Houston Quilt Festival - Day Two

Good morning.  As I step out of bed, I gingerly put my feet down.  Do they hurt as much as they did last night?  Nope.  Yay.  I am good to go.  It's time to get dressed and go to breakfast.  Val calls just as we are heading up and meets up with us for a wonderful visit.  It's always so good to be with her.

Okay, after breakfast it's time to get started again.  I have a plan.  Let me say that a bit louder.  I HAVE A PLAN.  I am going to go and finish the vendor area (and start that by redoing the last two aisles I did yesterday as I think I was a walking zombie by then) AND start on the quilts.  The show opens at 10 and I am giving myself until 1 to get into the quilt area.  Can I do it?  I'm gonna give it the old college try.

Houston Quilt Festival - Day One

One year ago people were posting like crazy about the Houston International Quilt Festival and I didn't understand what the big deal was all about.  I  mentioned that I had never been and was looked at in amazement.  "If you want to call yourself a quilter, you must go at least once."  I was told this multiple times.  So, being the obedient person that I am, I watched for the hotels to open up their rooms for the next years festival.  YES, I booked the room ONE YEAR in advance.  How crazy is that?  I have absolutely never booked a hotel room more than 3 months in advance.  This is as bad as the dang beach retreat.  I put out a post seeing if anyone wanted to go with me and Lydia answered with a resounding "ME."  Fast forward to today.

Round Robin Fun

Last year I became involved in a "Row Robin" and enjoyed myself so very much.  If you don't know what that is, please click on this Row Robin Journey Link.  It was a fantastic learning experience for me and if you have never participated in something like this, well do it at least once just to stretch yourself a bit.

This year the group is putting together a "Round Robin" and it is hitting at a time when I just don't have a moment to spare to build a center medallion.  The group is short a person so I ask if it would be okay to use a panel.  I get a resounding "yes" and quickly order the panel and get it in the mail to the first person on my list.  Now to see what they do with it.  I have asked that it simply stay wall  hanging size and to keep it sewing related so that I can use it behind my quilt frame in the studio.  Let the fun times begin.  My first one should be in the mail to me soon and it has to be out the door by the end of January.

Sondra's RR is the first to arrive and as I am off to Telluride, I run to the studio to pull fabrics from my batik bin that will match, pack it all up and away I go.  She has a beautiful Mariner's Star as her center and I adore the colors.  Now, please let the creativity come.

October Quilt Update

 Any links that you click in this post will open in a DIFFERENT window, allowing you to continue reading this without losing the page.

The previous 2016 monthly update links are located at the end of this entry.  I hope that you make it that far.

Goals:  I am no longer even attempting to comment on those that were not touched.  They'll just stay on the list until they are achieved, even though life jumps in front of them now and then.

Easy Street (ES) - quilted, bound -
Old Tobacco Road (OTR)  - Clues 4, 5 - 

Allietare (A) - Scalloped and bound -  YES
Roll Roll Cotton Boll - quilted and bound -  
Chasing the Sun (CTS)  - scrappy quilted and bound -  YES
Mad City Mama (MCM) - set, label/backing/binding made, quilted, bound - Set, Label, Backing, Binding Made
Razzle Dazzle (RD) - quilted and bound

1st -  I am starting out the month RIGHT!  I have another day of class at Fabric Fanatics where Eileen Urbanek is the teacher.  Please check out this  LINK to read all about our fun.

When I get home, I discover that Mister has been working on day on some foot pedal helpers (he calls them DPH's - which cracks me up.  Doug's Pedal Helpers but they are also his initals and the logo for his photography) for friends that have requested them.  He's such a good man.

A Day With the Girls

Happy Halloween!  The sun is not quite up and I am on my way for a day with gal pals.  As I take Mister to work, the sunrise is just beginning.  It even has a Halloween feel to it.

En Provence - Introduction and Colors - YUM - Bonnie Hunter - Mystery Quilt

Hey there.  I am just back from a trip to Utah and while there, Bonnie released the colors and yardages for this year's mystery.  It is based on her trip to France and is called En Provence.  I LOVE the colors and am super excited for this one.  I have been saying for quite awhile now that I want a quilt in purples and green.  The yellow and magenta are a bonus.

So, the first thing I had to do today was make a quick trip to Lowe's for the paint cards.  That meant a little shopping as well so three new violets came home with me.  That seemed appropriate since the colors matched and lavender just isn't in season here.

As soon as I get home, it's straight to the studio to see what I can come up with.  My first pull is pretty successful and although I may need a few more dark purples, the only real empty spot I have is the magenta.  I am off to Houston Quilt Festival this week and well --- dang it's as good a reason to shop as any I can think of.  I'm not pulling neutrals until much later and the same stands for getting into the strip buckets.  Once I know the sizes we are using, I will hit them up.  There are a LOT of strips already cut.  Isn't it wonderful to have a stash?  I LOVE mine.  (Psst - since I'd been remiss at putting away things from Chasing the Sun, The purples and yellows were easy pulls -- hahahaha)

Oh guess what?  I remembered that there is a bag of scraps that need to be tamed so within minutes I have created a wonderful mess but also have an entire gallon ziploc bag of scraps to use for this mystery.  Woot, woot.  More stuff cleaned up.  The rest of it?  Well, back into the bag it will go.

I'll check back in on this post to update the fabric I pick up in Houston and any others I find hidden around the house.

UPDATE!!!  While in Houston at the International Quilt Festival, I found the magenta I need for this, a few more fat quarters and everything for the back and binding.  I am simply over the moon excited and may even try and get this backing put together before the mystery even begins.  Yes, my friends, THAT is excitement.  Isn't this all just oh so lovely?  I am going with the "lavender fields" theme for the back.  Happy, happy, joy, joy.  (Yes, keep reading.  I threw this update in before the end.)

Remember that you can always find my posts regarding this by clicking the tab at the top of the blog and it will lead you to the summary page.

Are you as excited as I am?  Black Friday here we come.  If you wish to play along, please click on THIS LINK which will take you to Bonnie's page for more information.

En Provence Summary

Bonnie Hunter's Winter Mystery has started once again and I am gathering all of my En Provence posts and placing them here so that you can link up and find what you want easily.  They will each open in a new page, leaving you access to this post.  You can always easily find this post by clicking on the tab at the top of the blog.  Please become a follower and you will always know when the new post is up.  Welcome to you all and comments are ALWAYS appreciated.

If you wish to play along with us, PLEASE click on THIS LINK to get directly to the Quiltville site and all of the information.  It'll be fun, I promise.

Post 1:  Introduction and Colors - YUM
Post 2:  Clue 1 - Four-patches
Post 3:  Clue 2 - Triangle in a Square
Post 4:  Clue 3 - A Four-patch Repeat
Post 5:  Clue 4 - More Triangle in a Squares
Post 6:  Clue 5 - Half Square Triangles
Post 7:  Clue 6 - Hourglass Units
Post 8:  Clue 7 - More units and The Grand Finale