Quilt Market Loot - and a Giveaway!

One of the really cool things about quilt market was the fun things people were giving away.  My favorite, of course, was the mini charm squares.  I was fortunate enough to snag a couple and boy are they cute!

But there were some other fun things, too.  Some folks gave away patterns.   This one is cute.

I totally missed out on the mini charms of Ruby, but I was fortunate enough to get a pattern.  See those receiving blankets made with Ruby flannel?  That flannel just may be the softest flannel known to mankind.

The folks at Interweave gave me a calendar and a whole bunch of magazines.

 And then of course there were the brochures.  sarahjane's new fabric is gorgeous, but I especially loved the embroideries.

And Jillily's booth was so fun.  They were giving away mini sorbet cones in some great summertime flavors.  My favorite was raspberry.  Yummy!









There was some other loot as well, but I haven't taken photos of it all.  Suffice it to say that my luggage was heavier coming home than it was on the outbound trip.

And since the folks at QM were so generous, I thought I would share.  If you caught this post, you know that I have a running love affair with French General (shhhhh...  don't tell WH!) so you can tell that I really love this fabric.  It's classic and fresh and olde worlde all at the same time.  So I really hope you will like today's giveaway as much as I do.  It includes a mini charm pack of French General's new line Panier des Fleurs, which comes with a project sheet for a sweet hexi pin cushion, and a copy of the 2010 Quilting Arts Gifts magazine.  Even though the mag is last year's, there are some fun, simple gifts lurking within those pages.  I had a browse through it and I think I'm going to try one or two of these ideas before it wings its way to someone else's home.

So what do you need to do to win?  Just leave me a comment and let me know your favorite fabric from this spring's collections, or let me know what fabric you're most looking forward to for summer/fall.  That's it.  I'd love it if you'd FOLLOW my blog, but it's not required.  ETA:  Oh - and I forgot to mention, be sure I have a way to contact you if you win.  Duh!  And I think I forgot to mention that this giveaway ends THURSDAY, May 26 at midnight.

And if you're in the mood for a little web surfing, check out Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day post.  Lots of folks in blogland are having giveaways today.

Good luck!

Wonderful to Get Away... Lovely to Be Home

Union Jack quilt by mother-daughter design team Cabbages and Roses from Spring Quilt Market in SLC

It is always wonderful to get away for a few days...  Different sights, and sounds, and people...  And this year has been so stressful in many ways, that the change was especially appreciated.  It didn't hurt that it was filled with one-on-one "Grandma Time", visits with all three of my children, and some awesome eye candy,

I loved getting to play with sweet little Abby.  At 17 months, she is so much fun.  She is so clever, and sometimes she is just downright hilarious.  Wish I'd brought home a copy of the video her daddy took of her dancing.  She turns circles until she is dizzy, and then she just laughs and claps for herself.  So funny.  And so much fun!

I loved being able to help out while her mommy and daddy made plans to open their online shoppe.  It was great fun to accompany BD#1 to Quilt Market last Friday.  I was so awestruck by all the lovely fabrics, quilts, bags, clothing, and just about anything you can imagine that had anything to do with quilts or textiles.  I took more than 100 photos, and now when I look at them, I think, "Why didn't I take a picture of THAT?"

As an agent for Crafty Fox Fabrics (opening soon), I even got to place a fabric order for some very yummy fabric.  Very fun!  And I even picked up some great loot, some of which I'm sure will be very useful on this blog later (hint!) 

One of the booths I loved was a triple booth, with Aneela Hoey's Little Apples, Cabbages and Roses' Northcote, and French General's Panier de Fleurs new fabric lines.  All that yummy goodness, and would you believe I only got one photo?  Luckily, BD#1 did a much better job of getting photos of that booth.  In fact, there is a giveaway for a mini charm pack of Aneela Hoey's Little Apples on A Crafty Fox's blog.  Why not head on over and check it out?

For Love of (a) French General

Last month, when the kiddos and I were in Seattle, my sister introduced Beautiful Daughter #1 and I to a fun craft store - Ben Franklin Fabrics and Crafts.

We had such a good time in there.  The first time we went, I was actually a little bit proud that I didn't buy very much at all.  In fact, I didn't buy any fabric at all!  So totally out of character.  I bought some ribbon, and some greeting cards that later became birthday gifts, but I didn't buy any fabric...

And then I went home and the remorse set in.  I guess you would call it "reverse buyer's remorse".  Truth is, I was in love - with French General.  Nothing would do but I make the trek back (this time with Beautiful Daughter #2) and satisfy this intense craving.  I just love this fabric.  It is somehow so elegant.  I had visions of all the things I could do with it.  It stirred all my creative juices and the ideas just started flowing.  The store had both Lumiere de Noel and Rural Jardin together, and I couldn't wait to get home and start putting it together, but I could only get fat quarters of some of the pieces.  Funny how the reds went so fast.  

Honestly, I like it just as much now as I did in the store. 

And I really seem to be into table runners this year.  Not so much trouble as a quilt, and they don't take as much fabric, but you still get the thrill of the creation of it.  I especially like the way the patch in the center pulls the piece together.

Here is the finished product.  Do you think it will make nice Christmas gifts?