Quilt Market Report

I’m ba-a-a-a-ck!  And Oh. My. Gosh.  I’m beat.  Worn Out.  D.E.A.D.  I got home last night and the car is still sitting in the driveway waiting to be unpacked.  It may be the end of the week before I get the get-up-and-go to do anything about it too.  I think there must be some relationship between how much fun you had and how tired you are, and I maxed out on both!  (And I’ll apologize in advance as this post will probably bore many of you, but I REALLY want a record of the fun people I met at market!)

So.  This is Shandi.  My pretty little chandelier that hangs in my ugly, unfinished sewing room in the dungeon.

I love my little Shandi and when I stood in my sewing room weeks ago and whispered “I’m going to market” her crystals shivered.  She shimmied to and fro and her lights sparkled.  “Please, oh please, take me with you” she begged, “I want to meet your invisible friends.”  And how, may I ask you, could I refuse?  So, off to market we went.

We picked up the *Gulls* (we officially speak Australian now) early on Tuesday morning.  Kellie and Jan were SO SO SO much fun — but more on all of that later.  (If you’re new here — Jan and I were helping Kellie with her booth at market this year.)  We spent Wednesday and Thursday transforming her booth from this:

to this:

Shandi was looking hot.  And she was adored by many.  That picture’s not our best shot, but Kellie has two new quilts that haven’t been released in Australia yet, so, I’m waiting to show them.  It doesn’t really matter though — this was my view for a fair amount of time during the three days of market:

I spent a lot of time crawling around on the floor, gathering patterns to fill orders.  Quilters have some very nice shoes LOL!

Anyway, for me, market was really all about the people.  Thursday night was Sample Spree and I was so busy that I forgot to take my camera.  Our table was sandwiched right between Bunny Hill and a table that was being manned by Quilt Dad and Jaybird.  And while we were setting up our table, I ran into Monica and PKM.  I’m so sad I never got a picture of PKM, as the other two times I saw her, I was on coffee runs for the *Gulls* and again, I didn’t have my camera ready.  PKM got a really funny picture of me though — in my classic Wilson style.  It looks posed, but I assure you it wasn’t — I carried a lot of boxes over those five days!  It was also fun to bump into Vanessa — I tortured the poor girl by talking before I told her who I was and she was confused.  Don’t you hate that feeling?  What a cutie!

The actual days of market were a total blur.  Kellie was a big hit (WooHoo!!) and we were swamped most of the time, so I didn’t get out much, unless I was making a coffee or *pat-un* run.  A few people stopped by though.  Mary from Lake Pulaski and Kelly Ann:

Good Buddies Anne and Ms. Yellow Farmhouse herself.  How cute is Anne — putting her arm around me there in that picture – that cracked me up!!!  And Ms. Farmhouse!  We go way back (in blog years) and are founding members of the mom of two boys club, so I was thrilled to finally meet her!

By now Shandi was beside herself, and then …. how excited we were to have Ms. Bunny Hill come by — her gorgeous booth won first place in it’s category at market — Congratulations Anne!

And, last, but by NO means least, my two mystery bloggers who I couldn’t wait to meet.  I was so very lucky (and touched) that they both came by several times to talk because we were busy in the booth and we had to get our talking done in shorter spurts.  I know you know my Wilson buddy.  My sister wife.  The adorable Happy Zombie.

And can you guess who these gorgeous feet belong to?  Anyone???

I covet those stripey socks and cute shoes. Did you guess yet?  It’s none other than CrazyMom (who knows how to write a market report — quilts?  were there quilts at that market???  Thank you CrazyMom for showing some great quilts!)  I am humbled.  And sooo excited.  We talked and talked like old buddies.  I know how rare CrazyMom sightings are and how very lucky I am.  And you know what?  She’s not crazy – she’s sweet and fun and adorable!  (Extra big X’s and O’s to you two (HappyHappy and CrazyCrazy) and to you Ms. Farmhouse for making multiple trips to visit — that really meant the moon to me!)

Enough for tonight — next time I’ll tell you all about the Australian Bobbsey Twins.  Oh. My. Gosh.  Those bundles of fire Wore. Me. Out!!!

XOXO,
Anna

(*With apologies to my real-life cousin, Shandi, who bears absolutely no resemblance to this chandelier!!!)