What. A. Weekend.

Whelp, it's official.  I am an official chunky monkey and slightly old.  After 4 days wandering International Quilt Market in Portland this weekend, my glutes are not only full of an unreasonable amount of lactic acid (who thought quilts could make you "feel the burn?"), but I am totally whupped mentally and physically. So many clever and useful things learned and so many amazing and beautiful things seen (and bought!).

That is NOT by any means a complaint.  It was SO worth it, and I cannot wait to do it again in October in Houston! Time to start saving those pennies for the plane ticket!

I know I promised a big fatty fat blog full of what we saw, what we did and what we learned but after uploading close to 500 or so pictures...which, by the way, is not an exaggeration by any means, if anything I'm underestimating...it would be the longest entry of all time and you'd get bored as all get out about a third of the way through.  So, I am going to post in little chunklets:

- First, you'll see what Schoolhouse is like, and a little run down of the neat things we saw and learned.
- Then, you'll see the show at large and of the booths that the vendors very kindly allowed us to photograph (always ask first!)..and who we were lucky to meet!
- Finally, you'll get a glimpse of a selection of the gorgeous quilts on display...and yes, they DID allow pictures of quilts to be taken on the grounds that credit was given to the creator and it is stated that the quilts were displayed at Market.

Most of the pictures are posted on The Cotton Patch's Facebook page ("Like" us if you haven't already, and   take a cruise through the pictures there), but I will be posting here as well, with all credit given where credit is due! And just a forewarning...I might be the LEAST photogenic person on the planet so most pictures with me in it, so there are lots of awkward, unflattering and bizarre facial expressions...I'm not that ridiculous looking in person, so why ti has to be that way on film, I don't know.

But anyway, I feel very lucky to have been able to go and be a part of Market, if even just as a customer and fangirl. I can't wait to see what Fall Market in Houston has in store!

Mid Valley Quilt Guild: Fire and Ice Pictures

So the MVQG show is over for this year, and won't take place again until 2015.  Want a little snapshot of what you missed?  I've got some pictures to post here...if you want to see some more up close and personal pictures of the quilts, go to the shop's Facebook, The Cotton Patch

It's Quilt Show Time! Fire and Ice: Pieceable Passions

Well, Quilt Show season has officially begun!  It's time a for a few shameless plugs!

The Mid Valley Quilt Guild, native to Salem, is putting on their biennial quilt show in Rickreall beginning today through Saturday.  This year, the theme is Fire and Ice: Pieceable Passions.  Many very talented local quilters will have their beautiful quilts on display and there will be lots of vendors to check out as well.

By the way... The Cotton Patch has a booth there!  I will be in the booth this afternoon, tomorrow afternoon and all day Saturday to hold down the fort.  If you have some time to come and see the gorgeous quilts on display, please drop by our booth to say hello!

Fire and Ice: Pieceable Passions is located at the Polk County Fairgrounds (520 Pacific Hwy) in Rickreall, Oregon. Admission is only $5 and parking is free!

Hours are:
Thursday, April 25: 9am - 5pm
Friday, April 26: 9am - 8pm
Saturday, April 27: 9am - 4pm