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Camp Moda ~ Part 3

Camp Moda ~ Part 3

Written by: 
cnelson

Three days.  Three parts.  Thirty-one designers - but a total of thirty-six women.  (If I counted that correctly.)

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The awesome t-shirts (from Maker Valley and Statelytype) read "Be My Neighbor" - that was the theme of this year's Schoolhouse Session.  (More details about that soon.)

Do you remember the merit badges I mentioned yesterday?  While most designers were giving away their badges if you asked for it, a few were requiring a little something "extra".

One lovely woman - Elizabeth Eastmond - shared a great story when she was asked for her "best Market story".  Elizabeth had a quilt hanging in the booth of "another" fabric company and had come into the Exhibit Hall before Sample Spree to see her quilt.  As she was stepping on the carpet, three men at the far end yanked on it to straighten it and - you guessed it - Elizabeth had her feet literally pulled out from under her.  (She went flying.)  When they tried to tell her she'd fallen, she was adamant that "no, they had been the cause of her being knocked down."  Security and EMTs were called and Elizabeth volunteered to sign whatever waivers were required because (1) she felt fine and (2) Sample Spree was starting very soon!

After several delays, she was finally going to be allowed to go get in line.  She was even going to be escorted there by Security.  At that point, she was asked if there was anything she needed and she said that if the Security Guard could escort her to the line, maybe he could use his "clout" to escort her to the front of the line.  The gentleman agreed that he could and just like that, Elizabeth went to the front of the line.

Jen Kingwell asked for something special - a performance.  Debbie, Toni and Eve from Oklahoma Quiltworks in Oklahoma City came prepared - so prepared that Becky Goldsmith of Piece 'O Cake designs joined in.  That's Becky on the left - Eve isn't in this picture.  If it helps - all four ladies are from Oklahoma.

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Now to the booths...

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Jan Patek.  Jan's most recent collection is Fern Hill - one of my favorites.  The quilt on the left is her Fern Hill Block of the Month, and the quilts on the right are - from top to bottom -  Jack Stack and Holly Jolly Christmas.  As I wrote yesterday with Blackbird Designs, Jan's quilts are distinctively original, nobody else does it like she does.

Another one of my favorites is Betsy Chutchian - in large part because of Betsy.  She's a sweetheart - and not just because she loves the stories behind each quilt.

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This is Hope's Journey.  Do you see the picture of Betsy in the middle of the picture on the right side?  She wasn't feeling well but needed a photo taken for advertising purposes.  If you click the link to the Hope's Journey collection page, you'll see it a little better.  I love the picture because "it's Betsy" - a lovely, sweet woman who loves fabric, quilts and the women who make them.

Her collection and quilts are beautiful too.

This is Thicket by Stacie Bloomfield for Gingiber.

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Stacie is a talented artist whose line-drawings of animals came out of her inability to find the perfect art to hang in her baby girl's nursery.  The prints in the collection are based on the textures she draws for her animals.  The collection is done in White & Black and Cream & Black - and they can be used separately or mixed together.  You can also add a little bit of color if you like - or a lot.

The animals are printed on a panel of four - a Bear, a Rabbit, a Fox and an Owl - and there are two sizes.

Another one of Moda's very talented artists is Kathy Schmitz.

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Kathy's latest collection is Count Your Blessings.  While it has a Christmas theme, the prints are versatile enough to use anytime.  As always, Kathy creates quilts and projects that are pieced,appliquéd or beautifully embroidered.  Some have all three elements.  From left to right, the quilts are: Pop Beads, Spelling Bee, A Bountiful Year, Hopscotch and Blessings.  Blessings is made with the panel in the collection.

Blackwork - it's elegant, sophisticated and timeless.  This lovely pear is from Simple Tidings.

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If you love embroidery, Kathy also has a new book from That Patchwork Place - Stitches From the Garden.

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Amy Ellis loves Moda Bella Solids.

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The quilts are Dimensions, Talk of the Town, Turnstyle and Fundamentals.  Amy has a new collection coming soon.  The book on the far left, under the blue Dimensions quilt is new - and awesome.  It's Modern Heritage Quilts from That Patchwork Place.

This is Shannon Orr and her debut collection with Moda - Acreage.

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Shannon's training as an architect, experience as a costume designer and life-long pursuit of hobbies, crafts and "making things" means that Acreage is really cool mix of prints that work for dresses and clothing, quilts and bags, home decor and whatever else you can think of.  Do you think all these flowers and pretty colors are the result of being "Mom" to a couple of young boys?

Pat Sloan - you know Pat, right?

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Fabric - Hometown Girl is Pat's most recent collection.  Books - lots of really good ones, including the terrific Teach Me To Sew Triangles.

Saturday Morning by Basic Grey - yes, yes... another favorite.

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Rachel Benchley is the creative mind behind Basic Grey.  This new collection includes text prints, big and small floral prints with a vintage-feel, assorted textures and a quirky people-print in a rich color palette that has a botanical feel to it.  While they aren't shown here, Basic Grey also introduced 30 new colors of Grunge at Spring Market.  If you're a fan of the Grunge fabrics, I think you're going to love the new colors.  Just saying.

The downside of tech-issues is that I didn't get to go through the photos I'd taken on my camera - not my phone.  It seems that while I have a couple hundred pictures of Designer booths at Quilt Market, the only pictures I have of April Rosenthal and Sandy Gervais are a bit "blurry".  And since they're not... I had to borrow a few.

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With Summerfest having shipped to shops last month and a new collection coming soon, April also made several beautiful little quilts using Moda Bella Solids.

Sandy Gervais - who still looks younger, hipper and way cooler than most of us ever will was there with her new collection Plush.  It features a large medallion-like panel that Sandy hand-painted.  The quilts are Plush Sampler and Turnstile.  (The fourth picture is an aerial view of Market set-up.)

Last - Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms - the Camille part of Bonnie & Camille.

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The collection is Handmade - and it's quite wonderful.  The overall palette is classic Bonnie & Camille... but it's tweaked just a bit to keep it fresh.  It mixes well with their other collections - the black prints are particularly good.  The stars - my favorite.

From left to right, the quilts are Room & Board, Early Bird, Cakewalk - it's the one with the charcoal background, and Candy Stripes.

Camille joked that her Mom - Bonnie - must have sent chocolate because I had pictures of her booth in Part 1.  I'm not saying it had anything to do with it but Bonnie "may" have brought me a few chocolate treats with her from Idaho.

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The mini is Handmade and the embroidery is done with Bonnie & Camille's Lecien Cosmo Floss Kit for Handmade.

Finally... one of my favorite pictures from Market is always the "family of the designers" taking pictures of the "designer picture".

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From left to right - Pat Sloan's husband, Greg / Allison Black with Basic Grey / Delfina Sitar - Edyta's eldest daughter / Holly Hickman of Moda / Josh Dunn on the ladder taking the official Designer Photo / Edyta Sitar's husband, Mike.

That's Mr. Dunn between Delfina and Holly.  But you knew that.

And that brings me full circle - beginning and ending with the "face" of Moda Fabrics, the man behind it all.

We're back next week with all sorts of things - a book, a sew-along and I don't remember what else.

Happy Friday! Happy Memorial Day weekend - be safe and have a terrific holiday!

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