Norman Quilt Show

It is a lot work, especially for Tom and I, but we really enjoy being vendors at quilt shows. We packed up fabric bolts, notions, books and moved them to Tulsa in June. Wonderful show, lots of vendors and quilts to look at and dream over. Just don't ask who bought one of Lola Jenkins' wall hangings while she was there, just because her grandson wanted it desperately. I will deny everything. (Secret - good things are happening for Lola, and she may not be a "regional" artist for long.)
Last week was much less work, and thus a lot more fun for everyone at Patchwork Place. We did pack up but just drove it down the street for the Norman quilt show. And there was still some fabric left in the shop for the out-of-town attendees and a few locals who also came to the shop during the show. Patchwork Place employees were challenging each other as to who had the most sales, at the show or at the shop. Surprisingly, they were very close both days of the show. The show was slightly ahead one day, and the shop the next. What fun.
Amazing how things happen. As a sponsor of the show, I had the privilege (extremely difficult privilege) for choosing one quilt for a "Sponsor Award". The quilt I chose was (unknown to me at the time of selection) was the most wonderful whole cloth machine quilted wall hanging by the show's featured quilt artist - Carrie Miller. I'll post our picture, if I can borrow one from someone else. I was temporarily without a camera at the quilt show, that's terrible. But I had just dropped the shop camera and broke it, and lost the charger for my personal camera. So no pictures for the blog this time.

Return from the Obsolete - Shop Hop Winners

Well, sometimes life just gets in the way of what we really want to do. Getting to this blog just did happen the last couple of months, and that should just not happen. Of course, a lot has happened - Quilt Market, Shop Hop, kids summer class, two major quilt shows, etc...etc... But I should not have quit blogging, and promise not to do it again.
Shop Hop - we made it through another and had lots of fun meeting all the folks who had not been to our new location. We had to reorder fabric to fill all the finishing kit orders, which has now arrived. So if you passed it up, we have the border in now, in the pink and blue.
Our winners in case you have not already heard are:
Grand prize - $75 gift certificate from each shop - Prisicilla Martin, Arcadia OK
First prize - $50 gift certificate from each shop - Lisa Higgins, Waynoka OK
Second prize - $25 gift certificate from each shop - Lisa Crabtree, Ralston OK
Third prize - gift basket donated by Checker Distributors - Cathie Haldik Piedmont OK]
In a couple of weeks we will start planning the next shop hop for 2011.

Back from Quilt Market

Did you miss me? I was away for a week attending Quilt Market in Minneapolis. What a city, makes Norman OK seems like a small country town. Road contruction was everywhere in Minneapolis but the convention center was spacious and comfortable. I found a few neat ideas, great patterns, and lots of new fabrics that will be finding their way to Oklahoma soon.

Oklahoma Weather

It has been a wild week hasn't it? OK, so in Oklahoma there is usually a severe strom around Memorial Day but this weather for all the month of May is a challenge. We certainly hope all our customers and friends survived last Tuesday's tornadoes. There are lots of stories of damage etc., but so far no one lost their quilt stash.
The group who is at the Norman Retreat this weekend has the right idea. They are now there and quilt all weekend and not have to leave their sewing machines. Unless of course, they decide to visit the quilt shop.
I am busy tieing up loose ends to leave for Quilt Market on Monday, will let you know what I find.

We Are Ready for Shop Hop

Yes, the Patchwork Place quilt is ready for this year's Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop. We call it Butterfly Garden Goes A Hopping. When I saw this fabric from Sue Penn of Fine Lines Fabric I just knew it had to be our shop hop fabric. We had already picked this year's theme as Fluttering Hearts in Oklahoma and this fabric is bright, playful, and has hearts and butterflies. Then when the other shops blocks began arriving, they looked like they were designed to go with the fabric. You will love this smaller size (for us) quilt, it is throw size 62" by 62". So now we will be cutting kits and getting the goody bags ready for everyone for the shop hop - Thursday to Saturday, June 17, 18 and 19, 2010.

Are you interested in doing the shop hop by BUS???? This year Kincaid Tours has a two-day trip to travel to all the shops. We have a flyer in the shop with all the info.