Quilt Market Spring 2011: Vol. 2 and some fun news!

So before moving on to some more pictures and happenings from Quilt Market I thought I would share some pretty fun news with you! As I was getting off the plane in Salt Lake City I turned on my Blackberry and found an email from Jennifer waiting for me; the subject was Quilter's Home Magazine and here's what it said: "Holy crap! did you know you were one of the 55 Best Quilting Blogs?? I'm squealing!"...Um, what?!

Yup, it's true! Jennifer had spotted my blog in the list, which is included in the June-July 2011 issue, while reading the list on the Quilter's Home website (you can view the entire PDF of the article here).

Here's the little blurb they wrote about me and my blog! Isn't that just the sweetest? Also included in the list are my awesome peeps Heather and Ryan and a number of other bloggers that you will surely recognize! I'm pretty excited about it and I found it really nice that they mentioned my graduate work (which many of you know I have now completed - my convocation is on June 2nd) since I find that that part of my life is often not important in the crafting world - not that it necessarily should be but it's nice to see it recognized in this sort of venue.

Okay, now let's see...whose booths should I show you next? Oh, I should mention that after I got home and looked at the pictures on my camera I realized that very few of the pictures actually have people in them, that there are none of my friends and me running around (although I know they were taken so they must be on other peoples cameras), and that there is only one picture of me. I know! I also don't have pictures of a few booths that I could have sworn that I took pictures of so they must have disappeared into the ether!

How about a couple of the Free Spirit and Westminster designers today? I actually have a lot from Free Spirit so I'll do a couple today and then a couple in my next post! Let's start with someone that we all know and love (and the only booth that includes a picture of me too)...Amy Butler!

Amy had a rather small booth this time around and I found it difficult to get good pictures of the whole thing. She debuted her new collection Organic Soul which is all 100% organic cotton - good lordie, you should feel the corduroy (nice thin whale), it's like butter!

This was the little display at the front of the booth and similar to Lizzy's booth she had a iPad rotating photos of the fabric and patterns.

Amy and me! This is the one photo on my camera that had me in it and geez (!!!) I look like such a goober! I asked Amy if I could take a picture of her in her booth and got all silly-excited when she asked me to be in it with her. I know - I was completely starstruck! I did see Amy at Quilt Market last spring but didn't actually talk to her so I was pretty happy. She is also super-tall by the way - I'm 5'7 and she's towering over me!

Now onto Free Spirit!!

Ohhh, Anna Maria Horner and Loulouthi! Anna Maria's booth was just as gorgeous as ever and let me tell you, Loulouthi is just beautiful in person! Anna Maria told me that throughout the year it will be released on various substrates including quilting cotton, voile, flannel, corduroy, velveteen, and laminate - basically everything except for home dec.

This little corner of Anna Maria's booth was just so gorgeous and I wanted to take everything home with me especially the grey tunic which was exactly my size!

Anna Maria told me that she is coming out with her own collection of perle cotton and embroidery floss as well as pre-printed aida - now isn't that just neat?! Cross stitch is really picking up in popularity again I think now (just like any craft - it goes in fits and starts) and I am so happy to see some of the big designers acknowledging the trend.

Phew, okay I know I said I was going to show a couple of Free Spirit designers today but that seems like enough for now! I think you'll be fine if I leave it at *just* Amy and Anna Maria ;)