Getting ready for International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston

What does this have to do with Market and Festival, you ask? Read on!

This past week, I have been busy packing up my class supplies and organizing to speak and teach at International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival in Houston. Today, my life took a little detour because of the cutie in the photo above. (If you are interested in Quilt Market and Quilt Festival more than you are interested in kittens, kindly skip to the bottom of this post now.) 

I was on my way in to have my hair cut at my local salon, and when I got out of my car, I heard a tremendous meowing noise. My first thought was that someone had their cat in their car, so I started looking around. I saw a black-and-white kitten streak across the parking lot, and poke around a dumpster in the parking lot, so I followed. 


The kitten continued to meow incessantly – and extremely loudly! — like a little kitty banshee, and when I was able to lure it close enough, I grabbed it, went into my hair stylist, and asked her if I could come back after I had taken the kitten to my vet. She graciously agreed, I took the kitten to the vet and had her checked out, and she is now living the good life in the front room of our house. (While she was cleared for feline leukemia, she did turn up having hookworm, a common ailment of feral cats, so she has to be quarantined from our other animals for several weeks.)

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may know that our beloved cat Max was hit by a car and killed last summer. (You can read all about the amazing Max here in my husband’s tribute, but I’m warning you now: get your hankie ready.) Since then, we’ve been offered other kittens, but did not feel ready to adopt a new one quite yet. And our house felt very full with two busy children, a dog (Sophie) and another cat (Trouble). Today, fate decided it was time.

So now, while this new kitten – whom I have named “Wicked,” which my children both think is a horrid name — eats her weight in cat chow putting some flesh on her bony body, I will resume preparations for Market and Festival. If you are going to be there, I would love to meet you! Here is where I’ll be appearing:

Friday, Oct. 28:

12:10 p.m. – Schoolhouse session for C&T Publishing to promote my new book

1:55 p.m. – Schoolhouse session for Studioe Fabrics on attracting art quilters

Saturday, Oct. 29:
10-11 a.m., and possibly on and off throughout that day – working in Dolce Amico Pet Portraits booth with my friend Faith Cleary

Sunday, Oct. 30:
11 a.m. to noon – book signing in Moda/United Notions’ booth


Monday, Oct. 31:
All day — “Crazy Beading” class with Nancy Eha (!!!)


Tuesday, Nov. 1:
All day – “Confetti Naturescapes” class with Noriko Endo (!!!)
6-8 p.m. – IQA Winners’ Circle Celebration


Wednesday, Nov. 2
8:30 to noon – IQA Board Meeting 
noon to 2 p.m. – Winners’ Circle Luncheon
2  to 4 p.m. – IQA Board Meeting
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. – IQA  General Meeting
6:30 to 8:30 – Quiltapalooza

Thursday, Nov. 3:
All day – teaching “Wholecloth Painting” class (class is full!)

Friday, Nov. 4:
All day – teaching “Start With a Photo” class (class is full!)


Saturday, Nov. 5:
All day – teaching “Thread Sketching–Dragonfly” (class is full!)
7 to 9:30 p.m. – Gala on the Green

Sunday, Nov. 6:
11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Open Studios (near Make It University)

I have four pieces at Quilt Market and Quilt Festival:

“Maximum Cat Nap” is in the Art Quilt – Miniature division

“Hope is the Thing” is in The Space Between exhibition

“Freckles” is in the Art – Painted Surfaces division

“Psychedelic Peacock” will be in Studioe Fabrics/Fabric Editions’ booth at Market