Happy
September 28th, 2007
That was me yesterday, just like this Happy Girl. Well… I’m always pretty happy, but mix me up with my friends and some fabric… I feel like I float with joy. Sappy… but true.
Yesterday my friends and I went to the NW Quilting Expo in Portland. A little fabric, a little lunch, a little side trip… and a whole lotta laughing. The photo above I named “Happy Girl”. I do not know what the quilt’s name is or who made it, but was my favorite quilt at the expo. As with all the quilts I will show from the expo I regrettably didn’t note the makers’ names or the quilt names and I’d be happy to share the info if anyone knows.
The Expo is kind of a giant shop hop rolled into one location. Shops and vendors from all over the west come and taunt you with their delicious delights. The expo also hosts the Hoffman Challenge and a quilt show. This was my third year attending, and I’m always amazed at what quilters can do with the world’s butt ugliest most challenging fabric. Amazing.
Below are a few of my faves (even if I’m not a fan of the fabrics), and you can see more of my faves on my Flickr here. Not many of the fabrics uses are what would be my choice, but I did see past some of the fabrics and saw gorgeous, gorgeous quilts!
Super mini small (see the safety pin and/or straight pin in relation to size?).
Incredible quilting. You MUST click on photo to see it.
Looks like a vintage board game. Bold, graphic and stunning.
Gotta love a well hung label. REALLY… couldn’t the person in charge of hanging the labels and ribbon have picked a better spot to hang it?
Fabric & Eggs
I’d like my eggs over-easy with a side of fabric, please. After the expo we went to Country Manor Fabrics in Battleground, WA. Or as I like to now call it… Fabric & Eggs. For years I’ve heard of this mysterious place - a quilt shop in someone’s basement out in the country. Though no longer in a basement, the shop is now in a pole barn. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of bolts everywhere. Agility is a must. Lots and lots of older collections one can’t find elsewhere anymore, and complete lines at that (so it seemed). I saw stuff I hadn’t seen in years or had never seen. If I’m ever on the hunt for That One Fabric… this is where I’ll come. Especially now that I know it’s top secret location. Which BTW, is on NE 179th just off the I-5 just north of the Clark County Fairgrounds. But you didn’t hear that from me.
Posted in Quilty n Crafty, I Heart Oregon |
Farting around with needle & thread and then blogging about it.
I need to catch my breath! Your Virtual Quilt Tour took it all away! Amazingly beautiful. I am jealous…nah… I am VERY happy for you and your friends. What Fun! What Inspiration!
September 28th, 2007Thank you so much for taking the time to share fabric eye candy!
OH!!!! I’m SOOO jealous Monica… *pout* Wish I could have met up with you. It’s so sad we are so close, yet to danged far away. Plus, I’m not particularly looking foward to that dentist trip in the morning. UGH!
September 28th, 2007WOW. My inner prairie is tingling as well lately. Which I try and stamp down because the fabrics make me want to cry a little bit. Love the look but just need nice clear colors now.
Pine Needles was a top ten around 5 years or so ago. I have been there and LOVED. IT. I had heard the owner was from WC area and had been a Thimble Creek shopper/worker? At the time I went it did have a TC feel about it.
Fat quarters, I TOTALLY AGREE. I hate rolled FQ’s and will avoid buying them. Too bad so many shop owners don’t agree with us. My biggest pet peeve is RAW EDGES POKING OUT. Sadly we’re offenders in that way.
When I went to the first Portland market years ago, I went to a place in Klackamas? Clackamas? something like that, and it was in an old ramshackle house, I think it was called the quilting bee? Loved it. Very prairie. Which is what I was then. Oh, I still feel the pull. I loved the whole Country Threads look. Like that giant garden quilt. I should make that in thirties or something.
Well I digress. Bad. Love the photos. xop
September 28th, 2007*sigh*
Backing slowly away from the bedazzler…
September 28th, 2007Oh my! What a wonderful feast for the eyes! Thanks for sharing.
September 28th, 2007WOW!! The quilts are amazing! I love the little miniature one - so intricate!
September 28th, 2007Monica you certainly have an eye with your photography. I saw all of those quilts with you(excuse me I will move out of the photo) but you captured them all, well I can’t even begin to explain it. But you did. Seeing them in the photos somehow changes what we actually saw. What a diference. It was a great day and I can’t wait to do another one
September 28th, 2007Robin
What a great report on the show!
I couldn’t agree more about A.) Hoffman Challenge fabric. B.) Glitzy quilts. I’m sure I’ll be soaking my eyeballs after Pacific International in a few weeks. LOL.
September 28th, 2007Holy freakin’ moley!!!! Love all the photos. Amazing, amazing quilts!
OMG,”Here kitty, kitty” quilt is all over the place. I saw it IRL at the Road to California quilt show in January and it was also featured in a magazine, i think. The cat looks like my purr-ty kitty Emma.
Just like you, I like my wool projects kitted up. Good thing we have Country Loft in La mesa (San Diego area) to get my prairie/folk art/country fix.
Have a wonderful weekend, Happy Girl! I’ll check your flickr next.
September 28th, 2007Good grief….I’m w/Robin…where was I looking when you were taking those shots…probably trying to get out of the way :)
September 28th, 2007Why did I not notice the horse tag until I saw the photo…nice!
Was a great time, more soon!
Oh, I’m so happy you are happy, but now I’m sad. I MISS HOME!!! I could have gone with you chicks if we hadn’t moved to the dumb middle. Oh, and isn’t Country Manor “different”? The lady that owns the place is kind of strange, but her variety ROCKS! I love that she has chickens roaming in her yard. :) Oh, and Thimbleberries Club at Momma Made It…..Those were the Good Ol’ Days! :) Do you still have your little thimbles?
September 28th, 2007THese are wonderful quilts! And, yes Pine Needles was a top 10 shop. See, you don’t have to pull out that magazine after all!
September 28th, 2007I love the one called poke- I want to make that! The colors are so rich and the quilt has such movement and vibrancy! I love the horse too and the Happy Girl! Thanks for the tour! I loved the AQS show I went to and was inspired for weeks afterward with the quilt texture in my mind and lingering on my fingertips…..ah….
September 29th, 2007Ah, Monica! I finally have a chance to come and visit HZ, and what do I find? A feast for the eyes and my sadly neglected quilty soul!! How I wish I could have gone to that!! I have never been, and I don’t live that far away - how pathetic is that? You brought tears to my eyes with the Country Manor sign - I used to go there when it was in a very old farmhouse. Miss it, and love it!! I’ve been in Olympia for 10 years, and I still miss Battle Ground so very much!!
Thank you for sharing all those wonderful photos, and discussing the LQS - I think they are all deserving of mention! My fave photo? All that beautifully folded fabric from The Pine Needle! Warmed me to the deepest part of my fabric soul!
September 29th, 2007Thanks for THE QUILT SHOW FROM MY CHAIR and I enjoyed it tremendously! Love that one of the woman in the robe (can’t remember the name).
September 29th, 2007Oh, wow, FUN! Those quilts are incredible. And, yeah, the horse tag…that’s just not right. He looks like he’s hanging his head in shame.
Glitter and the bedazzler, no kidding! I’ve also seen fabric with Plastic Dots interspersed. Plastic. And it was perfectly good fabric sans dots. WHY? why why why? And, yes. Fat Quarters should be folded with no raw edges peeking out. Sigh. Then all would be right with the world.
Thanks for the eye candy!!!!!
September 29th, 2007I was there also. Wonder if we were ever next to each other in those 3 booths which were my favs also. Spent way too much money at Carriage Country Quilts. Waaay too much! I completely agree about the Beadazler.. What’s that all about? Great pics. I forgot my camera so my friend took some and is going to email them to me. In the meantime, I enjoyed yours! Thx.
September 29th, 2007Wow! We could do some serious damage shopping together! Love the quilts…and the McTavishing. You know Karen quilts on an APQS machine!
September 29th, 2007wow, what lovely quilt!
September 29th, 2007oops…what lovely quiltS!
September 29th, 2007This was an excellent post. I loved reading and looking. To tell the truth I read all your posts because they are either informative, funny, serious….not too many serious LOL. Anyhow, I heart your blog. My husband has a business trip to Seattle WA in Mar. 08. I am hoping to join him so that I can see a few of the quilt shops I have heard so much about in online chats and blogs. I also wanted to comment that while you were moving this summer, I too was moving, but with a 6 yr old and 2 month old. Nuts I tell you. It seems better now haha…just this weekend my husband finished my pergo floor in my new sewing loft area. I can finally start to move in. My posts will show more of my finished items than just fabric porn I had been showing. Fabric ‘porn’ was H2’s comment to me! love it!
September 30th, 2007Keep up the awesome blogging…..
What an amazing adventure you had! So many beautiful things and creative inspiration.
September 30th, 2007Thanks for the quilt show, some of those are just awesome…
October 1st, 2007PHEW !!! I’m pooped for you! But it looks like it was a great show !!!
October 1st, 2007Hmmm.. I may have to go next year. Thanks for sharing!
October 1st, 2007OMG — what a fun fun day! I can’t wait to see the bounty/booty you brought home. Thanks for sharing the photos and the quilt shop info — the next time I’m out near Portland visiting my friend, some places for us to explore!
October 1st, 2007Absolutely gorgeous quilts! And I was sitting here LMAO for about 5 minutes at that horse, then finally read what you posted about it, then laughed for even longer. Yeah, they need to learn to take a step back and give it a really good look before they walk away! lol!
October 2nd, 2007The detail on the Karen McTavish-y quilt is out of this world, it practically looks embossed! What a cool way to spend a Saturday… to be completely immersed in your element and with friends to boot. So fun!
The one that looks like a vintage chinese checkers board really is so eye catching… you should totally rock that pattern in reds and aquas!
October 2nd, 2007What a fabulous show. Great pictures to showcase some of the awesome talent!
October 2nd, 2007This year was my first experience with the Expo - and I had such a good time! Vendors from UT, AK, MT, CA, OR and WA. You did a great job capturing the quilts and best booths. I visited Carriage House last month - definitely worth a field trip. I couldn’t resist the new collection of browns and pinks aptly named Chocolates and Cherries from Momma Made It. I think there were about 25 fat quarters in the bunch. Any suggestions for the perfect pattern to bring them together in a quilt? I told my friends before we left home, “I don’t need anything, but I’m sure that won’t stop me from buying something.” I think my total was somewhere in the $150 range.
October 2nd, 2007Wow, what a treat, thanks for sharing, love Mr. Ed.
October 2nd, 2007You are making me so hungry to quilt. I’m laid up with a bad back today so there’s no excuse not to do some hand piecing while watching Frasier re-runs, right?
Lots of quilt love. I especially like the modern graphic looking one with the squares and circles, and the little tiny one with all the points…how the hell did someone sew that tiny with difficult little pointy pieces?!
Mostly I’m hankering to make a couple of full size quilts to use to cozy up in this winter.
Better get on that, eh?
October 3rd, 2007My goodness! I cannot wait to share this post with my quilting mama. She’ll love it too! The burka and the horse quilts are my favorite. What a lovely day for you!
October 5th, 2007