Houston Quilt Market 2008
Well, we made it back from Houston last blackness. We had a good time- I gave a 30 minute jargon during a program they call "Schoolhouse". During schoolhouse they have about 20 rooms with rotating speakers, from 10am to 6pm there are 15 sessions- some 30 min. some 15 min.-with new presentations in each margin for each session (occasionally a speaker will get 2 sessions, but not often) so basically you're in championship with the speakers in the other rooms during your session to try and have as many listeners as possible (the more that prick up one's ears the more that will go back and teach your stuff in their hometown!) Sometimes you are also competing against your time slot- I was in meeting 14 almost the end of the program when a lot of people are tired and leaving prematurely, and the lunch time sessions are even rougher because there is no break when everyone stops, you unprejudiced have to miss a session if you want to eat lunch. I was quite passionate that around 60 people showed up to hear about our book, last year when I did this we had about 40 people (and I even had a wiser time slot then) so it's nice to know there's still a lot of interest.
I also taught a take & acquaint with class. The take & teach program is a 1.5 hour rank that is meant to offer people a hands on experience of new techniques/books/tools so they can go back to their close by stores and teach it themselves and hopefully bring a sample stingingly with them to help them remember the process or even to use as their sample for the class. An hour and a half is not a lot of everything to make anything so you almost always have to miniaturize your project, and at quilt market almost everyone has traveled actually a ways to attend and there is no way to provide a supply list to them in prepayment so as a teacher you have to provide everything: You have to arrange things in advance with a sewing car company if your students need machines in class, you have to lay down all fabric, thread and batting, I don't even like to assume that...
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To market, to market to....
.....be flatly overwhelmed by the huge variety of new stuff that will be marketed to sewers and quilters in the coming year. I have only just spent the past few days at the Internaional Quilt Stock Exchange which leads up tot the actual Quilt Festival. What a diferent class the market is when compared to the festival space. For one thing, there is very inconsequential purchasing of items to take home. Most of it is ordering stuff for tomorrow deliveries. In addition, there really aren't a lot of people at the Superstore, when compared to the Festival. Many store owners do not come to Furnish every year as they have reps from the companies visiting them regularly. In besides, there are usually just samples available in the booths rather than the bolts and bolts of construction you see during the festival. The best part about the reduced number of people is that you can in point of fact spend a lot of time with the quilts in the display area without ducking out of the way of people frustrating to photograph the quilts.
Things I saw at Market that I am lusting after:
Make-up from Daiwoo that is infused with Lavendar, Rose or Herb scents. Very artful and they say it will wash out after several washings but what luxury while it lasts!Batting made from Bamboo or Bamboo/Cotton blends. There is something about the Bamboo that makes the cotton even more drapable than ethical cotton alone. I must find a good cheap source for this when I make my next big quilt.Rulers - I fianc rulers and have many but I MUST have the one that makes cutting bias binding easier. Its at bottom neat, folds in half, is florescent green and stretches completely from selvage to selvage for cuttingBamboo and Cotton interlock knits distributed by Siltex of Canada. Shiny smooth, very dense, very lightweight and soft as a cloud - I must find someone that carries this merchandise!
Market is now over for this year. If I get a chance to go next year, I will know sport about what's available for immeadiate purchase and what needs to be ordered. One preoccupation that I will look forward to next year is the Friday long 'Followers House'. During 12 - 15 sessions that are between 15 and 30 minutes extensive, various designers and manufacturers show the attendees what's new in their lines.
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An Expression Of You
As I've been on several Yahoo! groups I've noticed that people seem to suppose the fancier the machine or the best studio makes you a outstrip quilter. The bigger and grander the quilt, the better quilter you are. I've seen people get so frustrated over this and I judge devise it's misleading to all the new quilters out there. As I've thought about it some here's how I see quilting.
An expression of you
Quilting is intensely close. It's about you and what you like. It's an expression of you. As you build your quilting skills and try different kinds of quilting, you will find what you like and what you don't like. Well-deserved because everyone else seems to love a particular style, doesn't mean you will. There are so many bizarre kinds of quilts out there. Do you like traditional? More art style of quilting? A insufficient of both? Applique quilts either machine or hand done? Hand piecing? Readily quilting? Don't be afraid to try each one and give them a chance.
You don't need to make a quilt that outshines everyone else. I ponder the quilting world has gone overboard in overwhelming us with "bigger and recovered is the way to go". You don't need to buy the expensive over priced fabrics if you can't in trouble with them. Plan your purchases as well. There has been many a quilt where I've bought the fabric one month. The surrogate month I could afford the batting and the 3rd month the backing. I don't allow in going into debt so that's how I do it.
Your machine
It's not so much about how fancy your machineis as it's how easy you are with the machine. If you hate the machine because you don't know how to use it or even like it, you won't quilt. You will devote more time cursing at the dang thing than enjoying the quilting change. A machine doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't need all the bells and whistles to accomplish a quilt. It's nice to have but not a necessity. A bigger, preferably machine does not make you a better quilter....
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