It’s not even two weeks since I get home from my annual trip to Houston for International Quilt Market and Festival, but what a two weeks it’s been. Suffice to say my family was disappointed by the election results…
Back to Houston, here is just a taste of my 10 days…
I checked in at the Hilton of the Americas right by the convention center and felt very welcome!!
Richard was not in Houston this year but the Spargo family took pity on me and included me in their fun . I helped (a little) with set up. The velvet display looked lovely, and Sue and I did a good job organizing the House of Embroidery threads!
Sue and I are both ladies of a certain age with accents and white hair. Sue never gets mistaken for me, but I take it as a compliment if people think I’m Sue. We have neglected to get a picture together so we put that right…
Market was celebrating its 45th year of being, Festival is now 50!! There was a special display of red, white and blue quilts to celebrate.
Market is a trade show and there are all sorts of learning opportunities and events within the booths. I caught my friend Jenny Lyon at her book signing in the C&T booth.
I’m not very good at selfies. Jenny took this one with Barbara Black and me.
I made good use of my down time to wander around the quilts. I’m sure you have seen lots of pictures so I’m jut going to share these two from the Cherrywood Fabrics Poppy Challenge. It does prove that I walked right down to the far end of the hall!!
There is something very compelling about all those small quilts hung together and I spent quite some time looking at them all!
Time for me to sign some books!! I am still signing Butterfly Stitches books. I really didn’t expect to have much of a line on the last afternoon of Market, but I guess free is always a good price?
And that was market!
I had Tuesday at leisure and the young Spargos and Kingwells allowed me to tag along with them for an adventure. We started with brunch at Lucille’s.
I had octopus. One of my favorites when it is on the menu. It was yummy!!
Suitably nourished we headed over to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. I love the butterfly center. It is hard to get a good picture but I found that I could take a live photo and then take one frame from that…
The exotic plants weren’t so difficult!!
I have visited the museum before. The fossil and dinosaur exhibit is definitely worth a second look. I love the plant fossils…
Of course I also needed a picture of the dinosaurs…
Almost too much fun!
Time to get to work. I set my alarm on Wednesday morning so I could enjoy a good breakfast before setting up my room for my first class.
I like to have everything arranged before the students come in. Here we are, ready for 26 beaders to enter and try Beading on Fabric!
And here they are…
This is what they did (one of my star student’s work!!) Single beads, beaded backstitch, couched line, stacks, fringe and edge treatments filled the three hours.
Next up was the Embroidered Panel workshop. Three hours of beginning embroidery stitches, worked on mimi batik panels from Turtle Hand.
It’s always very gratifying when someone brings some show and tell from a previous class. Kelly from Palm Desert had finished the bird embroidery she bought when I was at the Coachella Guild and added it to her jacket!
Meanwhile, down on the show floor… Festival was open for business. Sheila was hard at work in the Sue Spargo booth.
Aimee and Abby were in charge of the money.
Teresa and Hawk were in the Open Studios showing Teresa’s Elemental Jackets.
Another day and another class. If it’s Thursday it must be Yorkshire Buttons.
But first Leila from Baton Rouge had brought her little beaded quilt to show me what my beading class in New Orleans had inspired her to make. Maybe she took the walking foot class too?
Here are the buttoners, busy weaving their buttons!
Moving swiftly on…
Friday was Dorset Feather Embroidery Needle Cases, kits came complete with a little Dorset button to act as a closure.
How could it be Saturday already?
A full BERNINA classroom of stitchers working on their Walking Foot Quilting. We had a lot to get through. I remembered to take pictures with less than an hour to go. People still managed to smile
One side of the room…
and the other.
And that was that for classes!!
One last meal out with friends. Dinner at the London Sizzler with Yazzii. I forgot to get a photo so this is a screenshot from a video we shot to send to Richard. You can get the general idea!!
Time to pack the suitcases and go home. I had shipped the equivalent of one suitcase and brought two fifty pound bags and a full carry on. I had some purchases and acquisitions to take home… All was good, kits and classroom sales balanced out the new things and a generous sky cap got me on my flight with no extra fees.
All in all, it was a very good ten days. Lots of old friends to catch up with and new friends made. The dates have changed for next year so I will not be at Market. I have already booked a room for Festival!
Ever onward. I am currently in Rockford visiting Julia’s family. I was actually the responsible adult in the house on Thursday evening while Julia and Matt were out of town.
Benjamin made sure I felt welcome.
We went to Beefaroo for dinner. Ruby and Benjamin obliged me with a commemorative portrait!!
We survived the night. The parents arrived home safely. This evening we are going to attend a band concert where Ruby is playing clarinet. I will go home again tomorrow.
I have work to do. My book, Modern Machine Quilting, went out of print in February this year. I am currently working on a second edition which is keeping me out of mischief. I was able to purchase the last few boxes in the warehouse and I am down to less than one box of books left!
If you missed out on buying one and can’t wait (at least a year) for the new edition I am offering you the opportunity to purchase a signed copy, mailed directly to your home for $25. Just email me (catherine at catherineredford dot com) and I will send you an invoice which you pay with your credit card. Your book could be winging its way to you in time for the holidays!
Don’t miss out, once they are gone, they are gone!!
I was disappointed in the election outcome, too!!