Journal

by Shelly Stokes, Founder and Creative Mentor

I have just returned from a whirlwind trip to Quilt Market in Houston, TX. I have worked every market for the past 8 years, and it was time for a break.

It was a delightful trip in more ways than my tired little brain can count right now. (Travel would be so much easier if I lived closer to an airport!) Today I will share a few photos from my trip. We will get back to a regular newsletter next week.

Toto, we are definitely not in Minneapolis. I don’t think this Houston jetway would be much fun in a snowstorm!

First thing on the agenda — lunch! I waited for my friend Joan Ford to arrive at the airport, then our driver whisked us off to the Westin downtown. We could see the Convention Center from the hotel room, so the location was perfect.

Joan was also taking a “booth-cation” (as in a booth vacation) at this Market, so we enjoyed watching vendors set up their booths from the port-hole windows on the second floor of the George Brown Center.

I used my visit to Market to visit with friends, absorb the energy, and to simply soak up the sights, sounds and colors. And, as a color nut, I love nothing better than displays created with color wheels. Here are just a few of the delicious displays I encountered.

Kristen Rodriguez with the hand-dyed Osnaberg fabric from Fiber On A Whim.

Hand dyed burlap (yes, burlap!) from Fiber on a Whim.

Wool thread and matching wool from Sue Spargo.

Hand painted thread in painter’s palettes from Threadnuts.

Scrumptious bits of hand dyed wools from Wooly Lady.

Flowers on the table at the Anna Maria booth.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, even with the long travel days. It was absolutely liberating to attend without working. It’s nice to experience Market from the buyer’s point of view.

If you attended Quilt Market or just want to express about how much you would love to go, leave a reply below.