Set Up Day Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest 2018......

Thought we would give you a peak at set up day:

 I should have taken a photo before we carried everything in, but I think you can get the idea....just blank white curtains and tables. We have learned a bit over the last 11 years of doing shows, we discuss or draw up a rough floor plan before we get to the show site even if we have the same spot as in previous years.  But....somehow....we always freak out at some point during set-up day....

Stacks of boxes....and stuff....somehow we need to organize this mess.

One wall looks good....what about the other...it takes 2 of us to hang those curtains and one of us (see that arm on the box above) is busy visiting with friends.....

 

 There is an old saying that goes....it gets worse, before it gets better....

 Usually right about now we begin to realize we brought too much "stuff" with us and that there is no way we are going to get everything out...no matter how hard we try...one of us always says.... well; after some things sell then we can get it out and it will look like a whole new booth....

This is about the point that the "younger one, who admits she was not blessed with "patience" walks away" while I "fancy it up"....trying to fit more in and make it look good.....

 

Finally finished....Open and Ready....

 

Last year we introduced two sizes of hand-dyed ric-rac....

 

So many colors, so much fun.....come on by Booth 1310...

Thanks so stopping by...

Car Packed, Long Drive.....

The car got packed yesterday during a break in the rain showers.  Finished our gathering of "stuff" we wanted to work on and bed. I couldn't get a photo this morning as we left before 6 AM for Hampton, VA and the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest.  Soooo....before we unloaded our gear at the hotel I snapped a pic.

Surprising that we actually could see out the back window all during our drive...it has been fuller than this over the years.  This is our first show of 2018, boy was it hard to wrap our heads around this whole thing.  Hopefully, we have not forgotten anything.

This is how we are now enjoying the remainder of our day.

Looking forward to an early night, a big breakfast at Waffle House and setting up tomorrow.  Preview Night begins Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM and closes at 9PM; if you are attending please stop by Booth 1310 and say hello.

Hope to see you soon....

Squeezing In Time for Creativity......

Sometimes we actually get time to stitch and create new pieces.  Recently we have been dyeing fabric, threads and fibers like crazy, hoping to make it through at least the next 3 shows.  We are headed to Hampton, VA for Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival on Tuesday, come by booth 1310 and say hello.  Love meeting and seeing what everyone has been up to over the last year.  Then we come home for 2 1/2 days before heading to Nashville, TN for Nashville Needlework Market, which is for needlework retailers.  We will be home for a whole week after Nashville, don't know how much dyeing we could squeeze in, so that's why we have been pushing so hard.  Leaving for the Raleigh Quilt Show in North Carolina on March 14th, kind of puts things into perspective....not much time, not much gets done!  By the time we get back we will really have work to do before heading to Paducah, KY for our artist in residency in April. 

Here is a peak at a couple of new pieces that will be introduced in Nashville:

We each have a stack of more to do....yipppeee....this is what it's all about.  This year pieces will continue to show off our threads and how they work with our fabrics.  I did "cheat" just a little cause I threw in a little glitz with gold metallic thread....oh be still my heart...and I didn't even get chastised for it, the younger one said it looked good.

When we start laying things out for the year, we limit our color palette.  This year at Spring Quilt Market we are introducing 3 new colors, so building off of those we have set out about 10 to 12 colors to create all our new display pieces.  I admit the first time we did this I just about freaked out but our booth looked so cohesive that we decided to repeat our efforts.   This time I am more relaxed and actually finding that it gets my creativity flowing....guess it may have something to do with not getting all wrapped up in what to use for each piece.

Road trip here we come....

Making Up For Lost Time......

You would not believe how much dyeing we have been doing, somewhere along the line we decided that we would try to get enough dyed to last 4 months or so....if I didn't have a sick puppy in my lap I would be laughing at my naivete.  Over the last couple of weeks we have dyed about 40 yards of burlap,   250 yards of osnaburg, I don't have an accurate count on thread.  Must confess I was probably told, just went in one ear and out the other as I was busy "creatively thinking".  That's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

I tried to photograph the clothesline, but the room was glowing red from all the sunshine coming in and that sunshine has been scarce so I found myself just standing there amidst all the color.  Sometimes it's the little things that make you smile.

Mostly over the first week I was sitting cuddling this little guy, he got sick after cuddling me for the 2 weeks I was down with the flu, so now it's my turn.  He has been with us for 13 years and will turn 14 this year, at least that's what we believe as he was a stray who followed us home from a walk in 2005.  Strong little man who was living with the Canada Geese and was an emaciated 6 pounds. 

He is finally feeling more like himself, still napping....but...seeking out more than just our laps, today his bed was moved from place to place as the sun moved about the house.  He is bouncing with excitement for food and drink.  For over a week we were feeding him rice and steamed chicken, and then using that chicken broth to lace his water, fooling him into drinking, now he is back to his regular diet with a little tweak...wet food.  Hey he is old...I know how he feels...we all need a bit of help now and then.

I have actually done a bit of hand stitching over the last few days, hopefully I will post a sneak peek over the next week.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully posts will get a bit more regular as this year goes on....