I have to tell you a funny story. On Preview night I began wearing my HST pendant/necklace and had just finished my first round of scoping out the vendors...when what to my wandering eyes should appear but Dawn with a Debbie (Wolf and Kendall) seated on each side of her near the entrance. She called my name and said she recognized "my pendant" (while I was walking aimlessly by them)! How's that for being recognized by what you wear and not your profile photo?

PS: My apologies to anyone who might have been offended and felt my last comment sounded arrogant. I was sincerely recalling how we all were laughing while I seemed to be walking around in a different time zone and my necklace was at eye level for Dawn and her two Debbie sidekicks to see! That's all!

Well, reality has set in. The new furnace is awesome! I've never been this warm in my own home and we've been here over 27 years! I'm back to work on customer quilts.

Houston was a dream come true for me. I've wanted to go almost as long as I've been quilting. To be able to walk or run up to someone I've never met in person, but love as a friend, made the week more than I could have ever wished for. I'm not kidding when I say that. To me, that was so much more impacting on both myself and Mike than the rest of the show put together. I just wish I'd had the opportunity to sit with each of you for a while and just talk.

However, the show was so much more than I expected. I've always heard "they do things big in Texas" and it is so true. The quilts, oh the quilts. I thought every single one deserved a ribbon. The quality of workmanship at this level is so over the top and I'm including the quilts from our own TQS friends in this statement. We did get to see every quilt in the show and I got a hug from Deborah Kemball from Chile. I've been reading her blog every since I saw Alex's interview with her. Sharon Schamber worked her magic on the pain in my shoulder; unfortunately, it was temporary and she refused to come home with me.

We didn't get to all the vendors but we did get to all the ones on my list; plus a lot more. I brought home a bracelet by Mary Fisher, Libby Lehman's dvd, Ricky's Kaleidoscope dvd, the Stitched dvd and Randall Cook's Stretching for Quilters dvd. I bought thread, patterns, BoNash, and some dies for my GO! The one thing I didn't buy was fabric. I'm at the point where something really has to "hit" me; I'm sure you know what I mean.

Once again, thank you to ARJJ for starting this wonderful community. Thank you to all my new and not so new friends; I truly love you all. Somehow, we'll be back in Houston. I couldn't bear not seeing you all again.

quilting00 wrote:
Terry, I'm looking forward to getting together with you and JoJo in a couple of weeks so we can all share in the excitement of "The Houston Experience"! BTW, luv your new profile photo!

Shirley, I'm looking forward to hearing all about your experience and seeing your class samples/purchases in person!!!!

What a grand time we had! I loved everything about this special trip! The meet and greet at the TQS booth was fabulous! I couldn't believe I was actually talking to "Alex the Great" about making a pendant for her!!! Just giving/getting the best hugs from so many terrific quilters will keep me motivated to finish my HST quilt! I'm really happy I stopped working on it when I did because I learned so much about all you wonderful quilters who will be symbolized as Sunbonnet Sues and a Ricky!

My 6 classes began with Cynthia England, then Paul Nadelstern, Patti M. Culea, Robbi Joy Eklow, Laura Murray, and finally Caryl Bryer Fallert! Cynthia's beautiful pictorial quilt that's on the cover of her book was hanging in a special exhibit where I read it has won 5 Best of Shows and 6 Viewers' Choice awards!!! She and her work are amazing! I'd like to buy a bottle of her energy because she's the Energizer Bunny! Paula Nadelstern's class was enlightening and inspirational when she demonstrated how she thinks up all those fabulous Puzzle Quilts! My mind is spinning from all the new ideas I brought home from my classes!

In retrospect, if I went next year I'd give myself at least 2 extra days: one for a tour of Houston and new Quilt Museum and/or possibly the Space Center, and I'd stay to hear Ricky's concert to close the show! Five days of classes was a bit overwhelming, but I did it and I'd do it again! However, I might just take one 3 hour class for 3 days each instead of 4 of them in 2 days. Two all-day classes were just fine at the beginning of the week, but I'd plan more time to see the show and vendors after that. I'd still go to Preview Night, the winners' luncheon with speaker, and absolutely the TQS Reunion dinner!

I enjoyed everything about the IQF show, but most of all, I enjoyed meeting all of YOU! THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

Hugs,
Shirley

We got home at 10:30 last night and it felt so good to sleep in our own bed. My mind is still reeling from everything that went on and our plate is very full for the next 2 days. We're getting our new furnace tomorrow!! I'll write ASAP.

BTW, what happened to the video we did on Friday?

Here's a few more. Clara

A few photos from the meet and greet at the TQS booth on Thursday. We were packed! I literally held my camera way over my head and clicked and turned.

I can post 3 at a time. So, I will do another post. Clara

I'm back home in Michigan after my first experience at the Houston show. Many forewarned me that it would be overwhelming. Whew! It sure was amazing. I went with my two roomies to preview night to get our first taste, and the next two, Thursday and Friday, just tried to take in as much as possible. No classes but then next time that will be a "for sure!". So many quilts to admire and so many vendors to visit - wow! The sample quilts for next year's TQS block of the month knocked my socks off! Pictures do them only about half the justice of seeing them in person. My roomies left Saturday morning (thanks again for the fabulous time at Hugo's). Saturday and Sunday were spent working in the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative booth selling small pieces of quilted art raising money to make a BIG difference. A wonderful lady showed me true Texan hospitality by giving me a place to stay for two nights. Thank you again, Holly. All in all, a wonderful, inspiring, delightful, amazing and memorable time.

Well...I just got home last night. I loved my first time at Houston. It was great to meet all of you. I too, enjoyed the meet and greets and the dinner. Thank you again Wanda! Every quilt was special...every quilt. I am attaching some photos of one quilt that drew me back to it at least 10 times. I am a traditional quilter that loves scrappy quilts and this one was "it" for me. It was made by a Japanese quilter and part of a special exhibit at the show.

My special purchase...a Sewezi Table! I am determined to improve my machine quilting, and am hoping this will help. This table and the machine quilting class I took with David Taylor. Let me say, he was great! I have permission to gooooo slooooooooooow when I quilt.
My other class was a precision piecing class with Philippa Naylor. She had many hints to get those perfect points. Maybe I am ready to try the feathered stars in the quilt I am including.
My regret. I should of taken more classes. If there is a next time...I will.


By Sunday I was quilted out! Yup, I was! I went to The Space Center for the day. I am sure there are many of you, like me, that events in the space program are major moments in our lives. I had tears in my I just being there and cried when I walked into mission control. I know, I know, I am an silly idiot. The young man that talked to us in mission control, Carl, cared about what he was saying. He talked about the history of the space program and the future of the program. He was engaging and knowledgeable. Because of this I asked what his story was. He told me this: when he was six months old he mother took him outside one night and held him up to the full moon and said, "We've been there". Carl said he was hooked from that day on. That was special.

It was a great week! Thank you all for making it so!
Till next time...Barbara{!-- ia0 -->IMG_0087.JPG{!-- ia0 -->

What a great time I had in Houston. Meeting Margo was a treasured experience.
My big Whoo Hoo at the show was that I bought an Innova long arm machine. I am now in the process of clearing a 12 foot space in my very cluttered studio.
I so enjoyed meeting and putting faces with fellow TQSers. I suggest for next years dinner that all attendees print a copy of their TQS picture to pin on their shirt.
I loved that whenever I would sit down to rest there was a friendly quilting sister, or brother to chat with. We are all one big family of creative folks.
I most enjoyed the time I spent with my quilt "An Unaffected Grace". I explained my process to quilters from nine years of age to eighty four. The nine year old told me that she likes to use dark green with purple, but the tourquoise looked OK too. With that young lady goes the future of quilting.
I feel so inspired by classes I took but also by the profusion of amazing work seen in the show and in the vendor booths.
I am glad you are all part of my life. Love ya. Betty Ann

We are back home in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas after a long, interesting, exciting and exhausting week in Houston. I learned so much in the various classes that I took. But again the best part is always seeing the many friends that have come my way through TQS. The Meet and Greets and the dinner (Thanks again, Wanda!!!!) were the highlights of my week. This was a great year at Houston so thanks to all my friends for making it a great time. Hugs, Ann

Thank you all for sharing Houston Highlights. Sounds like a grand time. Hope, Hope someday I can go.

"A smile is a curve that straightens everything out."

This was the first year that I've spent more than one day at a time Festival...and I even live in Houston! Since I've always been working I never took time away my job to do it, but this year I did. There were many highlights of my Festival week. The first was actually getting to meet Dawn (Scoopie) and having her stay at my home. She explained earlier about Margo and I surprising her and Debbie Kendall on Wednesday. AND WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2 WAS DEBBIE KENDALL'S BIRTHDAY AND SHE SPENT IT WITH US...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN, DEBBIE!!! The four of us had a wonderful day and we all felt like we had know each other for years. The Texas Quilt Museum was fantastic and I encourage anyone who has a chance to visit it the next time they are in the Houston area. We had a great lunch and headed back to Houston to go to Preview Night. AT Preview night, it was such fun to meet and hug so many other members like Shirley Forster, Barbara (makesgees), Josew, Ritzy, Carol, Hanne-Grete, and on & on & on & on. And then after a long, long day of shopping and looking at all the gorgeous quilts, we headed for our TQS dinner. What fun it was getting to meet even more TQS and SoTTT members. At the dinner, Dawn and other SoTTTs members pulled off an even bigger surprise by presenting Clara and me with an incredible set of 64 blocks from each State that participated in the SoTTT exchange along with those from the Provinces in Canada, Territories in Australia, and several other countries. Along with the beautiful blocks was a very, very generous cash gift to use for whatever we wanted. Of course, I wanted it to be something quilting and I finally decided on the Go! Cutter along with dies, including the two new Sarah Vedeler designs that can be used for the 2011 TQS BOM quilt.

I enjoyed seeing all the gorgeous winning quilts and trying to figure out why in the world some of the other's didn't win something. I especially enjoyed seeing quilts from the TQS members, including the Amazing 8 quilt that was featured in this month's Quilt Life magazine. It was beautiful to see it in person and to actually know how it started and see how it finished! Congratulations Amazing 8 on a job well done. I hope the TQS Dinner provided incentive for you to get together and do something for next year. Don't forget to let us know if you're going to do it again.

I came home with tons of other purchases and can't wait to get started playing with the Go! and with more quilt stuff that I just HAD TO HAVE. I tried to tell myself no, but I didn't listen. I bought some of Ricky's music CD's along with Stable Stuff. I already had plenty of his hand-dye fabrics from last year.

I was very excited to hear Carol say that the deadline for our SoTTT quilt memory book was extended until May 1. I have all the blocks done, but I still have to put them together and create another couple of applique blocks for it. Whew...what a relief that was!! Thanks, Carol!!!!

I am now looking forward to 2012 and to continuing my new found friendship with so many wonderful TQS members. I hope that Dawn will be able to come back and want to stay with me again. Though we did talk about how nice it would be to stay in the Hilton for a few nights and not have to deal with the wicked parking situation in the area. Too bad they don't still have the shuttle buses they had a few years ago where you could leave your car in the suburban Park & Ride lots and ride the bus.

If you weren't able to come to Festival this year, I encourage you to start making plans for next year. And don't forget planning a trip to the Texas Quilt Museum.