Vending at Blue Springs, MO

Last weekend I had the pleasure of vending at the Blue Springs, MO Quilt Show!  It was a great show and they really treated the vendors like royalty.  I will definitely be going back next year.  I thought I would share some pictures from the show.  We all like eye candy!

First, here is a picture of my booth.  I made a huge muslin hanger to pin my quilts to which hung at the back of the booth.  This was the first time I used it so I thought I would takes a few pictures to see what it "really" looked like and next time I would revise how I hang them.  I would sure welcome your comments and suggestions about how I can improve the look of my booth.  It looks cluttered to me.

I put my patterns out front and my EQ products along the side.  The easel out front really worked to sell alot of that pattern!  I also had my projector set up and could demo EQ7 for anyonw who wanted to see it.  That was nice but didn't result in many sales.  But a lot of people took my business card so perhaps there will be future business out of it.

There were some absolutely fabulous mini quilts at this show.  Some were in their silent auction and others were on display.  Here are a few of my favorites.  Kathy Fisher, the quilt show chair, was also the creator of several of these spectacular gems.

And then the BIG suprise, hanging in the show was a quilt made from ONE OF MY PATTERNS!  How fun is that?  I absolutely love to see my quilt patterns made up by someone else.  Each quilter puts her own creative stamp on it and the subtle difference in fabric, style, and technique always make me excited.  This one was all HAND APPLIQUED. . .can you believe it?  LOL  My quilts are all machine appliqlued with fusible web and blanket stitch.  I like the look of both, but this one by Kathy Fisher really looks incredible!

She didn't use the pink and turqoise borders, binding and piping I used.  Here border and binding are lavendar.  And her vine is thinner and a darker green.  But her flowers blow mine out of the water!  I just love to see my designs in the hands of a master.  The small picture is a corner of my quilt.  The big pictures is Kathy's.

And since my company is Morning Glory Designs,  I had to take some pictures of this quilt with Morning Glories weaving all over it.  I think this is the one that won the viewer's choice at the show.  It certainly deserves it!

The other mad impulsive thing I did at this quilt show was buy a new Bernina 440QE.  I have lusted after that Bernina Stitch Regulator for so long that I was starting to drool.  LOL  I am scheduled to take my first  class on the new machine next Friday and am really looking forward to learning all the cool things this machine will do.

Finally, take a look at my tutorial page.  I put up a new EQ tutorial that I am experimenting with.  It has a few still pictures and two videos.  I am playing around with JING (thanks to Jennifer!!) and the first vids don't have any sound.  I am going to remake them this weekend with sound, and hopefully figure out how to embed the vids in the blog so you don't have to go away to view them.  So much to learn.  But give them a look and let me know what you think.

More on my first meeting of our new EQ Club in my next post.

Tulip Tiles Free BOM-- Block 10 Posted. . . And the winner is. . .

Hey, I am getting better at getting the Block of the Month block posted on time.  I am only 1 day late this month.  That could be a record for me!  Hahaha 

Anyway, mosey on over to the BOM page and download the FREE instructions for Block 10.  This is the corner blocks for the pieced border, so you will be able to put on the remaining borders you made last month. 

Only two months left in this BOM -- can you believe it??  This year has gone so fast.  I am working on ideas for next year already, and am thinking I will return to an all pieced quilt rather than the combination pieced and applique quilt I did this year.  What do you think?

Please let me know what you would like to see for next year's free BOM:
    __1___ Pieced - no applique
    __2___ Pieced with some Applique
    __3___ Pieced with LOTS of Applique

And then what style should we work on:
    __A___ Traditional Setting (like Midnight Posies)
    __B___ Medallion setting (like Tulip Tiles)
    __C___ Row by Row

Please go VOTE by leaving a comment.  I will draw one voter at random to receive a FREE Morning Glory Design Pattern of your choice!!!  Whoooo Hooooo

Now. . . the Winner of the Free EQ Stash Program is. . . . .

Rebecca Fiedler!

Congratulations Rebecca.  Send me your snail mail address by email and I will get your free copy of STASH in the mail to you right away.  Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions.  I really appreciate your ideas and suggestions.  I am going to start working on EQ7 lessons to share on my blog this week.  Watch for the first one in a few days.

Working on an Idea for Teaching EQ7 online -- And a Give Away!

I have had a number of suggestions from readers and students who would like more instruction on EQ7.  I think this is a great idea, and am working on a way to do this in a live, interactive format.  In the mean time I am going to start working on a tutorial for my website.  I thought I would cover some of the basics and then take "requests" for tutorials which address specific skills. 

I am starting up and EQ7 Club at my LQS which meets monthly to work on a new skill or project each month.  What would you think about me sharing that lesson here on my blog as well?  I am so loving EQ7 and all the new tools that are available in it, that I want to share that with all my readers as well as the great folks who have purchased the program from me.  Should I put them up for free or charge for the lesson?  Hmmmm, I could sure use some input. 

Hey I have an idea!!!!!  Leave a comment letting me know what it is about EQ7 you would like to learn and how you think I ought to set up lessons.  I will select a comment at random and give away a free STASH program to some lucky EQ owner who takes the time to offer suggestions or ideas.

On another note, I recently found out I have a block accepted for publication in the upcoming

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Vol. 2!!!

Now that has me totally jazzed and my blog will be included on the BLOG TOUR which will be organized around the publiclation of this issue in early November.  I will be having a Give Away for several free issues of the newest version which will inclue my block and all 99 others as well!!  LOL

I can't wait to see which ones they chose of all the hundreds of blocks submitted.  I sent in two blocks and don't know which one they picked.  So it will be a suprise for me as well! 

In addition to the magazine give-away there will be other prizes including Free Patterns and Free FQ bundles.  What could be better than that???  More details to come.

Oh, and one more piece of good news!  I just got my first quilt pattern published in a magazine. 

Check out Quilters World October 2010 issue and look on page 36.  Here is what you will see:

It is called Spinning Sunflowers and the pattern is published in the current issue.  I am pretty much beside myself seeing my first magazine pattern in print.  Go out and buy the current issue and tell everyone you know.  Better yet, make the quilt!!  The first person to send me a picture of your completed project  will receive a Morning Glory Designs Pattern of your choice!

Holy smokes, I am giving so much stuff away this time that I can't stand it.  I better sit down!  Thanks for sharing my joy with me today while I do my little happy dance.