Hoffman Challenge and Hands All Around XXV: International Quilts at Spring Quilt Market 2010

(Edited 6/9/10 6PM)
Someone out there is a psychic that can levitate objects....who ever you are...THANK YOU VERY MUCH!  I woke up today and the camera card that I turned the house upside down for was on my kitchen counter (100% truth).  Where?  When? Why?.....Who cares right?  I'm just glad it is present and accounted for :)

I'm now able to bring you the ever beautiful Hoffman Challenge entries and the Hands All Around XXV: International Quilts that were shown at Quilt Market.  There were more but since I am in charge of taking photos.....I just take pictures of the ones that grab me.  That is not to say the others that I saw were not absolutely amazing too.....but in that moment they did not grab me.  (Guess this is my blog and I can write what I want right?  My thoughts too....glad we think alike :)  The photographs below each piece is the Designer and information about the quit above the photo. 

Are you starting to gather why they call this a "Challenge?"  Yes....amazing clothing and I only wish they were made in tall because you know I would have been walking around sporting one of these outfits and that poor manikin would have been stuck with something plain and un-exciting that is For Sure!

What an interesting and eye catching bag!!!  Way tooo cool.

Who needs Hollywood's Designers? Or should I say Paris?  This is when ignorance is bliss :)  I would wear this beautiful outfit right down the red carpet in one hot second with a big smile that would break cameras for sure....I think Annette Benning needs to wear this too.  Just taking advantage of being the author again...oops.

I tried a close up of this to show the beads and the pattern on the fabric.  It is difficult to tell from the photo above.

Sarah Vedeler needs to pop into the Houston Quilt Market wearing this...don't you think?  I think it is definitely her.

How does this grab you? 

 

This makes me think of summers....beautiful dandelions everywhere.

Stop and look at this one for awhile....check out all the leaves and details....incredible.

 

I love this one too...especially how the quilting makes the entire quilt just pop....gently without you almost even noticing....like a watercolor.  It was available for purchase.....so if you have a spare zillion....feel free to hand deliver it anytime....yes....anytime!!

Just a few more shots to give you the feeling like you were there....standing back....gazing upon beauty and absolute life force energy....the gift of human creation.  So next time someone cuts you off in traffic or steals your parking spot....just remember that could be the person who made one of these beauties and they got a creative stroke of genius and they had to hurry to get where they were going so we could all admire their work.  No?  Well........just get over it then :)  LOL

Thanks for walking along with me....I love good company. 

Edited here: 

 

Gene, my editor, would have caught this if he had known it was my plan....unless he is the clairvoyant and he knew but just wanted it for himself....I'm not sure.  Nonetheless, I was planning on giving this autographed copy of Quilt Life Magazine on this post.  So if you would like to have the lovely autographed copy...leave a comment.  When I feel like it.....I'll do the random number generator thing.....unless I get the best comment ever read....then I'll just give it to that person....I'm feeling a little wishy washy today :)  I can be bribed basically...LOL.  By the way, autographed copies of this magazine are not just handed out here and there at Market.  I had to approach these grizzly folks and fear for my life while asking them to autograph it....so it came at a very high price. (Seriously though, these are not autographed, I had to request their autographs and they are so gracious and unassuming.....no "I'm a star" attitude at all.....just as lovely as they appear on this magazine.

Smiles,

Kelly

TrueCut Rotary Cutting System by The Grace Company at Spring Quilt Market 2010

I am pleased to be able to say I got some stitching done today!!!

Unfortunately it was not Quilt or Embroidery Stitching :(   Poor Wall-E needed his head stitched back on.  Every have one of those days?  Where you just need your head stitched back on?  Wall-E did.  Good thing Momma IHAN knows how to replace heads.  After all, it isn't brain surgery you know.  Just cranial replacement without any spinal cord complications.  LOL

On to Quilt Market purchases....a bit more fun than head surgery.  Although I might need head surgery or at least  seek some sort of professional organizer or psychic because I have lost one of my camera cards and can't find my pix from Market of the TrueCut Rotary Cutting System by The Grace Company.   Doesn't really matter because....that's right....I bought the system while I was there!!!  Lucky for me that I drove because otherwise I would not have been able to bring it back on an airplane. (If you find my head or camera card...please ship it back....thanks a million :)

I'll start with the non-skid mat.  It goes down on the table first so the mat does not slip or move.  I'm certain it can be used for other projects as well.  (I'll use mine when I do my Shiva Paintstick rubbings:)

Then comes the two sided cutting mat. I got the 24"x36" cutting mat because that is the size I like working with. One side has markings for Bias, True Bias, Lengthwise Grain and Crosswise Grain.  And the other side has the angles marked as well as the inches divided by 1/4 inches.

I'll upload a pix from The Grace Company here so you can see the mat markings close up....

well....I guess if you really want a close up you can click here.

This is the TrueCut Ruler.  It is 6" x 24" and it has a lip/edge on both sides so it is great for both right and left handed people. 

Thin grips, True Grips, can be used on this ruler and any other ruler.  I liked them because they were thin and really gripped my fabric and the mat.

Majorly cool is the new TrueCut Rotary Cutter.  Now can you see why I like the ruler so much?  No chance I'll cut my finger tips off.  Every time I see or hear about someone doing that I cringe.  I know it is possible and I'm always careful....but there is always that one time when it might happen and I figured this cutting system was much cheaper than an ER visit every day of the week.  I get to enjoy it too....as opposed to going to a hospital....which I hate!

Yes, this time I read the instructions. The TrueCut Rotary Cutter has a lock at the bottom and then the slide thing (Tension button) in the middle adjusts how much pressure it takes to cut through your fabric.  For instance, if you were cutting through several layers of fabric you may want to loosen the tension.

Now you did not actually think I would iron a piece of fabric for a demo did you?  Good, you are finally getting to know me better.  The TrueCut Ruler has a lip on the edge that you can see here in the photos.

Here you can see the blade cutting down the lip of the ruler, like a track on the edge.  It keeps the blade steady so I'm not moving away from the edge.  Not like I've ever done that before....don't believe me?  Well, you shouldn't because I do that all the time and that is why I have to re-square up my fabric all the time.

 

The extra cool thing is the TrueCut Rotary Blade Sharpener.  It has a honing stone in it and sharpens rotary blades (most brands) by running the blade back and forth in the sharpener.  You don't take the blade out of the cutter and risk an accident while sharpening the blade.  Now keep in mind no sharpener will take out a chip or nick in a blade.  It does however sharpen dull rotary blades. 

Now you know why I bought the entire system.....cuz I don't want to find my phalanges on the mat when I turn around to start my sewing machine.  I like to feel safe around here....you saw what happened to Wall-E.  IHAN can be a rough and tumble sort of place sometimes....those co-workers can be real caballeros.

I put The Grace Companies You Tube video here so you can see the TrueCut Rotary Cutting System in action.  Besides, do you have any clue how long it would actually take me to make a video and upload it here?  Perhaps the rest of my life....or at least the rest of my sane life :)

So, that was one of my purchases while at Quilt Market in Minneapolis.  Each item is available separately at IHAN. There is a special IHAN price (you'll save $42.00 smackers) for those who would like to get the TrueCut Cutting System.  Since I bought it I figured there might be some other folks who have been wanting to avoid the ER too :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Northcott Fabrics at Spring Quilt Market 2010 in Minneapolis

Yes I realize IHAN does not sell  Northcott Fabric (cottons that feel like silk-is their motto-and it does feel wonderful from my personal experience).   IHAN is too lazy to cut a zillion pieces of fabric to sell to all of those fabric addicted folks that lurk on this planet....including me!!!  Not only too lazy but I know that I would not sell it...I would keep it and pray Uncle Sam believed me when I told him that my tax deduction was based on the number of layers of  lovely cotton insulation I had in my home.

Since we don't sell it I don't know all the names of the fabric lines.  So if you love these...click on the Northcott link and I guarantee you there will be all the information you need to learn the name of the line as well as where you can find it locally or on the net.

 

By now you may be asking, why in the hoodly doodley did you bother stopping by the Northcott Schoolhouse if you don't sell Northcott fabric...right?  Well....take a look at the gal in the next picture and you will know exactly why I was there.  Who would  not want to know what was making her GLOW.

When a woman glows like this....something very fun is up and I just had to know what it was.  This is definitely RED CARPET Glow...don't you think? 

From doing a bit of research I have learned this gal's name is Kim Deneault and she is a designer.  I recall  her telling me that her  girlfriend had made the jacket for her (it is Northcott fabric) and the necklace too.  She was absolutely radiant and if I were her....I'd sleep in the jacket too!!!  (Then again, if I were her.....I'd probably just have the thing tattooed onto my skin because I'd want to look this beautiful forever)

What a happy and beautiful woman!!!

More Northcott pix......

Oh, yes, Santa was to visit the Northcott Schoolhouse too.  Santa?  Yes, and if you think the little girl inside IHAN would miss Santa....you are just plain w r o n g .

Just outside the schoolhouse appeared none other than Mark Lipiniski.  Who?  Yes, Mark Lipinski.  He began putting on a white beard and then it all became clear to me....Santa must be  working overtime at the North pole and he had asked Mark if he could fill in for him....OK....I get it now.  Sometimes these things happen and we just have to go with the flow.  No one can be everywhere at one time....right?  Right!!

 

 

Mark had a little, something un-Santa like on his beard and I certainly did not want to traumatize anyone....so here you can see me giving him a little Elf like help.

I'm still not certain how this photo came about.  I handed my camera to an innocent by-stander and asked if they would take my pix with Santa....and then....Santa did something I did not expect......

I think this is when it became ultra clear to me that Mark had taken this Santa -fill in job- as seriously as Tim Allen did and he wanted to show everyone what happens when the "Santa" thing strikes.  I remember photos similar to these of me....not too long ago....when the "Mommy thing" struck.....my belly looked something like this.....well...I don't remember it being fuzzy....LOL.

Mark Lipinski -aka fill- in -Santa's latest line of fabric, "Chester Gardens."

The Santa persona quickly disappeared and I think everyone knew it was really Mark Lipinski- especially when he started throwing fat quarters of his latest fabric line into the crowd.

 

I was fortunate enough to catch one of the fat quarters and sent it to a friend.  I was hoping she would get a kick out of it.

With the IHAN co-workers being out of school, I'm not as fast at posting as I'd like to be....but please stay tuned....I may have a little bit of time soon to do a few posts at one time...:)  Thank you to everyone who leaves a comment.  Please don't take it personally if I can't answer each one individually....it is sometimes tricky to keep all the IHAN balls in the air.....and keeping the co-workers on track.

Smiles,

Kelly

Winners of the Autographed Patterns by Aardvark Quilts

Antique Rug by Aardvark Quilts

Goes to : Sequana

Paperweight by Aardvark Quilts

Goes to: Tich

Please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your name address and phone number.  Please put, "I Won" in the subject line.  Thanks to everyone who left a comment.  If you did not win and really want a pattern they are available at IHAN. 

There are lots more giveaways so don't be sad....I have an entire box of fun stuff from Quilt Market to give away.

Smiles,
Kelly

Ahhhh The EQ 7 and EQ 7 Upgrades Have Been Shipped

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately, I have a good excuse.  I went down to Bowling Green, OH to pick up the new EQ 7 and EQ 7 Upgrade Software.  This was my first visit to EQ Headquarters and it was lots of fun.

I thought many of you might appreciate getting to see the EQ Mouse.....so without further ado....let me introduce you to the EQ Mouse:

Hello Mouse....meet the IHAN blogifers.

EQ Mouse says, "squeek a deekey doo" which translated means "Pleased to Meet You!"

Everywhere I looked "the Mouse" was there....good thing I'm not phobic about mice ay?

Perhaps he just wanted me to give him a cookie, You do know what happens when
you give a mouse a cookie don't you????

And then there was another little Mouse looking right at me.....I'm thinking where you find one mouse, there are lots more.  I won't reveal the true identity of the EQ Mouse.....lets just say.....well.....I did not want to take a DNA sample!!!  LOL

All of The Electric Quilt Company staff were extremely helpful....they helped load my van with lots of boxes.  A very friendly crew down in Bowling Green.  THANK YOU Ladies :)

This was the first installment to the post office later in the afternoon on Wednesday.  I've had several more trips with many more crates.  The good news is that they are now all packaged and the last of the packages will go out tomorrow!!!  Hurray.......if any of you find the tape a bit wonky...well.....that is what happens when you wrap packages until 2:00 am.  Things get done....perhaps not the prettiest....but they are done....ahhhhh.

 

Rosemary came over on her bike today to help wrap packages.  Thank You Rosemary!!!  Her knee is feeling much better and she is able to ride her bicycle now.

Off to bed....I'll get back to Quilt Market stories and photos....I just need a wee bit of sleep.....say....14 hours!!!

Smiles,

Kelly