Houston Festival - Days Two and Three

Good Morning Houston!  I am awake before everyone else and sneak out to the hallway to make a phone call and reservations for breakfast.  We all agreed to meet downstairs at the restaurant at 8:30 and for some reason, only now is the reservation idea setting in.  Perhaps the wait last night prompted this idea and perhaps my brain just managed to crawl out of the fog of "fabric overload" I have been in since arriving.  Who knows which one but at least it's done.  Now what?  The rest of the room is still asleep so I hook up to wifi and start watching an episode of Gilmore Girls.  About 15 minutes in, Sherri peeks her head out the door and looks at me with a most confused look.  The story that accompanies the look is divine but one of those --- what happens . . . stays . . . type.  Needless to say, lots of giggles and then we just sat in the hall on the floor talking -- which for some reason was disconcerting to those who walked by -- to the point that some were concerned about our comfort or if we were locked out of our room.  Silly people --

Once the room is awake, back in we go to gear up for the day and now -- it's breakfast time.  We are given a cute little private room in the restaurant and that is awesome.  Great conversation, new friends, and full tummies make it all a success.  Onto the show -- we are armed and ready.

I spent most of the day yesterday on a hunt for some fabric to use in the craft for this years Cookie/Ornament exchange party.  Finally, I settle on a couple of wool pieces as there are NO booths containing homespuns this year.  It'll work.

Sherri finds some nonstick needles in a shop and proceeds to tell me about them.  WTW??  Why have I not known about these before.  A package goes into my bag as well.

And a hat!!!  Stopping in a shop, I spot this  hat on top of a rack and figure it will be crazy expensive, but what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature price tag and a few tiny numbers.  I snap it up so fast and pop it onto my head.  We are ready to go again and I have the added bonus of being easy to find in the array of heads one sees all around.

This cute little booth stops me in my tracks.  Oh how wonderful.  It is Java House Quilts from Carlsbad, CA and there are several items that make me smile.  From the toilet paper quilt, which is worth standing in the booth for awhile all by itself to the turtles running amok.  Hearing the comments from others as they spot the toilet paper quilt just cracks me up --- it's a great controversial quilt as some are VERY opinionated on the correct way to load a roll of toilet tissue.  I love that the quilt has it going both ways and even an empty roll.  There is even a little table runner in the same pattern.

As for the turtles, well a couple of patterns come home with me.  I can either make these for myself or we can use the patterns as a retreat project.  At any rate, I love them so much.

Jelly Roll Rugs are all the rage this year and I must purchase one trendy item to sit on my shelf and not be made each year.  It's tradition.  Therefore, this year I have bought the pattern and foam to make the rug and all I need is to pull a jelly roll from stash.  Will that happen?  Perhaps if we do it as a group.

For the last couple of years, the mister bottles have been a big hit among everyone attending and several at retreat have asked about them.  I finally find the booth with the largest selection and pick up nine of them to take back home for those who wish to have one.  The booth is Cheryl Ann's Design Walls from Keno, OR BUT I was informed that the name has changed to Off The Wall Quilts so if you go looking for these bottles, try that site instead.  What a fun selection  and these nine go home with me along with a portable fan as a thank you gift.  I plan on keeping two for myself, one will be gifted to my daughter, and the remaining six will go to retreat next weekend and hopefully sold.

Val has a break between classes right now so I meet up with her to look at quilts for a bit.  Along the way, I pass a GIANT sewing machine.  WOW.  You can follow along with us in THIS LINK which will take you to some of the quilts we saw and let you feast your eyes on some beautiful work.  Also, always remember that links in my posts open in a new window so you don't lose your place here.  After a couple of hours, I find myself alone and decide to head back to the room for a bit of a rest and to charge my phone.  All the pictures just sucked the life out of it.  We have arranged for an late lunch/early dinner downstairs and have reservations at 4.  Perfect.  Debi has joined our merry band today and makes dinner with the gang along with Brenda.  I love that we have people come and go all the time.  It makes it feel like a constant reunion going on and everyone is always invited to the gatherings.  This afternoon's restaurant choice is Pappasito's.  Mexican sounds so yummy and I wanted a sangria desperately.  It is just so good here.  Look at all those happy smiles.  We are having such a great time.

After our early dinner, the show is still open for a few hours and everyone is kind of doing their own thing.  I am heading back to quilts in the hopes of making it through most of the show.  For the balance of what is see -- click on THIS LINK and it takes you to an entirely different post than the one before.  There was just too much for one post alone.

A restroom break takes me upstairs and I am treated to a beautiful hanging sculpture.  How gorgeous is this?  The lights change constantly so the look changes as well.

I have finished most of the show by the time it closes down. Whew.  Tomorrow will just be a chance to grab what I've been "thinking" on and our group picture.  However, tonight is our pajama "show and share" party in the room.  Waiting for Val to finish her class, gives us a chance to shower, rest, and do some pre-packing.   Let the sharing begin.

You can tell that it is taking place in Paula's room, hahahaha.  She is quite comfy.  So many fun things were found and are going home in our cars.  Well, for most of us anyway -- some are having stuff shipped.  Yep, we are serious shoppers down here.  It's a great time and fun evening and we are all thoroughly beat by the time it comes to an end.  My eyes are so ready to close.  Tomorrow is another day and it includes a drive home.  (Keep reading -- this is days two and three)

Day 3 - Well hello there Houston!!  It's COLD out today.  So bizarre after our Thursday night where we sat and enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather while waiting for our dinner table to be available.

Once again, I am in the hall early, making breakfast reservations but everyone wanted an earlier time so that they could return to the room and get their luggage down to the concierge before the show opened.  Once again we have the little private room to ourselves.

It's Ms. Sherri's birthday so songs all around (I won't share too much about the first time we sang to her today, but suffice to say -- it was fun.)

We've had such a great time and everyone is just happy as can be.  Laughter has been the rule all weekend and so much has occurred that we are all kind of sad that it is coming to an end.  However, a sit down just now while waiting for the show to open provided an opportunity to discuss upcoming plans and we are stoked.  We will return to Houston next year to celebrate the festival's 45th anniversary but then will take a break from it to do a few other things.  Groups decisions rock and we can't wait to see where we go next.

The show opens and it's now a chance to grab those items we just weren't sure about.  I still haven't picked up my thread so while others are playing one last game of Jenga, I find an empty booth and snag it up.

Next, I watched Cynthia England's demo on her paper piecing method and have determined that I want the books and a small kit to give it a try.  If it works, I can see such potential in this method.  There is one picture in mind for sure that I want to tackle.

Backtracking to another booth that I liked, a wool kit is picked up and several patterns as well.  Again, these could turn out to be future retreat project.  Somehow I need to use up all the wool that I still have even after putting a ton on the swap table.

It's time to meet up for the group picture and while I am waiting for everyone, I spot this quilt displayed in a nearby booth.  I do so love the use of little panel blocks this way.

We are all together for our group shot!  What a fun crew we had and although others came and went, they are not here right now for this picture.  Next year, perhaps we can post the picture time and gather more from Our Quilt World.

Rocky did a show and share of really cool little hand dyes last night and I want to pick up a few of them so off we go to find the booth.  Along the way several others locate the items they have on their own last minute lists and I manage to get abut 20 little hand dyes.  Yum. 

While waiting for the group picture to be taken, I had spotted a purse that I really liked in a booth.  With Sherri in tow, I take her there to see what she thinks.  I am wavering but I really like it.  With some not so gentle nudges, she enables me and away I go.  It looks like I will be making a sage and beige cork handbag.  When???  Oh my heck, who knows -- but I do own all the required parts so perhaps one day I will just get a bee in my bonnet and give it a whirl.

Well, that's it.  It's time to check out and hit the road so that we are home before dark.  One last image will be left with you, but only those who were there the last day, will know what it means.  Now to book the rooms for next year and start planning our Sapphire fun.  We really need to do it up right.