Houston

I've gone to quilt shows before, but nothing will ever compare to the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

We left on Wednesday November 1st and drove 9 hours to get there. The motel was about 5 miles from the convention center and having curb-service to deliver us right to the door was worth a lot. No parking lots, no fighting traffic, just hop out of the bus and walk right into the door.

The first day we arrived about an hour before the doors opened, but it gave us time to get our entry tickets purchased (for both days) and get up-close and personal with about 300 other people crowded into the front doors waiting for the main doors to open. It also gave us a chance to purchase a show-book and it told us the layout of the show. At least we knew which direction to turn once we got inside the building.

When they did open, it was like everybody scrambling to go to the best place first. Karen(my roommate) and I headed over to the trade show first.

I have never seen so many ideas, fabric combinations, fat quarters, books, PEOPLE, launguages, in one place before!

Everybody was so nice. One group of gals selling their patterns was from London. I looked at Karen and said "..and they think WE have an accent!"

Sometimes the crowds were horrible, and other times the walking was real easy. We got thru the entire trade show in one day. We were also warned that if we saw something we liked, to buy it immediately or make notes where it was. This was probably the best advice we received. The second day, we definitely went back to places where we wanted a second look.

Yes, I left some cash in Houston. I have yet to take pictures of all my heavy-load, but I will. I bought a flannel group for a quilt top and a red/yellow grouping of half-yard pieces. Baby fabric, some new books,a few fat quarters, a template and a new rug making hook that I can't wait to try. I'd never seen a crochet hook with a needle eye in the end of it. Probably an old technique, but something we'd never seen.

I saw Freddy Moran --asked her about her dot com pattern and she only teaches it in a workshop. Saw John Flynn, Eleanor Burns, Marti Mitchele, Debby Caffey (she a sweet gal), Alex Anderson (her booth was swamped and you couldn't get close). And probably more that I don't remember.

The actual quilt show was spectacular. I have lots of pictures, but I think the online pictures are more detailed than mine. I also don't have the credit of each quilt and that wouldn't be fair to the maker--I will post a few. The quilts that were amazing were the ones from Japan. One had 53,000 pieces in it and they were less than 1/2". The hand work was outstanding on these.

This quilt was amazing. The details were unbelievable.

There were quilts deplicting people, even a CALF(we really liked that one), sunflowers, farm scenes and even some abstract art. There were quilts for every taste and interest.

The bus ride home went fast and we arrived back to Oklahoma on saturday afternoon. A 9 hour bus ride and only two pit-stops and a 30-minute lunch break, puts you back home pretty fast! I'm still trying to catch up on my house, laundry and still need to go buy groceries. It was four days of getting to know the 29 gals on the bus even more--Karen and I were the only two who weren't Grandma's. Different tastes, levels of talent and abilities really made the trip interesting. Mama always said that you can always learn something new....you just gotta pay attention! Mama was right.

Definitely a RED RIVER where we crossed back into our state.

Next year? Where's the paper to sign up?