Market Prep Craziness and Prints Charming.

Good morning all. My name is Joy. I am Sandy's assistant. I will be taking over her blog today as she is running around like a crazy women mumbling something about how we are never going to get all of these quilts pieced, quilted, bound and photographed before May 12th -  which is market pack up day.

The weeks before market are pure craziness here at the studio.

First there is the constant peering out the window to see if she can spot the UPS truck. Any day now, Mr. Brown should be delivering Sandy's new fabric line Prints Charming. After days of waiting,  Mr. Brown arrives with big packages.

But are they the right packages? 

Yes! I see blue and white tape. Sandy does a happy dance.

Prints Charming  has arrived - let the craziness begin!

During all of this market craziness Sandy always seems to get a severe case of "market brain".

For example - last week on our way back to work after our lunch break, we passed by a billboard.

Here was the conversation that ensued.

Sandy:

Did you see that billboard. It said Quilt For Good. Quilt For Free.

Joy:

Really, you think it said Quilt For Good. Quilt For Free.

Sandy:

Yes. And I am going around the block so I can read the fine print and see what this quilt for free is all about.

Joy: Okay you do that. (We drive around the block to get the details.) This is what we see.

Quit For Good. Quit for Free. QUIT - not quilt. BIG difference.

Sandy: I'm blaming "market brain".

Joy: You really need to get some sleep.

Now you tell me - which of us has the better head on her shoulders - market brain or not.

(I'm pretty sure it is me.)

There is so much more to do than just getting these seven market quilts finished before May 12th.

#1 Green Thumb

Just the embroidery and quilting left to do.

#2 Sew Crazy

Started but not finished.

#3 Crown Jewel

Have not even cut this one. Yikes!

#4 Pick-up Stix 

About 1/2 done.

#5 Her Majesty

Half square triangles are being made as I type.

#6 One and Done

At the quilters. Yippee!

#7 Radiant Beauty

Just the last two borders to go!

Here is the rest of the to-do list 

• Sell sheets to be designed, proofed, printed, folded and boxed.

• Sandy has to design her booth - which I hear involves painting table and chairs.

• Make new chair cushions for the booth chairs.

• Booth walls need to be painted to match her new line of fabric Prints Charming.

• A trip out of town to buy some new booth carpet.

•  4 quilt blocks need to be pieced for the Moda School house. (Something about Schoolhouse Shuffle)

• The designer needs to pretty up a bit. A shower would be nice. Followed by a haircut and color. And those toes - if she is planning on wearing sandals  - she needs to get a pedicure. Pretty sure her toes have not seen the inside of a Pedi salon since October of 2014. Yikes! And maybe she should shave her legs before she gets a pedi - just sayn'. Wowzer.

• Shopping for clothes - that fit. (There was a lot of snacking going on this past winter)

• She said something about making me a new dress for market. 

Well I hope so.

If she thinks I am going to wear the same thing

 I wore last year she has another think coming.

Then there are the things that are NOT on the to-do list and rarely happen during the weeks before market.

Here is the NOT to-do list:

• Sleep. (Only if she can catch a quick nap at the sewing machine.)

• Preparing a meal.

She served the hubby leftovers for dinner AGAIN tonight.

She served them on the fine china and with wine as a decoy. I see she paired the leftovers with white wine. (The hubby does not drink wine - so I am pretty sure we all know who is drinking the wine.)

• Wash clothes.

• Shower. (Good thing I don't have much of a nose.)

• Empty the trash.

  

The hubby, who does all of Sandy's printing, is usually pretty good about picking up the slack at market time. But this year he has been mysteriously absent.  He claims there is nothing he can do until he receives the photographs of the quilts. He is always mumbling something about not being able to print a pattern cover until he has a picture of the quilt to put on the pattern cover. (He might have a point.)

This pattern cover would be a tough sell.

And I'm  pretty sure we would be receiving some cranky phone calls.

But I think there are other things he could do like take out the freight boxes.

(I would take them out myself -  if I could.)

He claims he is too busy with important meetings west of town. It seemed that some of his friends also had meetings west of town. After quite a few of these said meetings I decided to go west of town to investigate. Only one problem - no drivers license. For some reason the state will not issue me a drivers license. Every time I go to the drivers license office they all look at me like I have two heads…

clearly not the case.

So  I commissioned one of my friends to come to the rescue.

She picked me up in her Astro van. 

The Astro is a great stake-out vehicle - big windows.  

We headed west. 

And like any good PI, we followed the trial…

of golf carts. BUSTED!

I'm sure you are all thinking Sandy is never going to get everything on her to-do list done.

I can assure you she will. She has very dedicated seamstresses who are willing to work the extra hours and put in the extra effort to get it done. She couldn't do it without them.

I best be going - I need to get back to doing what I do best. 

Sit in a corner and look pretty.

The following designers have blog post today. Check them out to see who has taken over their blogs. 

Polly and Laurie 

Jan Patek

Betsy Chutchian

Corey Yoder

Sherri Mc Connell

Below are links to the designers who have already posted, in case you missed them.

Amy Ellis
Anne Sutton and Bunny Hill
Pat Sloan
Lisa Bongean and Primitive Gatherings
Joanna Figueroa and Fig Tree

 Kathy Schmitz

Brigitte Heitland and Zen Chic
Vanessa Christenson and V & Co
Moda Fabrics and Lissa Alexander
Edtya Sitar and Laundry basket Quilts
Rachel Brenchley and Basic Grey

April Rosenthal
Alma Allen and Blackbird Designs
Brenda Riddle and Acorn Quilts
Kate Spain

Deb Strain
Jen Kingwell
Lynne Hagmeier and Kansas Troubles
Vanessa Goertzen and Lella Boutique
Karla Eisenach and Sweetwater
Janet Clare