Eureka Quilt Show

This is the first chance I have had to post some photos of the Eureka Quilt Show (http://eurekaquiltshow.com/ .) Gary and I had a great time, visiting with the vendors, studying the quilts and enjoying the setting in the historical village of Eureka, Montana.

I can't remember when I last went to a quilt show to just look at quilts rather than be a vendor.

The things I appreciated the most about the show, (other than the quilts, of course):

• There was a limited number of vendors. This is important, because a show should strive for variety, but attendees only have so many dollars to spend.
  
• There was also a food vendor with scrumptious Mexican food.
  
• Another big plus, in my book, especially for an outdoor show, were the "Quilt Cops." These volunteers watched over the quilts, in case the wind blew one down, or to keep anyone with greasy hands from touching them, or to answer any questions.

From the outside looking in, this appeared to be a well run quilt show.

The town of Eureka obviously was supportive of this visual feast. Quilts hung on both sides of the street in front of all the businesses. Quilt junkies were crowded into shops and eating establishments.

I was surprised that so many of the quilts were for sale.

All in all it was a wonderful day and a worthwhile get away. If you can, plan to attend next year!

In stitches,

Nona
Mrs. Sew~n~Sew

Luscious Batiks & New Products

Are we in the "dog days"of summer yet? Feels like it here. Very hot days give us a good excuse to go sew. Put a couple lemon or lime wedges in a glass of ice water and head to the sewing room. Be sure to aim a fan straight at your chair. Crank up the tunes, or put a book on CD into the machine and you will while away the hot hours without breaking a sweat.

If you are in need of some inspiration, I just received some very luscious batiks from Princess Mirah Bali Batiks. Don't have a camera handy today, but stop by to see for yourself. We all know that buying fabric from the internet isn't nearly as satisfying as petting it in person first.

We now have a good stock of polyester fiberfill. This past Saturday we had our "Hope You Can Make It For Christmas" class. What fun! This class was on constructing pillows or pillow covers (for sofa or floor pillows you already have.) In honor of "Christmas in July" we made winter pillows with a cheery "Ho, ho, ho" on them. Some of us are making wall hangings with the same motif. Naturally, we also thought of other people that would like our pillows and needed more fiberfill, so, I ordered it, and it is now here.

Seems that no matter what time of year it is, we have to do laundry!

I have recently stocked a couple of items to make that chore easier. In stock is Retayne that stops dye from bleeding, Magic Wand and Grandma's Secret Spot Remover for stubborn spots and Dye Grabber Cloths, which grabs & absorbs loose dye in your wash.

Speaking of laundry--which is only fun if you are washing new fabric--have you tried the Mary Ellen's Best Press spray starch? I have to say I am sold on this product. I only had to try it a few times to see how it smooths fabric, doesn't leave flakes, and makes cutting and piecing on the bias so much easier. I now have smaller bottles of this product, the price is easier on the pocketbook.

Gary and I are heading to Eureka, Montana tomorrow. The quilt show is on Saturday, and I plan on wandering through all the quilts, stopping when I want, and reading all the papers on each one. I don't get to do that when we are vendors at shows. Usually, I only see the quilts on the way to the restroom! We will take photos and I will write my impressions next week.

In Stitches,

Nona

Mrs. Sew~n~Sew

Quilt Show in Troy, Montana

Happy Fourth of July! As has been the custom for me and Gary this past 7 years or so, we have spent 4th of July on Troy, MT. Every year the people of Troy put on what they call "An Old Fashion 4th of July" celebration. The Tender Loving Quilters' show is the 3rd and the 4th of July each year. Gary and I attend as vendors. What a great time catching up with the warm and friendly people here. As you can imagine, quilting is a popular hobby in this part of the country. The winters are long and cold here! Gary got some shots of the parade this morning, while I was busy straightening our booth and, in the bit of quiet time I had, sewing. It is always fun to see what quilters are doing in different regions. This show had several "French Braid" quilts, and typical for this area, a number of quilts with a northwoods theme.The quilt show is over for this year, and as always, we had a great time. We are packed and loaded up, ready to pull out for St. Maries in the wee hours of the morning. After unloading fabric and goods at the shop tomorrow, we get ready to leave on Monday morning for a trip to southern Oregon & the Bay area of California to visit kids/grandkids and other relatives. Of course, I hope to stretch my legs in a quilt shop or two. I will be sure to let you know.