Well, we are back from Market in Salt Lake City, and other than being really tired, we are doing well. Just about ready to get back to normal life...
So everyone wants to know all about market -- what were the "in" colors? What did we have to have/buy/check out? Who has the best new patterns? What was the "it" thing? And all I can really say is that it was pretty overwhelming.....There were literally hundreds of vendors, from notions to entire fabric lines, with everything in between. We didn't get out that much, and when I did get out of the booth it was usually stopping at the ladies room, or going to a meeting, or getting a snack, so I wasn't particularly handy with the camera....so bear with me, I'll try to get the highlights summed up for you.
The hit color by far was grey. Michael Miller had it paired with Orchid, Yellow, Turquoise, and at least 4 or 5 versions of pink. Moda has it in several lines, from Bunny Hill's "Puttin' on the Ritz" to "Ruby" from Camille and Bonnie, and new snuggles in grey that were delightful and oh-so-soft.
As for the "it" thing -- there is usually a gadget that is totally new and unexpected, but this year it wan't so much a gadget -- it was a fabric. A ruffle fabric to be exact. Made by the ruffle fabric girls, who were two booths from us in 643. There booth was never empty the whole show, I'm talking constant people in the booth, at all hours. During classes, over the lunch break slowdown, and at opening and closing every day, it was people deep. Seriously, madness in that booth, and for good reason. They had this gorgeous sheerish crepe-like ruffled fabric that was made with spandex and lycra, with 1" or 2" ruffles, in about 15 colors. The ruffles were soft and drapey, and attached to a base, so you could basically make anything with it. I could see so many different things made with it -- shirts, skirts, little girl dresses, pillows, curtains, etc. It was so very, very cute that we simply couldn't resist buying some to have fun with back at the ranch. Hopefully, I will post some of that fun in the days to come.
Speaking of crazy booths -- I had a new experience at sample spree. Last time I was at market, sample spree was already sold out, so I didn't get to experience the madness. Sample spree is essentially a chance for shop owners to check out the new products, and pick up samples before the item is available for wholesale. It happens the night before market opens from 8-10 pm. It was designed to be a chance to get some pre-cuts, or patterns that you could take home and work on the sample immediately (whereas generally you don't buy things at Market, you order them for future delivery). Needless to same, sample spree was hilarious. Moda had 8 booths, and they were selling Ruby, Ruby Flannel, Putting on the Ritz, some Kansas Troubles, the new Sandy Klopp Line (the name of which escapes me right now) and probably a dozen others that I never got to see. I think they might have had some of the new butterscotch line by Joanna Figueora -- but by the time I got there at 7:15 there was basically nothing left...a few flannels, but that was it. At 8:00 sharp they opened the doors to sample spree, and it was like a mad dash to the Hoffman and Moda booths. Seriously, these people had routes, and agendas, and they were taking names of anyone in their way. At 5 minutes after 8, it was 6-8 people deep at the Moda booths (which had at least 8 people to ring you up). Seriously folks it was madness, and had all of us laughing. And for the rest of the night we got to see the folks with the Orange and White "Utah" bags from Moda -- so -- here's a pic, notice that all you see is a sea of people surrounding the booth.And that orange and white bag, I don't want to know how much fabric was in them, all I can say is they looked heavy.
Yeah, that was all you could see of the Moda booth, zilch, nada, nothing but a sea of people! Just glad we didn't have a brawl, that would have been ugly.
More on our booth at Market to follow.
Happy Quilting!
Cat
