Houston International Quilt Market and Festival 2019

Home for about 36 hours and then back out again for a morning flight to Houston…

Houston looked a little grey as we came into land but the sun was shining on the downtown area… that large low white building on the right hand side is the George R. Brown convention center… The Uber/Lyft pick up spot was up and down too many curbs for my overloaded luggage cart. I opted for a taxi and joined the line. I had a little difficulty finding a driver willing to take my three full fifty pound bags and two pieces of hand luggage… either the car was too small or the driver had a bad back (really!) but I found one eventually and made my way to the Hilton of the Americas which was to be my home for the next eleven nights.

Bags safely delivered to my 18th floor room, I made my way over the bridge to the convention center to help Richard for a few hours on the Market floor setting up the Global Artisans booth. Dinner with Jenny Lyon and then back past the fountains as the sun was setting…Houston is fun but it’s definitely work 🙂

Friday meant booth set up, organize the Sneak Peek display, and Schoolhouse (we didn’t do too bad for a 4.50 time slot?)The evening ended with Sample Spree and another dinner. Good times!

I was up and ready for breakfast before breakfast was served 🙁 I need to read the lounge times more closely in future. Saturday and Sunday there is no breakfast until 7.00 AM. I taught a Take and Teach at 8.00 to a room full of shop owners and then spent the day back on the floor. We were now open for business. DemoAlley at 11, no time to sit around…

I was back in my room for the evening by 6.30 as the sun was setting. I guess it’s hard to keep the windows spotless on the 18th floor?Sunday was also spent on the show floor. I took a little time to walk around. I stopped to take my picture at the Windham fabrics photograph spot.Richard and Audra were making kits and pricing threads in between customers.Dinner was at Ninfa’s, a Houston original. The redfish platter was excellent!

I was ready for work before 8.00 AM on Monday morning. First on the agenda was my Dorset Buttons class. Carol brought a vintage button to show me, probably almost 100 years old.We set about making our own. Here’s just a few on the table at the end of class.It was a very international class.

Here’s Margaret from Australia,and Gisela from Brazil!Just time for a very quick lunch break and then back to the third floor for Walking Foot Quilting- Beyond the Ditch in the BERNINA room.No sun to be seen anywhere on Tuesday morning.No pictures of my second walking foot class or the Bold Hand Stitching class in the afternoon! Sheila arrived in town just in time for the Awards ceremony where we cheered on our friends and other prize winners 🙂

Wednesday was a hand stitching day.

Introduction to Folk Art Embroidery in the morning,including adding beads with a simple wrapped chain stitch.We tried the more advanced Dimensional Embroidery Stitches in the afternoon. It was another full class that kept me too busy for pictures…

Festival opened Wednesday evening for preview night, just time to visit a few friends!

Machine Quilting Forum was once again a sold out event. Six teachers presenting for 20 minutes, six times, after introductions made to the whole crowd.

Further Steps in Walking Foot Quilting in the afternoon and then time for another evening view over Houston!If it was Friday it was the Friday Morning Sampler (more Dorset Buttons), followed by Introduction to Wool Appliqué. After blowing a fuse with the irons we all settled down to a nice calm afternoon of stitching.Saturday was a fourth Walking Foot quilting class… this time a whole day of straight lines, serpentines, spirals and more… Ursula lives in Germany but was from South Africa originally. (I think I got that right)There were some familiar faces in the room stitching happily away!That was the last formal class I had booked. Just one day of the show to go!

I wore my exhibitor’s badge to go down to the floor at 8 AM on Sunday morning to look at the quilts. There are lots of great pictures available on line. The Sapphire quilts were spectacular and make a lovely featured image on today’s post.

Here I am posing in front of Teresa J. Marker’s beautiful Blues in Bloom quilt which was selected as the featured quilt on the show pin, tote bag and program this year.

I was booked for the Meet the Teacher stage at 11.00. I just remembered to snap one picture while I was setting up…I also had an Open Studios slot from noon to 2 and then that was that…

The show closed at 4 and I stayed to help Richard with tear down for a couple of hours. I was tired…

It’s always the same.  The hotel room gets booked mid November, proposals are submitted before Christmas, contracts issued in February, and then there are eight months to wait and then two weeks and it’s all over… until next time…

Just a few things to do and places to visit before Festival 2020… including Long Beach.Yes, I’ll be there!

Such a fun life. I couldn’t do it without all the family and friends… and students… thank you 🙂

Now to finish getting ready for next week’s trip to STITCHES SoCal in Pasadena.