Famore Cutlery at Spring Quilt Market 2010

By now most of you know Brint, Famore Cutlery, "The Scissor Man" at Quilt Market.  You already know that I think his apron is "scissor porn" and I've fantasized about stealing it from the first time I laid eyes on it.  I know lust is typically frowned upon in most religions.....but I've not found one yet that said I could not lust after some of the best scissors made that  all attached to one apron.  If there is one....I'll just change the post to read, "strong desire."

So, you can imagine my shock when I rounded the corner to find Brint stark naked.  OMW (oh my word) I could not believe he was standing there completely "undressed."  Did someone beat me to the goods?  I played it cool.....I took a very deep breath and casually inquired about "THE APRON."  Apparently Mr. Brint had shoulder surgery a few months ago and it is best that he gives his shoulders a break.  So I say, " Hi Brint....oh I'm so sorry to hear about your surgery."  The entire time all I could really think was......OH YES!!!!  (just like Meg Ryan in When Harry met Sally.....just the exact same feeling :)

Much to my dismay Brint just had the apron put away.  I imagine there are armed guards like Mr. T watching the thing all the time....again just my imagination....I did not ask.

Notice the close up.....I zoomed in on his apron while he was doing business with some man from another country.  I'm thinking.....thank you Mr. Foreign Man....keep talking.....I've got some work to do here.  James Bond has nothing on me.....I'm thinking about Jason Bourne type action now....I'm ready for the music to start playing with that heart thumping drama type noise.

Just after the man walked away, Brint sat down and invited me to chat for a bit.  Imagine my incredible luck when he needed to excuse himself for a minute.  "No problem Brint....I'll smile and be welcoming to all passersby and I'll let them know you will be right back.....I just need to have that apron for just a minute however....go on and take care of your business....I'll be right here when you get back."  See....I'm a good tricker....I learned it from my youngest co-worker!!

The security cameras caught me with this "Cat ate the Mouse" smile wearing "The Apron."

I hate security cameras.  When I go to Houston I'm going to send in Inspector Gadget to remove all the electrical wires from the cameras and paint the light on them red so folks think they are really on .... but actually they have been dis-armed!!

I was caught going for the "goods"....I mean the "best scissors at a great price."

So....when you are caught....what do you do?  Dance of course....throw them off a a bit.....do a IHAN Ninja move on them......

 

Evilness lurks within the IHAN scissor hands.....theft and lies are my destiny.

 

Who honestly cares that I'm 46 and have a little more IHAN than expected?  Come on....Life is too good to waste at home when I can be feeling the "wild Yoda" playing with all these incredible scissors.  I may be a little nuts....but I ain't crazy you know!!

A contortionist move before the finale........

Wahhhhhh Lahhhhhhh......I emerge the Scissor Queen of the Universe.....feel the joy and the elation :)

Oh yeah......It's my birthday.....oh yeah.....it's my birthday...( I spent forever looking for a you tube of that dance....you know the one where you say-"oh yeah it's my birthday and you move your hands around your mid-section like you have a shower curtain there?  I'll find it and put it on here :)

These are wonderful for machine embroidery....so I tell Brint I need to buy some of these for my Machine Embroidery customers but I need the points to be blunt.  "Ok, I'll just machine them for you and make them blunt"....says Brint.  You don't get better than that!!!  Famore Rocks Planet Earth....but gently because of the hot lava flows...LOL

Ok, now you know why I love Famore Cutlery.....excellent scissors.....great prices......THE APRON and a guy who will machine scissors for you.....can't beat that even with a big stick.  Oh, yeah did I mention....he is not too hard on the eyes either!!!

Oh, dear.....how ever did that lovely apron get into my bag?  Hmmmmm.....I'm so sorry I misplaced it Brint.....I'm still looking for it....maybe Gene knows where it is.....then again....maybe not....oh I'm bad.

So, what did I do?  I gave Brint my new camera strap that I made the night before Quilt Market.  He does not quite look the same does he?  A little girley at that.....but.....I had to offer something up since I "lost" the apron.

Smile for the camera IHAN bloggifers.  You've been

You can check out all of the Famore Cutlery at IHAN, just click here :)

As you can tell, I had a great time....both at Market and with writing this story....fiction of course :)

Smiles,

Kelly

Sample Spree at Spring Quilt Market 2010 in Minneapolis

Edited 6/3/10

Who ever named this event at Quilt Market "Sample Spree" ....well lets just say....I would have called it

 "Pan-da-balogni-um!!!" 

First you have to pay 10.00 to go to Sample Spree and then people begin lining up at 5:00 for an event that does not start until 8pm and ends at 10pm. 

 So you must be wondering what on earth could be so wonderful and cheap/free that a person would be willing to wait 3 hours to go inside, right?

Do you really want to know?  Are you sure?  Really sure?  OK....but only if you are extra sure.

Nothing that you can't order and have shipped to your shop or business.  NOTHING!!!  I'm no expert and I'm sure there are others with much more experience than me.....but several of the vendors I spoke to at Sample Spree said they don't understand it either.  One told me he witnessed a woman push and shove her way swinging elbows to get to the MODA table at one Sample Spree.  (NO I did not wait in line.....I went in at 9:30 to show Rosemary....otherwise I would have been in bed!!)

If an attendee were so inclined they could purchase the EQ Upgrade for more than you could order it for your shop.  I guess then you could brag that you had it first....but really they would not be the first because most of the first to have the software were the testers and they were sworn to secrecy.

Oh, maybe you could purchase some GO! Fabric Cutter Dies?  NOPE....you could watch a demo and get a free (very pretty) tote bag.

You can see the pretty green bags at the top of this photo.

The best part for me is to see some very wonderful people working their fannies off.....such as Lady Eleanor and Orion Burns!!!  ( I secretly think I was one of Eleanor's children and she put me up for adoption.....cuz you know I'd be having a ball wearing those outfits....oh yeah baby!!)

You can see all the books and patterns....the same ones that can be ordered and delivered to your store.

Aurifil Thread was available for purchase too.  The individual spools were a little less than they typically are wholesale.....but to wait in line for 3 hours?  I would have if they were $1.00 per spool....otherwise....I'm good, do you know what I mean? 

I had heard that Cozy Quilt Designs were going to be at Sample Spree (they also had a booth at Market).  I had never met anyone from Cozy Quilt Designs before in my life.  However, I knew one of them knew a dear blogger friend, Darlene Simmons, who visits their shop frequently.  Well, I was not going to miss the opportunity to give this gal a great big hug and have her pass it along to Darlene.  So now you know Darlene  why your ears were a burning :)

Many shoppers from Sample Spree will gather outside the hall and show one another what they have purchased.  Many of the Gals have several tote bags and they are overflowing.  What do I see people purchase mainly?  Fabric....yes fabric......Quilt Shop Owners and Employees with bags stuffed full of fabric.  You and I both know these same Gals have tons of fabric at home as well as in their shop so why do they wait in line for hours to purchase more?  When you find out, please let me know too....LOL.

I may be over-simplifying here....but not too much.  If I were going to wait in line at Sample Spree for 3 hours you know what I would want to find inside when I got there?

• 
  
  Free Wine or Margaritas
• 
  
  Free Finger Foods 
• 
  
  Small samples of threads, fabrics, notions etc. (like the old Avon Lipsticks....remember those cute little white tubes?  My grandmother brought them to me when I was a kid and I LOVED them)

Well, maybe some chocolate too!!!  Ok, LOTS of chocolate :)

That is my take on Sample Spree.  I'm sure other folks have other versions or descriptions....but this is what these eyes see and what this brain cal-cu-ma-lates.

Smiles,

Kelly
Edit:  This post was not intended to be negative....Sample Spree is a tradition and I think it was intended for Shop Owners to be able to get single kits to make up Samples for their shops.  I just think it funny and because I was so tired last night....it did not sound as playful as I had intended....forgive my exhaustion.....I picked up a van filled with EQ 7 and EQ 7 Upgrades yesterday and I've been packing my fingers off so they could get into the mail.