More about Kansas City Spring Market

As promised, a bit more about Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City.

International Quilt Market is held at the convention center, downtown.

This is a neat convention center, because you can drive right under it.  You enter on level 2, so the main convention center is on level 3… it was a bit confusing in the beginning.

I vended my very first market here in 2005.  What’s really amazing is how much more I know now than I knew then.  Getting early to the dock to unload.  Asking the dock parking team the best (and cheapest) place to park once the show starts…Where the nearest Starbuck’s is for some people…  The nearest Subway sandwich shop for others…

My friends and neighbors:

Robin in her Nestlings by Robin booth,

The Quilt Branch ladies, Mary Jane & Susan

Celine & her daughter, Molly from Perkins Dry Goods,

& lastly my daughter, Chloe & me in our booth.

Lots of standing and handing!  It makes for a very long day when you stand in basically the same place from 9:30a.m. until 6p.m. for three solid days (4p.m. on Sunday).

Then when it was all over we had to kick it into high gear and pack it all up and haul it all out to make it to Mass at the Cathedral, luckily just a block away.

And yes, this is my photo!!!

What a beautiful cathedral, and the music was wonderful.  The organist must have been a professional, no kidding, it sounded on the level of Phantom of the Opera, wow.  The soloist too seemed like a professional. Chloe and I were very glad it was air conditioned and not too crowded.  It was very hot that afternoon and we were sweaty by the time we made multiple trips to the van with all of our booth “stuff!”

Our hotel was across hwy. 70 from the KC Royal stadium.  Nope, we didn’t go see a game, but one night we had the pleasure of watching fireworks from our window.

Not sure what they were celebrating, they lost…but the fireworks were nice!

The real cool thing about staying near the stadiums was this car,

pretty cool, huh?

All in all a very good market.  It’s a whole lot of work, preempted by a whole lot of work, then it seems like a flash and we’re on our way home!

My new patterns are now on my website, so check them out.

Until next time,

Susan

 

Home again, Home again, Jiggety jig!

…and I’m so glad and so exhausted!

There’s a lot of physical labor required for attending market, both as a vendor & shopper.

I was fortunate enough to have my daughter, Chloe help me out again.

This shows our booth after everything was moved in and the drapes were hung.

Since we drove a short 4 hours to Kansas City this year, we could bring along some fun props.

This is a photo of the booth almost set-up, Chloe filing a broken nail?  Lots of that happening!

You would not believe all the compliments we got on the hanging chairs!!!

Market was great, with lots of shop owners walking the floor & shopping!

We handed out over 600 brochures.

Here are some of our first shoppers.

I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again. There are so many nice people in the quilting industry!!!

We had many compliments on our booth and the quilts.

Of course my favorite part is taking orders and sharing the weekend with friends that I’ve met over the years while attending market.

More photos of market neighbors & friends to come.

Until next time,

Susan

 

Kansas City, here we come!

We’re off to Kansas City today.

I’m happy that we can drive a short 4 hours to International Spring Quilt Market this year!

This is so much better than spending the better part of a day in airports…being limited to 2, 50 lb. suitcases, etc.

My daughter Chloe is once again helping me with this market.

It will be nice to spend time together now that her classes are over for the summer and the stress of deadlines for all my market prep have expired, yeah!!!

Now for the manual labor part of this job…

Stay tuned for my new designs.  I will post them here for you in the upcoming days.

Until next time,

Susan

 

New Magazine:Quilts from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks

It’s always fun to find something new and exciting, yes?

I heard at Fall International Quilt Market last October that Quiltmaker was working on a new publication, a magazine that quilt designers use multiple blocks from previous issues of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks magazines and put them together into one quilt. They can be your blocks or other designers’ blocks.

 Last month I was contacted by Quiltmaker because someone was inspired to use one of my blocks in their quilt and it made it into the first issue!  I couldn’t wait to find out which block they used and to see how they used it.

The issue goes on sale this week and on Tuesday, Quiltmaker is giving away 20 copies.

Good luck!

Until next time,

Susan

P.S. My friend, Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods, has a quilt included in the issue.

 

Exciting news, I’m a cover girl!!!

I’m excited to announce that my block made it into the newest issue of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks from today’s top designers.  I’ve known for over a month, but while at International Quilt Market last week I learned that my block made the cover!!!

I know it’s a small photo, but if you look closely you’ll see a green block with Santa’s head and hat, see it?

I also made a table runner with the block, so stay tuned…

The blog hop starts Monday November 7th, and the issue will be available November 15th!

I can’t wait…

Until next time,

Susan

 

Newly updated pattern #10 for Market

And last but not least…

Shaker Ladder Quilt,

It’s amazing how quickly these quilt-as-you-go lap quilts come together when you start with pre-cuts!  The cutting is practically all done for you.  This quilt takes a jelly roll, a charm pack and a yard of fabric for the triangles & binding.  You can’t get much easier than that.  You can however make your own fabric collection too if you prefer.  Instructions are included for that too.

Happy sewing and I’ll chat with you when I return from quilt market next week.

Until next time,

Susan

 

Newly revised Pattern #9 for Market

I decided to update the fabrics in some my favorite and popular patterns.  My earliest patterns had hand-drawn illustrations that are accurate, but now that I use the computer for eveything I decided to update that part as well.

One of those patterns is

Bunnies in the Grass,

I couldn’t resist making it in the new Amelia fabrics that I’ve been working with these past few months.  It’s so bright & cheery for spring!

The pattern includes an 18″ x 51″ table runner, a small quilt, plus a smaller bunny applique that is just right for towels or shirts, etc.

Look for it soon at your local quilt shop or on my website.

One more newly updated pattern tomorrow.

Until next time,

Susan

 

New Pattern #8 for Market

Wow, time flies when I’m having fun!

I enjoy the entire process of making quilt patterns.

I love buying the fabric, making the samples, writing the directions, working with my photographer getting the photos just right and then taking them to be printed.  It’s almost fun folding and stuffing them into their zip top bags, almost.  I find that I spend a fair amount of time in front of the TV waiting on my college-age kids to get home from school, work and play, so that’s when I usually take care of that task.

When all that is finally done, I can’t wait to see the finished product in its crystal clear bag, ahh!  That shiny clear bag with my pattern inside just makes me smile.

The next step is debuting them at market.  It’s a bitter-sweet task in itself.  There is always travel involved, either to Houston each fall for fall market or to a different city each spring for spring market.  After working my bootie off for several months getting new patterns and samples ready then traveling to get them to market where it’s three days of standing all day after a day of set-up and Schoolhouse lectures the day before that, it’s very exhausting as well as exhilarating.

It’s fun seeing quilting friends, but it’s very tiring getting “it” all together!

For all those traveling to quilt market, safe travels, and come see me in booth #1902!

For those of you that cannot attend, stay tuned for photos when I return.

I will leave you with new pattern #8,

A Pretty Garden,

This is a lap size quilt, made with my Quilt-as-you-go method that I’ve chatted about here.

Bright & cheery for spring don’t you think?  It’s been in the works since BEFORE I got back from Salt Lake City’s spring market in May.  I love the way it turned out with the Amelia fabrics by Me & My Sister for Moda. The fence posts and the “grassy” area between the fence posts are sewn into strips then the strips are sewn onto the foundation.  Next make and fuse the applique.  I love the cricket, how ’bout you?

Until next time,

Susan

 

New Pattern #7 for Market

This change in the weather can’t come soon enough for me and it’s not even winter yet, although there have been a few days this past week that could have been considered winter days, yuk!!!

I will think about spring instead of winter if you please.

Let’s hear it for Flowers on the Vine,

It’s another pattern made with my popular Quilt-as-you-go lap quilt technique.  You may remember if here.  It’s made with the new Amelia fabric collection by Me & My Sister Designs for Moda, plus a yellow polka dot print that I couldn’t resist.

I used a jelly roll plus some yardage for the borders & flower applique to complete the top. It also uses some jumbo rick rack and cute little flower buttons by hillcreek designs.  I’m always on the look-out for new, fun stuff to add to my quilts.  It’s a project that I can complete in less than a day and the best part is when all of the strips are sewn onto the foundation the quilting is done, no wondering how to quilt it, yeah!  You can easily make it in a weekend and these lap quilts make great gifts.  Ask me how I know!

Until next time,

Susan

 

New Pattern #6 for Market

My sixth new ”In Season” pattern has to be about school don’t you agree?

It’s a time of year that I look forward to, but then soon regret when the house is so quiet that I can’t stand it!  Call it bitter-sweet, call it crazy or call it

In Season for Back to School,

I will now look forward to hanging this every year in June to remind me that I will once again miss all the craziness of summer, just kidding!!!

Look for a change in the weather tomorrow, spring is coming…

Until next time,

Susan