Sweet Home Quilt Co.

There are always at least two or three special quilt exhibits at Quilt Market, but I am usually so busy that I don’t take time to take in the show. I was particularly drawn to a couple of the quilts in the Celebrate Spring! 2010 exhibit presented by the International Quilt Association, so I snapped some photos to share with you. The theme was season of renewal and there was a wide array of interpretations on display…these were my favorites:

Let’s All Spring Forward by Rosalie Baker, Davenport, IA

Evening Egrets by Joanne Baeth, Bonanza, OR

Morels in May by Barbara Douglas, Midland, MI

Spring is Just Around the Corner by Saradean Hallman, West Columbia, SC

Sunny Side Up by Timna Tarr, South Hadley, MA

Melisa

Too bad there’s no such thing as “smell-a-blog” … I’d love to share the scent of my gardenias with you! I’m sure these have been blooming for a couple of days, but I failed to notice until this morning when I walked down the driveway to grab the newspaper. It was the light, rich perfume that drew my attention…enjoy the photos anyway!

I can’t remember a time when this bush has had so many blooms…heavenly scent!

Melisa

You must check out the latest release from Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs! Country Inn is another Blackbird Designs masterpiece featuring quick cross stitch projects, an easy pieced quilt, and beautiful applique quilts that are classic Blackbird Designs! PLUS, there are wonderful breakfast recipes, too! Create your own “Country Inn” experience with this book!

Beautiful quilt projects and yummy recipes…what more could you need? I’ll be buying a copy for my own collection!

Melisa

No, not a typical hunting trip…a much anticipated trip to Hunt & Gather in Minneapolis! My friend, Roseann, has been promising to take me there since last summer and we finally had the opportunity to go the day after Spring Quilt Market ended. Heaven…I was in HEAVEN!

Julie and I took off on our adventure to meet Roseann and Pat Sloan at Hunt & Gather, and ended up quite L-O-S-T even with the GPS! At one point, Julie called the shop to ask for directions and when she told the lady where we were I could hear her exclaiming “Oh my!”  YIKES!  But we eventually found our way there…and it was so worth the trip! I could have gotten into so much trouble (more than I actually did!) if it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d have to figure out a way to get all the stuff I wanted to buy back home…it’s a long way from Minneapolis to Atlanta and most of what I wanted would NOT fit in my carry-on bag!

Bright, happy & cheerful on the approach…looks promising!

I took loads of pictures…everywhere you looked there was inspiration and just plain fun quirkiness!

Remember these? I have them on the fridge for the Grandies to play with…

Need a faucet?

How about a vintage water fountain?

So much fun to dig through the treasures!

I collect recipes and cookbooks, but really…who needs a recipe for FRIED EGG???

This “Lady” was perched in a corner, just hanging out!

This brought back memories…Mike and I were avid square dancers early in our marriage…like 25 years ago! I wonder where my crinolines are???

Julie and Roseann!

Be sure to check out Roseann’s blog for her view of the morning’s visit…I don’t know how I missed seeing some of the things she saw!

We finished up the day back at Rosebud’s Cottage in White Bear Lake where Roseann and Pat recorded a live radio show about Quilt Market. If you haven’t checked out Pat Sloan’s Creative Talk Radio, click the link to get caught up and then be sure to tune in every Monday afternoon and listen live! It’s a fun way to “meet” lots of interesting people from the quilting industry.

I hated to have the day end…antique shopping is one of my favorite pastimes, and spending time with great friends, too, makes for a perfect day in my book!

Melisa

Tomorrow is the last day of Spring Quilt Market…I hate to see it end, but in a way I’m really glad, too, because I am soooo tired! A fun girlfriend day is planned for Monday and then I head for home bright and early Tuesday morning. Today was another very long day beginning with a business lecture at 8AM, full day on the Market floor, and a fun class tonight.  Another early morning lecture tomorrow so this will be quick…enjoy.

Bunny Hill Designs booth…so stinking cute you wouldn’t believe it! Watch for the complete Lily and Will fabric collection at SHQC in October!

Pieces from My Heart booth featuring the new Lollipop collection from Sandy Gervais…coming to SHQC in October!

Collections for a Cause-Hope by Howard Marcus for Moda. The top of the picture is the actual 1840’s antique quilt that inspired the fabric collection…it was amazing at how true the prints were – old compare to new! Sales of this fabric collection will benefit ALS.  Watch for it at SHQC in September!

Crazy quilting anyone? We’ll soon have yummy new wools, silks and linens perfect for creating your own heirloom.

Fun display at the United Notions/Moda booth!

Moda Home was under the Big Top!

I took a fun class tonight – Surface Design using fabric paints and inks – way outside my comfort zone! It was reminiscent of fingerpainting in kindergarten…loads of fun!

These were the “professional” samples…

And here we were working hard at being creative…that’s Carol beside me in the red…my “work” is at the very bottom of the picture, see my blue butterfly? It was a proud moment!

Carol is hard at work, and Joyce caught me wiping my hands on my apron! It was very messy and I was trying to get the paint off my hands…good thing they gave us aprons to wear!

Melisa

Another 8AM lecture this morning, then a brief respite to grab a much-needed cup of joe before I hit the Market floor! I worked my “agenda” first thing and got the must-haves out of the way first. Only problem with that approach is that my hands were FULL within about 10 minutes of the doors opening so I had to go in search of the baggage check room! No pictures of the loot, but I cannot wait to show you…fun new samples, kits and patterns!

There are 32 veeerrryyy long aisles of vendors and I made it through about half today. Some I’ll revisit tomorrow (no impulse buys at Market!!!) and there were others that didn’t make the cut…can’t buy it all, as much as I’d love to!!!

I was far too busy shopping to take many pictures today, but there were a few things that caught my eye…

Delicate displays in the Anna Griffin booth…

Michael Miller Fabrics never disappoints…their booth area was a wonderland of white…

Cute, cute nursery display featuring cuddly soft plush from Shannon/Robert Kaufman.

Fun, quirky display in the Handbehg Felts booth.

Tomorrow it is back to finish up all the aisles I didn’t get to today, along with a couple of appointments to buy some FABRIC! I’ve found some terrific new fabric suppliers that I think you’re going to love, love, love…

Ended a busy day with dinner at Stella’s Fish Cafe with a c-r-a-z-y bunch! Good food and good friends…nothing better!

(L to R) Ken & Karen from A Scarlet Thread, Laura Flynn from Cotton Patch Quilt Shop, yours truly, Jackie, Patty, Joyce Hartley from Quilting Adventures, and Kelly Ann Richardson from Kelly Ann’s Quilting.

Melisa

I’m a day late with this post, but let me just say that it is proving very difficult to find the time and energy to write a post every day. The days begin with business classes/lectures at 8AM  and it has been after 11PM each night before I get back to the hotel room…aahhhh, but it is so much fun!

Market Thursday was Schoolhouse day, and it is truly exhausting. I didn’t count the number of sessions, but I would venture to say there are between 150 and 200 sessions from which to choose, every half hour. The schedule is made available one hour before the opening session, and then you must be prepared to move rapidly from one session to the next. The problem is that there are so many good sessions and it is difficult to choose between those that overlap; often the decision is made for you…some sessions are so popular you can’t even get in the door! The sessions range from presentations of new product, to business sessions, to ideas for marketing the products we buy, displays, etc. There is so much information to absorb and you want to take advantage of all of it…after all, that is a really big part of what Quilt Market is all about for a shop owner.

Here Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods introduces a new block of the month program from her new book, Abundance.

A product display idea from Timeless Treasures featuring the new Tonga Treats pre-cut strips and squares (look for these at SHQC soon…hint, hint!)

Karen Montgomery, owner of The Quilt Company and fabric designer for Timeless Treasures, shows samples made with her new fabric line, Lauren.

After a full day of Schoolhouse, and a leisurely dinner back at the hotel, it was back to the convention center for the maddening frenzy known as Sample Spree, which is the suppliers’ opportunity to unveil their new introductions and offer Market Specials to shopowners. Many designers also offer pre-made models for their new designs, which gives shopowners a head start for being able to introduce the new products into their shops quickly without having to wait for a model to be made once they return from Market. People began lining up to get in at 4:30PM and it didn’t begin until 8PM!!! We (Julie, Noel and I) waited until the initial frenzied surge had ended before we went over, and we were able to walk right in without a wait!

Every year Moda has a new Market bag at Sample Spree…and I filled TWO of these with yummy stuff to bring back. So what did I buy?

Just look at all that Moda goodness! Just a sneak peek, though. You’ll have to wait for the Market Review Party when I get back to see it all up close and personal…SORRY!

Melisa

I’m a fairly frugal person, when I want to be, and a cheap flight to Minneapolis was definitely in order for this trip. Even when I realized it was a 5:30AM flight, I wasn’t deterred. In fact, it seemed perfect for me since I’m generally up at that time of day anyway. What I failed to take into account was that I’d have to be at the airport an hour early and in order to do that I had to leave my house by 3:00AM, which meant getting up at 2:00AM.  H.E.L.L.O.!!! What was I thinking???

My motto that “sleep is overrated” was definitely in play yesterday morning on the first leg of my trip to Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis. Ironically it wasn’t the loss of sleep that bothered me the most…I didn’t realize that there would be NO services available at the airport at 4AM! No Starbucks (luckily I had grabbed a Diet Coke when I left home!) and no tram! What makes anyone think that early morning travelers are any more prepared to walk 5 miles than travelers during normal hours? I walked 25 minutes (!) from the check-in kiosk to my departure gate, hauling a tote bag and carry-on, huffing and puffing the entire time. I am too fat and too out-of-shape for that kind of exercise, especially at 4AM!!!

Here’s the view from my seat on the airplane when I woke after a brief nap. The sun was just barely coming up and the clouds below us looked like marshmallow fluff…so pretty.

I came to Minneapolis a day early so that I could hang out in White Bear Lake with my friend Roseann at her cute little shop. She was having a busy day with the bus tour of quilt shop owners coming through at intervals, but we managed to sneak away for a bite of lunch and a little catch up time. White Bear Lake is the cutest little town you can imagine…if I ever just disappear with no warning…look for me here!

I managed a brief nap back at the hotel, and then met up with Julie and Noel for dinner. We walked down the street (did I mention the weather in Minneapolis is very close to perfect these days??) to Hell’s Kitchen, which has been touted as a “must do” while in Minneapolis. We were not disappointed. The atmosphere was unique and fun, and the food was wonderful! This is the chandelier that greets you when you walk into the restaurant…

…it was almost scary to walk under with all those knives hanging down! Back at the hotel for a night cap (or two!) and visiting with more friends…old and new…one of my favorite things about coming to Market…the friends, not the night caps!!!

Today is lectures and Schoolhouse followed by Sample Spree tonight. This is always one of the most intense days of Market, as the designers and sponsoring companies put on their individual schoolhouse events showcasing their new products, ideas and programs. There is a wealth of information for shop owners to use to make buying decisions and ideas that can be used back at home in the quilt shops. It will be non-stop from one event to another beginning in about 20 minutes until Sample Spree ends at 10PM tonight. I’d better get to it…

Melisa

On Tuesday before I headed off to Minneapolis, I attended the annual Just for You Celebration meeting of Gwinnett Quilters Guild. I’m not always able to attend the guild meetings, but I try to never miss this particular event.

Just for You is a charitable program the guild sponsors to provide quilts to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Scottish Rite and Egleston Children’s hospitals) which are given throughout the year to sick children in these two hospitals. This program has been a mainstay of the guild for 9 years, and each year guild members outdo themselves in this area.

330+ quilts were made by guild members and donated for Just for You this year. The quilts are gathered up and displayed in the sanctuary of Cannon Methodist Church (where we meet) for everyone to enjoy and to be blessed by the minister.

The love and talent evident in this room is so awe-inspiring, and the wonderful stories that are shared by families who have received these comfort quilts are both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. This is what quilting is all about – using our God-given talents for the comfort of others. If you’ve ever doubted the love and generosity of quilters, I invite you to get involved in a charitable cause like Just for You and I guarantee you will be blessed many times over!

Melisa

I’m off to one of my favorite cities…Minneapolis…for Spring Quilt Market. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends and seeing all of the new fabrics, books patterns and notions that will hit the market in the next few weeks and months. I’ve got a wish list a mile long so it will be fun seeing how much of it I can find.

I’ll be blogging while I’m there so come back here to see what I’m up to…it won’t be all work and no play, I assure you! Notice the PamKittyMorning radio over on the sidebar? Click on it and you can read lots of market reports from different shop owners and designers – it will be almost like being there in person!

Be sure to drop by the shop if you get a chance…I’m counting on all of you to keep Mike and the girls busy and out of trouble while I’m gone!

Melisa