Sewing Summit, Part 4

Sunday morning after breakfast we had two more classes.  I took a class about photographing your creations, hoping it might help me take pictures of the quilts and quilting I do.  I'm still not sure how I'm going to photograph the quilts with all the detail showing up (we quilters have it HARD I tell ya!), but I did learn a lot of new tricks and tips to try out on my Nikon D60.

Then I had a class on blogging.  Oh my gosh it was so helpful!  I learned a lot about blogging, giveaways, and stuff I didn't know was even important or available for bloggers.  I'm still trying to figure out some of the things I want to add to my blog, like "share" buttons at the bottom of my posts, and "follow" buttons on my sidebar for twitter, facebook, RSS feeds, etc., but I'm getting there.  The class even motivated me to blog more (can you tell? hehe)

After my second class it was time to say goodbye to all of my fun new friends.  I was so sad that Sewing Summit was over!!  Mike and Marshall had already loaded the car up with all of our stuff, so we checked out and booked it home (where my boys promptly fell asleep for several hours).  I honestly had the best time ever, and I cannot wait for next year!  I've already started saving my dimes and nickels so I can be among the first to register to ensure I can attend!!

If you'd like to follow Sewing Summit, they have a Twitter (@SewingSummit), a Facebook page, and you can follow their blog to stay in the loop and in the know.  :)

Sorry this post lacks pictures.  I was too scattered the last day to take any!

To read Part 1 of my re-cap, go here.
To read Part 2 of my re-cap, go here.
To read Part 3 of my re-cap, go here.

Sewing Summit, Part 3

Saturday afternoon we had the best lunch EVER!  I totally should've taken pictures of all the food we ate because it was sooooo good.  I love food.  I love kitchen gadgets (you'll find out why later).  I love anything to do with food....except for actually cooking it.  I can't cook.  So when I get an awesome meal, I totally appreciate it.

In Amanda's class

Lunch was no exception.  Lunch was awesome!  There was yummy salad, the most delicious veggie sandwich I have ever had in my entire life, and OMG the brownies!!

In addition to the yummy food, we had some awesome company!  I met so many talented and amazing people.  We even played this fun game, Prom & On (tell your life story from Sr. Prom until now in less than 2 minutes).  It was so fun to hear what everyone has done and how they got started in the sewing/creating world.

I got to meet her! She is awesome!!

After lunch we had some time before our classes started again.  A group of us sat on the couches and chairs in the hotel lobby in front of the fireplace and worked on our handwork.  Some people drew, some people knitted/corcheted, some people embroidered.  I worked on my hexies.   Mike and Marshall stopped by and everyone just loved Marshy.  He was so funny.  Then I went to Quilts 101 (with Amy Smart) and Mini Quilts (with Amanda, AKA @heyporkchop on Twitter).

I've never made a mini quilt before, I was always too scared to do it, and didn't really understand what made a mini quilt.  After taking Amanda's class, I totally want to make one!  She was so encouraging and motivating about not feeling guilty about buying fabric you like and only making 1 block (for a mini quilt), and about just having fun and really doing what you love.

Me and Chris (@Frecklemama on Twitter)

I have to admit that I am one of those people who has spent the huge $$ on fabric to make a quilt, made 1 block and said "I hate this," as I put the project away forever.  Now I can find uses for those single, loner blocks and maybe even for the oodles of fabric I've never used! :)

Bento Kid's Meal

After classes were over I met up with my boys and we rode the TRAX down to the Gateway Mall.  We had dinner at the Thaifoon Asian restaurant.  Marshy's dinner came in a bento box!!  (P.S. - isn't that the funniest forced smile you've ever seen on a kid?  Had me laughing pretty hard when I took the picture!)



While we were waiting for our food to arrive, I had this brilliant idea for a Halloween-themed mini quilt.  Some of the advice Amanda had given us was to always carry a notebook in case inspiration struck.  Well, I left my notebook in my hotel room (doh!) so I needed something to draw on.  The only thing I could find was Marshall's menu and a purple crayon!  Yes, that is exactly what I used.

See, I had this great idea based off of a cookie cutter that Mike had bought me from Sur la Table earlier that afternoon.  And of course, being the kitchen gadget addict enthusiast that I am, I had to go there before we ate dinner.  Mike had already bought me a clear spatula (well, he thought it was clear but it was really glittered!) and a Zombie-shaped cookie cutter.

When I went in the store, I would've bought the whole place out if I could afford it!  I love that store!!  I bought a pasta drying rack for when we make homemade fettuccine, an apple corer so I would actually eat apples (I hate having to cut out the core), a pair of onion goggles, and a pink polka-dot knife (because if I spent $5 more I got a free year of Martha Stewart Living or something awesome like that, and I'm a sucker for freebies!).  What I really wanted though were sets of these in all the different colors, but Mike said no.  (See, I told you I loved kitchen items!  Wanna know how many times I've used any of the things we bought yet?  Yeah, none.  They're still in the bag!  I swear, when I'm old and crazy I'll end up on Hoarders for either my fabric stash or my kitchen gadgets.)

After dinner we rode TRAX back to the hotel, I changed into my comfy clothes, and went downstairs to free sew.  It was so much fun, and I admit that I didn't actually get a ton done, but I had a blast.  By the time I rolled myself into bed somewhere between 11 and 12, I was beat!  Also, my feet looked like this.  Yeah, just a little swollen.  I had perma-sock line and no ankles well into Sunday night, but it was totally worth it!

Stay tuned to hear what we did on Sunday at the Sewing Summit!!

To read Part 1 of my recap, go here.
To read Part 2 of my recap, go here.

Sewing Summit, Part 2

Saturday morning came really early.  Classes started at 9 AM.  Now, many of you who know me know that I am sooo NOT a morning person.  I "wake up" around 7, get Marshy breakfast, then go back to bed until about 8:30 at which point I proceed to get ready for the day and show up at the shop around 9....or 10.

Getting up for breakfast before 9 was hard, but I did it.  I went to breakfast at the Coffee Shop in the hotel with Mike and Marsh.  I had pancakes, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and water. I seriously stuffed myself past full!  Then I hurried off to class, leaving my boys to fend for themselves for the day.

I found out later that the boys rode TRAX down to the Clark Planetarium at the Gateway Mall.  Apparently Marshy was terrified of the train at first, but after a while he loved it.  Mike showed him which station they got on and which one they needed to get off on the Free Fare Zone map they had.  At the planetarium Marshy had a grand old time, and even pretended he was walking on the moon and on Mars.

While the boys were off playing, I was having tons of fun in Bari Ackerman's class (AKA @BariJ on Twitter).  She taught Bags 101, and did a FABULOUS job!  I learned so much!  I bought the kit to make the bag she discussed in class (which she brought with her, so I have it now and can't wait to make it!!).  She told us several tips and tricks and helpful hints for making the bag.


After Bari's class it was Jana's class.  You might know her as Lola Again, or @IzzynIvyJana on Twitter.  She taught Garments 101.  Oh my heck! Her handout was HI-larious!!  I took a picture of the first page because it totally made me laugh!


I mean, seriously!  Look at it!  It's so totally how I view myself when I take measurements!

Me with Rachel (@IamSweetTeaMom)

She also gave everyone a pattern.  I got the Princess Bella pattern.  I was so excited!  With baby girl coming, I totally need it, and I can't wait to see my darling little girl dressed in this beautiful outfit!

Me with Bari (@BariJ)

         

Me with Sharon (@aprairiesunrise)

Jana (@IzzynIvyJana) with Rachel (@IamSweetTeaMom)

After class it was time for photos with all of our twitter buddies.  We all had to prove to our spouses that we really knew each other in real life.  We aren't all just imaginary friends! haha




After Jana's class we went downstairs to the ballroom and had lunch, but I'll write more about that in the next post! ;)

Be sure to stay tuned for Part 3 of my Sewing Summit recap!

To find Part 1 go here!

Sewing Summit, Part 1

Oh. My. Gosh!  Sewing Summit was so incredibly fun!!  I can't wait for next year!

I made my family (husband and son) come with me, figuring that they could play around in Salt Lake while I was in classes all day.  We got to the hotel (Little America, so beautiful!) just after 2 PM on Friday, but the desk guy wouldn't let us check in because our room wasn't ready.  He told us to come back in 45 minutes.

So, since it was late in the afternoon and none of us had eaten anything since the tiny donut we'd had at 9 AM, we decided to go get some lunch.  We walked up the street to this great place, Boston Deli, and ordered our lunch to go.  By the time we got back to the hotel it was after 3.  We waited in line to check in.

When we finally got to the counter, the guy said "Oh, I see you booked a 2 Queen room in the Tower?  Oh I'm sorry, but we don't have any rooms left in the Tower."

WHAT?!  Seriously?  I booked this room before Quilt Market, which was in MAY.  I got a confirmation email with my confirmation number for the 2 Queen room in the Tower on Monday.  I was a little upset.  I let the man know.

"Well, I'm sorry, but your choices are you can either go across the street to the Grand America or take one of our garden rooms."

a) he never said my special rate would transfer to either place
b) I didn't want to have to walk outside the building to get to my room
c) I booked my room 6 months ago so I would have a room in the Tower with everyone else

I was not pleased.  I let the man know.

Luckily, the person working at the station next to him heard what was happening.  He finished with his guest then came to assist.  He told me the same thing.  They didn't have any rooms.  They were sorry.  I could go across the street to the Grand America or take a garden room.  Or, they could give me two single King rooms with an adjoining door in the Tower.

I took the 2 rooms.  They looked something similar to the photo (right), with a massive bed, sitting area, and ginormous bathroom.  It was rather grand.

Munchkin was ecstatic to have his own room, with a giant bed, and a phone on the wall in the bathroom where he could "talk while he went potty."  He was immediately forbidden from touching the telephones.

At 4:30 I went downstairs to the meet & greet.  I was a little overwhelmed.  There were so many people, and I knew I should know at least 10 of them, but I didn't recognize anyone.  And then I bumped into someone I knew, who had people I didn't know with them, and the meeting and greeting actually commenced.

We stood at a small table talking with various people until about 7:30.  It was amazing. It was fun.  It was loud.  And the food was awesome.  Tired, but definitely looking forward to the classes the next morning, my boys and I ate dinner at the Coffee Shop.  The food was pretty dang good.  I had grilled salmon.  It was delish!

Instead of going downstairs for open sewing, I spent the evening with some friends in their room, working on my hexi blocks.  Around midnight I dragged my exhausted self into bed, and fell blissfully asleep until my alarm went of promptly at 6:30 the next morning.

But Saturday is going to have to wait, because I actually took a TON of pictures and they need to be gone through before they can be posted.  Check back tomorrow for that recap! :)

Photos from Little America's website, because I forgot to take my own pictures!