I got here!
It was a mammoth task getting my bags packed and in the car but I did it…
Those two big bags weighed 50.5 lbs exactly. Yes, I have discovered that 50.5 gets through! 51 lbs is just too much but I can get that extra half pound when I smile 🙂 The barrel shaped fuchsia bag was around 40 lbs and the one behind was my carry-on. Thanks Southwest!!
Our friendly taxi driver told us he still isn’t able to live in his house after hurricane Harvey but he was cheerful and got me to the Hilton just fine. The convention center is looking good and there is no construction out front this year. (That’s the featured image at the top of today’s post.)
On Friday morning I was awake in time to watch the sun come up above the distant horizon. There are too many trees to see it happen at home so I needed pictures…
It was Schoolhouse day.
The Convention Center is as spick and span inside as out. There are new displays this year. This one celebrated quilters.
Schoolhouse started with a welcome from Karey Bresenhan, a report on the state of the quilting industry (holding steady) and a presentation from the fine people of Hoffman Fabrics, all very welcoming and informative and then seven hours of talks and classes. It was a long day.
I popped in to see Jane Sassaman‘s new collection of fabrics introduced by Jane herself. Stunning!
The Outback Wife, Cathi Bessell-Browne, showed us her latest barkcloth prints produced by Ella Blue, along with a beautiful merino/cotton mix that had me reminiscing on the Viyella fabrics of my childhood best dresses.
Now, I do understand that sometimes hats aren’t just a fashion statement but… if you want to sit up front and center and then other people keep taking pictures… it can be very difficult for other people to see the person they have gone to see…
Here’s my view at Yoko Saito’s trunk show!
Yes, Yoko was totally obscured by the hat and every time another beautiful hand made item appeared, all the phones went up and we couldn’t see them either. Just something for me to remember if I ever wear a hat and sit near the front?
Door prizes are a fun part of School House. Everyone puts their business cards in a container for a drawing at nearly every class. I was the lucky winner of two prizes. I won ten fat quarters of Christa Watson‘s new collection Modern Marks in her talk AND a 24 fat quarter collection of batiks from Blank Quilting Corporation at the end of Abby Glassenberg‘s presentation on using Instagram (where I also learned some very good tips). 
Lucky me!
Schoolhouse finished at six so I just had time to go back to my room for a few minutes before the next item on my agenda. The light on the buildings caught my eye as I crossed the skywalk.
But then I realized other people were looking at the cars parked out the front of the convention center so I zoomed in for a closer look.
They didn’t mean much to me but apparently those are some fancy, expensive vehicles?
And in the distance people were headed to the baseball at Minute Maid Park.
It was a busy evening in Houston!
No time to stand around. After a quick cup of tea and a bite to eat I headed back to the center for Sample Spree, wholesale pricing of the latest fabrics, notions and patterns from the exhibitors at Market. It didn’t seem there were quite so many vendors as past years but I did a little shopping and returned to my room satisfied.
The very newest threads from Wonderfil and some Japanese sashiko designs and fabrics.
Those new barkcloth fabrics from the Outback Wife.
I couldn’t decide which groupings of Sue Spargo’s wools I needed so I got them all!
But that was all I got… really quite restrained?
That was Friday. I’ll show you what I came back to my room with me on Saturday another day…
The fun continues in Houston!
Oh, wow! Your items are making me drool!
So much fun Catherine. I’m sure you were wiped at the end of the evening, but what a day!
I just want to reach into my screen and feel those scrumptious wools. So many yummy colors!
That cab driver appreciated you riding with him. He needs the money now more than ever. And the asuper Bowl is over, so the construction and beautification is over. I volunteered during the Super Bowl with the fun activities they had at the George R. brown Convention Center. It was a lot of fun.i wish I could go to market, but I’ll be there next week for festival.