HOME AGAIN

I just got back from the whirlwind that is Spring Quilt Market. I got back just in time to catch the series finale of Mad Men. What a brilliant way to end the show with the Coke ad--at first I thought it was a bit ambiguous but then I totally got it. But I digress! Back to Quilt Market matters. This spring it was held in Minneapolis, an easy drive for me. Opening day was last Friday, and my first stop was our booth (For those of you not familiar with my blog, I'm the editor of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine). Gretchen and Leah did a great job setting it up. Gretchen is one of the three founders of the magazine, and Leah is the daughter of one of the other founders (Judy).

While Gretchen and Leah greeted guests in the booth, I walked the floor, scouting potential project designers, checking out the latest products in the quilt world, and catching up with the many designers whose projects have graced our pages. One of the latter is the effervescent Phyllis Meiring, who has a knack for turning wool into the most whimsical creations. I've worked with her wool for several years now and can't say enough positive things about. The colors are out of this world.

I always enjoy seeing Pam Buda and her timeless designs. Enveloped in warm brown and red tones, her booth made me want to curl up with all the beautiful quilts. That classic color duo also takes center stage in Pam's latest fabric line, Treenware & Berries, inspired by Pam's personal collection of early American Treenware. Be sure to check it out at your local quilt shop or an online quilt shop.

And it was lovely to run into fellow Iowa girl, Deanne Eisenman, whose projects have been featured in multiple issues of the magazine. Isn't the quilt behind her spectacular? Deanne has a new book out. It's called Blooming Patchwork: A Celebration of Appliqué in Quilts. It's definitely one you'll want to add to your quilting library.

That's all I have time to share today today, but I'll be back with more posts about my Quilt Market trip, including some cool products and fabric, as well as some scenes from the few area shopping excursions I managed to squeeze in after Quilt Market duties!