Riley Blake Quilt Market

Wow! What a weekend! Spring Quilt Market 2015 was ahhh-maaaze-ing! Emphasis on the ahhh!

I can't tell you how much I enjoy being a part of Riley Blake Designs. They are so good to work with! I just love working with Jina and Cindy on new collections and getting their feedback; so we can bring you the best designs and color palettes. Their attention to detail is second to none.

They are a close knit group, but are welcoming to all. I have felt so incredibly blessed to work with them these past 6 years!

...And the designers...well...we have way too much fun together. I got to room with Lori Whitlock, Carina Gardner, and Emily Taylor at market, (also Riley Blake designers.) We stayed up much too late. I know we all needed the sleep after our long days at quilt market, but it was like a big girls slumber party. These girls made me giggle and not want to sleep. Who needs sleep anyway...right? LOL.

I walked the show floor with Lori, and we were able to visit with so many talented people in their booths, and learn so much. It is amazing how much people are willing to share when you ask about their techniques. I love this hobby because of that. 

Carina walked us around to show us where she found some gorgeous vintage buttons and fun hand-made jewelry. Yes, quilt market is beyond introducing new fabric lines and patterns...so we did a little shopping too. ;)

I got this adorable typewriter key bracelet...

and some might say...way too many vintage buttons. Actually after I got home...I wanted a few more and kicked myself for not getting them at the time.

Anyway...it was a great time, and I was so glad I was able to make it there.

I almost didn't.

You see...I had another business event that was literally back to back with quilt market. I was in Hawaii for the Silhouette Summit 2015 which went through the 14th...but needed to set up my booth in Minneapolis on the 14th.

So I left the Silhouette event early and went out on the red-eye flight the night of the 13th...didn't sleep a wink...you know how comfortable coach seats are these days...It was mid afternoon on the 14th by the time I arrived at the MSP airport. I got off the plane, drove to Ikea to get a few things for my booth, stopped by the hotel to pick up the boxes that I had mailed to myself there (didn't even check in,) then drove through the insane Minneapolis traffic (in the rain,) to set up at quilt market--just barely in time before 6:00pm on the 14th...(the time they stop letting people in.)

Yes, it was nip and tuck...I was frazzled...but I made it. I set up...then went out to dinner by myself that evening to settle down...and after being up for more than 40 hours straight...slept a few hours that night, ready to go the next day.

I introduced my Rodeo Rider collection in my booth.

I've been doing cowboy lines for Riley Blake since my very first line with them. I love the theme...it's fitting for a girl like me who loves the country and lives in Lehi--home to the annual Lehi Roundup Rodeo. Good times!


This time, I introduced a cowgirl to the collection. Sure I've always had a girl color-way in previous cowboy collections, but this year...the collection was unique in that I took out the bronco-riding-cowboy in the girl color way, and replaced him with a barrel-riding-cowgirl.

We've had an overwhelmingly positive response to that little addition. This year I also introduced a more coral pink with a soft mint to hit on the new color trends for girls.

I updated the horse in the cowboy side of the collection and used bright fun colors for young boys.

The Rodeo Rider collection also has plenty of tone on tone stars for complimenting the more intricate patterns like the paisleys and main prints.

I also enjoy designing for themes other than cowboy. Riley Blake introduced several of my new novelty prints in the main Riley Blake booth.

My novelty fabrics are a little quirky and a a whole lotta fun! I envision people making fun bags, and funky fashions with these prints. I've also discovered that some of the Rodeo Rider tone on tones also coordinate with a few of my novelty prints. Bonus!

Riley Blake did a fabulous job displaying these fabrics in their booth with some beautiful projects.

I couldn't have pulled off my booth, had it not been for a few helpers sewing for my booth including Shari Butler of Doohikey Designs. She made me two incredibly cute quilts.

The cool thing about Shari's quilts are the large appliqué blocks, with horses, cowboys cowgirls and horseshoes. I think they add a lot of character to the quilts. I absolutely love them!

Jessica Taylor (Simply Love Fabrics) and her mother Donna sewed some adorable bags, bibs, cute cowboy clothes and blankets.

...and my talented mother, Sue Crockett, who provided some uniquely designed pillows for my booth, and let me offer them as giveaways...

Thank you ladies!

Stuffed cuckoo clocks were my contribution for my booth. I used my Janome MC15000 to embroider and sew the clocks. I love that machine. I designed the illustrations for the clocks in adobe illustrator, then digitized the designs in the Janome Artistic suite.

Painting at the Cabin

I love the families I am a part of. Art and creativity ooze from both my husband's side and my side of the family. The best part about that...is that is that while we are all creative...we are all very individual in how we go about creating.  My sister is a sculpter, her husband is a painter. My brother is a writes copy for advertisements (Have you ever seen the Vikings "what's in your wallet" ad campaign?) My brother in law designs over-the-top trade show booths that would blow your mind. My sister in law teaches Art in an elementary school and the kids love her.  My other sister in law is a landscape architect who creates beautiful plans for homeowners and commercial business alike. My Mother in Law is a budding "Grandma Moses" as she has discovered her love of paint only recently. My grandmother painted scenes of China Town and San Francisco in watercolor. My Uncle Ray paints acrylics and is inspired by the bright colors and themes of Mexico.  The ones I haven't mentioned may not be making careers in art, or painting daily, but I assure you, their talent and creativity is there. 

Over Labor Day Weekend, we had the opportunity to get together for a Family Reunion in Bear Lake, Idaho.  This is one of my favorite places to be. It is so peaceful to get away from the computer, the phone and all other things that might tie me down otherwise, and just spend time with my family. I love it! 

One of my brother in laws insisted that we have an "art day" while up at the cabin, where we could sit around and paint for an afternoon. I have to admit...I was a little nervous about this idea.  Even to the point that I thought I might hang out around the kids craft table and help out there instead of getting brushes out and making a mess on a canvas. The kids craft table was a happening place as they were customizing their own wooden boats to float in the ditch in front of the cabin. 

It has been so long since I've picked up a paint brush and made an actual painting. Did I just say that out loud? I enjoy to create alone. I am intimidated by spectators--I feel some sort of pressure for perfection. The funny thing is, is that is such a selfish way to think. I suppose all artists have their own inner insecurities. Soon I realized, that this was not what this activity was about. This afternoon was about having fun...pushing aside any insecurities, and "just enjoying the feeling of pushing paint around with a brush." At least that is what my Mother in Law kept on insisting. I started to believe her, so I finally gave in and joined my family. I'm so glad I did.  It was so good for my inner artist to do something not computer related...and to get back in touch with my traditional creative roots. It took a little time, but I  truly did push away thoughts of having to make something perfect. It was super fun and relaxing to just push paint around with no pressure. 

Here's our little family "art colony." Okay...maybe not such a little art colony...our family was a total of 34 people up at the cabin.

Here is my brother in law Dan...painting an ocean scene from a favorite photograph.  His pseudo name he uses for his art is "Otis Ash" you can find his creative page on Facebook here. He's only recently discovered his love of painting and design in the last couple of years.  He has some original artwork displayed in a few restaurants in the Idaho town where he lives. I think he's onto something...he's always trying something new and different.

 Ocean scene by Otis Ash.

This grove of trees painting is by Jeremy Walker. This miniature painting was created by my brother in law who is the fab industrial designer.  Did I tell you about the dungeon playhouse he created in his Mother in Laws basement...equipped with an animatronic Dragon a la Disney style?  Beyond cool, I tell you!

This flower painting is was what I did that weekend...I tell you...I took this several directions before I came to this point.  I tried doing this stiff and clean lined like my work I create on my computer...but I could not deny my inner love of texture when it comes to oil paint...so I just let loose, gave up my brushes and went with a painting knife.  Funny, once I lost the brushes...and picked up a knife, it was like I had found an old lost friend.  I ought to paint more.  I enjoyed myself so much.

This is the gorgeous barn that is on my sister in law's property at Bear Lake.

 Close up of the barn. LOVE that iron gate on the side!

The barn painting here is by my sister in law Shalynn Andersen.  She is the elementary school art teacher. I love the texture she made in the grass in front of the barn...and love the yellow sky.  The duck painting is another Otis Ash. 

The tree painting is done my my Mother in Law Rita Walker.  I love the raw texture and moodiness of this little painting.

This photo makes me smile...as it is the perfect story of our weekend up at Bear Lake.  You can see the corner of a beach towel hanging up to dry on the fence (from our beach trip the day before), just above the paintings below, which are also hanging around to dry. The one on the left is an Otis Ash, the one on the right is a Laura Andersen.  She is my niece who is in college...she said that her painting was a representation of her feelings.

On the left is my brother in law Jeremy Walker's painting in better light, and on the right is his 9 year old daughter Katie's painting. I thought her under the sea painting was so delightful.

As you can see...not a one of us paints like the other.  We are all very individualistic in the way we create.  We all had access to the same tools but the outcome was completely different.  This is much how it is in the crafting world. You have access to the same tools and papers, fabrics and stamps, and yet what you create is so individually you!

Sweet treat T-shirts!

So glad you stopped by! You are in for a treat! This month my team has taken some of my fabric and has created some very cool projects to get your creative motors going.  Not all of my team members are seamstresses...in fact many of them are general crafters that I encouraged to use fabric in a crafty way.  I knew they could, because they are innovative. You see, when creative people are presented with a new medium, "out of the box" thinking starts to happen.  I can hardly wait to see what my team has prepared.  Contrary to popular belief, fabric does not require sewing.  Some of my girls sewed, but from what I hear, others used glue guns, hand stitching, and other unconventional methods to show you news ways to think about fabric.  

This month, I'm sharing a couple of shirts that I made for quilt market. They use fabrics from my Wanna Be a Cowboy 2 fabric line for Riley Blake.  I made a fringe applique with machine stitching.  I used a variety of decorative stitches from my machine, and just turned my fabric slowly to sew.

Yeah!!! and the Winner is...

Sydney was so excited that I asked her to pick the winner. I told her that she could "draw" a name...
then she said, "but I don't know how to draw the letters."
Isn't that cute?
Then she said, "tell me the names, are any of the people my friends?"
Then I said, "they are all nice people who took time to stop by my blog, and leave a comment."
"What's a blog Mommy?"
"Read me the names, Mommy."
"I like her name, Mommy, can I pick her name?"
I say, "No, Sydney, we have to draw a name from the bowl without looking to make it fair."
"Okay, Mommy,should I close my eyes?"
"If you want to, Sydney."

Sydney picks a name...Colin screams in the background and crawls towards the bowl of names on the table...

Colin grabs a name out of the bowl, and is so pleased with himself.

How could I say no to Colin's name? Well I couldn't. So, to be fair to my little kiddos...I decide there will be two winners! Yeah!

Ann Cicilie is Sydney's Winner! Yeah, Ann!

Cori is Colin's Winner! Yeah, Cori!
I will contact both of you ladies to see if you would prefer the red/cream/brown/blue colorway, or the pinks and brown colorway. Congratulations to both of you!