Today was sewing day at Bunny Hill with my grand-daughter Alyssa. She’s in kindergarten, but if you ask her she’ll tell you she’s almost in first grade. She’s at the perfect age to learn to sew. Once she started she didn’t want to stop! We made three little projects, all on my “big” machine. I put the foot pedal on a little stool so she could reach it and that was all it took. I kept hearing the words “I love sewing!”. This machine has so many extras that it’s actually easier for her to sew on than my little featherweight. I can set the speed to slow, have the foot raise when she stops sewing, and then of course there’s the thread cutter. What child wouldn’t like to push a button and watch the thread cut itself?

Since home economics is no longer an option in school , it’s up to us to teach our children. If we don’t take the time, it will become a lost craft. I spent four years in college with the intention of becoming a home economics teacher. Now at least I can teach my grandchildren!

Look who else spent the day with us in the Bunny Hill studio! She arrived just before I left for market and has been waiting for her debut! She’s my very own Rachael Rabbit, hand knit by Rachael at http://rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com/. I fell in love with Rachael’s bunnies and you can buy one too from her Etsy shop. She’ll make it especially for you!

I found her eyeing my ribbons this morning!

Who can resist a sweet little face like this?
Thank you Rachael! Your adorable little bunny has a really good home.

I’ve added some blogs to my list that you HAVE to visit. They are Australian designers with so much talent it’s absolutely amazing!

Natalie at http://cinderberrystitches.typepad.com/cinderberrystitches/ . This link comes with a warning: you could be on her blog forever.

Then hop on over to visit Lynette at http://www.lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/. I met her at market and wished I could have spent more time chatting. Her designs are wonderful and so is she!

And finally there’s Leanne at http://www.leanneshouse.typepad.com/. Just click on the link and you’ll see what I mean. Talented, NICE, talented and did I say NICE? Wow what a wonderful combination!

Hope you have fun blog hopping! Maybe we should plan a trip to visit them! Can we all fit on one airplane? LOL!

I’ve been catching up on paperwork. That awful, awful paperwork that goes along with a business. It’s just not fun. It’s not creative, thought provoking, nor do I get any pleasure from it. If you hate balancing your checkbook you’ll understand. Just take the checkbook that you hate, multiply it times 3 and you have what I’ve been doing.

Finally today the sun came out! I actually got out my sketch book and pencil. I started jotting down ideas for patterns. I love doing this. It’s kind of like brainstorming, but I’m doing it by myself. What will I work on for next market? It’s a combination of ideas and fabrics. Sometimes I have the idea but not the right fabric, so the idea has to wait. And then there’s fabric that fills my head with ideas as soon as I see it. I love how that works! It’s what makes this process so endless and so much fun!

And then there’s the little treats that arrive in the mail , quite unexpectedly, and bring with them inspiration galore. Nanette at http://fredashive.blogspot.com/ sent me the cutest little vintage towel I’ve ever seen! When I opened the package I fell in love instantly! Little does she know, it has so inspired me! It’s a quilt waiting to happen and it’s all starting with this little towel. It’s a process that I’m going to share with you gradually as I work on it, and by the time I’m done maybe you’ll be inspired too! Thank you Nanette, from the bottom of my heart! Hugs to you and your sister in law! (:

I’m off to pick the fabrics!

Quilt market = work. When you arrive you are greeted with a few drapes and poles. That’s it. For everything else you’re on your own. A scary thought when you actually look around. Stacks of boxes, suitcases, and props are all you see! Did everything make it? Did we forget to bring something? Then you realize you’re really not alone. Everyone else is in exactly the same situation. The goal is to take your own area and make it unique. We all have a blank canvas!

The end result is a huge room filled to the brim with creative ideas, exciting new things, and sensory overload!

Moda has a new line of fabric coming in September called “Heritage”. It’s a reproduction of beautiful prints taken from a vintage quilt in shades of taupe, blue and brown. In the picture above, you can see the new quilt right next to the vintage quilt. All the proceeds from this collection will be donated to charity!

Market would not be complete without a bit of the Bernina Fashion show. Be sure and enlarge this photo so you can see the trims and buttons. Do you think they have an embellishment kit available? I took this photo because I knew it was so me, I mean so you!

Bitty Kitty sat quietly on display, inside her glass house, until she saw me walk over and take a photo of the quilt below. She had a jealous tizzy! There’s another cat in the house! Poor Bitty!

The cat in this quilt captured my heart. This quilt is so creative and amazing I had to share it with you. I took a close up of the sign so you could read the story behind this quilt. It’s from the Netherlands. Thank you Heidi for sharing your creative imagination and talents.

And so, my ode to spring market comes to a close. So many memories, good friends, and wonderful customers I will never forget.

And at the end of it all, it looks almost like the beginning!

Good bye Spring Market and hello Fall! (:

My favorite time at Quilt Market is an hour before it opens to the public. It’s the time I can get out of my booth, walk around and see what everyone else has done. The booth displays, the designers and the creative ideas are so inspiring. It’s fun to meet old friends and just see everything there is! This post is my “ode to Quilt Market”, part one, in photos. (:

Beautiful Portland and the back of the convention center. See those trucks? (Enlarge the picture and get your magnifying glass out!) That’s the loading dock. When I first started designing I never thought it would include working from a loading dock! Who knew?

The Lecien booth featured their fabric designer and quilt designer Yoko Saito from Japan. Her quilts are a work of art, and Lecien actually sold several of her patterns at their booth. From what I understand they lasted about a minute before they were all gone.

Just look at this beauty. Yoko has two different fabrics as her background and where they join she has appliqued bias stems.

A close up of Yoko’s quilt showing the quilting. This photo you HAVE to enlarge. It’s hand quilted and absolutely amazing! How I wish I could have met her, but I understand she not only designs fabric and patterns, she also owns a quilt store in Japan.

Moda Home always has a wonderful display showing all their new items. I really wanted to take home that little framed house you see in the background. It could have become the Bunny Hill Annex!

Here’s the main Moda booth showing the little cubes filled with bird houses and birds. Birds are quite the theme this year. Who knew? I’ve got to get with the program! As for the quilt? It’s from Sandy Klop at American Jane!

Close up of the birds. The houses are covered in fabric!

Laurie Simpson and Polly Minick, two sisters who design for Moda Fabrics. I LOVE their fabric and I used their “Winter” line in “I Believe In Angels”. After I got home a note arrived from them thanking me for choosing their fabric! How sweet is that?

Anna Maria Horner and her now famous chairs! She’s as sweet as she looks. You can read all about these famous chairs on her blog at http://www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com/ . Thanks Anna for letting me take your picture!

The beautiful Amy Butler and her simply gorgeous booth. It’s a work of art to see. I embarrassed myself when I got her mixed up with Heather Bailey. I know, I know, how could I? But,they are both tall, beautiful and talented. Amy was very gracious and pointed out to me that she didn’t have a blog. So I took this picture and moved on with a red face. (:

These two I could never get mixed up. This is the famous Karen I am always hearing about http://yellowfarmhouse.typepad.com/ from “my” friend Anne. I really have to watch “my” Anne because she LOVES Karen’s blog, house, decorating style, quilt style, writing style, Christmas decorations and well, you get the picture right? She LOVES everything about her. Anne doesn’t realize it, but I know why. They are two peas in a pod! Anne is just like Karen. Now if the other Anne only had a blog!

Stay tuned because my next post is “Ode to Quilt Market” part two. A few more pictures and the final post in a series. Then I HAVE to show you the treats I got in the mail…I’m so lucky!

Hugs,

Anne