Our Houston Quilt Market Experience

 

Jennifer, Neva & I are back from Houston Quilt Market and our Special Hopes &. Dreams exhibit at Quilt Festival- and we had a wonderful time!

Yes ...we worked really hard (its not all glamour!). We arrive in Houston the day before the show, rushing from our 6am east-coast flight straight to the 'non-air-conditioned' convention center, going right to work to build our exhibit booth. We lift heavy boxes, unpack....

......move pallets, climb ladders (and chairs), lay carpet, reach and stretch to hang batting and decorations on 10' steel poles ...using body parts we rarely use anymore:). All while constantly dodging what seems to be an army of horn- blowing forklift drivers speeding through the aisles delivering giant crates and supplies to hundreds of vendors. Did I mention NO air conditioning?

By midnight....With a power bar and glass(es) of wine for a late night dinner - we finally get to bed.

Next morning, first day of the show....from the chaos of setup..... a beautiful Quilt Market opens.

 

We three 'gals', who are used to our comfy desk jobs (see our 'backsides' for proof:), are now in our busy little booth, on our feet for ten hours straight for three days. Our evenings are booked with socials and events. And on the final day of the show....as soon as they make the closing announcement (simultaneously with turning off the air-conditioning) we are back to lifting, climbing, dodging, packing, stretching, and hauling to tear down the booth and ship our show decor back home!

Yet....with all this, we still had a great time! It is crazy that the show could be so much work but could be SO much fun! We get to greet, meet and talk to our incredible customers face to face, we get to see our fellow exhibitors that have become such good friends, we get to work with our friends at Quilts Inc (who put together the entire show) and we make lots of new friends!

Pokey Bolton is a Dream! She is working with Quilts, Inc. and even generously made the IQA auction quilt using Quilters Dream Cotton!

Mike and Gary Harper of JN Harper, C

 

We get to see and hear about the latest and greatest quilting trends. We talk to designers, teachers, authors, shop owners and manufacturers and learn what they are working on, what they have created and how they use our batting. We witness the vision, hard work and the creative process coming to life; with color, fabric, art, tools, techniques, solutions, technology, networking, sharing and imagination flowing freel

Angela Walters and her new fabric line, Drift, are both fabulous!

New amazing Brother scanner that laser cuts fabric to your images!!

 

And then ...all around us ....some of the most stunningly beautiful quilts in the world! Eye-Candy everywhere

Melinda Bula's beautiful quilt, 'Monet in Pasadena.

When we fall into bed late each night we are exhausted - yet we are exhilarated, inspired, energized and happy....because, we just LOVE being part of the incredible quilting community!

I wish everyone who loves to quilt could experience Houston Quilt Market/Festival at least once!

Here our just a few of our pictures from Quilt Market that we thought you would enjoy (for more pictures visit our Facebook page):

 

Our very own, Jennifer, who Loves, Loves, Loves the new Dream Fusion!

 

 

 

Amazing painted threads and the whimsical creations of Thread Nuts.

Angela Walters beautiful new fabric line, "Drift", and her beautiful quilting. Visit her at quiltingismytherapy.

Susan Nelson from Prairie Sky Quilting - check out her great patterns and her unique Batting Buddy for cutting batting and fabric!

 

Susan Rass and her 'ghouls' from Tomorrow's Treasured Quilts of Crystal Ciy, Fl. in the best Halloween spirit!

One of the amazing miniature dolls on display:

Jinny Byers beautiful quilt:

Amy Butler's booth - beautiful in color and soul:

Little Angel Tommy and his mommy, love Quilters Dream Angel. #quiltybox

Timna Tarr, of S. Hadley Mass used Quilters Dream Wool for this award award winning, Traditional Pieced Catagory. This is her interpretation of the New England autumn leaf display!

Sorry that I do not have the name info on this beautiful quilt by a Quilter from Japan.....the details are amazing. The children are her grandchildren. Notice the teenage girl in the right corner? She used a photo of herself as a young girl and quilted in 'her young self' watching over her grandchildren. Beautiful!

Voted one of the top 100 quilts of our time - this gorgeous quilt by Libby Lehman was one of her many beautiful quilts. Her quilts were on display to honor Libby and her courageous battle in overcoming a very serious recent stroke. Our thoughts and prayers are with her:

 

All the best and Happy Quilting, Kathy Thompson!

 

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How to make a quilted tissue pouch

So Jennifer here is a non stop machine! She just came back from market and made this tutorial on a fun project using Quilters Dream Fusion. The holidays are literally right around the corner and this would be sooooo cute for a stocking stuffer or last minute gift idea!

Supplies you will need:

• Two (2) pieces of 6” x 8” Coordinating Fabric
• One (1) piece of 6” x 8” Dream Fusion batting (available in Cotton or Poly)
• Scissors
• Thread
• Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Iron

Directions:

Place the 6” x 8” piece of Dream Fusion on your ironing board with the fusible side up (we mark the fusible side with a sticker, but you can also tell as the fusible side has a little more texture to it and a shine you can see under a light).

Place one piece of your 6” X 8” piece of fabric wrong side down – so that the backside of your fabric is touching the fusible side of the batting.

This fabric is cotton, so we used the cotton steam setting and then ironed, holding the iron down for a few seconds in all directions while ironing.  If you are using the Poly Select Dream Fusion, you can create this same steam effect by placing a piece of moist muslin on top and using the iron on a lower setting. 

**Helpful Tip**- Using the steam and having the fabric on top of the fusible side of the batting produces the best contact when bonding.  If you want to ensure your iron does not come in contact with the fusible batting, place an applique sheet or piece of parchment paper over the fabric before ironing.

Once the batting and fabric are fused, place your second 6” x 8” piece of fabric right side down on top of the piece of fabric you just fused to the batting.

Pin to your liking.  You will sew a quarter-inch (¼) seam on both short sides of the fabric (on the 6” sides). 

Press the sewn sides to seal the stitches and then turn the fabric inside out so that the right sides of the fabric are facing out. 

  Once you have turned the piece inside out, press the short sides again.

It will look like this when finished.

Now you have a choice. You can keep this the way it is or you can use this as a way to practice your free motion quilting or simply stitch straight lines until the whole piece is quilted.

Once quilted, determine which piece of fabric will be the outside of the tissue holder/handy pouch and have it facing right side up. 

Take both short sides (6” sides) and turn them upwards and meet in the middle of the fabric.  Pin the raw ends to your liking.  Sew the raw ends together using a quarter-inch (¼) seam.  Press to secure stitches.

Clip the corner tips and turn the pouch inside out.  Press seams and you’re done!!!

Use this to hold the little individual packages of tissues or post-it notes or whatever you like.  You can also turn this into a thread catcher to keep beside your sewing machine.

"Oatmeal and Brown Sugar"

We officially kicked off the 2014 Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS this week and it has been a very special week.  When we receive your boxes we truly do get excited to see what treasures are inside.  This week, like many before, has been an extremely touching one. 

 

This is the first quilt that was sent to us for the 2014 Challenge year and it comes from a wife who lost her husband to ALS.  H.J. Martin of Concord, California donated this quilt in memory of her husband Jimmie who passed away in 2002 with ALS.

 

J.H. writes, "I hope and pray for anyone that has ALS and someday a cure for this."  And then we opened the second quilt of the new challenge year...

 

...another wife who lost a husband to ALS.  Irene Norton of Vacaville, California made this quilt in memory and honor of her first husband Richard who passed away in 2000.  Irene writes, "I have made everyone in the family a quilt except him.  So this is his."  We realized this year, the 5th Anniversary of the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS, is going to be different when we open the third quilt of the 2014 Challenge Year. 

 

 



The package came from Australia and when we opened it we all just took a deep breath.  This time the quilt was made and donated by a daughter who lost her Mom to ALS.   Melissa Tahu reflected on how her mother used to quilt and made she and her siblings quilts - which they continue to use today.  Her mom passed away of ALS on July 1st of this year and Melissa writes, "I feel closest to my Mum when I'm wrapped up in one of her quilts, and I hope that you find the same love and comfort under this quilt, this gift from me to you."

We confess.  These stories have moistened our eyes and tugged our hearts.

And then came "Oatmeal and Brown Sugar."

Trying to describe the overwhelming love that accompanies these quilts is nearly impossible.  The above taupe and brown and ivory quilt was sent to us by Edith Huffman in West Columbia, Texas.  It's best that we let Edith explain this quilt:

"When I joined the local quilt guild I right away noticed a funny lady that always sat in the front row and lit up the room with her participation. Celeste and I soon became friends and then neighbors!

We shared quilting and gardening ideas. I have a thriving shrub out my window, one she suggested. As roommates at quilt retreats, we'd lay awake at night and tell stories about our children and grandchildren. We watched mine being born and hers growing into young adults.

Then she had a "back injury" that lead to foot drop, then the diagnosis of ALS. I remember her coming home from the doctor visit trying to be brave and keeping smiling. "It's time to clean out this house," she said. First the attic, then the closets, labeling and distributing her memories to family members.

She finished quilts then started cleaning out "The Stitchery." She signed books over to me and had me divide fabric between quilting friends. Then she gave me a quilt top. The quilt became 'Oatmeal and Brown Sugar'. Oatmeal, because as her husband said, "She was so conservative with color." The brown sugar, because I will remember her as warm and sweet.

  

Celeste never saw the quilt completed, but she had consented for it to be donated to ALS, from Celeste and her friend Edith.  God Bless, enjoy the quilt, and try to be brave."

American Science Fiction Writer Robert Heinlein wrote, "Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."  What boxes of love we have opened and are so blessed to be able to open in the coming weeks and months ahead.

Your Grateful Hopes & Dreams Coordinator

 

Hopes & Dreams at 2013 Houston Quilt Festival

Between last weekends 2013 Houston Quilt Market, where hundreds of fabric companies, batting companies, pattern designers and notion makers come together to introduce their new products to Quilt Shops and professional Longarmers across the country, and this weekends 2013 Houston Quilt Festival that is open to the public to purchase quilting related products, there will be over 50,000 people passing through the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

The Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS was gifted with seven booth spaces - 70 feet - of display space to share with everyone the purpose of Hopes & Dreams and the talent and artistry of the many gifted quilters that have so graciously donated their works of art to raise awareness and funds for ALS Research.

 

 

These ladies have the art of hanging a quilt show down to a science.  They are called the "Piece Corps" and painstakingly document the condition of each quilt that is sent to be displayed.

 

To them each quilt is a piece of rare fine art.  They look at the quilt hanging sleeves, the backing...

 

...each label and then open each quilt to observe the quilt top.

Once each quilt is reviewed and documented, they are placed on sheets on the floor prior to hanging the exhibit.

 

Hanging each quilt is just as elaborate because these ladies care.  They know how hard each quilter works on their finished quilt and they take the extra time to make sure that each quilt is handled with love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were unable to stay for the entire setup as we had to catch our flight back to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  If anyone reading this is in Texas and is planning on a visit to Quilt Festival this weekend – we would love it if you could snap a quick picture of the final setup and send back to us at Quilters Dream Batting.

 

 

 

Each quilt on exhibit is for sale.  If you see one here in this blog post that you are interested in purchasing, call us toll-free at (888) 268-8664 and we will be glad to work out details.  100% of the purchase of all Hopes & Dreams Quilts goes to ALS Research.

 

 

Remember when you are shopping for the holidays that a Hopes & Dreams Quilt makes the perfect gift.  We are adding quilts to our Hopes & Dreams Storenvy site and if you purchase a quilt as a gift we will gift wrap the quilt, sign a card from you with a special message inside, and ship to the recipient!   

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for your time, talents and treasures in warming the lap and life of an ALS patient and for helping us find a cure for ALS – one quilt at a time!

 

Your Grateful Hopes & Dreams Coordinator