To market, to market....

I have a finish, a new toy, November will be early, and I'm going to Quilt Market for the first time this week!  

All is right with the world.

First, the finish...

I am not a grandma yet, which Mr. SFO keeps reminding me is a good thing because neither of our kids is married--hee, hee. But I do have my first grand-nephew! You can tell by the date on the quilt, I'm a little late on this, but it's done. Many thanks to Sara Velder of Acorn Ridge Quilting for dragging it over the finish line!

This is my own design-- the boots were easy, but the guitar took forever! The fact that it's on a angle shook up all my math. 

Sara quilted it in an all over stars and swirls pattern. Perfect!

The backing fabric is cowboy bandanna. 

I tried to get cowhide minky, but it just seemed like it was going to weigh as much as a cow, so bandanna it is.

You can probably tell where this little boy lives... some months ago, I had the foresight to see that I could both deliver the quilt AND go to Quilt Market for one airplane fare this year! I signed up for a new program at market--- it is called "Threads of Success" and the point is to develop your business potential. Even more exciting, I won a free business consultation!

I am not overly good at winning things, and this just hits the whole trip out of the park. Do you think they will advise me to add customer accounts to the website? LOL. I'm betting so, and I'm hoping to come home with a lot of new ideas. 

And now for the new toy!

Yup-- to help in finishing up the stack of unfinished embroidered quilts, I took the leap! It's a 22" Innova-- I tried absolutely every longarm on display at the MQX East show last April, and hands down, I loved it. The action on in it is just amazing-- you can move it with one pinky.

Practice has not been perfect, but it has been perfectly enjoyable. I love this thing-- the beginning of a beautiful friendship and many more finished pieces. I'm also hoping to do more charity quilts in my spare time. My quilt guild has a group of women who piece them, but there always seems to be a need to quilt them. 

I'm hopeful I can fill a need.

And so, because I will be away for a few days, NOVEMBER is early-- look for it midweek. It is SO HARD TO BELIEVE there is only one left in this series!! We loved our year of cross stitch, and are hoping to continue next year with cross stitch teacups of the month(?) or some other series, in addition to a regular embroidery series (a creatures of the sea monthly pattern instead of birds?) Be sure to weigh in below if you have a monthly series idea for us.

Happy week! 

We are going to take a ton of pictures at Quilt Market and 

get you the inside scoop on what it was like-- Sample Spree, Schoolhouse, and all!

xox 

Carol