Spring Market Portland OR 2018

It is one of my life's joys that I get to work at Spring Market, a trade show that is open to the trade, not the public. The Spring Market moves around the country, while Fall Market is always in Houston, the week before Festival. Last year Spring Market was in St. Louis, next year it will be in Kansas City.

Shop owners come from all over the world to meet with fabric companies, publishers, pattern designers, sewing machine companies and many more vendors who are all part of this $3.75 billion dollar industry. I enjoy seeing some of my favorite people at Market.

Here is just a taste of my trip to Market:

Set up day is chaotic on the show floor but it is always ready to open on time:

There is a lot of art in the Oregon Convention Center:

My very favorite is this Foucault Pendulum, the coolest non-quilt thing at the show. My university had one of these in the Science Building so it always takes me back to see this:

The Oregon Convention Center is a LEEDS certified building, meaning they have worked very hard to reuse and recycle things and reduce their carbon footprint. There are several large wall displays that explain how they do that. Here is a fun display:

The view of the convention center from a nice restaurant on the top of a nearby hotel. The restaurant is called Altabira. I recommend reservations:

At Schoolhouse vendors show what is new in 30 minute mini-classes. A quilt I participated in making was unveiled by StudioE, using Peppered Cottons, wonderful shot cottons that are a delight to work with. My block is in the lower right:

RJR always has a great wall that faces the wide walkways and many people take photos here:

Great fabrics are unveiled as they are now available for shops to order for future delivery:

Patrick Lose

Gypsy by Jessica VanDenburgh for Windham Fabrics

Gypsy

Road Trip by Allison Glass for Andover

Metropolis by MODA

Metropolis by MODA

An adorable pattern:

Occasionally we get a little time to get out of the building and explore. We hoped on the light rail and went to Saturday Market, where there are lots of arts and crafts things for sale, many food trucks with many different kinds of food, and lots of people. It was a sunny day and everyone was having a good time:

This guy stood completely still for long periods then would move unexpectedly:

 Kids always have fun:

All too soon we pack up and it's time to go home. Here is just a small portion of the Education Office crates being readied for return shipment to Houston. Each crate is numbered, inventoried, and sorted by which of 3 locations they will be shipped to, then palletized and headed out for shipment. It takes a good bit of time to do this right but we've got it down to a science now. After 20 years I am still impressed with the way this all works:

The carpet in the Doubletree, 11th floor, I love gingko leaves:

I flew from Portland to Detroit and was amazed by this lightshow in the tunnel from one Terminal to the next. It did change to bright red while I was on the walking sidewalk but I didn't stop to capture that:

My goodies. I almost always buy thread and this time I got some great fabrics too. And tote bags, we always get tote bags:

Now it's time to get back to work. Several tasks have to get done today and tomorrow--first up was laundry: check, all done. 

You can find thousands of images on Facebook and Instagram, among other social media, #quiltmarket, if you want to see lots more of what happens there.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

International Quilt Market Spring 2017 St. Louis, MO

I love Market and Spring Market especially. Because there is no Festival right behind it like at Fall Market in Houston, we don't have extremely late nights and we get to see the Market quite a bit.

A very added bonus for me is that my grand-girl, Stella, lives in St. Louis, and I would get to see her and show her off a bit. We spent 2 hours together Saturday morning and had a great lunch at Sugarfire BBQ, just up the street from the Convention Center. She was unhappy when I sent Mommy and Daddy in to Market to look around, but really "on" when they came back out:

Things I noticed:  LOTS of Blue and White quilts and fabrics. 2019 is the Sapphire Celebration of International Quilt Festival in Houston and a Blue and White Exhibit has been announced: see here.
I fell in love with this quilt and have already got plans to teach it locally this Fall:

Spellbound from Calico Carriage Designs

Detail of quilting designs

It uses two jelly rolls for Shibori II from MODA and 3 yards of white. What a great quilt to practice free motion machine quilting!

More Blue and White:

Laundry Basket Quilts Edyta Sitar

Carolyn Forster in Schoolhouse talking about handwork

Calico Carriage booth

Other things I noticed:  lots of bright fabrics, children's clothing samples, handwork, and still some "primitive" and "country" feeling lines. Wool is popular for handwork. Embroidery is strong. Whatever brings new and younger quilters/sewers into the industry is fine with me. My daughter-in-law was surprised at what she saw, not the quilts she knows that I make. She was smart enough to take photos and send them to me--now I can get busy on special request projects.

Here is my loot, er, stash, er, inventory additions:

Most important of all for me, is seeing some of my favorite people, faculty, show staff, vendors. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just good folks you should know:

Julia Kelly-Hodenius of Pique

Catherine Redford

Cindy Rennels of Cindy's Antique Quilts

A few of the Quilts Inc.Show staff: Deann, Debra, Terri, Becky

Charlotte Angotti

Jen Kingwell and me

Kay Roberts of Franklin Quilt Company

Alex Anderson and Friend

Last, but absolutely not least, the Education Team that I am honored to be a part of, at our farewell dinner. Did I mention we ate really well at this venue:

Marcia Barker, me, Vicki Thomas, Meg Zimmerman, Barb Cline and Jill Benge, at the Bridge.

There you have it, a taste of Spring Market 2017. I could add many more photos. Instead, I recommend you go to Instagram and search for #missingmarket and #quiltmarket. You can spend hours seeing so many booths, projects and people. Enjoy!

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

International Quilt Market Salt Lake City 2016

I am just back from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City and this is "recovery day". Not so much for me, as I fly to Austin, TX tomorrow to go to the Greater Victoria Quilt Guild to lecture and teach a 2 day workshop.  But I just had to share the fun of Quilt Market with you.  Here are photos, not all of which I took:

Betsy Chutchian's new line from MODA

Betsy's display

The Education Team at Carina Gardner's "booth"  This won the Creativity booth award

Some fabrics were soothing

Ben Darby, a guild member of mine, made a block included in this "block challenge" quilt

Ben's block is the hot air balloon 3rd row, 2nd from right--this is NOT Ben but Tim Holtz/Westminster Fibers

Many collections were bright and bold--Free Spirit fabrics

I love Edyta Sitar designs

Laura Heine's booth, a friend, Vicki Thomas, bought this kit to make for her home

Many people took photos standing in front of this RJR display wall

Sue Spargo, bright and colorful

Many vendors featured children's clothing--new moms = new sewers

Bright!

There are MANY images from Quilt Market on social media.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  #quiltmarket will bring you lots of viewing excitement. And there is an app for both IOS and Android, for Quilt Market, where many more photos have been posted.  Download to your device from the app store or our website:  Download from this page

We selected fabrics for our 2016 Festival garments that the Education Team gets to make and wear at our shows.  Here is one, "Eternal Sunshine" by Amy Butler for Free Spirit Fabrics:

More details to follow, Team!

We work hard at these shows and I missed several booths I wish I had gone to but we love our job and I so love seeing what is new and exciting in our wonderful, creative, flourishing industry.  Here we are on the last day, packing up the office:

Off to pack for my trip tomorrow--one suitcase full of quilts, one with clothes--which do you think I'll pack first?

Let's Quilt!

Barbara