New Blog for CreativFestival

CreativFestival will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto from October 22 - 24, 2010. The catalogues listing all the classes and special events will be ready in July. I will be teaching 2 classes at this event: Wonky Stars, Strips & Squares and Memory Quilts & More.

Be sure to check out the new CreativFestival Blog to find all the latest news about this event.

Yesterday I had this wonderful e-mail from Betty (second from left in the picture below). You may remember that this is the family group that took my Wonky Houses class at CreativFestival in Toronto.

Hi Jean – just wanted to say thank you again for a “stress free” workshop. We (daughters and non-sewing granddaughter) all had fun and are really proud of our wonky houses. Saw our picture up on your blog and wonder if you could email it to me so that I can print it. We all bought more fat quarters with wonky houses in mind and are looking forward to time in the sewing room. Thanks again.

Betty's daughter Beth is on the far left, then grandaughter Teresa and daughter Susie (Teresa's mom).

CreativFestival 2009: Day 4

Here are some pictures of my booth at CreativFestival in Toronto.

And here is my booth all packed up and ready for home!

CreativFestival 2009: Day 3

I taught my "Wonky Houses" pattern on Saturday at CreativFestival. Another full class with 25 eager sewers! We used the new "Rockin' Roses" fabric from Northcott.

Everyone finished their house block!

This family group sat right in the front row: Aunt, Grandmother, Daughter and Mother. The daughter (second from right) had never used a sewing machine before and she did an amazing job of finishing her little house block. (I think there might have been a little help from the family!)

The 3 sisters sat at the back and did a great job with their houses too.

And some people even made 2 blocks.

Congratulations to everyone in the class. You were a great group of students!

CreativFestival 2009: Day 2

I taught my "Memory Quilts" class to 25 keen quilters on the opening day of CreativFestival. We used a great new fabric called "Cambridge Square" by Northcott. Everyone brought a photograph and because the fabric was black and white all the pictures looked great in this little quilt.


We used my pattern called "Remembering" for this class. Here are a few of the projects which are almost finished.

Thanks to everyone in the class for doing such an amazing job!

CreativFestival 2009: Set-up Day

Set-up day at CreativFestival in Toronto is always an adventure! Drive through downtown Toronto rush hour traffic at 7 am to get to the vehicle marshalling yard. (Mapquest tells me it should take 20 minutes but it really takes 60 minutes!) Check in at the marshalling yard with all the transport trucks and get a loading-dock pass for the van. Wait in the marshalling yard until it's time to go the Convention Centre. Pull up to the loading dock. Surrender your driver's license so you can get a move-in dolly. Load up the dolly. Push it to the booth. Unload. Return the dolly. Retrieve the driver's license. And now it's time to set up! Time: 9:30 a.m.

It's hard to concentrate on my own booth as everyone else is setting up and I want to see it all.

This was a great booth with wonderful knitting patterns for children's clothes.

Bolts and bolts of fabric!

Unrolling the Quilt of Belonging and getting it ready to hang.

Notions and sewing machines everywhere.

To be continued!

Vintage Buttons

Vintage buttons and assorted trims were a hot item at Quilt Market in Houston! There were several vendors selling them and of course I had to buy just a few. I will have some of my treasures for sale at the CreativFestival in Toronto this week (booth 509). The show starts on Friday and runs until Sunday.

Buttons are being used as embellishments, to make jewellery of all kinds and are being combined to make totally new buttons. Mix and match seems to be the way to go!

Here are a few pictures from the vintage button vendors' booths in Houston.

On the Road Again

I have just returned from Quilt Market in Houston. I was helping my friend Pippa Moore in her booth and also checking out all the new fabrics and supplies being offered by the hundreds of vendors at the show. My pictures will be coming soon but if you check out the Blogs by Helen Stubbings, Daphne Greig and Pippa Moore you will see what we have all been up to. Just click on the links in the "Favorite Blogs" section on the side of this blog.

Tomorrow I leave for CreativFestival in Toronto. I will be in booth 509 and will also be teaching classes on Friday and Saturday. Stop by for a visit if you will be at this show.