What an amazing, beautiful, surreal, funny, busy time we had in Houston! Thanks so much to everyone who participated in Make It University!(TM)
I had every intention of blogging every day from the show floor. Ha ha, that's a good one. The laugh is on me. Simply put, we were too busy, and on top of that, Typepad did not want to play ball from the Hyatt hotel.
If you click on the left, you'll see a photo album where I will be putting LOADS of pictures over the next few days. (Some shots are there already, but I have tons more.) If you have some great photos, email them to me and I'll load them, too.
Open Studios at Make It University!(TM)
Above: Helen Godden's adorable daughter stitching in Open Studios. If she takes
after her award-winning mother, we will all have to watch out for this
one!
Jane Davila drew quite a crowd with her fish printing (rubber fish, that is).
We had the cutest couple from Belgium planted in the MIU area nearly the entire time. The wife took a number of workshops while her patient (and humorous) husband manned the ATC wall and helped us out (cutting velcro, pointing people to the lottery bowls for workshops, assisting artists in open studios). He's an honorary member of our team!
Katie Kendrick and Judy Coates Perez finally meet and chummed it up like old pals.
Lisa Engelbrecht was on hand and made beautiful name plates with her famous calligraphy. (Thank you, Lisa!)
Our very own bubbly Lesley Riley taught her surface design sampler workshop using Claudine Hellmuth's new paints from Ranger.
Halloween
Seeing this was my 9th year in Houston, I finally decided to dress up, and I wasn't alone...
Jane Davila was––and I don't know how to put this politely––a Renaissance wench, Barbara was Dorothy (pigtails and all), and I dressed up as a hostess from "Laugh In."
Leslie Jenison, Judy Perez, and Jamie Fingal.
Barbara and I with Helen Gregory who was "The Wind" for Halloween. We had a habit of walking to the show floor every morning from the Hyatt and on Halloween morning, someone stopped Helen and said, "Excuse me, Miss, but you have some things stuck to you." No kidding. Cracked us up.
Jamie, Susie Monday, and Leslie Jenison.
Judy Perez, Robbi Joy Eklow, Lesley Riley, and moi.
SAQA/ Quilt Art Reception and Tiara Parade
Once again, Karey Bresenhan generously hosted a beautiful reception for SAQA and Quilt Art, and it was especially lively this year. Thank you, Karey!
Above, Pamela Allen gives her best Queen's wave.
Our very own Holly Brackman, does too. (And used her book cover as the art for her tiara-–smart marketing!)
Surviving the Runway 80's Style with Cloth Paper Scissors
This is the silliest event at Make It University, but we have such a hilarious time doing it. On Saturday night we went back to the 80's, encouraging "designers" to fashion 80's garb for the runway finale. The stakes were very high for the winners as we had a lot of books, paints, and embellishments to award them.
Certain challenges took place along the way, including having to perform the Electric Slide (led by yours truly), dancing around the aisles to The Fixx, singing Tommy Tutone's "867-5309", among other humiliating tasks. Bottom line: we found out that most quilters have an inner-Madonna.
Deb Boschert brings back the head band. (I can't help but think of Olivia Newton John and Xanadu.)
Remember mall bangs from the 80s? Watch this YouTube:
Barbara Delaney getting her groove on as she passes out supplies. (No one is safe from me when I have a camera in hand.)
As Karey Bresenhan points out at the close of every show, all good things must come to an end. Bye, bye Houston. We had the best time!
Until we meet again...
** November 8 Update** Other Blog Posts on International Quilt Festival and Make It University(TM)! (If you blogged and you're missing from this list, let me know!)
Lesley Riley
Jamie Fingal
Jane Davila
Natalya Aikens
Judy Coates Perez
Fiber on a Whim
Kathy York