M for Market ...

and Margaritas!

Second place to Market mania is the abundance of Mexican food in Houston. I am in heaven here. Give me quilts, enchiladas, tostadas, quac and margaritas any day!

Meanwhile, the appetite for Irish Quilting in this international festival is in alive and healthy.

Before I lose myself filling you in on the International Quilt Festival here in Houston, we should be sure to report on the phenominal show back home: Knitting and Stitching in the Dublin RDS this past Thursday, Friday and weekend. This is the first year that the shows collided.

We love our Dublin show because we get to visit with our readers and hear the latest and greatest quilt news of Ireland. Thursday and Friday had record breaking crowds with whom we enjoyed our third anniversary with birthday present giveaways. All subscriber received presents with each renewal.

Outside the IQ stand in Dublin, our patchwork shops were all in attendance in their own booths. Another record broken. Well done, and I hope all the shopkeepers and customers had a great show!

Subs manager Kevin covered the IQ stand Saturday and Sunday as I flew onward to Houston.

Houston greeted me with sunshine and soaring temperatures to last into the week.

One of my first customer stops was Robert Kaufman fabrics where the Cuddle fabrics were warming up the visitors. This fabric, much like plush-the textiles used for stuffed animals, is back with a splash and the Shannon line from RK makes this cuddle fabric adorable and a must feel. Watch for a feature Cuddle quilt coming soon in Irish Quilting!

I continued on to meet new and old friends in the Market.

A recent sponsor, Gutterman Thread is always a friendly booth. Ted recently organised the giveaway of 100 spools with in-home cabinet for the summer issue of IQ. Before long, Ted and I were conspiring on the next giveway. Who wouldn't want Gutterman threads? Free?

The highlight of my Houston trip is going to have to be a taping with Jodie Davis of Quilt Out Loud. Yes! A taping...soon to feature Jodi and Yours Truly. She is an absolute dote and we enjoyed our chat. Hope you enjoy it too. I'll alert the internet once it is broadcast. (Did you know Jodi is from Ireland? Her family is from County Clare--you may read her tale of Irish relations in IQ yet!)

One fun future read will be that of our own Irish lassie, Marianne Byrne Goarin--founder, author and artist of Cinnamon Patch, a design line and quilt goodness using felt wool. This morning, Marianne sat with me and shared her tale of an Irish childhood, family life in France, and crafty roadshows in America and throughout Europe, that is sure to interest our readers everywhere. (Funny enough, with children in the same primary school, Marianne's sister and I serve together on the parents' association. Much to our surprise, Marianne and I find our worlds are closer than ever.) Watch for her delightful felt patchwork and her 'Irish Abroad' feature in an upcoming IQ!

There was so much to see and do at market, there is never enough time.

Before leaving, I popped over to Kona Bay. I'm intriqued as KB's Douglas is an ever present face on the Internet. He has a real handle on the information feed--a man in the know. I was delighted to meet him in person. As if he was reading my mind, he immediately rattled off his opinion of past postings on my blog. Goes to prove, you never knows who's watching, or reading for that matter.
Anyhoo, what is important to know is our very own Nikki Foley is designing for Kona Bay! So I was poking and peeking around to see if her designs have surfaced. Not yet. But be sure to watch this space; IQ has yet to showcase an asian quilt feature, and Nikki's designs might be the unveiling yet!

Well this gal has to begin conjuring ways to expand my suitcase. I always go home with more than when I arrived!

Sherry
ps., malfunction with the photography--come back soon for visuals!