SPOOKTACULAR!

A few last minute words from Debbie (see the sunrise behind her??? IT WAS EARLY!) and then they were off!

The QP Spooktacular Bus Tour was off and running early Friday morning Oct 30th. Three states, five shops, two hotels, lots of miles, a comfortable bus, good company - what more could you ask for????

So they shopped . . . .

and they shopped some more.

This is Mary, Jim's sister. Yes, her hubby plays golf and yes she shops!

And they ate . . .

They watched demos.

And they somehow ended up at Chocolate World (where Aleta brought me home a present!).

They stopped to stretch their legs every couple of hours.

And the third day they were home again - still smiling & ready to go again they told me!

A good time was had by all.

Smoky Mountains Trip - Not

Sunday was Jim's 60th birthday so early Thursday morning we flew to Nashville for a four day Smoky Mountains trip - with some Dollywood thrown in! We found out my Mom had a stroke as we were walking to get the rental car, so we turned around and headed back to the Continental counter to see if we could get to Boston. Much thanks to the two counter attendants & supervisor on duty at the Continental counter in Nashville last Thursday! After hearing our problem, they switched us onto the next flight to Boston, which went back through Newark. Yes, you can fly to Nashville and back in about 5 hours!

Good Harbor Beach from the backshore in Gloucester.

My Mom is now in rehab in Salem undergoing speech therapy. The stoke has affected her ability to say what she wants and needless to say, frustrated is not a thorough enough word to describe how she feels! In two weeks or so, she'll come here to stay for a bit. I wished I had had the camera to take a picture of the tourists having their picture taken in front of the Witches House in Salem Sunday afternoon! The whole way up there from Gloucester, my brother kept mumbling about going to Salem the week before Halloween (Halloween is an absolute ZOO in Salem!) Traffic wasn't bad and we didn't see anyone dressed up except for the woman hurrying to work in her pilgrim outfit - complete with the hat!

Just when you think life is sailing along and - oh, I'll go on vacation . . . . life throws you a curve.

So, Jim celebrated his birthday in Massachusetts instead of Pigeon Forge. He didn't get the train ride in Bryce City but did spend alot of time in the car going back and forth to the hospital and also on the ride home yesterday! We did get to do some fun things in between hospital visits.

Russo's Orchard in Ispwich has long been a fall trip for us. We took the kids there when they were small & Jim & I try to get there if we are home in the fall.

Home made cider made on an antique press, and cider donuts made in front of your eyes, fall colors, GORGEOUS trees in full fall beauty, apples, pumpkins and a crisp, fall day . . . . heavenly!

And even though I can't get this mailbox picture to go where I want it to - here's another mailbox that cracks me up. It's out in front of the Evinrude dealer on the Essex Causeway.

Till next next time.

The Ultimate Shop Hop!

What are you doing Halloween weekend? Want to see five great quilt shops? Want to be driven to all of them, put up in a hotel and fed???? Shop till you drop?

Join us for the Spooktacular Bus Tour Oct 30th, 31st and Nov 1st. You'll visit 6 great shops - QP is one of them! - travel in a luxury motor coach, stay at Hampton Inns and be fed too! What a great weekend!

Visit these great shops:
Endless Mountain Quilts in Tunkhannock, PA
Calico Gals in Fayettville, NY
Mill Creek Sewing & Fabric in Erie, PA
The Quilt Company in Allison Park, PA
Quiltmakers Cottage in Hershey, PA
and Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, NJ


We have 7 spaces left. Call the shop to register.

Home again from Quilt Market in Houston. I can't decide if I need a vacation or if I'm too revved for one! Quilt Market is a brain drain - there is so much to see, so much to do, so much to take in - and only three days to do it all!

They're turning the old parking lot in front of the George Brown Convention Center into a gorgeous park. Karen and I walked it in the 90 degree heat with 95% humidty - very sticky!

Here's a bird's eye view of the market floor. Then Karen & I snuck inside with our vendor badges minutes before the opening.

The crowds waited impatiently outside the doors.

And then they were opened & market was on! The lady in the front booth was still using her ladder to put up last minute touches.

This is a kit that will be coming in February, depending upon the rainy season in Bali where the batiks are made. It is GORGEOUS!

Here's Karen Snyder's fabric display in the Timeless Treasures booth. (she was sewing the buttons on the red one the night we all got there!)

These two lovely ladies are my fall market roommates - we did manage to get some sleep.

This is a block of the month that will start in March 2010. I saw it the first day & promised myself that if I still loved it on Monday, I would buy it. I liked it more every time I saw it, so I ordered it!

And Jessica Hudson, a long time customer, had a photograph in an exhibit entitled "Eye of the Quilter". Congratulations Jess!

More pictures later, I really should be doing paperwork . . . .

To Market, To Market!

This is a bird's eye view of just part of last fall's quilt market in Houston. Each booth has all sorts of neat things for quilters & there's about three football fields of them - it's AMAZING!

I'm heading to TX this morning for this year's version and I can hardly wait! Going to market is one of my favorite parts of owning a quilt shop - seeing everything that's new, meeting up with national teachers and spokespeople, hanging out with friends - what could possibly be better????

Ok, opening all the boxes when they arrive of all the stuff I bought at market comes close!

I'm hoping to post pictures while I'm there - stay tuned!

Winner!

Barbara is our winner of our Fat Quarter bundle. I've emailed her the good news! Thanks for everyone's comments. We'll do it again soon.



Here's Barbara's comment - Fall is my favorite time of the year. The colors are so great. I really like your log cabin pumpkins. It has inspired me to go get the fall decorations and start putting them out!





Debbie

Fall Colors & Projects Part 2

Jeannette reminded me I'd forgotten to post about this fall project! We're kitting this for Quilt Magazine and it's been very popular - not sure why I forgot to post it! It's on our website too. I pieced the middle and Judy appliqued the borders - after a bit of mumbling about my pressing abilities . . . LOL

Thanks for reminding me Jeannette!