International Quilt Festival Spring 2011

Fifty women...

a large bus...

going to one of the best attended quilt shows in the U.S..

As you know, any trip will have to involve stops for food...

and bibs:

 Ribs were one of the main menu choices,

and finger-licking good as I can attest.

When we arrived at the Show for the preview night,

the doors had already opened,

but we still got to be

corralled back and forth and back and forth,

just to make sure we were going to get in enough walking!

Here are a few of the gals from our bus group

coming around the corner under the Welcome Sign:

some of them already had on their "trip t-shirts"...

the blue ones with

"Because I said SEW"

across the front.

I visited with some old friends,

people that I keep running into ONLY at quilt shows.

 

I spent my moolah at some of my favorite booths...

 (not in any particular order)

Primitive Gatherings always has great kits - I couldn't resist!:

Lisa and Nick (aka Elvis) were both greeting & helping customers.

 Threads That Bind...

This is one of their new patterns...Alphabet Stew:

Then I ran around the corner to Country Threads...

these gals are sooo nice!

They also have great kits and packs and patterns:

I went back a couple of times to hit the Mary Flanagan Woolens booth,

and later in the evening I finally was able to get in and say hi to Mary.

She also does a GREAT job...

the booth looked great, the hand-dyed wools are to drool over (which I did),

and she was still smiling and happy to help me find (after a very long day)

some bittersweet colors for a project I'm dreaming up. 

Thanks Mary!

I bought a book of new-to-me patterns:

But it is Glenda's/Liberty Homestead's 25th Anniversary,

so don't know how I missed her all of these years, as I L-O-V-E her stuff!!! 

It was so very nice to meet Glenda, talk with her and see her booth of great stuff

(& I can see a road trip in my future!).

And, finally, here's a pic of me with my new BFF

Lori Smith of "from my heart to your hands":

(yes, i took this pic with my arm extended and neither of us has "the double chin thing" going on)-yay!

(P.S. to Colleen:  Lori SAID she & I are BFF's!)

(P.P.S to Lori:  Promise, I'm not a stalker!)

Lori ALWAYS has a bunch of new stuff 

& I want to stitch it ALL, RIGHT NOW.

Which, of course, is impossible.

But I did get just one of her new patterns:

This is  Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler...

all 5 inch finished blocks, half pieced, half applique.

I am really restraining myself not to start this one right away!

Enough for now, so

Later, Gators...

quilt show pics tomorrow!