I am pleased to say I had the privilege of going to The International Quilt Market that was held in Minneapolis this year. I was able to attend as a “sidekick” to Lorrie Franz
Lorrie Franz and Jan Adams
of Bean Counter Quilts. She is a quilt designer and a friend. It is assumed by many when they meet us that I am her mom but such is not the case – we are friends. We attend the same church but never really met one another until we both went on a mission trip to Karaba, Rwanda in Africa. The love of quilting is what brought us together – I think I have said that before – quilting is a good start to a friendship.
Quilt Market is very exciting and fills your head with more ideas than a lifetime can accomplish. I had a few “star” sightings such as Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, Darlene Zimmerman, Eleanor Burns, D. Hall. It was also incredibly cool to learn how many accomplished quilt designers we have in Minnesota. The MN designers got together and presented a passport MN program which was very successful. We will highlight some of these designers later (The Quilting Patch carries many MN designer patterns).
The Quilting Patch is planning a Grand Opening and Sale Event June 24, 25,and 26, 2010. There will be a special event each day. We will have a lot of new fabric and a lot of sale fabric to meet your every need. There will be a trunk show by Lorrie Franz of Bean Counter Quilts (you just met her). She emphasizes baby quilts and many of her patterns size up to a lap or twin size. Her patterns are written for the beginner but the more experienced quilter will enjoy them also. She has a way of making a simple construction process look like a very complicated end product. The trunk show will include several different patterns and quilt samples to help you make fabric decisions.
YAHOO!!! The Minnesota Shop Hop fabric is in. Come and look but no buying as yet – we can take pre-orders, however. We are working very hard on samples to help you with ideas on how to use the fabric. The fabric features Minnesota in winter – the unique hardiness of us Minnesotans and how we successfully adapt to the climate we live in. We do have fun and often treat our weather with a sense of humor. I personallly love being a Minnesotan.
Million Pillowcase
Don’t forget about the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. The first crew that arrived were young. What a fun way to teach basic sewing and to introduce a new generation to the joys of sewing and giving to a cause bigger than themselves. Bring completed pillowcases to the shop and we will deliver them to the local foodshelf. We are also planning another event with pillowcases – stay tuned for date and time.
New fabric is arriving regulary. We have a Gone Fishing panel that whips up into a lap quilt quickly. There are some new bears, bearpaws and deer. It is so much fun and I get to help make samples so I get to play with the new fabics – quilter’s heaven on earth.
Come see us soon, Jan & Janet
