Getting ready for market...

I have been really busy this last week tying up loose ends before I leave for Quilt Market in Portland, OR, on Wednesday. Normally both Linda and I go to market but this year Linda is going to her niece's graduation. Luckily, Linda was able to help with a lot of the preparation for market - she'll just miss out on the visiting. She really enjoys that part of market so I'll have to visit for the both of us!

So, how do we prepare for market? This time we have a new collection of fabric coming out with P&B called Elanor's Picnic. It is way cute and includes our first ever cheater cloth prints. Linda has heard that some are now calling them "convenience prints" which does sound pretty good. Quilt shops can order the fabric at market, but it isn't going to ship until August. We all have to be patient until then. I'll be teaching a short Take & Teach class using the fabric at market.

We are also introducing Aunt Millie's Garden, our new block of the month published by C&T. Many of you may already have it but, if not, it's lovely! I'll be talking to the shop owners at market about good ways to offer blocks of the month in their shops. 

Linda made the red Aunt Millie quilt that is pictured on the pattern. (FYI - we don't usually work together on our quilts. We each make our own. That way we know who gets to keep which quilts!) I have added Aunt Millie to my teaching repertoire and since I won't have Linda's quilt with me on the road, I'm working on a 4-block version of it using some of our new fabric! I hope I have this one finished before I need to teach it! I'm using white backgrounds - haven't done that in years!

We have been working with Superior Threads on bobbin sets of their Masterpiece, 100% cotton thread, in luscious colors. There are 3 sets of 12 bobbins and they are called Frostings! We'll get them on the site when we have them in hand. 

I have one more day to get ready... tomorrow will be a day spent on the computer. I'm mostly packed. I'm looking forward to seeing friends I only see once or twice a year!

And, last but not least, the kids were over for dinner earlier this week. I took a movie of my grandson, Jack. He's gets more interesting every day! It's not going to be long before he actually makes forward progress. I'll have to do a little more baby proofing!

from Thunder Bay, MI...

I'm just returning from teaching at a quilters retreat in Thunder Bay, MI. It was held at the Thunder Bay Golf and RV Resort just outside of Alpena, MI. This event is similar to a guild retreat. You can sew as late as you like on whatever project you want to. But here they also bring in a nationally known teacher to teach a class or two. There's golf which is nice if your spouse or a friend wanted to come along and not quilt.

I've never been to this part of the country before so I learned a lot about it. Did you know that the upper part of Michigan is referred to as "UP" (not the word "up" but U-P, the two letters). That's easier than saying "upper peninsula" all the time. 

There is still snow on the ground in the UP! I didn't see it, but I believe that it's true because it was practically cold at Thunder Bay in the mornings. I'll be flying home to hotter weather so it felt nice to me.

The Thunder Bay Resort is known for their elk viewing sleigh/carriage rides that include a gourmet dinner. I went with several of the women in my class last night. We rode out in horse-drawn carriages (when there is snow on the ground, runners are exchanged for the wheels on the carriages). This is the carriage that was behind the one I was in. 

We did, in fact, see elk! They are there in the photo, hidden in the trees. I learned a lot about elk last night. More than I can write about here. Suffice it to say that if you want to know what I know, you should go on the carriage ride.

Dinner was lovely. Cooked on wood stoves in a modernized cabin in the woods by Jan. She and her husband, Jack, are the developers and owners of the resort - and of a herd of elk! They are rightfully proud of what they have built. This retreat is a fun event and worth considering if you like to quilt and travel.