Quilt Market - Eclectic Elements

Hello everyone! Glad to be back home again after spending the 5 days at quilt market (trade show) in Houston, TX.  Tim will be reviewing our booth on his blog, so I thought I would concentrate on what I saw at the show. 

We walked to the hall where we started began unpacking two large crates.  It was super cold in the hall (the polar opposite to the last show) so we just kept moving fast, to stay warm.  In the down time, some people may have been using the large shipping crates as a house.  Always a good time working with these two.

We participated in Schoolhouse, which is where the designer presents his or her new collection to a group of attendees.  We quickly set up a display of items from the booth.

Tim gave a short presentation about the Eclectic Elements Brand and afterward people could come up and see the samples and ask questions. We also had a giveaway, which ALWAYS makes people happy!

After Schoolhouse was over, we were back down on the trade show floor to place samples and finish the details of our booth. 

Some of us were sporting the free giveaway glasses from Schoolhouse, but I won't name any names.

And finally we were done for the day.

 

I thought I could share with you a tiny portion of the Show Floor and some of the surrounding booths.  Amy Butler was directly behind our booth...wow, the color and pattern was amazing.

 Amy Butler

 Heather Bailey

 Anna Maria Horner

Loved this prize ribbon quilt in the Anna Maria Horner booth.

Felt, felt, felt...swoon

The next three photos are from Art Gallery Fabrics.  Always great displays!

Cotton+Steel

 Bespoke

 Birch Fabrics - Always fresh and vibrant!

I did not write down the name of this booth but I believe these are Kokka fabrics, a company from Japan that produces organic fabric.  Their prints were modern with super fun images.

Alexander Henry

The Quilt Hall

Next to the trade show there is a huge (and I mean really huge) hall where the quilts are hung for viewing.  Richele and I walked around the hall for about 1 1/2 hours trying to take in as much as we could in the time we had.  The centerpiece of the room was a display of red and white (or cream) quilts that had to have been 24 tall.  It was amazing to stand under it, which you needed to do since the quilts were hanging back to back.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

You can only photograph a portion of the quilts in the main hall, so I picked a few from the 100's and 100's of quilts to show you here.  I photographed the information that was given about each quilt and have reproduced the words here.  The information, history and thought process is my favorite part of the quilt hall.  One could literally spends hours upon hours looking and reading.  I think I might have needed to rent one of those motorized wheelchairs so I could just move along slowly and read as I went.  Richele and I decided we would probably just end up running into each other or knock over a wall of quilts.  

I know the photos will never do the quilts justice, so forgive the photography and enjoy...

Le Chapman

by Marie-Francoise Gregoire

France

"I saw this unfinished quilt, dated 1829, by Elizabeth Chapman in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  The paper templates for the English method of piecing were still there.  I realised this work by hand using a multitude of different fabrics, many of which were reproductions."

 Log Cabin Chevrone

by Marie-Josephe Veteau

France

"This is the most American of blocks, whose popularity has not declined in the last 150 years.  But, in Scotland and Ireland, the block was used in 1820.  By playing with the construction of the blocks, one realises effects of shade, perspective, ans geometric figures."

 Hexagones, Hexagones

Quand tu Nous Tiens!

by Cecile Lacoste

France 

"Inspired by an American quilt made by Maria Hester in 1830, this pattern of hexagons is also known as a Honeycomb Mosaic.  The pattern for it was published in the American Girl's book.  The hexagon was the first pattern printed int he USA.  The first recorded work using the hexagon in America is 1817.  In England the use of hexagons date back to 1801.  The was a strong tendency in America to follow the English fashion.  Maria died in 1831 and the quilt was never finished.  Cecile, touched by this story, was inspired to make this magnificent interpretation of the quilt."

I wanted to show you this modern quilt because it was made by Amy Friend who creates samples for our booth.  I have never know someone who has had a quilt placed in this show so it was a nice surprise to see her name.  Congratulations Amy!

Melon Ice

by Amy Friend

"This quilt is foundation pieces with solids and supersized blocks to create a bold geometric design with clean lines.  Depending on how you look at this quilt, secondary patterns emerge.  The quilting is done in concentric circles, beginning at the lower right of the quilt's center to soften the geometric look."

Chasing Bubbles

Hiroko Miyama and Masanobu Miyama

Japan

"I find that soap bubbles are so colorful...they are a rainbow color, not white or transparent.  The dark colored watermill behind the bubbles was designed to make the bubbles more beautiful.  It was quite challenging to stitch the watermill.  The girls, dogs, and bubbles were all appliqued by using my original precision applique technique."

Snow Flowers

by Susan Stewart

Kansas, USA

"I resumed work on the quilt too soon after a tragic event.  When nearly finished, I discovered that I had made a mistake involving scissors.  It spent several months in a trash bag in a corner, and I spent several more months fixing the mistake, but I am pleased with the results"

Road to Roseland

by Megumi Mizuno

Japan

"There lives a princess in everyone's heart.  The light the princess emits connects people together, making them one.  To awaken the sleeping princess locked up in the castle of thorns, four princes set out on a journey." 

On this Winter Day

by Nancy Prince and Linda French

Florida, USA

"This quilt allows me the opportunity to step back in time to another, and perhaps simpler, way of life.  Approximately 75,000 yards of thread and seven million stitches created the thread-painted designs.  All lifelike designs were done in free-motion.  The quilt was completed of a seven-year period and took approximately 2,000hours to complete."

For anyone in the Houston area, the "to the trade" portion in now closed and The International Quilt Festival, which is open to the public, begins tonight, Oct 29 and runs trough November 2nd.  The "trade" hall where we were set up, is now being changed over to retail space where attendees can purchase patterns, fabrics and vintage items.  You can also take classes related to the industry.  So if you are interested in seeing the huge quilt hall or attending festival, now is the time to do it.  If not, then mark Oct 29-Nov 1st 2015 on your calendar to see what next year will bring!

If you do make your way to Houston this weekend (or any weekend) - stop in at "The Cafe" at the Hilton Americas next door to the convention center for this dessert - Tres Leches.  Seriously one of the best desserts I have ever had.  The moist round cake is sitting in a pool of creme anglaise (thin custard).  Praying it stays on the menu till October 2015 when we will be back again.

Giveaway

the giveaway is closed

If you are interested in using the Frameworks Courtyard die to re-create this little purse made by Richele, I have the kit to do it!  In fact, I have three!

The kit comes with the Frameworks Courtyard die, Phoomph and 2 pieces of fabric.  Richele also wrote a blog post showing how she did it.  You can check that out here. 

If you are interested in winning one of the three kits, please leave a comment on this post by Oct 31st.  I will pick three winners on Saturday, Nov 1st.  Good luck everyone!

now carry on,

paula