CreativFestival Spring 2009

CreativFestival is the largest retail craft show in Canada. I've visited as a customer in the past, but this spring I took the plunge and had my own booth.

My friends Sherri Hisey of Border Creek Station Pattern Company and Jean Boyd of Patterns by Jean Boyd occupied the booths on either side of mine. Our husbands were all there to help, as well as visiting with each other!

Sherri peeks during booth set-up day

My Botanical Art Quilts booth, view #1. My new Tree Frog Peekaboo quilt on the right was a big hit!

Botanical Art Quilts booth, view #2. I had patterns, kits, beads, and many other products related to my designs for sale.

An action shot of Jean Boyd in her booth. My daughter Sarah plays hookie from helping me to browse through Jean's beautiful memory quilt samples.

Sherri Hisey demo's her techniques to make her gorgeous designs.

Despite the economy, we all had an incredible opening day. The shoppers were lined up to start, and we didn't slow down until 5:30 pm. In fact I sold out of several items by noon!

The next two days were slower, but we still did well. All in all, it was a great success.

The Bed Quilt Club 2

We had our second meeting yesterday and only four hardy souls braved the freezing winter day to attend. Cabin fever is beginning to set in with the crazy weather swings, so it is appropriate that two of us are making log cabins!

Pat is beginning a Kentucky Log Cabin quilt.

Doris is making a Log Cabin with Stars quilt.

Marg is making a blue scrap Friendship Star quilt.

I have finished the 9 Woven Blocks and have cut out the pieces for the Square and Star blocks for my "Oh, My Tangled Stars!" pattern from Sherri Hisey's Border Creek Station Pattern Company.

The Bed Quilt Club 1

The inaugural meeting of The Bed Quilt Club was held yesterday afternoon at my local quilt store, The Country Quilter in Sudbury. A group of us have decided to meet bi-weekly and work on individual bed quilt projects.

My choice is a pattern called "Oh, My Tangled Stars!" designed by Sherri Hisey of Border Creek Station Pattern Company. This design is published in QUILT Magazine, their latest Feb/Mar 2008 issue. This is the first quilt in 30 years of quiltmaking that I am reproducing, fabric and all. The fabric is Moda's Shangri La collection by the 3 Sisters designers.

In fact 4 of us are doing patterns by Sherri: 3 of "Oh, My Tangled Stars!" and 1 of "I Wish I May". The rest are doing scrap quilts or Log Cabins.

The photo is of the Woven Block. I am making 9 of these, then I will begin the Square and Star Block. Sherri's patterns are beautifully written and illustrated. She teaches quilt shop classes, and her professionalism shows in the quality of her patterns.

I'll be showing photos of my progress after each meeting.