Wednesday, April 28, 2010

First Stop. . . . . . Chicago . . .


An odd but true fact about me, I have 19 cookie jars.....not a single year round cookie jar, all of them are holiday/snowman themed. My folks have gotten the majority of them for me.

Another odd but true fact, I don't store cookies in my cookie jars, I don't even bake cookies, and the cookies I do have around the house, they're all sealed up in ziploc baggies, I've never had a cookie out of a cookie jar that didn't taste stale!



So what's a girl to store in all these jars, if not cookies....


Change..preferably the silver kind. I throw my extra change in this cookie jar all year long, then, before I leave for my quilt shows, I cash in the change to spend on something fabulous, guilt free, at the show.

This year's change amounted to ....$158.48.WOO HOO.....Let's go to the show......



This was the grand prize winner at the Chicago Quilt Show. It was pretty amazing, not my kind of quilt, but even I could appreciate the workmanship.

Oh, I need to warn you, I'm not that great of a photographer, you normally don't notice because for every one picture on my blog, I take 20 others. But at a quilt show, you don't really know how the picture is going to turn out until you get home, then it's too late to take a better one. Plus with all the people and poor lighting, it's a wonder I have any decent quilt show pictures at all.

So here's an example of a bad picture but a great quilt,


it was a full size quilt but this was all I got with my camera.

This one really caught my eye, pink, black and orange, a color combination that had never occurred to me but I think it worked for this pattern.

I really liked this one,

wouldn't it look great on my red sofa for Christmas? Does anyone know the pattern name?

So that's all the decent quilt pictures I took. There were several quilts I liked that I didn't get pictures of because they had a "No Photographs" section!!

The majority of the quilts on display were smaller, artsy wall hangings. I prefer a lap or bed size quilt.

The vendor area was very close quarters, it was hard to walk down the main aisles, let alone get in a booth. But I did manage to buy 3 things....


Lookie, the pattern for the quilt I had seen earlier on display! It's called Sherman's March and it's by Bonnie Blue Quilts.

The Bonnie Blue booth had a kit for this pattern that I almost bought, but the background fabric did not appeal to me. When I got home I discovered that I already had a great background fabric for this pattern, plus the blacks. All I need is the perfect red and I'm good to go, almost a free quilt. This is like my Jacobs Ladder pattern, one block doing all the work.

I also got this pattern to make these little calendar wallhangings, there are twelve different patterns, all cute, and all applique. This is machine applique, something I've done a little, but want to do some more of.

I have the perfect spot in my laundry room for these wallhangings. But you know the thing I figured out about applique, it takes quite a stash to come up with just the right colors and prints to make these projects look really good. I need to pick one, work on getting fabric for that one, then move on to the next.

And finally, I got this pattern.


It's a wing-ding ways with a twist, it's the little pinwheel in the middle of the blocks that grabbed my attention.

I was lucky enough to have a friend ride up and back to Chicago with me, it made the time in the car, the whole day really, a fun one. My friend contributed some cash for gas and repaid me for her ticket to the show, so after buying the 3 patterns, I still went home with more cash than I left town with!

One last story, on the way up I asked my friend if she was Ok with my driving. She said she got a little nervous when I took my hands off the steering wheel...WHAT!! Who wouldn't get nervous riding in the front seat of a car, going 75 mph, with a driver who doesn't keep her hands on the steering wheel!! I'm a little on the animated side, so when I get to talking I use my hands, apparently whether I'm driving or not! Who knew.....not me and Cooper's never mentioned it once! So in addition to the 3 patterns I got some interesting insight from a friend.

I'm still working on the hands on the wheel thing!!

Next stop, Paducah.....

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing some of the wonderful quilts from the show! I love all of them. But unfortunately can't help you out with the name of the one quilt. You had some wonderful purchases too! Now you have given me the inspiration to use my cookie jar in a new way.

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  2. What fun. Gorgeous quilts. Glad that you were able to attend the Quilt shows. I have gone with my BFF once to Chicago and once to Paducah. I'd love to do it again.

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  3. Beautiful quilts and terrific patterns.

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  4. Love all the pictures from the show. That quilt that you don't know the name of, I do know, but can't think of it off the top of my head. I know I have a pattern for one, so I'll look it up and let you know.

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  5. Yes, let's work on the hands-on driving a bit. At least in September. :)

    Loved the pictures you showed of the quilts. All wonderful. We have a jar we collect our spare change in also. We cash it in every January when we go on vacation. One year, it paid our gas down to Utah. Wahoo!

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  6. Love your patterns! Sherman's March is going to be awesome! Cooper, please make sure Mom keeps at least one hand on the wheel. Thanks for all the quilt pictures.

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  7. I am so jealous! The quilts are beautiful and I love the patterns you bought! I can't wait to see your Paducah pics as well. I wanted to go the Paducah but the wedding plans have kept me to busy! I am going to the show in Knoxville and I can't wait.
    And yes Thelma keep at least one hand on the wheel :)
    Blessings,
    Donna

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  8. do you remember The Doors? and Jimmy Morrison singing, "keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel"?!?

    well - i've got news for Jimmy Morrison, The Doors, and the rest of the world - that's what ELBOWS are for!!!

    no ... seriously ... i'm just joking - i NEVER drive with my elbows ... unless i am telling a little story that needs a big picture

    i really like A Mid-Winter's Night - very, very cool!

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  9. I take my hands off the wheel when I'm driving too from time to time. It's something I don't think about. Maybe I should!

    Glad you had a great time, a friend in the car always makes things go faster!

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  10. You went to a quilt show and only bought 3 patterns? Wow! I need to follow yiou around. I'm pretty selective but ususally buy some fabric.
    I loved the Bonnie Blue booth at Road to California in January. Never thought Civil War would appeal to me but I'm liking it more and more.

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  11. Thelma your pictures are wonderful and thanks for sharing the beautiful quilts! Love our new patterns and Bonnie Blue is one of my favorites for patterns/fabrics. Your blog is so cheerful and happy!!

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  12. You have the cutest little savings bank I've ever seen. You have some great patterns. I really like the calendar project. Looks fun!

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  13. I think your quilt photos are just fine, Thelma. Thanks for sharing. And you did you with your mad money purchases. The last time I went to Paducah I swore it would be the last time I went to Padcuh--because of the crowded conditions. It was over ten years ago, at least. I remember being downstairs in one of the quilt exhibits and it was so crowded, shoulder to shoulder, that i had a panic attack.
    But every spring, I think about going back anyway. Maybe next year, or the next.

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  14. What a great post. Loved the quilts from the show, esp. the black, pink and orange one. That looked like a Judy Martin pattern to me.

    I really like that pattern you got with the little pinwheels and that book looks great. If you are ever in the Phoenix area, you can come shop my stash for the perfect fabrics. I'm sure you could find everything you need :-). You could start with my scraps. You know I have lot of those - ha!

    Your driving story cracked me up. I probably do the same thing and just don't know it. My sister says I talk so much with my hands that I look like I'm swatting flies. She enlightened me of this fact when I casually said that I didn't think I talked with my hands. I guess you could say that I'm a little on the animated side too!

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