I Didn't Sleep For A Week (But I Could Have)...

I did not sleep for a week or even three days after AQM like I wanted to but I did get to sleep most of Monday! These are the 'swings and roundabouts' of working for yourself. After set up for Australian Quilt Market on the Friday I got three and a half hours sleep that night because I had to bind a quilt for Market! It was worth it, of course.

Would have written to you sooner but I have been completely having too much fun working on the next issue of Vignette! Here is a very tiny look at the 'feel' of Issue 2. Hopefully it says 'bright and happy'. More on 'Vignette' soon:

 
Of course I have been keen to get to this computer to show you how much fun we had at 
Australian Quilt Market. It never ceases to amaze me that we can go from this:

 
to this:

 

At Creative Abundance (my Distributors) we share a booth which is a lot of fun. In the above photo you can see Jacques and Nel from Creative Abundance setting up.

Natalie Lymer was there on the stand:

 

And Rosalie of course:

 
Melly too:

 
Toni:

 
I had such an exciting time with the 'official' wholesale launch of 'Vignette' (forgot to include me in any photos!). A massive "THANK YOU" to all our wonderful customers who have supported Vignette, it was lovely to catch up with you at Market:

 
 
Simone's cute creations were there:

 
So was she:

 

Gail Pan with her brand new quilt:

 
And Natalie Ross (who I didn't manage to get a photo of infront of her piece of the stand!). This is Natalie's new quilt with her and Gail having a good old laugh on set up day:

 
And all in all we had a ball!

Leanne Beasley xxx

Getting Ready For Australian Quilt Market...

Yes, this is coming:

 
So I have been having lots of fun today getting ready and making just a few (okay Gail, I made three) more samples:

 
Betty Bernina and I have had some serious bonding today:

 
And it's not over yet:

 
I am loving the new range, 'Where The Wind Blows' by Melly of 'Melly and Me', printed by Creative Abundance. Melly's range will be having an 'official' launch at Market so I will have more photos after market. I have used a fat quarter bundle and because I couldn't pick my favourites I just used them all! The colours make you feel like you're working with a bundle of candy! They are happy and inspiring!

If you are a quilt store I hope to catch up with you at Market (trade only - sorry girls!). This is an event that just keeps getting bigger and bigger each year and it will be great to be a part of it again!

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. You might not hear from me for a few days now - frantic preparation awaits, followed by Market. Hopefully followed by about 3 days of sleep!!!

More Shopping:

Okay, I'll be honest. I was pretty happy to be venturing to the land of the home of quilting - but- I was also pretty happy to be venturing to the land of the home of Martha Stewart! A few years ago Rosie came home from Quilt Market with a set of Martha Stewart Christmas decorations for me (in her hand luggage - best friend or what!!!). Well I just HAD to add to my collection (and they were on sale!):

 
Then I spotted the homewares section! Well - I had to think luggage space here - quick decision! The set of small prep bowls (with matching lids of course) in yummy colours!:

 
I have no idea why all the girls went, "Oh, Leanne, you bought a colander???!!!" After all it is a berry colander and it did fit ever so neatly in my luggage.....:

 
So when is all the Martha stuff coming to Australia anyway....?????

LOL!

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

Shopping in Houston...

Oh the shopping!!! Seeing as you've been asking what I actually purchased while in Houston I thought that I'd show you a few things (some of them I am saving to show you in the next issue of Vignette!). My favourite fabric purchase was this new range 'Quite Contrary' by 'My Mind's Eye' printed by Riley Blake Designs- sooo delicious!:

 
And then I fell in love with the colours of this new range, 'Sunkissed' by 'Sweetwater' printed by Moda. (you must click on Sweetwater to see the photos of the booth at Quilt Market - you will not be surprised to know it won an award!) :

 

And this is something new for me that I am enjoying playing with at the moment (you will see more!!!):

 
Isn't it so yummy?!!! There's twenty four 6" x 5" slices of woollen yumminess (is that a word? It describes how I feel anyway!!):
 
They are hand dyed woollen pieces by Brenda at Acorn Quilt and Gift Company. You can feel the fun and love gone into making them when you meet Brenda:

 

And do you think I could resist a pack of eight of these in various colours? Obviously not:

 

So tomorrow I will show you a few other little purchases I made in Houston (lucky hubby doesn't read my blog!!!)

Until then,

Leanne xxx

Houston International Quilt Market...Set Up Day...

The George R. Brown Convention Centre looked big and exciting from the minute I arrived!:

 
Then when I walked in I was just overwhelmed! As first timers, Natalie and I were just so enjoying the process (and she does love a good photo opportunity like me!) that we were even taking photos of set up day!:

 

I think what I found the most amazing on set up day was how the booth holders (like Melly) go from a few metal poles on a concrete floor:

 
To something like this:

 
Even the food hall was big (and beautifully American in all these colours!):

 

There was also Schoolhouse on Set Up Day, which are lectures and classes to attend. Here's Rosie talking about her new line of fabric:

 
The evening was time for Sample Spree, where there's an opportunity to purchase the latest-not-instore-just-yet lines of fabric and other new and exciting things:

 
Yes, we were excited! (By the way this wasn't all Natalie's fabric!)

And after all that excitement I needed a:

 
Refreshing....

Leanne Beasley xxx

Sooooo Biggggg....(But Then Everything Is In Texas!)...

The first thing to hit me in Texas was just how BIG everything is. Now I don't want to sound like the girl from the Hills from Down Under, but "OH WOW!". Firstly, before even arriving at Quilt Market, I found that the buildings were huge, so huge, I could barely get them in my camera lens:

 

And when we fitted in some shopping at Galleria, Natalie and I discovered that even the flags are HUGE:

 
And (sorry Rosie) I am SO SURE no-one here drives a cute little pink car. They are all HUGE trucks:

 

But then, the Yankee Candle shops are HUGE too (Woo Hoo!!!!!!):

 
The fabric shops are huge (this was just one asile in a dress making fabric shop, not even a patchwork store! Lucky for my credit card!):

 
The highways are HUGE!:

 

And then we got to International Quilt Market......:

 
THAT was huge.........

Leanne Beasley xxx

Oh Where Do I Begin???!!!!!

Can you feel my excitement? (Okay I may have had a few too many coffees this morning in an attempt to beat the jetlag). Really, I am still on such a high after returning from the most wonderful time at International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas, USA!!!:

 
I am completely in love with the USA and was overwhelmed with just how incredibly friendly and helpful everyone was. Quilt Market was amazing and inspired me to no end! Of course I will be blogging everyday to let you know all about that, but today I wanted to show you some of my USA photos like the school bus (and I thought they only used them in the movies!):

 
And the food!!!! Oh the taco salad (who even knew there was such a thing?). I was very perplexed about the brown corn chips until Rosie explained that in the USA corn chips are made with many different types of corn - even purple!:

 
And the amazing homes!:

 
Of course many were decorated for Halloween:

 
Not to mention the shopping (I think my credit card may be resting for a while now!). Here's Rosie, Nel, and Melly outside one of our favourite shops (just how long is too long to spend in one single makeup shop?):

 

In the USA you don't even have to go to the Doctor for your flu shot - you can go to Target!!!:

 
God bless America:

 
Until next time yawl,

Leanne Beasley xxx