I’m back…..  in spite of having piles of stuff to do to catch up, I wanted to post my official Market Report! 

I’ve just returned from International Quilt Market in Houston where all the new goodies in the fabric and quilting industry are previewed and sold. It’s a total sensory overload …but still one of my yearly highlights.

My daughter Rachel and I did our presentation on our new book, Sew Easy Sewing, and we were pleased with the response. This was her first time at doing one of these marketing/teaching presentations, and she did a fabulous job. It was fun doing the mother/daughter thing…..we decided we’re a great team! In case you’re wondering (right!)….Rachel is the cute, young thing with the curls!

Besides meeting with companies I work with in the industry….I do a little shopping too. I’m always on the lookout for fabulous threads and funky fabrics….particularly silks and foreign fabrics such as Australian, Japanese, and African. I was lucky to find a little of all of them. I’ll be using those throughout the year in my work. The way I shop is to purchase what I like for my stash of fabrics….I never go out looking for a particular fabric. I just rely on my collection of goodies because I add to it wherever I go.  I just wish I had more time to use them…..I do get some enjoyment from just looking at them and fondling them, but it’s not as good as sewing with them!

Here are a couple of great new things I discovered that you might want to check out on their websites….

 Bendable Bright Light… this is an awesome little light that fastens right onto your sewing machine down by the needle. It’s unbelievable how much more light it adds. Even though I have great lighting around my machines, I know this will be even better. You can see it at www.bendablebrightlight.com

Kaleidoscope Kreator 2.0….. this is a softwear program that helps you take one of your photos and develop it into a variety of kaleidoscope designs that you can then print on fabric. Believe me, I’m not a techie person and am rarely tempted by softwear (horrors, no!) but this one was irresistible. Even simple enough for me to follow. I’m going to experiement with using it to develop kaleioscope designs from scans of the fabric I’ve designed…..Check it out at www.KalCollections.com

 There’s so much wonderful, new product to look at, it’s hard for me to identify trends. It seems there’s a little of something for all tasts from very traditional to a little artsy. I did notice a number of booths with beautiful hand-dyed wools for sale which is a change from a few markets ago. The deep, rich shades looked absolutely delicious.

It was also fun for me to see my quilt Once in a Blue Moon exhibited with the rest of the quilts in the Creative Force ’07 exhibit.  All of the fabulous quilts that were on display were a treat to see.  

And, of course, I could go on and on, but I’d better tackle some of these piles of papers……keep checking the website…our new book will be for sale there soon!

Tomorrow I’m off to Houston to International Quilt Market. Am I ready to go….not exactly….but I decided I’d rather write a little about market than finish up the packing details. Later with that….

Market is the twice a year wholesale market held in the quilting and textile industry. Vendors from all over the country, actually there are international vendors as well, bring their new products and designs to show and sell to shopowners who also come from across the country and internationally too. It’s the hot spot to be in order to see what’s new and what’s coming. Very exciting.

I’ve been going to quilt market for about eight years with my company, Making Lemonade Designs, and believe me, those first visits were pretty overwhelming. Imagine hundreds and hundreds (it seemed like thousands!) of vendors selling fabulous new stuff…..fabric, books, notions, threads, patterns, embellishments…and the list goes on. Kind of a fabric and textile paradise!

And not only are the new products exciting to see….the booths are pretty awesome too. It’s like a gathering of designers who work in the visually pleasing…..putting together booths to sell their stuff. Everything is totally artful, fun, colorful….and dowright funky sometimes. I love that part.

As a designer, I enjoy seeing all the market friends I’ve made over the years that I just don’t get a chance to see any other time. That’s an added bonus.

This year I’m I’m very excited about several new products I’ve designed that will debut at market. My new fabric, French Flowers, will be shown for the first time by RJR fabrics…and that is totally exciting. It has been an absolute pleasure for me to work with this great company. They’ve been more than helpful and a special thanks to Demetria Hayward….Vice President of Product Development….who gave me some good advice. She told me once….”Work smarter, not harder.” Good advice, huh. I try to put that to work in my business.

And….our new book will also debut. My daughter Rachel and I have written a book, Sew Easy Sewing, published by All American Crafts, that will be released at market. We had such a great time doing the book…we really had no mother-daughter squabbles…but we rarely do!

 And…my two new patterns will also be released at market. Centre Square and Ribbons and Rows will be available for order soon on my website…or ask for them at your favorite quilt shop.

OK…I’d better finish packing. The alarm goes off at 4:00 am to make my flight….I’ll be sure and share what’s new and exciting from market when I return next week.

If you’ve read the Altered Clothing section on my blog, you know I love denim clothing that’s been jazzed up with embellishing and remaking. I had so much fun doing altered jean jackets for my two daughters and three granddaughters (check out the photos in the Altered Clothing section)…..but, naturally, I didn’t get mine done last winter when I was doing theirs. I’m sure all of you out there who make lots of great stuff and give it away for gifts (keeping none for yourself) can relate to that!

 Anyway…..I finally got something done for myself….not a jacket but a vest……and I’m very pleased with it.

 I’m kind of particular about the handmade or embellished clothing I want to wear….it needs to look fun and artsy, but not “crafty.” I hope that’s clear….all I can say, is I know it when I see it! 

On my vest, I used several African-looking commercial fabrics, including a great animal print, and cut from the fabrics to create the raw-edged applique.

A little hand-stitching  and beading around the collar …..

And lots of machine stitching with metallic threads and beads, of course! The beads I used on my vest are kind of a dull copper looking……I didn’t want to create a really glitzy look….more of a ethnic look.

If you’d like to try one of your own….a great place for purchasing your jacket or vest is on ebay or at your local thrift shop. The price is right and you’ll get a genuine used and lived-in look….which is a great contrast for the embellishing.

 And here’s the fun part…..I’ll be wearing it soon at International Quilt Market in Houston! Not exactly my usual professional look….but perfect for wearing during the Schoolhouse presentation my daughter Rachel and I will be doing. We’ll be talking about our new book, Sew Easy Sewing, which includes tips and ideas for altering your own jean jacket. It should be fun!

I have to admit…..I’m one of those odd people who needs to have an orderly workplace. I know, I know…..it’s a little bizarre but I learned along time ago to just do what makes my work enjoyable and one of those things is having an organized (mostly) and tidy( more or less) studio.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t get messy. It does. Especially when I’m working on a collage quilt. Fabrics are flying everywhere and piling on tables, floor etc. BUT…..at the end of every day, I tidy it up so when I walk into the room in the morning, I don’t swoon in disbelief!

I’ve learned a few tricks for keeping it tidy….one one of them is having good storage. That means not just jamming everything in a cupboard and slamming the door…..I like my precious supplies in boxes and drawers that I can easily get to and see what’s there.

For my hand stitching thread, I purchased this multicolored small drawer unit on wheels. I saw it in one of the multitude of mail order catalogs that receive….and it’s been a good investment. It fits into a corner, moves on wheels if I need to, and has plenty of shallow drawers so I can see those precious threads.

Here’s a shot of my favorite silk ribbons which are great for hand work on larger pieces. As you can see, they may be piled in the drawer, but the drawer closes and all is tidy!

My threads stash is huge….and I have them sorted into plastic boxes with spindles that hold the threads in place. I’ve seen the same type of thing at craft supply stores. I sort my threads by color…..you can see one of my gold thread drawers at the top of this post. Even with the lid closed, I can tell what color of threads are in the box….I can pull the color I want from the shelf and choose my threads. I have several dozen of these….all full of thread and they’re easy to find.

I don’t want you to get the idea I’m a total neatnik…..I’m just selectively tidy. You should see the shoes in the floor of my closet…..and my laundry room can get downright disgusting! But when it comes to my studio…….I need it tidy to enjoy my work. It’s hard to be creative when you’re not in an enjoyable environment. So……if you, too, like order in your workspace…..organize to  your hearts content. It’s all about what makes it fun!

Generally speaking…..YES! I get questions about whether my art quilts on my website or blog are for sale….and I think I need to do a better job of promoting that. That’s on my (long) list of things to do….but I will make that more clear.

Time Flies…..14″ x 18″     $400

Hand dyed fabrics, machine stitching with specialty threads, beading, hand stitching, mounted on framed canvas.

With the exception of a few of those quilts, they are for sale. If you’re interested in the price of any of them, just email me from my website and I’ll tell you all about it.  I also get phone calls inquiring about whether a piece is for sale and the price….and that’s fine too. My number is 509 455-6857.

Like my darling daughter has nagged me…..how can sell quilts, mom, if you don’t tell people they are for sale???! OK, OK…..I’ll do better!

COMING SOON!!  Two new patterns from my design company, Making Lemonade Designs.

Like most of my quilt designs…..they’re all about using large glorious prints without slicing and dicing them into little pieces.

Centre Square shows you how to try my Blended Border technique which is something I’ve featured in books and lectures…..but this time I’ve used raw-edged applique stitched on the border seam to blend the border and the quilt center. It’s a great way to use large prints as the raw-edged appliques are cut from the fabric  and stitched onto the quilt. It’s easy and fun….and very showy! I like that!

Ribbons and Rows is a fast, fun, and easy way to use your fabric. Find a fabulous fabric that you love, and show it off in this quilt. This is a favorite class that I teach and I’ve had students create it in all kinds of fun prints….from flying hamburgers to spooky Halloween!

 The new patterns will be available soon,about November 1, on my website or ask for them at your favorite quilt shop. If they don’t have them…..I’d be happy to sell the patterns to them! Your asking is the best way to get them there.

AND REMEMBER….also coming soon….the book my daughter and I have authored…..Sew Easy Sewing…written for all of you who would love to make great stuff…..but don’t think you have the time or the experience. With this book….you can do it!

Coming in the spring….I’ll be teaching a two-day collage workshop in Spokane, Washington.

We’ll be using a scissors and a photograph or drawing for inspiration…..and compose a collage style quilt by layering fabric shapes, pinning, and stitching.  Using decorative threads as the final layer of design, we’ll experiment with decorative threads and free motion stitching. Believe me….it’s lots of fun to add those glitzy threads. Kind of like frosting on the cake.

Class will be held on March 7 and 8. For more information, please call Anna Turner at  509 467-8210.

Collage is a great way to loosen up your quilting style…..pretty much anything goes. If you don’t like something you’ve added, just take it down or cover it up. I love it! Think about joining us.