Always a day late and a dollar short...

So Fashion Fridays might have to become Super Saturday because I get too busy on Fridays. My boss took me to a wonderful art fair last night in the old Prairie Village shopping area of Prairie Village, KS. Loved the art and especially the two dress shops we visited there, but really 79 dollars for a tank top!!! OMG, I also had a heart attack and didn't want to touch anything! I did LOVE some of the dresses and especially a little crocheted shrug (that was 59$ - I almost had a moment of weakness, but Clay - my husband - called just at that moment - wake up call!!!). I saw lots of art, jewelry and glass pieces I would love to have, but money's too tight. We are trying to buy a house so no crazy purchases. I'm off to garage sale it, but wanted to share another great fabric find from the first season of Project Runway winner, Jay McCarroll. I got to meet him in Houston at the Quilt Market Fall 2008. He's so nice and wonderful. I'd love to see him again and get some of his fabrics used in our patterns, but I might be a lone wolf on this one. Beware - they are different, but I LOVE his first line of fabrics. Here is just a sample:



Click here to view his line at eQuilter.com.

I'll post pictures after my garage saleing if I find anything good. I'm hoping for storage drawers for my new sewing area. Clay built me shelves while I was in Pittsburgh for a Mother's Day gift. I love them. It gives me room to display my fabrics and baskets of patterns. Now how to organize the rest of the fabric and all the art supplies.

Hope I find some good stuff! Until later...

My First ATC Swap

I wanted to comment on my very first ATC - or Artist Trading Cards - swap. For those of you that might not know, an ATC card is the size of a playing card and is basically just what it says an artist's card - so a small piece of art that is usually centered around a theme/swap and is traded like a baseball card.

My very first swap was called Anything But Paper swap. It was harder than I thought it would be. I think because there was no specific theme, like usual I had too hard a time narrowing down what I wanted to do. I did a couple of samples first and nothing was working for me. Finally I decided to use a technique I learned at The Vintage Workshop and created a mini-fabric postcard. I used some scraps of my favorite fabric from Amy Butler and then sewed it together with a strip of white muslin in the middle. Then I stamped the word inspire on the white strip. I got lots of compliments on my card and praise for it being my first cards ever! I was so nervous that I would be giving someone that card that they would look at and say...this is why I don't do swaps...I work so hard and just get junk back. I loved it but would others. I was great to get a positive response. Thanks Ladies!! Here is a picture of the beautiful cards I received. The materials range from metal, fabric, charms, shrink wrap, etc. I just love my first group.



I've joined a new swap from my Altered Book Club Yahoo Group. It is for the 6th anniversary of the group and it's called a skinny fat book. The pages have to be 3" x 6" leaving an unembellished area on the side for binding. I plan on binding mine with jump rings. I have to make 25 pages all the same and send them to the host. Then I will get 24 pages back (one is for myself). The theme is supposed to be ABC Anniversary or something closely related. The traditional anniversary theme is candy while modern is iron. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do yet. I'm probably make a prototype as usual and go from there. I love the anniversary idea and I'm leaning towards the candy theme too. Hmm..let's see what happens.

Happy Memorial Day to all. Bring the troops home!!! We love and miss every single service person and want them to be home with their families.

Final Pictures from Quilt Market

So I've finally found some time to post the last of my pictures from Quilt Market and you will finally see a picture of me. My favorite fabric designer, Amy Butler, asked me...yes little ole me..to take a picture with her because I was wearing one of my favorite new dress patterns from Indygo Junction - Audrey's Dress - in her fabric. I couldn't believe it!! She's like fabric royalty!! I loved it to say the least. I've also posted below my favorite new fabric sample for Fashion Friday!! It's from a newer fabric company called Art Gallery Fabrics. Check them out...they are fab!!! Some of the pictures are of quilts, some are samples I made for the show, some are of Amy Butler's booth at the show, and the rest are things I purchased - mostly for my mom!! Enjoy!!

This is the Art Gallery Fabric sample.





















Hope everyone has loved to see the quilts that are usually only available for store owners eyes. I love the art quilts. I can't believe some of these are actually sewn fabric and not paintings. The photos do NOT do most of these justice - the amount of stitching and work that went into them is amazing! Please post comments. I'll be having a market special giveaway next week. I haven't decided what item to giveaway from Market, but keep you eyes peeled for an announcement coming soon.

Later!! Have a great Memorial Weekend!!

More Quilts from the Show

I have more quilts to post from the show. I apologize that again my camera phone doesn't do them justice. They are all beautiful. I'll try to get more today as today is the last day of the show and let me tell you I'm done!!! Long hours, puffy eyes, sore feet and I still haven't really gotten to take anytime to look around at the booths. I've said hi to Amy Butler, my favorite fashion designer; I got to meet Jennifer Paganelli, of Sis Boom (check out her website)- she's also a fabric designer and I won an adorable little doll on her blog; and lastly I did visit the booth of Susan Christie, a vintage jewelry & sewing notions dealer. Her stuff is amazing. I can't afford most of it, but I love to look and dream. :) So here you go...

Pictures from the Quilt Exhibit

Hey Everyone! These are my favorite pics for far. They are from the Quilt Exhibit that is displayed with the Trade Show. Many of the quilts - some of my favorites - you cannot photograph - so here are some runner ups. Plus I have included the traveling display of the Fashion Show which was a yearly event and last year was the last one. I LOVE these dresses. I know the pictures with my camera phone aren't the best, but hopefully it will give you a glimpse of what you wouldn't normally get to see. Plus I had a request for pics of our of my customers booths, Creative Smocking which will be at the end. We aim to please. I'll take more pics today if possible. It's usually our biggest sales day so I might be too busy. I'll try to at least post in the morning the fabric finds I've purchased. If there is anything else, you'd like to see - post me a comment. I'll do my best.

Pictures of our Booth at Quilt Market Spring 2009

Well, here are the long awaited first pics of the Indygo Junction booths at the 2009 Spring International Quilt Market. We had a few items at school houses where Distributors, etc tell about their newest items - mostly ours were at Fabric Companies showing off their fabric and our patterns. So this has a few spots that aren't finished...but you get the idea. Also, I'll try to take some pictures of the quilts and fashions in the exhibit where permitted today and let you guys see those as well.

Later and enjoy!