Greetings from Houston. There is a festive Halloween spirit at this Quilt Market. Even the hotel staff is in the spirit. Grandly displayed in the hotel lobby are a dozen Halloween themed pieces designed by each department with a set budget, theme and other rules. #11 - The Haunted Pincushion is my favorite!Starting the day at the Hilton, it is the hotel to see and be seen. It is like a who's who of the quilt world. What is even better is that I am no longer anonymous. It is great fun to sit in the dining room and wave to fellow shop openers, designers and our friends from manufacturer corporate offices.
So much about the hotel... We had a big day at School House today.
For those of you who have not followed us before, School House is the day before the trade show floor opens for Market. The manufacturers and designers have the opportunity to provide infomercials on the latest and greatest products in the marketplace.
I wanted to make sure that I kept up on providing information nightly. I have a few photos to share tonight however I have a ton of photos that I am collecting.
The schedule is mind boggling! Sessions from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ranging from 15 - 30 minutes. 15 plus offerings each time slot!!!
X Block ruler... You asked for it, we researched it. The X Block ruler is a funky widget to transform simple strip sets or blocks into complex units. Tips and tricks galore. A fun tool to check out on the trade show floor.
Clubs, clubs, more clubs. Designers and manufacturers have clubs to promote their goods. Darlene Zimmerman's 30's club has been reformulated and is more exciting than ever! Everyone who attended her session received an amazing sampler box of charms previewing all 2011 lines! Projects from 2011 range from aprons and totes to tablerunners and quilts. Look for more info on this club in the days to come.
Strip Club - Daniella Stout - Queen of the Strip Club debuted her latest patterns for strip club. You would think they have figured out every way to slice and dice the 2 1/2" strip... NOT EVEN CLOSE. More inspiration keeps coming!
Kim Schaefer previewed her new seasonal fabric lines. I love that all four seasons are represented. The spring line is shown in fabric to the left. I love the accent yo-yos in the pinwheel centers.MODA had a fun session featuring all of their designers. To celebrate 35 years of great fabric, they handed out commemorative hankies with a family tree print. We will be collecting stamps from each booth. Each designer was challenged to create a pillow which described themselves. Such fun getting to know the designers more personally. I wasn't able to get great pictures of all them in the session, however I will get them this weekend.
The day would not be complete without a stop at Sample Spree. Sample Spree is a CRAZY 2 hour event where shop owners have the opportunity to purchase fat quarter packs or precuts of fabric lines early.
Although always tremendously exciting, this Market's offering seemed a bit on the shy side. DON'T WORRY - I still have plenty of loot! It is a great way for me to touch and feel the fabric prior to hitting the trade show floor. Among the great finds, a sweet kit from Me & My Sister, Dilly Dally!
Sweet fabric dreams!
Julie
