Three more sleeps....until

QUILT MARKET IN HOUSTON

I leave Thursday morning for Houston and I'm so excited. I hope this excitement is enough fuel to keep me going to get everything done. I am packing light so I can bring home lots of fun stuff. Wish I could take everyone with me.....but wait....I can!!! I'll be taking two cameras and possibly my video camera too!!! (still have not figured out how to get the HD video camera to upload video to our computer)

I've decided I need a full time secretary/assistant who is older than 7!!! I'm so busy that I need someone to run this show while I'm gone. I'll do my best to blog while away...but if I can't for some reason....just know...that is twice as many posts coming your way :)

How about a re-cap of the best of May Quilt Market? Great....here is a list of all the excellent notions I found at the last Quilt Market (in not particular order) :
*** means I own it and highly recommend it. ** means I wish I owned it but I don't because of time limitations with using it.

*** One of my very favorite items. I love, love, love my Thread Carousel. These are hand crafted heirloom quality Thread Carousels. If you plan to sew for years and years I think this is the way to go. You can store your thread conveniently and within reach too. This won't go in a garage sale....it is something to pass along to the next generation.

** Electric Quilt Software....I would own it if I had the time to use it. I am blogging or filling orders...taking care of kids, house, family, etc....but I would love to have it when time permits to use it.

***Roc Lon Multi Purpose Cloth. This stuff is wonderful!!! You can look back through my blog for all the great things made with Roc-Lon MPC.

***Sizzling Circles by Lacey Hill. Excellent book with excellent directions. I made a great table topper for the fall. You can see it here on my blog too!!

*** Texture Magic if a lot of fun. You can add fun texture to any project. I really like it on hand bags and quilt centers. I've seen it used on a child's bodice...made it look it had been smocked. Check out Gayle's Gallery for her a great photo shoot for using Texture Magic.

*** Q Tools Cutting Edge Strips...these repositionable little babies are on all my rulers. I love them....and they are inexpensive too.

***One of the best things to come out of May Quilt Market!!! I saw a Floorquilt made by Ellen Highsmith Silver and that is how I fell in love with Roc-Lon MPC. This is Ellen's book, "Floorquilts." I even have gotten to know Ellen and that has been an added bonus :)

**Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine. This is an great tool for those who need to cut a lot of strips. It is a pressure cutter and not a razor cutter. I think that has been the misunderstanding when people first see it. Now you know!!! It cuts by pressure and I had it cutting through everything I had in my stash...everything :)

*** 4" Jackpot Scissors have been a huge hit since I learned about them in Pittsburgh. The holes for your fingers and thumb are nice and wide and the thinner pointed tip helps to un-sew (rip out) and for applique.

***These little guys don't come off....honestly. The guy put one on my finger while at Market....it stayed on all day. Needle Grip It is excellent for pulling your thread through without any slip. One package will last a very long time. If you are very thrifty....you can cut one in half too!!! (don't tell them I told you this :)

***Majorly cool!!! Transdoodle tracing paper. You will love, love, love this tracing paper because it is non-waxy, non-staining, reusable, chalky-color transfer paper for clear guidelines that never set - not even with ironing - and simply rub out with the swipe of a cloth or in the wash. Transdoodle is made to be long lasting - use it over and over and over again.

Olfa's Circle Cutter. I tried this at Market and loved it. I don't cut too many circles so I have not bought one. I can tell you first hand that it works and works easily. It is a very nice tool. I think it would be great for scrapbooking and other crafts too. If you make a lot of YoYo's this would be a MUST HAVE tool.

***Paintstik Inspirations. I love this DVD and yes I own the Paintstiks too!!! I even have some rubbing plates!! How fun is it to embellish my fabrics (tote bags, luggage, kids backpacks...I'm nuts so I have to be careful not to "tattoo" everything around me) without being an artist. The DVD shows you how to use them and gives you lots of tips too. My Mother-In-Law watched it and she really enjoyed it too.

***Of course....ya got to have some Paintstik Mini's to make sure you have the colors you want right? That's what I told myself anyway :)

***Rubbing Plates. You can use these with Paintstiks and many other inks as well.

***GrabARoo's were one of the most surprising "must haves" from May quilt market. I saw them and walked right past them. I thought....ok...so you have gloves with little grippers. Cool....and I kept walking. Then Lois, one of my East Coast Advisers, said, " wait Kelly....you just have to come with me over there and try these out." Lois knew what she was talking about alright. If you don't have a pair.....treat yourself to a pair. You might think, "I have a pair of garden gloves or rubber tipped gloves....or I don't need them." Pardon me for saying this....but you are wrong. You won't know until you try them....I did know either. Do a search on my blog for GrabARoo's and you'll see why I say this. The good thing about IHAN is that everything comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee. I won't sell anything I don't think is worth having. It's like having an "Uncle in the Furniture Business"...and I'm not Jushua Door (showing my age again).

***Honestly the best light weight fusible I know of, Mistyfuse....check out the Work Forward Method here. Do you love to applique? Want to learn and make it easy? You won't go wrong with Transdoodle and Mistyfuse...I PROMISE!!! Mistyfuse comes in Ultraviolet as well as Black.

***Very cool fusible powder, 007 by BoNash. If you tear or worse yet cut through your fabric....all is not lost. You can use this fusible powder on another piece of cotton fabric and iron it to the back of the fabric that was damaged. It fixes tears and cuts. I've used it on my boys jeans....it holds :) It has craft uses too....I just have not had time for those yet.

***If you read my blog on a regular basis.....you already know that the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker Machine is the fastest way to make bias tape...fabric tape....and if you don't tell everyone I told you this....I use my fusible in there too.....I just put the fusible web inside the fabric strip and run it through the machine....because the heat plate is my "mini iron." It also will press your ribbons and trims if you get them all wrinkled...just set the heat setting appropriate for what you are ironing. Now Available: 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" inch single fold tips!!!

*** I think I should buy stock in this Applique Template Paper. I just run it through my printer and I press it on my fabric...done. Excellent price....excellent product.

**Accu Quilt Go Fabric Cutter....this is a wonderful die cutter for fabrics. It works exactly like you would expect it to work. I think it is worth every dime you will spend on it. My only reservation in purchasing it for myself is I don't cut that many pieces to make it cost effective. They are great for retreats and making charity quilts. I think every guild should own one....honestly. If you have the means to purchase one....I know you won't be disappointed.

**This Stack and Store Bobbin Tower is very popular. I've sold several. You just pop your bobbin right into the "fingers" and they hold your bobbins. You can take off each layer if you are going someplace and only need a few. You can use the green holders for one type of thread and the lighter one for another type of thread. I don't need one because I have the Thread Carousel....it holds my threads and my bobbins.

***Another item I walked past. Thankfully Mary Jane did not. She is another East Coast Assistant!!! We all hugged Jan Carr from Clover when he introduced us to the Protect and Grip Thimble. If anyone knows Thimbles it is Mary Jane. She said she would pay 30.00 for this thimble if that is what they charged. She loves them and has sold a ton for me!!! THANK YOU Mary Jane. I can't stand using Thimbles....until I found this one....now I use it.

As you can see this list is getting very long. I have not even gotten to the patters that I found that I loved. So....for today....I'll stop. Just be forewarned that this Blog will be overloaded with information when I return....you head just may spin....so go out and find some really good C-Clamps while I'm out of town :)

Zippity Doo Dah Smiles,

Kelly