More Market stuff!

Ok the answer to the last blog post was........12!!! Thats right! I brought home 12 new pairs of shoes!
I know, it's ridiculous, but I can't help myself!

So Market is always fun, exhilarating, exhausting, energizing....all at the same time!

We set up our booth on the Wednesday. We decided to go bare bones this Market! Not a whole lot of extras as we didn't ship our stuff this time, we mailed it!! It was't terrible - we did manage to scrounge some extra carpet from the Clothworks booth!

We did two schoolhouses on Thursday. Schoolhouses are opportunities for us to teach other shop owners ways in which they can promote our book or fabric. Both went very well, and we have lots of fresh ideas for next year! The show starts on Friday, and there is SO MUCH to see!!
The show is very large....it's hard to explain to someone exactly how large it is unless you've actually seen it!! It's not just a bunch of little old grannies setting up their wares on a table, it's an industry! and it's large!

This picture of a teensy portion of the market floor can't even truly give you the scope of the show.
There are two statistics that I once heard about Market that really stuck with me:

1. Quilt Market/Festival is the largest convention that Houston, TX hosts every single year.

2. If you walk up and down every single market aisle from beginning to end, you will have covered 3 miles!

(And you ask why I needed new shoes???!)

Home again, home again, Jiggitty Jig!

Finally home again!!
Wow! Quilt Market was fabulous as always!! We started our market adventures by taking an extra day and flying into Seattle, WA rather then Portland (where market was being held)

Flying into Seattle,WA

Martingale offices

because that's where the Martingale offices are located. And for those of you who are unfamiliar, Matingale and Company is who publishes our books! It was fabulous to be able to meet some of the people who work on our books, and be able to put faces to names!!
We spent the night at Mary's house - she works at Martingale, and it just happens to be where Tis the Season and Urban Country Quilts were photographed!
Flip to page 14 of Tis the Season....that is Roofis! Mary's dog! So we were able to meet him! I'd have to say that Roofis looks a little older and wiser then he did a few years ago!

Roofis

Jo, Mary and Jeanne

The next morning we hopping into our rental car and made our way over to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. We don't usually have time to do touristy things during market time, but this was a fun treat! We wandered antique stores, purchased some fruit for our drive, listened to some amazing singers outside of the original Starbucks store, and had a delicious lunch with an amazing view!

Oh wait! Another really fun thing we got to see at the Martingale offices was their new wholesale catalouge!!! The cover had OUR quilts in the front!!! Quilts from Tis the Autumn Season that releases in just a few days!!

So after the few hours we spent at Pike Place Market we headed down to Portland. What is normally a three hour drive....took us a whole lot longer for some reason........

Heehehehe! What can we say? And by the way.....those shoes.....all mine! Thats right, that totally doesn't include what Jeanne and Jo bought (don't judge me!!)
I have so many great pictures and stories from Market that I think I will spread them out instead of overwhelming you with all our adventures at once!! So keep watching for more in the Market series,  otherwise known as how many shoes did Shelley really bring home??? (here's your clue....it was more then what you see here!)

To Market, to Market!

We are almost at the big day! Leaving for International Quilt Market!! This year it is being held in Portland, Oregon! We've been to this location before, and it's a wonderful city to visit! I love Quilt Market, but I usually come home feeling like I've been run over by a truck!!! It's a very busy week, and we do try to sneak in as much as we possibly can, and sometimes that means late nights, early mornings and no naps!!

So Monday morning we'll be flying into Seattle, renting a car and driving over to the Martingale offices. We're pretty excited to see the offices (I'll take pics for you!!) And put some faces to some of the people who work on our books!! We already many of them from Quilt Market - but some we only speak with via email or phone, so it will be really fun!
We'll be spending the night at Mary's place!  If you open your copy of Tis the Season ( our first book) and have a look at the house and photos in that book .....that's the house we are staying at!!! And we'll be meeting the dog in the book for the very first time!

The next morning we will make our way down to Portland, maybe get a wee little bit of shopping in along the way! I'm hoping to find some really great shoes along the way! I was telling some of the ladies who were doing a class at our shop yesterday the criteria I have for the shoes I want to wear to market....must be flat, but not super flat, cause thats hard on my back. Not heels, cause, thats hard to be in heels on the cement floor for 12 hours a day. They could be a little heel, but they have to be comfortable. And open toed, cause my feet get really hot. And they need to be slip on preferably. and I don't want old lady shoes. and they need to be able to match all the things I brought to wear, and they can't be runners, cause I'm not wearing runners, I don't care how much my feet ache. and they told me...with that much criteria...I am an old lady! Hmmmmm....ok....half way to old lady maybe.....

Once we get to Portland we will have to set up our booth, teach two schoolhouse presentations, one featuring our book that releases June 4th, Tis the Autumn Season and one that features our fabric that is shipping out to stores now!!
We will also have parties and get togethers and sample spree, and dinners, and maybe more shopping. We will have three days working the show, walking the show floor, meeting and greeting, book signings, and seeing familiar faces!

I promise to take pictures for you and blog when we return!
Until then....happy quilting!!
xox
S