able to accomplish both.

I fell in love with Cherrywood Fabrics a few years ago without ever seeing it in person. Even from their website I could see that the muted hand dyed colors would work perfectly with a few designs I had in mind. When I read that they would have a booth at QuiltCon, I was so excited. Karla Overland, the owner of Cherrywood Fabrics, gave a great talk about her hand dying process and how she works with the color wheel to come up with gradations of color. She was kind enough to help me pick out this group for a project that's been rolling around in my head.

Don't you just love the suede looking texture of this cotton?!

For those of you that don't know, I love Denyse Schmidt. I like her work, but I love her story. I also think her company is an interesting business model. She is an inspiration to me for reasons that are difficult to articulate. Somewhere in me, I believe that a conversation with her will answer that one question I didn't know I needed answered and will make the path that I'm on much clearer and a bit easier to travel. When I read that she was giving the keynote address at QuiltCon, I was on a mission to connect with her.

And connect I did! We had a brief conversation while she was signing my book and arranged to have a longer conversation in the near future.

Three days after returning from Austin, I am completely elated and am still coming down from my QuiltCon high. I'll save the story of my unexpected encounter with another Modern Quilting giant for my next post.

Matilda Mondays: Contentment

I think Matilda resents the time that I spend at the sewing machine.  She curls up in her bed in the corner, constantly sighs, and gives me the guilt trip look.  But whenever I have something to work on that allows me to sit on the couch, she is quite content to wedge herself between my leg and the pillow and either fall asleep, watch tv, or stare out of the window.

Matilda Mondays: Hmmm....

Deep in thought.

Matilda's not the only one deep in thought.  I have been too.  Trying to figure out where I really fit in this quilty blogosphere.  I started this blog because I thought it necessary to connect with the quilting community and to make my business more legitimate.  But given that I'm constantly searching for the energy to sit at my sewing machine, finding the time and energy to update this blog has become quite difficult.  Not to mention the fact that it takes my home computer almost 5 minutes to find its way onto the information superhighway.

I'm going to try and get better about this, but I'm sure it's going to be a slow process.  I hope you'll bear with me.

Matilda Mondays: I need my seat back, please.

"If I sit here, she can't.  If she can't sit here, she can't sew.  If she can't sew, she'll be forced to spend time cuddling with me.  Ha!"

I've been away for awhile, dealing with some health issues (among other things).  But I think I'm back, for now.  We'll see what life decides to throw at me next.

On my intermittent well days, I've been working on a few projects that I'll be sharing with you in the coming weeks.

I'm happy to return to my blog.  I've missed the energy that writing brings me.

Birthday gifts

Yesterday was my birthday.  39...where did the time go?!  Anyway, I received a box from my best friend.  It was filled with random fabulousness.  Scraps to help me finish my string quilt, a Hillman College tshirt (I LOVED "A Different World".), some skin care products I've been missing, a scarf she made from this tutorial (my friend is talented), and a great tote bag from Lands End.  But the most fabulous goodie, as it would relate to this blog, was a collection of handmade pin cushions.

Aren't they fabulous?!

 

This one is my favorite.  Dontcha just love the color?  And the heart?  And my initial?

I have one faaaaabulous friend.

I think I've used "fabulous" more than ever should be allowed in one posting, but.... :)

Super Bowl Score

Both of my LQSs had Super Bowl sales this weekend.  The one in Annapolis had their sale on Saturday and Sunday, while the one in Easton was only on Sunday from 12-5.  I wanted to stash pile, but I decided to purchase a walking foot for my machine instead.  Couldn’t pass up the 25% off on that!

For the past few Super Bowl sales, I had a good time.  I was in a good mood and fabrics seemed to just jump out at me.  This year was not like that at all.  The energy in the shop on Sunday was quite frazzled and frantic.  I made a bee-line for a few fabrics and got out of there as quickly as possible.  Saturday was a bit better, but my creative juices just weren't flowing very freely.  I did purchase a few pieces of fabric.  Some fat quarters and half yards.

Most of these are for projects that I’m already working on or about to start.

This one I bought because I absolutely loved it.  When I saw it, I didn’t hesitate to pick it up.  I have no idea what I will use it for, but I think I will cut one little strip from it and put it in the string quilt I’m working on right now.

What do you think of this crazy batik?  I was drawn to the bright colors.  This may make an appearance in my friend’s birthday quilt in April.  I think it’s a bit too wild for her, but I might be able to sneak it in as binding.  We’ll see.