As usual, I'm going to break up my Market recap into a few posts. This is just going to be a basic overview. I'll talk more about my booth and other booths in separate posts.
When Seth and I were at the airport this past Wednesday, "It Feels Like the First Time" by Foreigner came on the radio. I didn't think about it at the time, but it was some serious foreshadowing! We've wrapped up my fourth Quilt Market, but this time was a whole new experience. I officially debuted by first fabric collection for Windham Fabrics, Luna Sol!
Normally, I wouldn't bother starting at the airport, but the story is just too good. After we took our seats on our plane in Phoenix (connecting flight), I noticed a woman with a distinct haircut coming down the aisle. I whispered to Seth, "I think I know who she is. I think she's a fabric designer." She either noticed my intense staring or my "World's Okayest Quilter" shirt, because she sat down next to us. She was finishing up a phone call, and when she hung up, I spotted the contact's last name on her screen. Confirmed! So I leaned over and said, "Are you Heather Bailey?" She said yes. Cue my completely non-subtle OMG face. We had a great chat, and I even spied some of her sketchbook contents when she somehow managed to draw on the bumpy plane ride.
We arrived in Salt Lake on Wednesday night so I wouldn't feel rushed for my schoolhouse on the following day. My quilty BFF Julia joined us in the wee hours of the morning. I hadn't seen her since she moved to Ohio late last year, so I'm really glad she was able to come help/hang out! I tend to have trouble making decisions when I'm anxious, so Julia took over as my personal art director when setting up my booth. It turned out way better than I imagined!
After we set up, we immediately had to take down a large chunk of my samples to head off to my schoolhouse...which shared the same time slot as Tula Pink and Alison Glass. I only had about eight people come to mine, but it sure helped ease the pressure! Plus, it seems that a lot of my favorite designers had similar experiences with their first schoolhouses, so I didn't worry about it too much.
After re-staging the booth, we helped the Windham team set up for Sample Spree, which means we were able to scope out our prey and be perfectly staged when the madness began. I managed to be pretty good this time. I picked up Printshop, Porto, and Raindrop from Cotton + Steel, Hemma from Windham, and Shibori from Moda.
The show went on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, during which I met many lovely shop owners and fabric lovers. I was able to take occasional breaks as well as come in early to see all the booths I wanted to see. Honestly, it was still a blur, but that comes with the territory. It was an amazing week, and I can't wait to do it again next year. ;)
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