We're Baaack!

Liz and I are back from Quilt Market in Portland, OR. We left bright and early last Wednesday morning, met our friend Marie Duncan in Grant's Pass. Marie is opening a new quilt shop next month in Citrus Heights called Runs with Scissors. Then we drove together to Portland. Big thanks go to my brother and sister-in-law, Pat & Debbie McNally, who graciously let us stay in their home. The view is incredible from their home so many snow-capped mountains.

We had to leave for a meeting Thursday morning at 6 am! What a long and exhausting day we had. My meeting was with several shop owners I chat with daily by email and we share marketing ideas. Many of them are famous authors, fabric designers, pattern designers and all are successful shop owners---all very talented and savvy women. I am proud of all of us.

Then we rushed to School House...from 10 am till 6 pm we ran from class to class, some 10 minutes long, some 30 minutes. By lunch my head was spinning, my notebook was full and we shared what we'd learned and ran back to our next class. I had classes in folding fat quarters, decorating tips, introduction to new fabric lines, all about new books, programs and patterns. I learned ways to manage inventory, bookkeeping tips and new quilting techniques.

At 6 pm Liz, Marie & I met up and prepared to go to dinner. We were excited to see Kim Speath from Fortuna Fabrics & Sally Frey of Kenmar Farms registering and then Susie Burkhart from Ocean Waves and Susie Freese showed up to register too! We walked to Red Robin and had teryakki chicken burgers and back to the Convention Center for Sample Spree. There was still a half hour to go and the line was 4-6 wide and wound around the center, down two staircases (the escalators were off for some reason) and around again. It took 10 minutes for the line to allow us to enter the front doors to the exhibit hall. You must show your ticket at the door...yes, it costs to go to Sample Spree and you must register early to get a coveted ticket. Imagine a Bazaar with 1200 frantic women trying to get the best of the best. The prices are wholesale and about 200 of the vendors of Quilt Market offer single items...fat quarter packs, jelly rolls, patterns, books, AND already made samples of quilts, vests, wall hangings, skirts, aprons, stuffed animals and more. Most vendors only take cash so I'm always nervous about holding all that cash. Come in to see the cute apron we got for Sydney.....oh yes, you can also get a pattern for children AND adults.

Tomorrow: Market begins and Liz and I rub shoulders with the best of the best!