First Post from Quilt Market

Apologies for the social media and email silence from this end.  Things have been a little busy, to say the least.... but the good news is that I did indeed make it to Quilt Market in Portland, Oregon. 

All manner of technological glitches, a hefty dose of jet-lag and a hectic work schedule have hitherto prevented me from sharing the experience with the online community. 

In short, I had a lovely time, met great people, talked a lot about exciting possibilities and picked up some new US-based stockists for my sewing patterns. 

There were 3 trips to the local department store the day before set-up and a spot of last-minute, late-night hook-making, when I discovered that the Ikea hooks that were pre-ordered would not fit the top edge of the booth.

Of course, I had lovely travel companions and Quilt Market neighbours...

My samples in Riley Blake fabric attracted a load of attention, and 3 of them are staying in the Riley Blake warehouse, with a few of the patterns.

The Hobo (above), the Laptop (below)....

and the Sling (below again)

The super-popular A-line Skirt pattern will be available through Pink Chalk Fabrics as soon as the Pink Chalk team recover from Market and upload the details.

I was so happy to met Kathy and the girls from Pink Chalk - every one of them is super-lovely.  They've been selling my pdf patterns for a long time but we'd never met before.

As we sort through the invoices and organise the new stockist listing, I'll keep you updated on where to find my patterns in the USA.  My Facebook and Twitter feeds will be the more immediate source of updates, but my post-market resolution is to bring more attention back to my blog, so I won't forget the non-Facebookers-and-tweeters.

I'm off to pour myself another glass of wine and put my feet up. I'm staying with my sister and her family who happen to live in Portland, and I feel that I should perhaps make an effort to interact and make conversation, now that the market madness is over.

Portland Preparations

 

The sheer panic of last week and this weekend seem to have resulted in some started things, some finished things, and a spot of online Portland-based Ikea and Target shopping.

 

All going well with international shipping and flights, I think I may just have a display in my booth at Quilt Market in May, after all... who'da thunk it? 

 

I'm taking a bit of Melbourne with me, in the form of this Large Tote made with Pippijoe fabric ...and a bit of Japan (Echino fabric) on this Day Bag satchel.

 

 ...And a bit more Japanese fabric on another version of the Day Bag...

I'll be using the Day Bag in classes for both the Schoolhouse at Quilt Market and the American Sewing Guild, so I've been whipping up a few fresh ones.

 

At the Schoolhouse, it'll all be about bag bases, and at the ASG, it'll be all the bells and whistles we can possibly squeeze in.

 

Oh looky!  More Japanese fabric.  There appears to be a bit of a theme accidentally coming together here....

 

The other theme that's coming together is the Riley Blake theme (a spot of cross-promotion for the show)....

 ....and the Finally Getting Around To Photographing Things theme.

If this looks like I've had a mega-productive week, don't be deceived by my selective representation of reality.  (The internet is full of that sort of thing and you should be wise to it by now!). 

There has been angst, tears, much flapping about and too many cups of tea made and let go cold. There has been a sharp increase in the quantity and the purity of the chocolate I'm consuming (we're heading towards 85% ...and considering the possibilility of permanent IV delivery). 

Work gets done in little flurries in between.

 

And I didn't sew these hats. 

 

I just photographed them (badly) and gave up on the idea of Photoshopping out the backgrounds when I was half-way through.

 

Priorities are big news around here, and the clock ticks closer to our departure date.

Thanks to my super-sewing-gals Narelle and Carmel, for making the Hobo (above the hats) and these Hats and Kids Hats .

But this weekend, I saw a glimpse of how it all might work.  Things come together, even in this ad-hoc way that I've been working.

I keep thinking of the 30th May.  It'll be here sooner than I think, and by then I'll have submitted a book manuscript and will be home after my first international trade show.  Who'da thunk it...?

But do you know what the VERY best thing about this weekend was?  This was.