maine quilts 2008 - day 4

today started off... pretty crappy, actually. my mom, who has been staying out and being up and about for far too long the past few days, had a lot of issues with her knee this morning. we were supposed to get up around 5:30a-6a... but she woke me up at 7:30a saying that she wasn't going to be able to go this morning to our volunteer job at the admissions table and that I needed to go online and get the maine quilts number to contact the president to let her know. I roll over to turn my computer on... then I just think, what am I doing... just because she's not going doesn't mean I can stay home! so I jump out of bed (ok, I didn't really jump) and get ready. I ended up being at the civic center around 8:30a which wasn't too bad, though we'd wanted to get there sooner. I was supposed to work the admissions table, but there were about eight others working it. I spoke with the volunteer coordinator and she asked if I could work the maine quilts merchandise table... so that's what I did for about an hour and a half. :) during which time, I bought a sweatshirt. :) it was one of the last couple there... I'd looked at it yesterday and thought they didn't have my size. now, however, I was able to try it on and the next size up, which they had, fit perfectly! sweet!




so then I got called away to do some photo stuff... and I made the decision to head back to the hotel and get my madre. I updated the photo stuff (since it was on my computer, not my flash drive) and then mom and I went to 99 restaurant for lunch. we each had an appetizer and salad... yum! they are the only chain restaurant I know of that has fried raviolis on the menu. I *love* fried ravs. they are heavenly. anyway, then we got back to the civic center and we did some retail therapy. :) I knew I wouldn't be able to spend much (what with this whole new house thing), but I'd budgeted and knew that there wasn't too much I needed... what I wanted was a whole other story. :)

we did go to almost every merchant booth, but I'll just highlight those where I bought goodies. :) the first was pins and needles from farmington, maine. I was first attracted by some lotions they had... the good goat milk kind that is similar to the "udder cream". I didn't really have any non-residue-leaving lotion for quilting, so I test drove some scents. I ended up getting the "maine quilter" scent. and no, I don't really know what maine quilters smell like. :) I also picked up a mini quilt pattern to add to my collection for repro fabrics. not that I've made any yet, but someday I'll just make a whole slew of them. :)




our next stop was at pincushion boutique... home of the sweet treat. I *love* this place. I saw them at the connecticut piecemakers quilt show back in april. they create "sweet treats" of eight coordinating fat quarters and give them clever names relating to the theme of the fabrics. then they design/sell patterns that use eight fat quarters. I bought one in april with sea turtles that I have cut out (and will be one of the next quilts I make)... this time I bought a frog-themed baby quilt kit. my friend deb (for whom I made the diaper cake) has been not-too-subtly dropping hints about the baby quilt I promised her. now she does this completely out of love and I know she's teasing, but to appease her, I got this kit. I had intended to design this cool applique frog type thing, but I am going to do this instead. at least as his "big quilt"... I may still do an applique thing, but on a smaller scale. this kit is perfect though... it is of flannel and has a green minkee backing. I can't wait to get started in on it!




our next stop was alewives fabrics. I was really excited to stop in here because I had such a great experience with them at last year's show. not unlike last year, I spent the most money in this store... but I'm happy. I can count on them to have the latest amy butler fabrics plus her patterns and books. they still create some wonderful tradional quilts, but with a modern flair. I wish I lived closer so I could take some classes there! (sigh) such is life. anyway, I had originally gone in there because I saw amy butler's pattern for a laptop case/ipod case. however, I saw the specs for the ipod case and it was really for the larger ones (the classic or itouch) and not so much for the nano or smaller. I didn't *need* the laptop case, so I put that down and got a new bag pattern... it's a really great conversion bag... it could be a tote or a backback! I bought some new fabric and liner for it and hope to get started sooner rather than later. I also found a great pattern that has stars of david... I really do love stars of david, and not just because das is jewish. I like them for them. (apparently like we're boyfriend/girlfriend, ha ha... sheesh).




I then took a short break to do some more photography (since I still had just about the whole show left to do). I stopped off at my "home store", calico basket quilt shop, in my hometown. pretty much my first experiences with quilting were in this shop... I took a class for my 21st birthday (a gift from my mom) and have done countless hours of shopping there. I had won a gift certificate there during our last getaway last november... and I totally forgot about it, until a couple days ago. so I went to the shop to see what I could find. I know that the owner had some very awesome charm packs that I was interested in... plus a few wool pieces. which is what I ended up getting! I was really surprised to see that she was carrying annelle's originals, which is another owner/designer I met at the connecticut piecemakers show. she is such a nice lady and works really hard to create these great wool candle mats. I can't wait to start working on mine... I opted for the cardinals because das and my mom love cardinals (well, so do I).




oh, and I almost forgot... before we made it to our shopping spree... I got my emilie richards book autographed! I wish I'd had more, but I only have one book. my mom got her book and quilt companion book signed, too.




after the shopping spree and whatnot, my mom and I went to the gaggle of quilters event, which we would have skipped but I had to take pictures (we were both so tired). it ended up being a lot of fun (minus the cranky people who didn't get food fast enough - jeez, it's just veggies and crackers and cheese). we did a "know your quilt vocabulary" quiz which was fun plus a table activity with half square triangles. each table created a pattern with the HST that were there... and then at the end, they were going to be collected and all donated to project linus, which is a fabulous idea. the fabric had been donated and rather than give it to us, it's going to a much worthier cause.

since it's our last night here, we packed up most of our stuff and I brought some down to the car so I wouldn't have to in the morning. and now... it's time for bed! I'm exhausted! it'll be a full day tomorrow... class and then I'm helping with quilt take down. shoot... I think I need a sign for that. (sigh) add it to the list... :)