SPRING QUILT MARKET IN PITTSBURGH

Well,,here I am blogging Fromm Market in Pittsburgh.  Today was he first day of the show but yesterday was Schoolhouse.  if you've never attended Schoolhouse, you're really missing some intense and exhausting fun.  There are thirteen sessions ranging from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.  During each session, you get to select one program and then you go from program to program all day.  it's really quite exhausting but still really fun and often educational too because these lectures tell you about new products, techniques, books, programs, etc.

I had a Schoolhouse lecture yesterday but it was scheduled in the last session which is the least desirable  slot for the whole day!  I was promoting the Block of the Month program with my book, A Russian Journey in Quilts.  Although I was tired and the small but intrepid audience was also tired, we muddled through and I think there was some decided interest in my book.

So, anyway, today was the opening day of the trade show.  It was really a glorious day.  My friend, Leslie, accompanied me and we spent a fun laid back day.  We visited with some old friends and caught up with some newer friends.  We also made some new aquaintences too!

We caught up with Mark Lipinski and he remembered me for my book and Leslie for her Pittsburgh accent!  We chatted for a couple minutes and he told me that my book made him love Kansas City Star books again!  WOW!  Then he told me that I better get my stuff together and write another book!

I had the opportunity to meet the amazing and very talented artist Deb Strain, too.

Later, I was talking about my book with an AQS person and she was so touched by my book because of  her family history.  It was a very moving experience.

We stopped in to the Fairfield booth and I met up with my contact there, Fairfield is one on my sponsors.  We had lots of fun playing with their new product, Foamology-- have you seen it yet?  I want to add photos to this blog, but sadly I haven't figured this out on my iPad.

Well, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.  Ta ta!

Getting Ready for Spring Quilt Market

It's official -- I am headed to Pittsburgh next month for Spring Quilt Market.  This time I am going to promote my book, Russian Journey in Quilts and its Sampler Quilt/ Block of the Month guide.

Did you know that the large sampler quilt in my book can be done as a BLOCK OF THE MONTH program?  When I wrote the book I also created a free PDF download for the Russian Journey Sampler BOM guidelines.

I just love love love the focal print in the center (and the borders too) -- this was a retro Russian fabric I bought from Russia.  I was s nervous waiting the two months it took to get here....but it finally did and I was certainly not disappointed because it really makes this quilt sparkle!

The Russian Journey Sampler Quilt in the book:

I am making another version of the Russian Journey Sampler, which I am calling MODERN GROOVE.  I'm using the Neutral Love fabrics from Connecting Threads.  It's really weird to me to follow my own directions to make the blocks.  Happily, the instructions are very good!!  LOL!  :) 

Here are my blocks so far:

This is what I anticipate the quilt basically looking like when finished.  I decided not to make the flag blocks and substituted the focal print instead:

 

 

I want to get the top completed before May 7th when I have a Russian Journey in Quilts trunk show and lecture with the Quilter's Night Out guild in Warren, PA. 

 

Then it will be on to Market.