Happy Zombie

GOOODIES!
For dessert.  Not until after this post is finished.

Now boarding, Alaska flight 38
Good-bye Seattle. Hello Minneapolis.
Waiting for me below… AlmostUtopia. If only MN had an ocean - it’d truly be Utopia.  What a beautiful state filled with beautiful people.  Beautiful, friendly, nice people.  Minnesota Nice people.

I was just getting over a cold, and then I got hammered with it while in MN (I blame my flight) - so I’m missing lots of bits and pieces of market.  Missing photos, missing people who I wanted to see but didn’t/couldn’t.  An abbreviated, prescription drug induced snapshot of my trip to Market.  I could not have made it through Market without my Nurse Nightingale when I was so sick, and my interpreter when I lost my voice - Pam.  And to my roomie Karen - you took such great care of me and made me feel so loved and cared for.  Thank you Pam & Karen - from the top, bottom, sides and middle of my heart!!!!!

Twilight on Crack Hotel
Or to someone who’s hip, young, trendy, cool and likes sleeping in a black box and showering with a wall of window to the bedroom - and showering with essentially a shiny garden hose for a shower head, (or has a really cool suite like The Pioneer Woman did)… then you must give The W Hotel in Minneapolis a go.  Bottom right) ME: Hey Karen, what’s the weather like today?  KAREN:  Sunny with a chance of brick. 

Sample Spree
Clockwise:
1)  Showin’ off her bling - cuter than cute Lizzy.
2)  For YEARS we’ve been blog/flickr pals… I FINALLY get to meet The Adorable One - That silly lil Doe.
3)  Funny-girl Kathy of Teacher’s Pet.  Are those boxes for meeeeeeeee?!
4)  Another one of my blog/flickr pals… me and Miss Minnesota Nice Mary of Mary on Lake Pulaski fame.  Mary was as nice as I imagined her to be + 1000 times more.
5)  Cara - we met over having some words. Words with Friends, that is! Cara’s first time as an exhibitor. Yay Cara!
6)  All around sweethearts and Sample Spree queue entertainers…  Jennifer, Kaye, Stefanie, Doe & Cara. Are Stefanie and Doe just not too cute?! If I were Paula Abdul I’d want to squish them/squeeze their heads off and dangle them from my rear-view mirror. But I’m not Paula - so I’d like me a set of Stephanie & Doe salt and pepper shakers. Or S & D bobble heads.
7)  No photos, I only heard rumors… that Carrie saved the day for Vickie at the Lecien table and snagged her the last bundle of Holiday Happy for her.  Carrie is not just a rockstar and Schnibble Queen… but she’s my hero too!

Breakfast
Karen, Pam and Flat Nat - amazing breakfasts at the Key’s Bar & Grill at the Foshey.  Amazing Gin Fizzes and finger lickin’ ooie gooie make-you-weep pecan rolls.

Lunch
Brit’s Pub… on EVERYBODY’S list to eat at. Pam and I are able to snag a table in the much coveted shade at Brit’s Pub. Outdoor eateries in Minneapolis are plentiful and wonderful.  A foodie’s paradise.

Cake Party!
Mother/daughter dynamic dynamo - Cherri & Lizzy’s Cake Party to celebrate Cherri’s breathtaking new book City Quilts and Lizzy’s adorable newest fabric line Castle Peeps from Andover.
Clockwise:
1)  Yes, I’d love a piece of that one, Lizzy.
2)  Melissa’s friend Unicorn tries to french kiss Flat Nat… and Jana (aka Carol) behind her does nothing to stop it.
3)  Scott brought me an RX all the way from Seattle.  I heard whisperings that he brought a bag for Patty, too.
4)  Who’s this?  OIC… it’s Caroline of jcaroline.
5)  The cool kids table - smile and say “Glee!” -Beth, Melissa, John and Scott.

Eat, again? Ok!
L to R:
1) Me with Flat Nat toss ala Mary Tyler Moore.  It’s Minneapolis.  It’s the law.
2) Pam, Cyndi and I have the best salads for dinner at the News Room.  And lucky Cyndi gets carded for beer.  I got offered the senior menu.
3) On Radio KPKM I said I was going to be Pam’s weather girl.  So here it is.  Minneapolis was hot.  Not unbearable hot… but hot enough to want to traipse in the fountain.

Maybe just a nibble for now?
Nope. Not yet.

Lecien
Goodness in the Lecien booth - Flower Sugar II, my Holiday Happy (pinch me) and Brenda’s beautiful Durham “Anew“.
In the line-up… aaaaah-dorable sweet Kate, me (apparently I either forgot to do a mirror check - or - my goal for the day was to look like a gaucho from Fogo de Chão.  Steaks anyone?), Brenda, Pam and Nireko.

Karen, Pam, Elizabeth, Keiko, Brenda, Meg, Jennifer, Nireko and Tracy made some of the most AMAZING samples for the Lecien booth - check out their blogs and see what they made - the booth was oozing in cuteness thanks to them.  (I hope I didn’t leave anyone out!!! Please let me know if I did).  Cover your keyboard with a drool towel.  

Izzy & Ivy
Oh. My. Gosh. I love Team Izzy & Ivy!  I called my mom and asked if I could keep them.  She said no.   Too cute for words… so they get four pics. L to R: Jana, Shasta and Jenny.  My new BFF’s + medical team + everything.  By far the coolest, hippest (I bet they would like the W), funnest, darlingest peeps at Market.  I can’t wait for SLC next year.  I think Team Izzy & Ivy is going to turn Utah upside down and back up again.  As if they haven’t already.

Vegemite not included
The Roo Crew from Down Under!
1)  Lynette from Lynette Anderson Designs.  Not just a friend, but a twitter and Word with Friends pal.  It was so wonderful to finally meet her.  And she’s so lovely and fun - as I knew she would be!
2)  Anni from Hatched and Ptched.  Lynette intoduced me to her - and like every Aussie I’ve ever met… so friendly and nice.  Australia… the Minnesota of the southern hemisphere.   Aussie Nice.
3)  Kellie and crew from Don’t Look Now!  Who is that pulling a Wilson behind that pillow?!  Hey, it’s my lovely sister-wife Anna!  Well if Anna is in Minnesota, and I’m in Minnesota… then it must be sister-wife Sarah’s turn to be with hubby.
4) Aussie, Aussie, Aussie… oi, oi, oi - wish you were there Natalie Lymer (aka Flat Nat’s mum), Rosalie and Natalie Ross too!

Don’t look now…
But there’s a constant, HUGE crowd at the Don’t Look Now booth.  No suprise - jaw dropping gorgeous, happy and unique.  You can’t help but smile when you see the amazing quilts of DLN.   Even the rockstars come to see DLN.  I’m sooooo in awe of the masterpieces cranked out by Kellie.  Awe.   If Don’t Look Now comes to a show near you… RUN, not walk to it.

From the Land of Tall Trees
My Oregon, Washington & Montana friends. Clockwise:
1)  My sweet friend Mo of Lime Gardenias.  Just over the hill from me -  why we’re practically neighbors.  If we were crows.  And we flew.  Mo’s big debut of her gorgeous Party Dress line with Blue Hill Fabrics.  I sure wish Mo could have been at Market!!
2)  Also in Mo’s neighborhood is Michelle from Busy Bee Quilt Designs.  Michelle was MIA while I was at her booth, but luckily I caught her mom Birdie.  I’ve been lucky enough to sew with Michelle and Birdie.  Well… they sewed… and I  danced with my chair.
3)  Just up the river (the Columbia) in SE Washington is Crabapple Hill.  I love Crabapple Hill and have made countless embroideries using CH patterns.  I even won a blue ribbon on my quilt with the Crabapple embroidery on it.  I finally got to meet Meg… the genious behind CH and fellow COSMO floss user!
4)  Sandi, Sandi, Sandi… my dear and amazing friend and my milk buddy for life.  Or as Sandi calls me… her milk soul mate.  Yea… we both love milk THAT much.  I have photos of Sandi… but saving them for my [future] Iowa post.   Oh, and DYING over Sandi’s chairs.  Montana monschmana… those chairs look like they’d much rather go to Oregon.
5)  The Anne’s!   L to R, Anne B. of Cottons n’ Wool and Anne S. of Bunny Hill.  I’m *related* to The Anne’s by both our Oregon and Walnut Creek connections.   And because I’m Super Fan #1.  I’m so excited for Anne S. - who has joined the Moda family - and joined in a big way with the debut of her oh so yummy Lily & Will.   YEAY Anne!  I heart The Anne’s soooo much!  If you’re counting… I typed “Anne” seven times.   Eight.
6) My pal, my sistah-friend, my neighbor, my lunch buddy, my roomie, my travel pal, my personal shopper… Karen is like having a dozen friends all lovingly wrapped into one awesome friend. Karen’s latest beautiful line Dear Dorothy debuted at the Timeless Treasure. And just look at the sample in her fabric… it’s an Izzy & Ivy pattern!
7) My oldest and bestess and dearest and funnest friends Leslie. We were neighbors at one time - like only a block from each other neighbors.  We were inseparable, from sun -up to sun-down… until she moved back to Michigan.  There were rumors we wanted to start our own commune - but instead - Leslie’s mom opened up Hearts to Holly quilt shop.  Leslie is the person responsible for putting a rotary cutter back in my hand somewhere around 1999.   When Leslie and I do get to see each other, there’s a photo we take to show her kids that Leslie is growing taller and I am shrinking.  If anyone saw me bawling at the MCC… it’s because I had to say good-bye (again @#$!) to Leslie.

Mi amore, those who I adore
1) Clockwise: Elizabeth “MacGruber” Stumbo (my BFF, my mug-arita buddy and super stylist for all things APQ/Quilt Sampler/Q&M), Jill Abelo Mead (my Quilts & More editor and my cheerleader and she’s got a sassy new hair-do!), Karen, Linzee (freelancer to the House of Meredith - she’s like me… but she quilts with letters and writes beautiful profiles in American Patchwork & Quilting and Quilts & More), Pam and me.
2) Sherri of Sherri Falls of This & That fame. Pam (who knows EVERYBODY) introduced us - we would soon be going to Iowa together, so Pam and Roseann both thought I should meet her right away - not to waste ONE MINUTE of not knowing her. To say I adore Sherri is an understatement. More on Sherri in a future post.
3) Bonnie and Camillie - another amazing and adorable mother/daughter dynamic dynamo! A. Dor. Able.

I spy - some happy for my eyes
Clockwise:
1)  I love Riley Blake.  Love them!
2)  Pillow & Maxfield.  Loved their booth, loved them.
3)   Cara’s first time as an exhibitor. Yay Cara!
4)  Lakehouse Dry Goods… I love all things Lakehouse.   Every market I tell Holly I want to move into her booth.  One day I will be sucessful.
5)  Hemma Design… a Swedish inspried company from Minnesota.  Really caught my eye (and Karen’s too).  Love the simple happy look of Kathy’s [Kathy on right, Mary on the left] that’s oh so Swedish.
6)  Last but not least… check out the delicious yummies fo dear sweet wonderful Nanette of Freda’s Hive fame made for the RJR booth.  Darling!   The only thing better than seeing Nanette’s yummies… would have been to have had Nanette there with them!

Checking out… Checking in
Good-bye Minneapolis (and the crazy Twilight on Crack hotel)… Hello Des Moines (and your beautiful vintage hotels filled with light and brightness).   Lots to show.  Lots to tell.  I’m still on a Cinderella high - I’ll be blogging my Iowa trip after I rest up.

Now it’s time for dessert
Fresh from the oven… a little Holiday Happy to go around. I was going to do a give-away with 2 fat quarter bundles of my Holiday Happy - but one of the fat quarter bundles had unprotected sex and gave birth to 4 little fat quartlettes (9″ x 10½” cuts).  So 5 winners instead of 2.  One comment per person - no fuss no muss… just leave a comment by noon PST on 6/14/10.  I’ll have random.org pick the winners. EDITED IN: Contest is now over - anything past comment #506 is too late (sorry). Winners to be announced shortly.

I still need to add who I wanted to see but couldn’t make it… and who was there but somehow missed them… and who I saw but didn’t get a picture of  (need to draw my pics) - but It took me 3 days to finish this post/edit the photos - so I’ll write a part two-er to this.  I really should double check for typos and make sure all the links are correct…. I’m taking a nap.

Hi.
My name is Monica,
and I’m not going to Market.
I am a card carrying member of the NonMarketGoing Society.

Allegedly all the cool kids will be at Market.  Turns out… THE EVEN COOLER KIDS are NOT going to Market - and instead are coming to my NMG Potluck & Slumber Party… and then after a hearty breakfast of my German pancakes - we’ll head over to Amy’s and join in on her Blogger’s Quilt Festival.

Quilt Market, Quilt Schmarket. We’ll show THEM!

NMG Potluck & Slumber Party
+ Bring a pillow, jammies & a quilt (we’ll be making tents in my living room)
+ Bring a dish to share (hoping Candace brings her Crockpot Nachos and Camille brings Route 44’s - yes, I schmooze for food)
+ Post your NMG dish’s recipe on your blog
+ Grab a KPKM button and put it on your blog (sorry, I can’t help with any tech support)
+ Enter your NMG post’s url into Pam’s Mr. Linky and be sure to title it with an “NMG” (because that’s what cool kids do)

While I’m at home (and causing a wee bit-o-mischief), my “Baby Happy” quilt will be on display in the Lecien booth at Market.  Baby Happy is one of two quilts from my “Two Happy” pattern for Lecien, featuring Lecien’s ADORABLE new “Old New Fabric Collection 30’s” fabric (ONFC30 for short).  Best of all… it’s FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY.  Just doin’ my part to make those chubby lil’ 18″ x 22″ cuts feel loved.

One pattern. Two Quilts. One for Momma, one for Baby. This free for download pattern is available here.

Since I’m hosting the NMG Potluck & Slumber Party… I get a recipe pass, right? Besides - my recipe box only holds take-out menus. But I will be making this from the kitchen of April Cornell.  Numnumnummy!

Ok, I’m off to buy some ala mode.  See you at the party!

I don’t know if it’s because I’m lazy… or because sometimes I can’t even find the glasses on the top of my head… but come Quilt Market time, I always get frazzled and razzled trying to find all the blog posts about quilt market. Pam has always done a great (and HILARIOUS) job of not only posting about market… but posting about who’s blogging also.

Apparently it’d be really rude of me ask everyone who makes a market post to email me the link.  Luckily Pam has set up her own little “radio show”.  Radio KPKM is like community radio… but in text - all the who, what and where all in one place.   And no one’s gonna out you on-air for leaving a crusty casserole dish behind after the recent community potluck down at the grange.

So now anytime anyone makes a market post on their blog, all they have to do is go to the Quilt Market blogging center of the universe (aka Pam’s “Radio Free PKM“) and add their Market permalink into Mr. Linky.  The more one posts, the more often they get to say hello to Mr. Linky.  It’s like everyone is practically emailing me!

Even though I won’t be at Market,  I plan on a Market report of my own.  A WYWO at market post - and I plan on building a tent in the living room with chairs and a big quilt and I’ll tweet and facebook and eat cupcakes with all my other Non-Market-Going friends and hope you all will join me in making WYWO Market posts… grabbing a button… and enjoying the fun at Radio Free PKM.  And I say we NMG peeps have a potluck.  I’ll bring the cupcakes!

And now it’s time for… Doug Benson*, The Pop Culture Bachelor. This week’s rose goes to PamKittyMorning: Quilt Market video sensation.

*unauthorized use of Doug Benson’s image - hopefully he’s too stoned to notice.

Intermission is now over. Please return to your seats.

Help. I’ve fallen off the planet and I can’t get up. Spring Market is way over, and I still have a lot of catching up to do. Pam and Elizabeth are way past me on their posts… and I haven’t even gotten to their trip to my digs yet! Long overdue peep show, and then I still have my Booty Call (otherwise known as How I Spent My Time Trick-or-Treating At Quilt Market) and My Most Excellent Adventure With Pam & Elizabeth to post. At my rate, I should have it all wrapped up by Fall Market.

Because I’m so lazy striving to be efficient… I had a light bulb moment and thought I’d give the ol Pimp My Mosaic route a twirl. Mosaic is clickable and will lead to all the photos. And if you are a flickr user, you of course can see the photos in all their supersize-me glory.

Moda, Moda, Moda. How I love Moda. Moda fabric, Moda Home… I love it all. What I didn’t know was how much I was going to love the peeps behind the fabric and goods. My new best friends (ok, not really… but I want them to be) - Whitney who is the director of the Moda Home division, Jen who is the one and only Tula Pink, and Holly who is half of the Urban Chicks. I love these girls! Ok, the bordering on creepy McModa Baby not so much (Triskit’s PG-13 moment). McModa Baby was soooo upset that Triskit was the center of attention. Poutie, schmickpoutie McModa baby (even though her darling outfit was made from Swell). Anyhoo, back to my new best friends (regardless if they deny it). Whitney is in black, Jen in the denim jacket and Holly is in white/green. Are they not too cute! So my two all time favorite fabric designers are Tula Pink and Urban Chicks (both of which I have used for Quilts & More projects), so triple bonus thrill for me to meet them. I could have spent all day hanging out with the Moda girls, but why risk a restraining order.

Paddling up to the Lakehouse, I finally get to meet Holly (top photos). Many an email has zinged between us, and finally we get to meet in real life. Holly is an amazingly talented woman and her booth did not disappoint! All these photos I’ve seen of her previous booths, and wanting to hole up inside… and her Portland booth was no different. I’m sure if I looked up “happy” in the dictionary, there’d be a reference to Holly’s booth. Holly’s been such a great cheerleader for me and she makes me gush with her many kinds words for me. I was especially excited to have some projects with Holly’s delicious fabrics showcased in her booth… two of my Jingle Jolly runners and two Jingle Jolly Pillow Talk pillows I designed just for Holly’s booth in her ever so adorable new BOB (Boy Oh Boy) fabric. The pillows were just a slick move on my part so I’d have a soft place to rest my head when I snuck into her booth to at night to sleep.

Also fun to meet at Lakehouse was Penny. It’s just so wrong to call Penny The Bag Lady, but the woman is seriously talented with her purse designs! And ever so cute are her purses in Holly’s fabric. Penny having some fun with Triskit, putting her “into the vault” (bottom left).

The Peep Show continues in a bit. For now… it’s Intermission. BRB.

Roxie and Joe Wood from Thimble Creek. Nicest and friendliest couple ever, and I love their store. Sure Pam and Anne like to blog about them, but I was born across the street from TC. Was Pam? Was Anne? Noooo. Ok, so I was born before it was Thimble Creek. And Thimble Creek has since moved. But still. I look at it as my birthright. Anyhoo… TC is one of my fave quilt shops ever, and I’m hoping Roxie and Joe will let me have a slumber party in their shop. Just wishing out loud.

Jennifer and Tanya. Do I really need to mention their last names? Who doesn’t know these two design darlings. These two wonderful ladies force us to wear bibs to keep ourselves from drooling all over their cotton goodness. From set-up day to near the end of market, I kept running into Jennifer. <— That’s code for I was stalking her. Ya know how when you were a kid, and you’d go on a class field trip, and your teacher would group you up with one of the helper moms, and you’d be chanting for that one really special and nice mom… Let me be in her group. Let me be in her group. PLEASE let me be in her group. Jennifer is like that mom. Everyone wants to be her presence and have her attention… and she so sweetly gave it. The woman just oozes love, joy, warmth and happiness. And I think her goodness is infused in her beautiful and happy fabrics. The biggest buzz I heard at Market was not about what… but about who. And that was Jennifer.

I didn’t get a shot of Tanya’s booth - because when no one was looking I was taking a nap in the scrumptious bed in her magically delicious booth. Tanya was so sweet (she’s just so stinkin’ nice), especially over my confusion over her name badge and who she was. Yes it’s Tanya. No, it’s not Tanya. Yes it IS Tanya. Yes I am a weirdo. Which is pretty funny since I had two badges… each one with a different last name. Did I mention I’m in love with Tanya’s fabrics? I especially love her new Ava Rose in the pinks and aquas. And of course I heart Tanya too!

My fun friend Keri Duke from Maui and Liz Lois of Nearly Insane. Keri and I keep running into each other over here on the mainland. What I really want to do is run into her on Maui! I met Keri at an Artist’s Way “camp” about two years ago, and during one of the speeches - Keri and I swapped doodles. No, not code. We really doodled in our notebooks and then swapped. I soooo got the better end the deal. Keri can hold a pencil and the paper magically turns into a work of art, and then it turns into a breathtaking Hawaiian quilt.

Liz has taken Dear Jane to a higher level. OHMYHECK… It’s Dear Jane on The Juice! Breathe. Breathe. I was having a Dear Jane-iac attack! Liz’s quilt stopped me dead in my tracks. Judy’s too. My photo doesn’t do it justice. Judy and I each bought one of her two books, and we vowed to each other we were going to make it. WHAT WAS I ON? Ok, so now it’s a life goal. And for the record… Liz had THE best treats/goodies at Market.

Judy introduced me to her friend Bonnie Sullivan, and little did I know that I already knew Bonnie. Well, not know know her… but in the past I’ve bought some of Bonnie’s All Through The Night patterns AND some of her Maywood Studios fabric. I love Bonnie’s style. Just the right amount of cuteness and folk art, and kind of Euro in a way to me. Exatly my style, and Bonnie’s designs fuel my inner autumn.

Triskit got word Santa was going to be making a visit, and she hid in the fireplace to wait for him. Judy got her out thankfully, and briefed her on proper Santa etiquette.

Cindy Taylor Oats filling in for Judy as her stylist and Colleen Blackwood and her sister of Laughing Lizzie’s Patterns. Fun girls, as you can see! Cindy’s booth was pinklicious and her cupcakes the sweetest I’ve ever seen. And how cute are they in Holly’s fabric! And Cindy’s apron in Sandi’s fabric. Pure eyecandy. Cindy’s little cupcake stands were genius too - she made them the repurposed way (I’m hoping she blogs about how she made them… way too clever).

Jean and Gerri hanging out at Casa de Bloomio. These two were a hoot, but I did keep on eye on Gerri while she was in E’s booth. Just saying. Triskit’s sitting on sweet Lori Smith’s shoulder - who is one of my favorite quilt designers of all time. Love, love, LOVE her patterns. I wish I could make them all! I had a field day in Lori’s booth (and I bet Wendy would have had snippets of fun too). Mmmmmm…. I love the smell of wholesale prices in the morning!

This is Davide from Aurifil. Not because Aurifil is the best thread on the planet. Not because Aurifil is my favorite thread and is all I will use. Not because I got the VERY LAST 4-pack free sample. Not because the colors of the threads had me dazzled. No. Because Davide was sooooooo stinkin’ cute and his Northern Italian accent was like sweet, sweet music.

Santa, “Now you be good, Triskit.”

Hard to say this right below Santa’s photo, but… Booty Call is next up to bat. And now my name is in Santa’s Naughty Book.

Someone seems to be having a hard time napping! Ok. You can get up Triskit. But you have to work on finishing your posts, little missy…

Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t sleep. Kept hearing all this laughing and fun going on over at Elizabeth’s booth. Mum was nice enough to let me get up from my nap at Sandi’s to visist E’s booth. Pam, Cyndi and Brenda discussing something while Elizabeth has a good grip on me. Hmm… she’s pretty focused on me…

Everyone’s laughing and talking. Everyone but Elizabeth, that is. Still focused on me.

La, la, la… more laughing and talking.

Talk, talk, talk. Laugh. Laugh.

Yoo hoo… Elizabeth. You’re missing all the fun conversation. What the heck has you so mesmerized???

And then it happened. Elizabeth Agatha Chistie’s investigation has paid off… and she discovered my tramp-stamp.

Holy crap… now I’m REALLY in trouble. I pleaded with mum not to be upset, but she just wouldn’t have any of it. Mum thought it best that I take a time-out and a nice nap back at our hotel.

Back at the hotel. Knock. Knock. Knock. Who issssss it? Oh my heck… it’s Kris from Cozy Cottage Fabrics! Come in, come in! We say hello, blah, blah, blah… and then Kris shows me the honor bar. The honor what? Hmm. Interesting. “What’s this stuff in the little bottles?”, I ask Kris.

Kris says she’ll read me a bed-time story if I promise to nap afterwards. It was at this moment that mum remembered she was supposed to give Kris a hug from Sharon, but mum said it was too dangerous at this time - a hot quilting chick… in a hotel room… with a bottle of nap-juice… no, no, no… for sure a pillow fight would break out and for certain the hotel would kick us all out. A hug for Sharon will have to wait for another time. It’s for the greater good. I’m getting very sleepy…

… my keyboard is getting blurry. More later…

I’m handing the keyboard over to Triskit today - she’ll be guest blogging. Who knew she could type. But then… who knew Mimi could type. - Monica

Welcome to Quilt Market! Best thing about Market, are not the quilts, the patterns, the books, the inspiration, the fabric, the pretty colors… it’s the wonderful quilting peeps! Come on - come and meet my new pals…
PS… I’m sitting on a Jingle Jolly runner mum made for Holly’s eyecandy Lakehouse Dry Goods booth, with Holly’s darling new cupcake fabric. More at Holly’s booth in a bit.

One of the first people I met was Brenda of Acorn Quilt & Gift Company. She’s just as sweet as she looks and couldn’t be any nicer. I wish mum had a shot of the cute, cute Janet (from Team Acorn) too - but she goofed up somehow with her camera. Brenda is responsible for getting us (Pam, Elizabeth, me and mum) into Sample Spree early. To work. Right. To work. Here is Brenda in her darling booth. Mum bought gorgeous happy wool and patterns there - and she was sporting drool drops on her shirt. Brenda named my doggie on my dress Bailey. Is that not too sweet!

Next stop Bunny Hill Designs to visit The Anne’s (Anne Bryson on the left, Anne Sutton on the right). I fell in the with The Anne’s… both are just too stinkin’ sweet and Anne’s booth was incredible - so much so it won a blue ribbon for Best Single Booth!

A common dilemma about me visiting a booth, was how the models wanted to be photographed with me…

Oh! Like this!

Here’s mum’s friend Sally of Maw-Bell Designs (Sally’s last name is Bell, and her partner sister’s last name is Maw… too cute, eh!). Mum ran into Sally at Sample Spree, and I over heard Sally ask my mum, “can you keep a secret for 8 hours?”. I heard mum say “yes”, but I knew she was fibbing. Not 8 minutes later - I heard mum telling her friends that Sally’s Bell Tower Quiltworks in Corvallis, Montana was going to be featured in the next issue of BH&G’s Quilt Sampler!!! More fun with Sally’s last name… is the name of her shop - which is a former church - and has a bell tower.

Sally’s shop being in the Top Ten came as no surprise to mum… she’s been saying for years it was an “it shop” after her and Auntie Karen went on their Montana quilt retreat via Sally’s shop. Just a little sampling from Sally’s shop…

Speaking of Better Homes & Gardens… FINALLY mum gets to meet the world’s best editors and nicest people ever! Jill Mead and Elizabeth Tisinger of mum’s two very favorite magazines on the planet… American Patchwork & Quilting and Quilts & More. Mum says Jill should wear a cape because she’s a realife superhero.

Sweet. Sweet. Sweet… Laura and Dianna of From Me to You Quilts…

the fairy Godmothers of quilting and teaching, and perpetuating the love of quilting via their book Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!!, teachings, patterns and Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar. Mum says, “I heart you Laura and Dianna!”

Email and blog pal of mum’s… FINALLY mum gets to meet Cyndi of Stitch Studios IRL. Mum’s in awe of Cyndi’s talents, from pixels to cotton… mum says Cyndi is an It Girl. In the big blog universe of friends all over the world, mum and Cyndi are practically neighbors and should have meet sooner. Must be because Cyndi’s been so busy with her fantastic new book Spotlight on Scraps: 10 Pretty Quilts. Pretty is an understatement! Cyndi even gave mum a signed copy that she cherishes. Mum’s also nuts about Cyndi’s newsletter - and says everyone should sign up for it. It’s like a great box of cereal each month and the free prize inside (quilt pattern) is right on the top - no digging to the bottom or your mom telling you have to finish the box before you can get the toy out.

Cyndi’s sidekick is her mom (and am kicking mum for forgetting her name)… aren’t those two just the cutest! So much love was oosing from their booth - it made mum miss her own mum down in California. Cyndi has patterns published in magazines too… and mum and Cyndi hope to one day be in the same magazine in the same issue at the very same time! Hint, hint, wink, wink to Jill and Elizabeth.

Here I am telling Gina all the buzz. This is what I’m whispering… “You should see the darling outfits everyone is wearing over at the Threaded Pear over on Pam’s post about Sample Spree!”…

Mum couldn’t wait to meet Sandy Klop from American Jane! Mum’s made a lot of things with Sandy’s yummy fabric and it was such a thrill for mum to meet her. What a nice, nice lady!

Whew… I’m getting tired. All this walking, all this talking, all this typing - maybe just one more visit for today, and more later.

Last visit for today… another It Girl as mum likes to say. Here I am with Sandi, another email and blog pal of mum’s. Sandi has such yummy fabrics that all I want to do is swim in them! Sandi also designs the cutest children’s clothes, and I’m hoping she adds extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra small to her sizes. You know. For moi. With the help of Sandi’s uber talented and sweet as pie husband Dustin… Sandi’s both took a big fat honkin’ second place red ribbon for best double booth. It should have been blue, if you ask me. Yeah, I’m seeing a tv show in Dustin and Sandi’s future… on HGTV or TLC - a home improvement/home dec/crafty show with the two of them as hosts and talent. That’s AFTER they come to Astoria, and move here… and then broadcast their show from Astoria. And I can be a donut-dolly - and can make coffee/cocoa and serve donuts to the crew. Sigh.

Oh look… a place to nap, right here smack dab in the middle of cotton paradise. Thank you Sandi! More from my market meet & greet coming soon… but for now I must nap.