International Quilt Market Houston: Schoolhouse Series

The day before the Quilt Market starts is an event called Schoolhouse series. The Schoolhouse series was created by Marti and Richard Michell and occurs before every Quilt Market. There are was a total of 288 different classes offered which cover a wide range of topics. The emphasis is on introducing new product or techniques to shop owners with the aim of providing educational communication between suppliers and retailers. There are a total of 15 sessions - which last for 15 - 30 minutes, each session you have the option of about 20 different classes. It is an extremely informative event and you need to have a pen and paper at the ready. At the end of each session everyone runs out into the hallway rushing to get to their next selected session.

Below are pictures and information from just some of the schoolhouse sessions I attended.

Cheryl Phillips from Phillips Fiber Art
Cheryl creates a great selection of patterns and books that use wedge rulers she has created. She has several new rulers which she was showing us. These are some of the quilts that she has created, patterns are available for them. The second photo is of a new curve template which is available, looks like lots of fun to use it and super easy!

Amy Barickman from Indygo Junction.
Inydgo Junction creates some fantastic patterns. Here are just a few of the patterns which are avvailble.

This bag can be a great way to try out all those stitches which are on your sewing machine.

These would make great gifts for Christmas and once again, use up all those different stitches that come on your sewing machine. We have a 12wt Gutternmann Sulky Thread that would look fantastic stitched out on these purses.

Thomas Knauer fabric designer from Andover Fabrics.
Thomas is a new designer from Andover and was showing his new collections which is inspired by growing up in the 1970's. These pictures are samples made using the new range Pear Tree.

Kim Schaefer fabric designer from Andover Fabrics and owner of the Little Quilt Company.
This quilt is a sample made from her new range for Andover Fabrics.

Below are samples from Kim's new pattern she has created from her pattern company: The Little Quilt Company. They are super cuter (the place mats that is!)

Debra Lunn and Michael Mrowka fabric designers from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.
Batik designers for Lunn Studios were showing their new Artisan Batiks which features strips in the batik fabrics.

Carol Doak Author from CT Publishing (and a Quilting in the Highlands Teachers!)

Carol was showing us her brand new book: 50 Little Paper-Pieced Blocks. To Quote CT Publishing "Make every occasion even more special. Create perfectly-pieced 3" blocks in a variety of themes - from hearts and flowers to airplanes and birthday cakes. Secure them inside your Carol Doak's Keepsake Frame Cards for gift giving and article display. These blocks are also perfect to mix and match for making table linens, wall quilts and other small projects" The samples that were shown during the class look great and are perfect to be sewn together to make a "little" quilt.

Schoolhouse Series and Sample Spree - HOUSTON

It is the day before the Quilt Market opens, and today was filled with the Schoolhouse Series and Sample Spree. The Schoolhouse series was created by Marti and Richard Michell and occurs before every Quilt Market. There are 244 different classes offered which cover a wide range of topics. The emphasis is on introducing new product or techniques to shop owners with the aim of providing educational communication between suppliers and retailers. There are a total of 15 sessions - 11 which last for 30 minutes and 4 which last for 15 minutes, each session you have the option of about 16 different classes. It is an extremely informative event and you need to have a pen and paper at the ready. At the end of each session everyone runs out into the hallway rushing to get to their next selected session. During Schoolhouse I had the opportunity to see a presentation and new collections from designers including Kaffe Fassett, Alex Anderson, Lonni Rossi and Gloria Leonard Hall. Gloria is a new designer for Andover Fabrics and her collection Feed sack Melody originated from authentic Feed sacks. Gloria has an amazing knowledge on fee sacks and showed many samples of the original feed sacks that inspired this fabric collection.
Harriett Hargrave's session with CT publishing was on her new book which was co-written with her daughter Carrie called Quilter's Academy Volume 1 - Freshman Year. It is a new book about to be released designed for beginner quilters. This must-have course guides you step by step through the basics of quilt making, from setting up your sewing space to binding and finishing your first quilt. There will be 6 books in this series.
There were many other sessions that I attended, too many to write about but I did see some new products which will be in the store so stay tuned!

Pictures above: Kaffe Fasset with one of his new quilts and Alex Andersen with a bag made from her new fabric collection.

Gloria Leonard Hall new designer for Andover Fabrics (left) and Inside one of the session - Lonni Rossi from Andover Fabrics

(Above) Harriett Hargrave with Quilters Academy Volume 1 - Freshman Year

SAMPLE SPREE

Tonight was Sample spree. What is sample spree? It is pretty much what it says, it is the opportunity for shop owners to purchase samples of products e.g fabric, notions, patterns and so on from some of the wholesalers. Many of the fabrics are samples from ranges that will not be in the shops for several months. The samples gives us the opportunity to create samples, design quilts prior to ordering and receiving the ranges of fabrics. The event starts at 8pm and lasts for 2 hours. Some people start to line up at 3pm, I was not one of these people. However about 30 minutes prior to the doors opening the lines are starting to get longer and longer. Here are some photos of the line up to the ballroom where sample spree was being held and then inside the ballroom. Notice all the bags everyone is carrying, everyone staggers out with several very heavy bags.