And so it begins...

IQF began today and as I was walking to Open Studios to set up I heard an announcement saying that due to the large number of people waiting in the lobby to get into the show, they were opening the doors twenty minutes early.

You could hear the panic ripple through the vendors as everyone (including myself) shuffled quicker to get everything in place. Nothing will wake you up and get you going like several hundred quilters chomping at the bit to shop and soak in all the fibery goodness the show has to offer.

Here was my table at Open Studios:

Each artist got a table to herself and I was glad for it. I got to make a mess. There were a lot of people that came through the Open Studio area and I had fun chatting with everyone. The most popular piece of information I possessed was about glue. It appalls some people, fascinates others and the remainder just kind of stare at me like my head has obviously fallen off when I tell them I glue a lot of the elements of my art quilts down.

Here's the skinny on the glue: (1) for fabric to fabric attachments, I use Sobo and (2) for hard materials (otherwise known as things that don't belong stuck on art quilts) I use Weldbond, which I find most often at Meijer in the automotive department. You could stick an elephant to the ceiling with that glue. Its as strong as E6000 but is a fluid white glue that dries clear and has no odor.

Go my children, glue things and be free.

(Oh and I thank the woman today who told me that obviously I was able to make these type of quilts because I had to be an art student. I was flattered that she liked my work but very tickled she thought I was so young. Thanks.)

I only worked for two hours and then I was free to wander the show floor. I decided to make today my shopping day because tomorrow I'm scheduled for four hours and then I figure you're going to have to peel me off the chair on sunday (I'm already tired, its not bound to improve) so today was going to be it.

I was completely enthralled with all the wool booths. I blame Deb. Here's what I picked up:

You can't tell but the plaid piece on the right is an acid toxic green. It also reminds me of the uniform I wore during my twelve year stint in Catholic school. I plan to make an evil plushie creature out of it. Seems fitting.

The little dude sitting on top the pile is an oddball keychain fellow with tons of googly eyes. He promises to "find all things lost" with all those eyes. I figure it should help with my issue of loosing scissors. I should be drowning in them soon if he does what he is supposed to.

I picked up this wool and doily to make a wall piece for my mom:

As the hotel cares nothing for the quality of my blog pictures, the lighting in here is horrid. That wool is actually a blue color and the doily is dyed in some vintage pinky tones. Very girly. Very much my mother. ( I swear, if I didn't look so much like her, you'd really question how a skull loving engineer chick like myself could have been produced by a pink loving froof lady. But I respect the foof and make her appropriate things.)

Mary and I also came across a booth selling rust dyed fabrics. I'd not seen ones like this before. The piece on the left has grey on it produced by tannins. I plan to use this in an upcoming show quilts so I was happy to find it:

The metal tag is rusty and has a stamping of a primitive crow on it. I love that primitive crows have Xs fo eyes. Its creepy and cool all at the same time.

We ordered pizza when we got back to the room and proceeded to have a burping contest after guzzling vernors. We are such ladies.

Tomorrow will be a long day as well but surely a happy one. I'm working twice tomorrow during Open Studios (12:30-2:30 and 4:30-6:30) so come on by and say hello.

P.S. Hey Sidney? Your name was called for the pincushion class. You totally missed out.