Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Friday CATS
6:00 a.m. and the alarm is alarmingly loud. I had put out my room service card the night before so I could sleep as late as possible before getting ready for my 8:00 a.m. class. I guess I was excited since it took me less time than normal to get ready for the day. I puttered around for a bit waiting on breakfast and managed to discover that the Stitchers’ Lounge was on my floor just down the hall.
Breakfast could have been better but there was a lot of it. I love fresh squeezed orange juice and could have polished off a gallon of it. Down the elevator to the Starbuck’s kiosk and gave myself a mental headslap that I could have had a bagel.
On to the Festival registration desk and was checked in by none other than Liz Turner-Diehl herself. It was fun talking to her since she was teaching my class. All of the class projects were against the wall and when I saw what my class was going to be I was more than excited about my choice. It is beautiful and she has retired it as a class piece after this show and will be available for sale.
I took off down the hall toward the classrooms and ran into my dinner partner of the night before. She had class just across the hall (beginner’s hardanger) and since there weren’t any people in my class I hung out there until 5 of 8. While there I met a lady that lives a few miles away from me and we share the same LNS. I ran into her several more times during the Festival and even shared some time with her in the Stitchers’ Lounge. I’m looking forward to seeing her again at the LNS monthly stitch-together when I get through school.
Since there were no people in my classroom at 5 of 8 I went back to the registration desk to hunt down Liz. I was wondering if I was going to get a one-on-one lesson only to be informed that I’d freaked her out since I was so positive my class was that morning, and she thought she had her schedule mixed up. My class was tomorrow! I woke up early for no reason! We had a good laugh over it, and my foolishness impressed her so much she remembered me the rest of the Festival! LOL
The good thing about it though was that I would get to hit the market as soon as the doors opened. I sat at the tables set up for the Little Bit-O-Classes and called Melissa to share my mistake with her and beg her to come on up. There was a lady sitting next to me who heard me say my name to Melissa and when I hung up she asked me if I was a certain user name I had on a BB long before ezboard was invented - about 8 years ago. She was there from Canada and told me that 5 other people from the old days were there as well. What a wonderful surprise getting to meet all of them after all this time.
While I was talking to her the wandering one came up and we waited for the shopping mart to open. The first trip around was more of a walk through to find Terry of Dimples (who is a charming individual and one I cannot wait to meet again) and Marc of The Silver Lining (Annette, you were right about the hugs) before shopping was attempted. Of course I couldn’t resist Terry’s designs and came away with several by the end of the weekend and Marc has always had a loyal fan in me, but his new Dragons put me over the top!
At the Judy O’Dell booth I was talking to a lady about one of the boxes on displayed and she mentioned that she posted on a couple of BBs I frequent and I was thrilled to see she was someone I was hoping to meet. We were instant friends and spent the rest of the weekend in each other’s company when we were free from obligations. I’ve already traded e-mails with her and am hoping she shows up at The Wagon and The Silver Lining BBs.
Laura at Enchanting Lair is a sweetheart and felt awful the first day there. She just knew she was coming down with pneumonia and she sounded like it until Saturday afternoon.
I also stopped in at Cross-My-Heart and ooooh’d and aaaah’d over their models. I already have several of their charts in my stash and only purchased a gift item. It was nice to see the charts I own already stitched and I was a bit surprised by the finished size of one of them. “Wow” doesn’t quite cover it.
Stoney Creek got a little bit of my money in the purchase of 2 older magazines. The 9/11 quilts were there and I fell in love with one of the designs that was on the quilt an in a back issue of SC. I’ve also wanted a certain snowman design that was a model so purchased that issue.
And I know I bought enough from The Sweetheart Tree booth to pay more than one night of hotel room fees! The matting and framing on their designs was exquisite. They definitely need a new photographer!
I was a bit disappointed in the market. There were many vendors listed on the Stitching Festival website that I was looking forward to purchasing from that were not there. I did not have a shopping list with me because I had decided before hand that I wanted to come away with something I’d never stitched before and a $60-75 pair of scissors. There were no “good” scissors in the entire market.
The something I’d never stitched before was taken care of in Laura Perin’s booth with a beautiful single wedding ring quilt canvas design and some beautiful hand-dyed fibers from Laura.
A complete stash acquisition list will be given at the end of the weekend.
It was a busy and CC smoking day. I know I made at least 3 trips around the market before heading for some lunch at an oriental restuarant where I indulged in some orange chicken and called Husband and asked him to transfer some money (already). I know we went to the Stitchers’ Lounge but I can’t remember how much time I spent in there on Friday.
That evening several of us went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and let me tell you….the margaritas there were wonderful! 3 pitchers and lots of food and tons of talk later we headed back to the hotel. I’m not able to remember everyone’s names but I’ll give a shout out to Meliny, Saltsame (?), Arias, Ann, Ann, Jill, Christine and Susan. If you’re reading, please comment so I can add you in, and I apologize again :o)
I went to the Stitchers’ Lounge after I was dropped off but did very little stitching (had to keep one eye closed to see!). I tried to get to bed early but that didn’t happen.
Saturday morning was a bit painful, but I wasn’t late for class!
There was a lady in the Stitchers’ Lounge that seemed to be there the same time, and as often, as I was, and I never found out her name. She was stitching on TW’s Tapestry Cat, so she felt like a soul mate. I regret I don’t know how to get in touch with her and am hoping to see her in Vegas.
Breakfast could have been better but there was a lot of it. I love fresh squeezed orange juice and could have polished off a gallon of it. Down the elevator to the Starbuck’s kiosk and gave myself a mental headslap that I could have had a bagel.
On to the Festival registration desk and was checked in by none other than Liz Turner-Diehl herself. It was fun talking to her since she was teaching my class. All of the class projects were against the wall and when I saw what my class was going to be I was more than excited about my choice. It is beautiful and she has retired it as a class piece after this show and will be available for sale.
I took off down the hall toward the classrooms and ran into my dinner partner of the night before. She had class just across the hall (beginner’s hardanger) and since there weren’t any people in my class I hung out there until 5 of 8. While there I met a lady that lives a few miles away from me and we share the same LNS. I ran into her several more times during the Festival and even shared some time with her in the Stitchers’ Lounge. I’m looking forward to seeing her again at the LNS monthly stitch-together when I get through school.
Since there were no people in my classroom at 5 of 8 I went back to the registration desk to hunt down Liz. I was wondering if I was going to get a one-on-one lesson only to be informed that I’d freaked her out since I was so positive my class was that morning, and she thought she had her schedule mixed up. My class was tomorrow! I woke up early for no reason! We had a good laugh over it, and my foolishness impressed her so much she remembered me the rest of the Festival! LOL
The good thing about it though was that I would get to hit the market as soon as the doors opened. I sat at the tables set up for the Little Bit-O-Classes and called Melissa to share my mistake with her and beg her to come on up. There was a lady sitting next to me who heard me say my name to Melissa and when I hung up she asked me if I was a certain user name I had on a BB long before ezboard was invented - about 8 years ago. She was there from Canada and told me that 5 other people from the old days were there as well. What a wonderful surprise getting to meet all of them after all this time.
While I was talking to her the wandering one came up and we waited for the shopping mart to open. The first trip around was more of a walk through to find Terry of Dimples (who is a charming individual and one I cannot wait to meet again) and Marc of The Silver Lining (Annette, you were right about the hugs) before shopping was attempted. Of course I couldn’t resist Terry’s designs and came away with several by the end of the weekend and Marc has always had a loyal fan in me, but his new Dragons put me over the top!
At the Judy O’Dell booth I was talking to a lady about one of the boxes on displayed and she mentioned that she posted on a couple of BBs I frequent and I was thrilled to see she was someone I was hoping to meet. We were instant friends and spent the rest of the weekend in each other’s company when we were free from obligations. I’ve already traded e-mails with her and am hoping she shows up at The Wagon and The Silver Lining BBs.
Laura at Enchanting Lair is a sweetheart and felt awful the first day there. She just knew she was coming down with pneumonia and she sounded like it until Saturday afternoon.
I also stopped in at Cross-My-Heart and ooooh’d and aaaah’d over their models. I already have several of their charts in my stash and only purchased a gift item. It was nice to see the charts I own already stitched and I was a bit surprised by the finished size of one of them. “Wow” doesn’t quite cover it.
Stoney Creek got a little bit of my money in the purchase of 2 older magazines. The 9/11 quilts were there and I fell in love with one of the designs that was on the quilt an in a back issue of SC. I’ve also wanted a certain snowman design that was a model so purchased that issue.
And I know I bought enough from The Sweetheart Tree booth to pay more than one night of hotel room fees! The matting and framing on their designs was exquisite. They definitely need a new photographer!
I was a bit disappointed in the market. There were many vendors listed on the Stitching Festival website that I was looking forward to purchasing from that were not there. I did not have a shopping list with me because I had decided before hand that I wanted to come away with something I’d never stitched before and a $60-75 pair of scissors. There were no “good” scissors in the entire market.
The something I’d never stitched before was taken care of in Laura Perin’s booth with a beautiful single wedding ring quilt canvas design and some beautiful hand-dyed fibers from Laura.
A complete stash acquisition list will be given at the end of the weekend.
It was a busy and CC smoking day. I know I made at least 3 trips around the market before heading for some lunch at an oriental restuarant where I indulged in some orange chicken and called Husband and asked him to transfer some money (already). I know we went to the Stitchers’ Lounge but I can’t remember how much time I spent in there on Friday.
That evening several of us went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and let me tell you….the margaritas there were wonderful! 3 pitchers and lots of food and tons of talk later we headed back to the hotel. I’m not able to remember everyone’s names but I’ll give a shout out to Meliny, Saltsame (?), Arias, Ann, Ann, Jill, Christine and Susan. If you’re reading, please comment so I can add you in, and I apologize again :o)
I went to the Stitchers’ Lounge after I was dropped off but did very little stitching (had to keep one eye closed to see!). I tried to get to bed early but that didn’t happen.
Saturday morning was a bit painful, but I wasn’t late for class!
There was a lady in the Stitchers’ Lounge that seemed to be there the same time, and as often, as I was, and I never found out her name. She was stitching on TW’s Tapestry Cat, so she felt like a soul mate. I regret I don’t know how to get in touch with her and am hoping to see her in Vegas.