Thursday, November 3, 2011

V and Co: at fall quilt market

the pre-version of my book that is due out january 2012
first off HELLO NOVEMBER! you are my favorite month. with thanksgiving (fav holiday) and my birthday, what's not to love? so happy october is over. eh. ;)
soooooo. quilt market. yes.
it went well. schoolhouse was good. i said "foots" when i meant to say "feet" and then i said "fut" when i meant to say "foot" i blanked out on the word "projects" couldn't for the life of me think of that word...and i think i said "um" a lot...
all in all: i would do it again. i think with a little bit (a ton of) practice, i could do that kind of thing and over time it would become a little easier.
 i also got to do a demo where i demonstrated a project from the book, and i realized something... i LOVE talking and demonstrating techniques i use. yeah, i really felt in my element (and really felt relaxed) when i got to talk a group of people how to actually create the projects featured.
mental note: see if i can find places that want me to teach such techniques. :)
 i got to talk about ruffles, gathers, pleats and twists. have i mentioned lately how much i really like to add that little bit of "personality" to projects with some kind of texture. yeah, i do. and as much as i try to focus on other things...i always come back in some way or other in the following project with "texture". yup i like it. :)

okay so a little about the OTHER things happening at market.
before schoolhouse i was wound up like a top ready to go. pretty sure i wanted to just put my head between my legs and go to my happy place. but see that's how i am i work myself up and then when the event happens, "swoosh". all is good
after schoolhouse, i was all kinds of more relaxed throwing jokes all around walking with my swagger (aka my feet are freaking killing me) and winking pointing and saying "how you doin?'" (in my best joey impression) to anyone that said hi to me. well okay maybe not that suave...but really i had a wonderful time meeting so many of you!
 also a few years ago i got to go to my first quilt market. and i got to room with this lady. yeah dana and i got to meet up again this time for dinner and we talked about kids, and projects, and family life. it's so nice to know that outside of blogging/sewing/projects, she and i would probably still be friends and do other things together as well.
 and we also were able to go to the 2.0 party where i got to talk a little to (and snap a pic with) the uber talented kate spain. this picture was suppose to be just of kate with a sign saying "hi chadley" for my sis in law who LOVES kate, and kate loves my sis in law too. but because i didn't plan it and didn't get the sign made up, i got in the pic with kate and we were thinking "hi chadley!" :)
 on the floor i got to joke around with aneela hoey that one of my highlights of the day was when sandy klop excitedly said to me "OH HI ANEELA! oops wait you aren't her. haha!" apparently i look like the pale version of aneela, and honestly that is fine by me.
i also got to joke around with joanna of figtree and co, malka durawsky, kate spain, lu summers (who made me take a few pictures just to make sure she looked awesome in it :P plus she kept saying the funnest things in her british accent like "dont make me look like a cabbage." good times.), the long thread's ellen baker, and aneela. all so nice, and kind of funny. just how i like em. :)

 and of course i am always in love with sweetwater and their approach to quilting, i love them. they know this. and they are always kind to me and are always willing to chat and shoot the breeze whenever i come and say "hey can i take a picture of your awesomeness?"
 now i don't know if you had heard the buzz that mr amy butler was going to debut his line this fall market parson gray but i had heard about it a few weeks prior and checked it out, and i have to say i was impressed. i like the look he has going, i think they are great looking and ahem he wasn't so hard on the eyes either when i snapped the picture. he actually tried to get out of the way when i asked if i could take the picture and i all but said "oh you silly, silly, kind of cute man, stay in the picture pretty sure the v and co female readers would like for me to keep you in the picture!" but really all i said was "oh no, you can stay in it as well."
right next to him was amy butler's new line "lark". and no no accosting amy this year...i've grown up and all i do is act all official and snap pictures.
 i just loved this elephant. i didn't even pay attention to who's booth it was or if it was a designer...i was swooned and taken by the elephant. if anyone knows who this is...let me know and i'll link it back but till then. isn't that like the coolest elephant? that took some time and talent.  and if i could figure a way to stuff it in my shirt i would of walked away with it...but it was kind of large and i think people would of caught on.
 now this next couple of pictures i just had to share. with my love of texture, you know at some point i'm going to have to embark on a yo-yo quilt. they are kind of cool and i've seen them before. but nothing like this one.
 this was at the retro clean booth, they had a display of vintage quilts this on being one of them...but seriously have you ever seen a yo- yo- quilt with yo-yo's that small. i was in awe. and even more in awe when the man told me that his two aunts made it in the 30's yeah pretty cool in my book.
speaking of books:

looky which book i got (and signed!) i'm so excited. many of you remember my quest to find the perfect gray dress, well here's my chance to make a pretty cute one.

one of my favorite thing in this book aside from that dress on the left, is the step by step picture instructions and the beautiful pictures in this book.
yeah i think i may just embark on a sewing journey. :)
well as always i didn't take a lot of pictures. i always think i do, and then the lighting sucks and a lot of them turn out blurry and well my forget-to-take-a-picture-of-that-fulness happens as well.
but i know there are a bunch of others writing about it...so my lack of pictures isn't such an end of the world thing.
okay my mom is coming in two days. off to prepare...and i promise to show you my new fall wreath and how i made it like soon. :) yeah we've heard that before.
we'll talk soon.

22 comments:

Kim said...

The elephant is Valori Wells new line....can't think of the name but I know that is hers. : )

Merran said...

I know, what is it about those designer types and their yummy hubbies, did you see A-M Horners'? *sigh*

sonia said...

Congrats! I knew you would do it! I love your recap, and your photos, thanks for sharing your funny stories!

trish said...

What a fun time you had! :o)
Wish I could have been there!
Can't wait to see your new wreath.
Have a super time with your mom!!
Sincerely, Trish

lu summers said...

great post vanessa, it was great to meet you too!
valori's new line is called 'karavan'...
did i really say 'don't make me look like a cabbage'? i was obviously delirious...

Wag Doll said...

OOh looks like you had a great time, and well done for teaching a demonstration, my hands turn into a bunch of sausages when I have to do a public demo lol! x

Heather at Happy Chippy Junk said...

What a charming life you lead...and It's my birthday TODAY!! We are November sisters!!

AmberLou said...

Sooo excited for your book!
I made a crib sized quilt using your pinwheels doll quilt, you can see it at http://thepaisleycupcake.blogspot.com/2011/11/baby-girls-quilt.html
can't wait to see what is next!

bethanndodd said...

Sounds like a success...yay for you! Love all the pics...thanks for sharing! (especially that one of Mr. Amy Butler, yum!!)

Lindsay Conner said...

Lovely photos--and your Parson Gray story made me laugh!

Jessica E said...

I am so jealous reading all these Market posts! You seem like such a fun girl, wish I could have come and taken a class or two! Can't wait to check out the book.

Kaylee said...

The Valori Wells line is called Karavan. I'm glad I'm not the only person who called him "Mr. Amy Butler." My mom laughed at me every time I said it. I saw you and Dana in the hall right before Sample Spree, but didn't come say hi... love your blog, though!

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

Love the recap- makes me feel like I was almost there- Glad the schoolhouse went great- never thought otherwise. Bet those lovely shoes helped!
:)
PS: Love the elephant too.

Jenn said...

I really quite enjoy reading your posts! You make me laugh and laugh. Sounds like you had a great time. I'm jealous.

Dresden Lane said...

Hey Vanessa,
I was one of those girls who you were talking about - we said hi just as we were going up to the schoolhouse. Don't worry - we weren't offended. You two were the first famous people we spotted and it was fun!

alidiza said...

Vanessa,

You are too funny and sweet to worry about Laurie & I!!! We're just glad you didn't think we were crazy stalkers and run off to alert security. I'm your #1 fan; ) Sorry we never really got to connect but hopefully we'll cross paths again.

V and Co. said...

YES!!!!! i never once thought you were crazy, i was very much in my pre-schoolhouse crazy want to throw up mode, so i was a little sorry when all i said was "oh thanks." :) next time lets talk a little more! ;)

Thimbleanna said...

You're hysterical! I'm glad you survived the encounter with the Hot Mr. Amy Butler -- fainting would have been embarrassing. It was wonderful to see you again. And guess what? I was sent on a food run just at you were doing your demo -- blurry cell phone photo coming soon LOL!

Lydia said...

I don't sew, but you seriously make me want to.

V and Co. said...

thimbleanna! you better send me that picture! and yes he was a little bit on the cute side. my husband even agreed. ha!

charlotte said...

congrats on your schoolhouse. Maybe you've found an new career...teacher! It looks like so much fun and it's nice to hear how funny and...well, normal all these people are whose blogs we read every day.

Lisa Sipes said...

Your schoolhouse was great. We didn't care so much when you said "foots". You should've heard how many people in your audience commented on how cute you were. I *cannot* wait until January! I think I'll teach a few classes from this book!

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