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Showing posts with label International Quilt Market Houston 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International Quilt Market Houston 2009. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

International Fall Quilt Market Houston 2009 More Photos

Here are some photos of more wonderful people I met, places I went and some other stuff too!!

Meet Devotte Sabiraguha. She was our maid at the Hilton. I peaked my head out the door on the first morning to tell her we only needed shampoo and towels so don't bother cleaning our room. Devotte had the most wonderful smile and accent. I asked where she was from. Tanzania is her home and she has been in the US for 9 months. Devotte has three daughters. I asked her how she liked it here and she said, "I love it. I have a job and I am now the head of my family." I asked if I could take her photo and she nearly danced around. I loved her spirit and the immediate joy she expressed. I want to be more like Devotte.

You can see the carpet I walked on each morning when I was walking to the Convention center. Isn't it absolutely beautiful? The kaleidoscope design is by Paula Nadelstern from what I hear. Apparently someone took her work without her permission and made carpeting. Yikes...not a good idea.

I just loved seeing these bright beautiful patterns every morning. That is one great way to start the day.

This may seem mundane to you, but I was impressed. There were hand sanitizers in the hallways at the Convention Center. I thought this was an excellent idea and a nice convenience.
This is a photo of the snacks my roommate brought. I brought power bars and she brought all of this and some stuff in a fridge. Enough for both of us....how wonderful is that? You know I loved it. A bit light on the chocolate however :)

Meet Caroline Weber Pyne. She is from New Zealand and I met her on Thursday evening. She owns "The Power Quilter" in Bay of Islands. Caroline was so refreshing and down to earth. I wanted to have coffee with her in her kitchen and maybe someday if I'm lucky enough, that will happen.

Caroline Weber Pyne from "The Power Quilter"


These are photo's of a lady's wallet. When Khris (SewPrimKhris) sees these owls....she is going to flip. I thought of her instantly. I thought of her several times because I saw many owls while at Market.


This is a note book cover a woman was carrying. She said a customer made it for her. I thought it was beautiful.

Bet you can't guess who these beautiful people are? Ok....Orion and Eleanor Burns. Orion was working so hard at Sample Spree he was sweating. They had so many great things for sale that he could not keep up. They were kind enough to pose for this beautiful photo. What lovely and beautiful people.
I actually got outside once or twice. These globes were fun to see. One grabbed my head.

Conference Center at night from the Hilton Hotel.
I got to bogey down at the MODA Customer Appreciation dinner. After being on my feet for two full days I still found some gumption to dance with some very fun ladies. Thanks to MODA I actually sat down for a meal!! They should change the D to an M since they fed us so well.

Look how truly happy Eleanor is to see me. I'm so glad I have this effect on people. (Robert Redford must have been standing behind me*** warning...clicking on the blue name could cause heart palpitations and possible heart failure)
Guess who else was bogeying down? You can really tell how old we all were compared to Orion. He had the moves down and the rest of us were just doing the same moves we've all done for the past 20-40 years.

Mark Lipinski begged me to have his picture taken with me. Can you believe it? I didn't think you would. I think I was the only person tall enough that he could actually hide behind and appear thinner. I think he needs to wear black if he wants to look thinner....that's what I do. Another good trick for looking thinner is putting dark blush on your jawline....Mark....just call me if you need more "appearing thinner tips" cuz it is easier to appear thinner than to become thinner...I know.

Pokey Bolton didn't want to be out done by Mark so she got in line for a photo with me too. I told her it might not be good for her career. The folks over at the TV station might just call me for an interview....we don't want this young lady to loose her job. Guess they would have to change the name of their show to the BS Hour....wear tall boots for this hour of entertainment/journey into insanity!! Quilted tall boots....and for all of you who don't know what BS stands for ..... it stands for Back Stitch. (Oprah's hair dresser was off the clock...hence my bad hair)

Where was I supposed to sleep? Look at all this stuff. Poor me...I had to sort through all this stuff and try to make sense of everything. I was so good not to take brochures from people I knew I would not contact later. I saved a few hundred trees....but I took several hundred too.

All of that had to go into this? It was a miracle...it all fit.

I actually took this photo for my husband. I left a box in the room. I'm the one always scouting a good box and here I am leaving one. He would never believe me without this photo.

I liked this sticker being sold at the concession stand. It needs to come with an eye roll and not a spool of thread.

This is a photo of a group of us that boarded the plane in Houston headed for Detroit. Everyone but me seemed to know Fred Mikesell. Fred has been in the business for 30 years. He used to be one of the owners of Checker Distributors and currently is with EE SCHENCK CO.

I had just met him during lunch at the airport. He has one really amazing story to tell. I understand why these ladies like Fred. He is very personable. Someone said we should gather for a picture and call it "Fred's Harem." I like my title better...."If Elvis is the King of Motion then Fred is the King of Notion." I think Fred liked that one too....and I'm pretty sure his wife will like it better too!!!
Call me strange....you won't be the first. But I loved this hand dryer at the DTW airport. It is a Dyson Airblade and it dried my hands toot sweet. No paper to throw away....just nice warm air.

This was an advertisement in the window at a store at DTW. I walked past and thought to myself....why is that OK? If I were to stand there nude I would be arrested. Somehow it is OK to post photos of nude people...but not be nude in public. What is the difference?
Perhaps it is time to stage a stand in....a group of us quilters should head down there and just stand there in front of that window in the same poses. Not only would we gather a crowd....mainly because of the neat purple lines on our legs...but I bet the police would arrest every single one of us. Am I the only person who thinks it might be considered strange to put nude folks on the front of a public store? I'm so glad my boys were not with me. I'm always telling them, cover your privates....privates are for being private." I may have gone in the store and faked a gran mal seizure and just happen to flip into the photos and rip them down. I couldn't be arrested for a seizure could I?

These are the two wonderful women who made my trip possible. My Mother, Olivia is on the left. My sister, Tracy is on the right. Tracy came to stay with the boys and my Mom went to stay with her teenage boys. Rick was traveling in NY and I would have had to cancel if it were not for these two. They don't read the blog so they'll never know I published this photo. But I have thanked them over and over and over again.

Last in the file of "interesting pix from Houston trip" is our wall calendar. How does one explain to a 5 and 6 year old that Mom and Dad will be traveling on different days and Aunt Tracy is coming to stay with them? They can't possible comprehend the dates and when.....so Rick and I made a photo calendar. We put pictures of the people who would be home on each of the days so they would know when we would return. Our trips overlapped so this helped. We also put our cell phone numbers in bold ink so they could call us anytime. (Are you wondering if they called us? They didn't. All they knew was Mommy and Daddy were not there to moniter the Wii)
Feel free to borrow/boldly steal my idea to communicate with small children, the elderly or anyone who might benefit from visual aids to communicate.
Ok...that is the end of my file. I still have a ton of stories and photos from Market so stay tuned.....my blog needs a blog I have so many stories!
Quilting Nude Smiles at DTW,
Kelly
(Most of the names were not changed to protect the innocent. I'm guilty and I know it....but not of public nudity....I know those photos in the window actually look like me....but I got a body double so I wouldn't feel so naked)

Sunday, October 18, 2009

International Fall Quilt Market Houston 2009

Back to posting about Market. I had several peak experiences while in Houston. I saw many people that I had met previously and was greeted with great warmth and even hugs. These are some of the new people I met and really enjoyed....in no particular order:

Who could resist this? Not me....I had to step in and check out the fun.



I know if I were 7 I would have to wear these clothes. There is a old pix of me someplace and I was wearing this really great jacket and my smile touched both sides of the photo frame. That is how I would feel if I were wearing these clothes....but not at 45. Well...probably not at 45...never say never right?

Sandi Henderson


Sandi is a pattern (Portabellopixie) and textile designer for Michael Miller.


This is Sandi's award for having the best "Merchandising" in her booth. What an honor for her. It was toward the end of Market and I was walking up and down the endless isles trying to see anything and everything I had not previously seen. I saw this beautiful young woman standing in a really neat booth with an award for Merchandising. I asked about her award and congratulated her. She said thanks and that her Mom thought it was great too. I had no idea it was Sandi Henderson. We chatted for a bit. She was sincere, real and had a quiet clear creative energy about her. I can see why she is successful. Lovely fabrics, lovely patterns and even more importantly....lovely creative spirit.
Sandi has a new book coming out soon, "Sewing Bits & Pieces 35 Projects Using Fabric Scraps." It is due out in early 2010.
That's all for tonight....more soon.
Smiles,
Kelly

Friday, October 16, 2009

Pictures from the International Fall Quilt Market 2009

Schoolhouse at Market is a series of classes that run every 15 minutes to 30 minutes. The schedule comes out 2 hours before it begins. I quickly circled the ones that interested me the most.

Westminster Fibers had a class entitled, "Quilt Romance." Kaffe Fassett, Liza Prior Lucy (I did not forget to link to Liza's site...I could not find it and I've got to run...sorry) and Brandon Mably spoke.

Upon entering the room you typically have to put your business card into a basket. At the end they may pull business cards and give away something.

Liza, Kaffe and Brandon shared about their new fabric lines. They allowed us to gaze upon such beauty using their fabrics.....I thought it was so generous to allow us to see these and some folks actually touched them. I looked like I had recently been to the dentist and the anesthetic had not quite worn off. I was drooling all over the place.....so embarrassing :)

I want to roll around in a bed with this as the quilt...don't you?

Kaffe and Brandon were poking fun and I think they were actually making up names for their fabrics as they went along....it was very entertaining. Something I might do....just call it the first thing that came to my mind.

Singing in the rain....I'd be dancing in the rain if I had an umbrella like that. I think I might just wish it rained more often.

At the end of the Schoolhouse series they announced they were going to give away Kaffe's new book.


I was so intent on having one of those autographed books that the vibes made my business card float.....and I won the book. You can see by the joy radiating out of me in this picture how happy I was. I could have jumped up and down,
cried and kissed the man.....but I found that last ounce of composure and just smiled. (I have it under lock and key so don't even think you'll be breaking into my house to get this....it ain't happenin....nope...stop dreaming)

These are some photos of their booth on the Market Floor. Brandon Mably and Philip Jacobs had some really great fabrics...more drool.

Brandon's dog cover. He actually put this on his head at Schoolhouse. Exactly what I would do with it.....you just gotta have fun right? Knowing me I would have found the most serious looking person in the crowd and put it on them...I'm so bad.
At the same time, I'm sooooo GOOD. I stood in some pretty long lines to get some books autographed. You ask, "Why on earth would you do that Kelly....after all your feet were so tired?" Because I was thinking of you. I don't really think when the Publishers give books to the authors to sign as gifts for shop owners that the books are really for us. I think they are for the shop to inspire others and let them have something fun to look at. Since my shop is virtual....I've gotta give mine away (NOT THE ONE I WON!!!). So while I'm at retreat this weekend I'll be posting photos of a few books that you will have the opportunity to win....and they will be autographed too!!!
Big Ole Happy Smiles,
Kelly

Thursday, October 15, 2009

International Fall Quilt Market Houston 2009 Update

I hope you can all appreciate the amount of "work/too much fun" it is to collect all this information and then organize it so I can responsibly share about what I saw. Here is a photo of the brochures I have in my living room floor this morning. And on top of all that....I have a house guest to deal with.

Alex Anderson's Essential 4 in 1 Tool is making its way to its final destination today. I know everyone thought it was for me....nope. It is going to an undisclosed location for it's final playing place. The tool will be very happy I assure you and it will have some other playmates as well.

Someone got very emotional when I put it into the envelope. I'm not naming names but a certain someone is a bit sensitive. Some people are prone to emotion....but Alex really takes the cake....who would have known?


She cried all over my kitchen floor. I've never seen anyone respond like this before. I admit she is not as calm as she appears. I think I found her "sensitive" spot...yikes.

After cleaning up this puddle of tears I'm going to organize my photos to the brochures so I can (hopefully) be accurate in my posts about what I saw and who it belonged to.

Smiles, Kelly

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