The International Quilt Festival: The Vendors

If you have never been to the International Quilt Festival in Houston there is really only one thing you need to understand: it is BIG!

Bigger than any quilt show you’ve seen before. That big, long, white building on the right with the funky wonderful vents – it’s five football fields long. That’s how they do things in Texas. Nothing small about it.

 This is just a partial view of three of the twenty aisles of vendors. TWENTY!

So with as much teaching as I did – I only had one day of the week to see the show then a few hours here and there to see the vendors. I wandered through the quilts multiple times. Then I made it through about four (out of the 20) vendors aisles. It was enough to get into the usual trouble.

Meg Hannan’s Fabric Jewels
were the first to catch my eye. I already own two pair of her earrings.

Now I own FIVE pair!!!

I tried as hard as I could to pass up Leisa McCord’s spectacularly beautiful booth.
McCord Works
and another set of exquisite earrings. The tiny crochet is so delicate and beautiful. I’ve worn these every other day for the past several weeks.

These are the kinds of booths that lure me in – like a magpie in a diamond store.
But I came out with old things.

And things from nature.

And very, very colorful things.

 Sonoran Beads
drew me in for another year and again I’ve come home with some gorgeous components for jewelry.

Now, don’t you find it a little strange that I go to the world’s largest quilt festival and don’t buy fabric or thread or anything seemingly quilt related? Well, not only did I not have time to browse but – well – have you ever seen the train of ridiculously oversized and heavy luggage that teachers travel with? There honestly wasn’t room.

And I met the fabulous Rice Freeman-Zachary and her delightful husband next to
Treasures of the Gypsy (can’t find a website – anyone know of it?) and stopped to chat for a while.  I would have been fine but I happened to look up and became ensorceled by the delicious dragons perched everywhere above the fabrics. I ended up with two patterns. When on earth I will ever have time to actually make one I have no idea. One can dream.

So. I’m almost unpacked. I’ve travelled and taught again, had Thanksgiving here with family from out of town – wouldn’t miss it for the world! And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have time to breathe. I’m finally sitting down to soak in some of the fabulousness of what I saw.

If you ever get the chance to go to Houston’s International Quilt Festival – don’t miss it!!!