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Hi everyone! I thought it would be fun to re-cap my trip last month to Quilt Market in Houston, TX, 2019. If you have questions, email, call or stop into the Norton House with them. Happy reading!
I flew from Hartford, CT on Wednesday.
Thursday I attended a Retail Mastery full-day intense course.
After class I found an AWESOME marketplace full of yummy foods from around the world.
I bought extra food for the weekend ahead. Also, breakfast for the next morning.
Thursday night was a Fab Shop dinner. Fab Shop is a business that helps fellow retail fabric businesses and where I meet retail fabric shop owners from all around the world. I met two awesome ladies from New Zealand, three ladies from Colorado with two different shops, a lady from Denmark, and the icing on the cake, a lady who has a shop in Saco, Maine. The funny thing about the lady from Saco, Maine, is that I asked her if she remembers me because I went to her shop about 15 minutes because closing while I was on my sewing retreat to Old Orchard Beach, Maine two summers ago.
Hotel to Convention Center from a tunnel so if it were to rain I wouldn't have to get wet from the rain.
Me (Emily) taking a selfie before Quilt Market was even open with tons of people all around, haha!
Full day at School House - business classes ALL DAY LONG (which was awesome!)
Memorable Event during School House: The first class of the day was, "From Marti Michell". She is famous for her Mariner's Compass template sets. She has not only her own patterns but also specialty rulers to ensure all the points match up on the Mariner's Compass. A Mariner's Compass looks hard and daunting, but with her methods, it seems completely manageable. I haven't tried to make a Mariner Compass yet, keyword, "yet," but I look forward to it! It's on my personal sewing bucket list to create one.
Also, in the class, Marti gifted a mini Nine Patch Block ruler. It's a bright yellow two-inch square ruler that has markings on the ruler to ensure accuracy. With the ruler, you can align the center square block with confirming accuracy. The other reason why I look forward to testing it out is that in the upper right corner is a bullseye to fussy-cut a Nine Patch square. Plus, you can rotate the block to nip off the edges. 
Memorable Event during School House: Sue Spargo, the author of the book, "Creative Stitching" introduced Spoke Easy creative stitching templates. The spoke wheel templates ensure a fast, accurate placement of lines, aka, spokes. I bought three, one for myself, and two for whoever would like to purchase the other two. I'll be working on a demo wicked soon. However, more about the templates and why I had to buy them... Each set contains six templates that are connected by ball chain but can be separated and use freely. Also, each model has a different amount of spokes, ranging from five to ten with 1/8th guides.
They're ideal for whipped and woven circles ranging in sizes from 1/4" to 1-1/2".
You could also make; picot's, eyelet wheels, fences, stars, snowflakes, flowers, bug legs, and so so much more! The possibilities are endless with accurate plastic templates.
(( Sidenote, the next day, I went to Sue Spargo's booth to speak with her personally about the Spoke Easy product. I didn't mention, but during School House, her team talked about plastic templates to create accurate leaves and bubble bee bodies. (PHOTO above with bees). They haven't been released yet, but I can't wait to test them out also.
While at her booth, she explained their different types of threads. I mention to her I sadly and allergic to wool, but what is an alternative to using wool threads. I asked them because currently at the Norton House, we only carry DMC floss and melter thread. She was unbelievably kind and spoke to me about the different types of hand embroidery threads and even gifted me three different threads to test out. She chooses the color of threads, and I wasn't complaining. I think the three go together nicely, although I'm sure she didn't meant for them to all be sewn together. She wanted me to feel the different weights in the threads. ))
Memorable Event during School House: Sister Shops. Now, this is awesome! The Sister Shops Program is a National Quilt Shop program where you keep a record of your shops and collect gifts from your home shop. It's a shop hop program for only independent brick and mortar fabric shops to help consumers find friendly, fun, and fabulous places to shop for fabric.
How the program works, the shop where you purchase the passport from is your HOME shop. Your goal is to visit and collect stamps from other designated Sister Shops within the next 12 months. The passport may be stamped up to 30 times. Sister Shops may only stamp the same passport once.
If you fill out the passport, you may buy another one at any of the participating shops, but the passport may only be redeemed where it was purchased (I.e. the HOME shop). You have 12 months from the date you buy the passport to collect your stamps with participating Sister Shops. Keep your original receipt.
You may redeem a minimum of 10 stamps at a time at your HOME shop for a $10. Credit or similarly stamp your HOME shop will mark out the used stamps. You may not redeem a stamp more than once. You will find the current list of participating shops on the website: https://the sister shops.com
Norton House Quilting is already signed up, and more information will be provided soon!
Quilt Market began at 9:30, and I was there early to make sure I got into line, haha! I kid you not. I was feeling like a little kid of Christmas.
One of the highlight feelings was to see not only patterns I recognize but to see the pattern designer's newest patterns and their current patterns made with fabrics that I might not have chosen together. The inspiration alone is rememberable and inspiring to get me through until next year.
Running into the booth of "Cotton Street Commons" was like no other. 
As I was walking through, I was like, "WAIT, I sell that pattern... OH WAIT I sell that one too". I mentioned that to the lady in the booth, and she beamed with glee. We talked about her newest patterns and see allowed me to take photos to share them with you too. Her latest patterns are "Step by Step," which is shown as a lap quilt, but it could also be sewn into a table runner or a baby quilt. Even, "Scrap Basket Bingo Table Runner. She has other awesome patterns, as shown in the photos!
I love their company's message in their pattern product brochure, and it says, "We start with innovative thinking. Then we work out many different approaches to find the best but simple techniques, ones that give great results...." It looks like hard angles to do, but they claim their patterns are foolproof.
Next, I went to Checker's booth. I LOVE Checker Distributor because they are the company that we order the majority of our books, patterns, notions and such. 
I have the bags on order and wallets too. Aster Anne is a pre-cut felt tote bag or wallet with pre-punched metal eyelets and a zippered internal pocket. Embellish, attach he included magnetic closure, sew up the sides, attach the buckle up handles, and you are done!
It's the PERFECT accessory to get creative, embellish with felt, appliqué, embroidery ribbons, and beyond! The kits include instructions manual, a pre-cut felt bag with pre-punched eyelets, and zippered internal pocket: magnetic closure, leather handles, key tag, and pins and needles.
Custom to your finger Thimble
The Original Ugly Thimble (the business name, not my choice of words) is a one size kits all thimble. They're each $10. And the package includes:
• leather thimble strip
• Finger guard
• Leather finger guard
• Washable school-glue
• Instructions
Everything you make is one of a kind. Your thimble should also be one of a kind!
I LOVE mine because after the lady at Quilt Market fitted my finger, she then told me that when the leather stretches out... (my coin Clover thimble is already stretched, and I have to push it back onto my finger continually) I can then unfold the glued flaps, and either a) cut the thimble using scissors to then reglue it to my size or b) pull the thimble tighter before regluing the thimble. 
On Sunday the weather was beautiful! I went to the little market to pick up dinner, and then I found a space in the grass to lay down and soak up the warm sun.
Take and teach demos at Quilt Market
Embroidery 
I had a fangirl moment with Kathy Schmitz. I don't believe she knew that I have a wall of her patterns at the shop, along with absolutely adoring her and following her intensely on her social media. While talking with her (, I KNOW!! I got to talk to her and have an authentic conversation about embroidery - I did everything I could not ask her for a selfie and to not jump up and down, waving my hands in the air like a crazy lady.) Not only did she mention she doesn't use hoops but also taught me how she doesn't have knots in her embroidery projects. AGAIN mind blown! The one technique is called a "Waste Knot," and the other I believe she called it a "Double Up." I'll do a few videos of the technic soon. 
Every morning (except Monday because I had to zoom to the FedEx store to ship a box full of treasures to the shop), I went to the gym to not only get some air into my lungs but also to do the traffic report. I had SO MUCH fun watching the highway traffic for a few reasons, 1) I knew I wouldn't be stuck in it, and 2) we don't have large lane highways like in Houston in little Wilmington, Vermont.
The view from the room and sunrises were inspiring. I'm grateful I was able to attend and learned so much. Because of attending Houston Quilt Market, I'll be ready to serve you better, our guest to the shop both online and in-store. I look forward to sharing with you next year's adventures!
In the photo above, it’s hard to see but that’s me working out on the elliptical while enjoying the view of MinuteMade Park (where the World Series took place) and the huge highway bridge. Plus, below was a parking lot and it was fascinating watching people .
And then I begun what I started while flying home to New England. I love sitting in the window seats to see the cloud and be on the look out for any UFO’s flying around. However, my favorite part about flying is the airline cookies! They’re like a molasses cookie but hard, not soft cookie. I believe they’re made in Denmark but I’m not sure. So so good though!
Thank you for reading this post! I can’t wait to show you in store the newest goodies! Happy Sewing!!
-Emily
