Pat Sloan's Blog

Checker Open House - Part 3

And because you need to see just a BIT more of the open house... this last posts shares some photos of the other people doing demos!

This is the view to the demo area I was in. There were more people to the left..the on the right on the other side of the curtain.

Orion Burns, who is Eleanor Burns son and mostly manages the store and does video... was on one side.... I think ALL the quilters love chatting with him!  Find him at 'Quilt in a Day'

On my other side was my good friend Linda Franz. She is AMAZING! She writes the most wonderful books with loads of directions. Lots of hand piecing but there is so much more to it than that. Linda is a story teller, so each book,and her website, is a story waiting to be told.  Visit Linda's site HERE

And my new really good friend McKenna Ryan.  She had tons of her quilts on display, which was SUCH a treat! She traveled to the event with her daughter, who is so sweet (she is 11 and they took her to the zoo the day of the open house!)

some of McKenna's work.

and I was able to look at her display the whole day.. I want to make the fat fish at the bottom!

And her website http://www.pineneedles.com/index.asp

I also got to catch up with Jan of Country Appliques. Her work was some of the first that inspired me to design! I had dinner next to her and her husband the first night. If you have been missing her work it is because she 'retired' and is now 'unretired'!! She just MISSED it all! (yeah us!). I want that snowman!!  And I want the FABRIC .. hehe!

http://www.countryappliques.com/

and some goodies I picked up... sales samples... woot woot for me!

This was just a sprinkling of who was there... if you are a shop owner you really should come next year. With the demos and the classes the day before, it is a learning experience.

Checker Open House - Part 2

Part 2 of the Checker Open house!   (be sure to read the post yesterday)

I was doing a demo on the steps I use for fusible applique with Heat n Bond Lite.  I also had a little 'model' using fusible fleece so people could see how this really nice fleece feels IN a project.  On the left side is a blanket stitch sampler with all the weights of Aurifil thread.  I talked about my books and other products I use... fun!

Here I am on demo day with some shoppers!!!  Wonder what they were telling me?  Maybe some good shopping tips!

Now this is the 'lunch area' the day before. They sectioned off a portion of the warehouse with curtains and made the lunch area. Remember we are in a working warehouse, so this is not normally here! 

And at lunch time!! Because seating was limited, everyone... including us... were giving a meal time ticket.. this worked out SO WELL! No over crowding and everyone got food!

Yummy lunch of pulled pork and chicken... and... mmm.. I do believe that looks like cake!!

Remember I mentioned those shopping carts?  There were 150 shopping carts... 1/2 of them borrowed from kroger grocery store were all the food and drinks came from! 

And since this is a warehouse where the bay doors are open most of the time... they cool the place with GIGANTIC fans.. really.. these are like Helicopter propellers!! And our hair was a mess the WHOLE TIME!! Not to mention everything flapping on the tables.  BUT ..we stayed cool!

I went hunting through the warehouse and found the Therm-o-web section!!! This is the box I have at home.. yes that DOES say 75 yds... WOOT WOOT!!

I am going to need to do another post to show you some of the other vendors and a few of McKenna Ryan's quilts on display... so fun to meet HER and see the quilts in person!

Checker Open House - Part 1

So what is it like to do demos at the Checker Open house? Well it is FUN! I had a few question on what 'is' Checker.  Checker Distributors is one of the biggest quilt product distributors in the world. They carry books, patterns, notions, supplies and fabric to sell to quilt shops and others in the quilt industry. It is a wholesale event. 

Nice thing is that anyone can look at their website. To order you must have a business account with them.  See their website http://www.checkerdistributors.com/

Here is part one ... Sunday will be part two.  Click the photos to see them larger!

the front of the warehouse... The show room is under the blue awning. The event started at the bay where the guys are standing and went to the end of the building... another bay or 2 past this photo.

Right after I set up. My neighbors had not gotten in yet! see the bay number behind me? 

12 places to check out... woot woot for keeping the line moving! PLUS if they wanted to drop off a shopping cart (yes.... I DID say that.. wait for tomorrow).. they got a BEEPER to tell them when it was done being entered!!

My end cap display... cool eh?  These are cover quilts and quilts inside my books.. you can find the books at my store! Http://www.patsloan.biz.  And do you see the shopping carts?

Fabric anyone? And there are MORE ROWS just like this one! See me at the end?

My books!! Look how BIG this place is!

Read the Checker blog for more photos AND product reviews!

http://www.checkernewsletter.com/

Fall will be here soon...

Believe it OR NOT... Fall WILL be here in a few weeks!  So let's take a look at some Fall things!

 

First is my quilt in Issue 5 of Irish Quilting magazine.. HOT off the press I just got some copies for my store!

this is my quilt... and there is an article from me too in this issue! Click HERE for the Magazine

And Barb Adams of Blackbird Designs did this TO DYE FOR fall quilt! Really.. I want a 2 sided quilt of THIS with my Halloween crooked cabins on the back! 

Do you want to know about the name of the quilt? Well when designing this Barb wanted to honor her grandmother's year of birth...so that's why the year is attached to the title. Isn't it WAY COOL to know the 'behind the scenes'?

Click HERE for the pattern booklet... and be sure to pick up some orange fabrics.. they are listed on the same page!  Get 1/2 yd cuts for more scrappy look, 1 yd cuts and you'll have a bit extra. The page at the store tells you how many different oranges are used!

 

And THIS came in the mail with my quilt from Irish Quilting Magazine.. thanks Sherry... they are TOTALLY yummy!!!

I'm working on 2 blogs to show you the Checker Distributor Open House... so come back Sat and Sunday!

Click HERE for the Irish Quilting Magazine

Click HERE for the Hallowe-en pattern booklet..

Because it's so darn cute....

I have to share this for 2 reasons

1- It's so darn cute!!

2- I have not done any trip posts yet and want to be sure you have something fun to do while you wait!

These goodies are from Leigh Ann at the Object Project blog.  She writes that she finds daily Inspiration in the things that surround us.

And she does! Check out all the cute ideas on her blog.. lots of 'reuse' projects.. the bra strap one is particularly crafty!

And she stuck one on a key chain.. so clever!

Click HERE for the Tutorial.. send me photos.. I think it will look DARN GOOD in Arabella fabric!

Quilts by YOU!

Jennifer's Farmer's Market quilt.. it is SO GREAT! love that border!!!

Click HERE for the Farmer's Market Patterns

Love the coffee cup border! Leslie made this for her shop in Pillowcasegram at 3 W. Main Street...  North East, PA

Click HERE for my Sidewalk Cafe Pattern

Tulips by Rita.. one of my favorite tall skinnies!!

Click HERE for the pattern in Berry Hill Quilts

Send me photos of quilts from my pattern, quilts using my fabric, and quilts that are BOTH!

Today I Wednesday (I think) and I'm heading home... be there late tonight!