Original Sewing and Quilt Expo Recap

Yesterday, my mom and I went up to Baltimore to visit the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo. I took one longer quilting class and she took 3 shorter garment classes and got to talk with pattern designers and got a personal fitting for pants from someone who is a big deal in the garment world (but whose name I don't remember).

The class I took was about set in triangles and mitred corners. We were given kits and instruction with lots of personal attention since there were only 7 people in a 3 hour class. There is a third square not pictured, too. Not necessarily my first choice in colors, but definitely fun fabrics and the contrast is there to accentuate the mitres.

After I finished my class, I wandered the vendor area and came home with a few fun things. I also spent time auditioning various long arm machines for down the line when I have the money to actually buy one. I definitely liked the Tin Lizzie the best of the ones that I tried. I'm very much looking forward to being able to get one. Espcially since now that I've moved to DC there aren't any LQS's that have rental time available on long arm machines compared to Boston where there are a number that do.

First is the Quilt Pounce and a few of the full line stencils. If yout haven't come across this, it's stensils for freemotion quilting where you push chalk through a fine mesh which allows it to be continous lines without the breaks that come from typical stencils. And the chalk lines disappear when ironed. I got three stencils along with the chalk applicator. 

And moving right along, I got a bag pattern that has many pockets and contrast binding. This pattern also includes a clutch purse to match. With the way the pockets are laid out in this bag, I can see it as being good as a camera bag for all the lenses or a diaper bag for all the various things that little ones need (I've got friends who have requested custom diaper bags). 

At the same vendor, I was introduced to PUL fabric - polyurethane laminated. It's non-toxic and can be wiped down so it can be used in lunch bags, or anything else where it would be good to be able to clean it. It still has a soft feel on the right side and the laminated side is the wrong side. 

And last, but certainly not least, I picked up four Malka Dubrovsky prints. If any designer out there channels me, it's her. The color choices and geometric designs that she makes are exactly what I like. Case in point, the asterisk quilt I made was three of her prints, the the blue with small green dots pictured here is a repeat buy since it was part of that quilt.